easybreezy

Ha, I started a very similar thread in a different part of the forum exactly 30 minutes before you started this topic
 
I'll be headed to GA State this fall.  Initially, it wasn't my first choice, but it has turned out to be the best choice in the end.  I'm thrilled to have been accepted and am looking forward to starting.
 
I'm already in the Atlanta area but will be looking to move closer in town.  Where are you coming from?  What program will you be in?

On the whole, I don't think you have to email your professors ahead of time. There's plenty of time for that once you get there, honestly. If you do want to write to them, though, keep it short. Something like "I'm a rising first year interested in X and Y. I was planning on taking your Z course in the fall, but I was wondering if there was anything you might recommend I do to prepare ahead of time" would be sufficient.
3 readings courses is the norm. I took 3 readings courses plus a half-credit history and theory class first year, and it was fine.

Disclaimer: I can only speak to my own experiences, and these are shaped in part by being in a well-funded science program at a top university. I can’t speak to the issues I talk about below in the context of humanities, though I imagine things may be worse (?).


 
Grad school as a student from a low-income background can be difficult, even for me, someone in the sciences who gets paid a great stipend that means I don’t have to worry about accruing any debt. It’s just kind of an odd cultural situation.

Honestly, things were much easier in undergrad. I attended a very small SLAC that prided itself on being inclusive and diverse. It had its problems, but as a low-income student I felt really welcomed by the no-cash campus and low-income-specific student groups. Even if we had problems with the administration, at least we weren’t alone. I held several jobs, but I didn’t have to. I just tend to be someone who squirrels away money ‘just in case.’ When it came to grad school, I was accepted to what is arguably the best school in my field. I would be attending for free and would even be paid a living wage stipend, and I didn’t even have to teach! I thought having the same stipend would even the playing field even more between myself and my peers. Or so I thought.

I didn’t realize that in grad school that it’s common to receive significant financial support from your parents. No offense intended if you happen to be one of those students; I just had no clue that that was commonplace. Because I got a full-ride scholarship to undergrad, and did research internships (or other random things) during summer, my parents haven’t had to really support me in a serious way for years. I recognize that I was incredibly lucky to have received those privileges and it’s not nearly so easy for others who just miss cutoffs for financial aid, or who go to a less well-funded college. I realize my experience is nowhere near the norm, but what surprised me the most when I got to grad school is how every other first year grad student seemed to think that their life was the norm. For example, my program is small, but of the 15 or so of us in my year, I think everyone has parents that are professionals: doctors, lawyers, or professors/scientists. One guy even published a paper recently with his dad. For comparison, my dad works in a factory and my mom didn’t work while she was raising myself and my sister. My set of experiences are very different from my peers. Not necessarily better or worse, but so different that it's often hard to relate. I'm pretty candid about my background, but I can tell it makes others uncomfortable at times. Sometimes the differences make me feel uncomfortable too. 

For example, some other classmates and I went shopping together. I am very money-conscious and enjoy window shopping, but a lot of the time won’t get anything unless I feel like it’s a good deal. My grad school friends bought new winter coats and boots and used their parents’ credit cards to pay. I’m not bitter about it; if I could I would totally do that as well. I just can’t relate. And I don't think they could relate to me either. I just loaned my family $2000 for my sister to pay for college because my parents couldn’t afford the expected parental contribution. Loaning my parents money was a very odd thing for me, but whenever I try to talk about those kinds of experiences, I usually get blank stares or weird concerned looks. I just wish I knew someone who has been in my shoes; someone who I could share these experiences with. 

I was wondering if anyone else is in a similar boat, and if you are, how did you find people like you/relate to your peers who seem to come from totally different worlds?

I haven't really been that productive, but I guess I wanted to relax while I can. So I've been reading books, watching a lot of movies, playing a lot of video games, shopping and working on learning German. I've also been spending time with my family before I move and doing some last minute things at home (packing, getting my documents together, getting check ups at the doctor's and dentist's, etc.) I also took my first vacation which was to Disney World!
I was supposed to be volunteering for a local genealogical society but they're too unorganized and were a no-show at my interview. I've been contacting them every summer and they never have room for me, then I finally get an interview and realize how unprofessional they are. I didn't really have a back up plan as I expected to be working there...
 

I'm no tech expert so others will hopefully chime in, but I am mostly a PC (you mean a desktop right?) user and shop around on sites like New Egg and Tiger Direct until I find a refurbished one that is priced right and has the components I need.  I recently got a laptop and went the same route to get it.  The laptop will be for trips home or to conferences mostly since when I'm on campus I'm fine using the computer labs there.  The bulk of my work is done on my PC at home.
As for when to buy books, I personally buy them as soon as I have the funds especially if I have to order them, so usually 6-8 weeks early.  I can't stand to not have my books in advance because I dislike seeming unprepared.  Also I've had multiple experiences where online vendors aren't forthcoming about their inventory and after my payment has cleared I'm told my books are on backorder.  Buying ahead of time also gives me time to comparison shop between the campus bookstore and online sites.

Working at the school I'm entering in the fall, which in hindsight was a great idea. Highly recommend for any future grad students reading this.

I'm not so sure its the desk that really matters, but the chair.  Definitely don't skip on a good quality ergonomic chair.  If you could put your feet up and nap in it then it's perfect.

Chromebook is the best! I got the Samsung 11.6 inch one (which is now "old") when I started my masters program in fall 2013 and it has been awesome. I've used it to take notes and to organize and archive of my school files on Google Drive.
I think this is the best option in terms of battery life, portability, etc. as long as you know that you have to be connected to wifi in order to use it and as long as you don't need to run any specific programs. Like you, I have a full-sized laptop at home with Microsoft Office so knew that I could always use that if necessary. To be honest though I did most of my work and general web browsing on Chromebook and then downloaded files from Google Docs to Word on my laptop whenever I needed to use it for formatting. I also realized that this was a non-issue once I found out that my school offered free Office 365 to students (yours might too). If you have access to that then you can always save files in Dropbox and use Word Online, PPT Online, etc. to edit those while using Chromebook. 

OK, this topic has been going on for a while now. I remember I used it before starting grad school! After three years, I thought I might give my two cents. 
Note taking: I have always been a pen-and-paper person. Yet, I decided to go laptop for grad school. Two main reasons:
You can search you notes faster. For writing papers and/or sitting for your Comps, it is always better to make your notes word-searchable. Easy to edit. If the discussion involved a reference to a book that I didn't know, it is easy to add hyperlinks/side notes to that book. Also, I would go home and add historical background (if needed), or other information I saw pertinent. A good resource was adding keywords and their definitions.  For notetaking, I use OneNote. Free and websync so you don't lose your stuff. 
Laptop: I brought to grad school a 2010 Dell mini 10''. Light, easy to use but very old and very slow. It took it half an hour to start running (even if it wasn't shut down). For my third semester I invested in a MacBook Pro and it was the best decision  I have made. First, because I have VERY GOOD campus support for Mac. Second, it is as light as my previous computer but the screen is bigger so I can actually work here (13''). Third, because Mac is SO much better for viruses. I travel a lot for research so it is nice not to worry about one thing. Pay attention to your campus offers as regards software. Most of the software I can download through my school is both for Windows and Mac, which is great. 
Software:
Bibliography– I use Zotero but because I only made a choice when I started three years ago. It was either Zotero or Endnote. Choose one and stick to it. I would suggest doing some digging -again- about support on campus. For example, when I work on campus computers, I make sure I choose one where Zotero is installed for using with a word processor. Endnote is everywhere, Zotero not so much. Like OneNote, it syncs online which is great. Writing– I recently started using Scrievener. It is a great resource for extensive writing. It has many features that you sort of discover as you use it: brianstorming, corkwall, keywords, etc. The only problem that I have with it is that there is not a good extension for bibliographic managers. But I will definitely write my dissertation here. SO MUCH BETTER than word. You can try it out for free for 30 days (30 days that you actually use it which can extend over a longer period). Scanning– If you need to scan books/documents, I suggest CamScanner. It scans and turns your scans into PDFs documents, and then you can send them to your e-mail. I also use traditional scanners if I am on campus, and traditional cameras if I am in the archive. But this is an awesome resource because, let's face it, your phone has a good camera.  Organizing files– For knowing what documents I have from which archive, which one has been OCRed, etc, I use online AirTable. It's a database software but SO MUCH easier to use than access. And it looks nice. And it's free. And online.  Organizing research– A Gantt Chart. Always. How to make a good Gantt chart? Look up GanttTeam.com or something like that. I have planned my research plus the tasks for each time.  Misc: I always have a copybook, pens, and color markers on my desk, including highlighters. I often make graphic notes for prepping for lectures and I need color for that. Also, writing by hand makes your mind process your thoughts differently than typing so I always resort to hand and paper when stuck. My "drafts" notebook is full of postits, bubbles, highlights that look like a mess, but made sense to me at some point! Finally, I have page markers all over the place: my desk at home, my bag, my office in school, my pencilcase... You cannot have enough of these! 
Furniture: My first year I lived in a furnished apartment and bought a bookcase like many suggested here. On my second year, I bought this bookcase-desk combo on craiglist. Actually, the "little" bookcase on one end of the desk was the one I had before and I put it next to the big one as a bed-side table (my room is pretty small). The desk + big bookcase + office chair were like $100. Oh yeah, invest on a good chair. The guy also gave me his desk lamp . So never underestimate Craiglist for a good buy! On this topic: many schools have an office that manage furniture and many sell their old furniture really cheap, look for those. Also, ask your department to contact you with people that are leaving/graduating to see what they do with their furniture (we "inherited" a lot form older students: bedframes, side tables, washer/dryer). 
Finally, I am happy to answer any questions! All the best to new students!!!!!!  
AP
 

@Need Coffee in an IV that's exactly what I was thinking.  If I don't get it this time around, I'll get to know faculty and current GA's and TA's to see if they have any advice.  I have a feeling that I may be a strong applicant *fingers crossed*
@maelia8 thank you so much! I went and combed through the application to make sure I provided everything that is relevant lol. I was told we'll hear back from the school sometime in July. 

I would apply, the worst they can say is no! I would definitely highlight your experience and show how you have been exposed to research through theory. Then you can go in detail how you would be eager to learn the applicable/practical side of your field

Make sure to read the application carefully - some GA applications only want you to list experience "at the university level or higher," and some are only interested in your experience from the institution you're currently attending and none before. Good luck!

I applied for an assistantship at the beginning of April. I have absolutely no research experience. But part of the application wanted me to list all the classes relevant to the assistantship (which was pretty much every single class related to my major). I also have worked for almost two years as a visual merchandiser and the MS program I am doing is global merchandising. I found out a couple weeks ago I received the assistantship. I'm not sure how many applied, but the director did say they received a lot of applications for it. Research or not, I'm sure it helped that I already had my undergrad in merchandising and have already been working in this capacity.

The jobs you listed as part of your background sound like strengths, even if they're not directly related to the research you will be doing as a GA. I would emphasize the skills that you gained from them and how those skills could be of use in your potential position as a GA. Good luck! 

Just wanted to share a bit of advice. If you haven't been offered an graduate assistantship from your own department, look to other departments. A lot of times they are looking for students and even know slp students are hard workers so may favor them. I see a lot of posts about choosing a dream school versus one that has offered you a scholarship/assistantship but is local/ not your top choice. I went through this debate myself and ended up choosing my dream school. I decided that even if I didn't get any money, for me, personally, it was worth it. However, I also I thought might as well apply to anything I could find (GAs, TAs, RAs, etc) because I had nothing to loose. I ended up getting an assistantship from another department which covers tuition and gives a stipend. Obviously it was a gamble, so I decided based on the assumption I would not get anything. But it my point it just that just if you don't originally get offered anything, there is a real chance you could get something substantial later. The department told me that they frequently hire SLP students because they have had good past experiences with them. Even if departments don't advertise, dig around, ask a lot of people because I the worse that you can hear is not and they you're just back were you started. Hope that helps someone. 

I think it's really up to your study style and what you think you'll find useful in the future. I bought my first PH textbooks (used), such as Intro to Biostatistics. I'm in Epi, just finished my first year. I thought I would reference it more than I have, but maybe the book will still be useful in the future. You seem to have a good starting point--buying what you think is useful and renting the rest. 

I just finished an MS in epi and I bought most of my required books except for an intro course I really had no interest in.
I did go back and reference my intro biostats book in subsequent classes. One hard thing about looking up help with biostats is that not everyone will use the same notation... It's hard to jump into some random author's explanation of a concept when they are using notation that looks familiar but means something different. So at those times I preferred to just go back to a book that I knew.
Also, there are a few very well-known epidemiology textbooks that are commonly assigned and you will start to see them referenced in other work. Some of their authors (e.g. Greenland, Kleinbaum) are a big deal in epi methods and biostats so it's helpful to know who people are talking about. One book-- "Epidemiology: Beyond the Basics" by Szklo and Nieto-- was actually assigned to me twice. These are important reference books if you want to stay in epi, especially the more advanced texts like "Beyond the Basics" and "Modern Epidemiology".
Many of my classes had an optional text that was just a suggested reference, or a book from which they shared the needed chapters on Blackboard. If the professor says that's the case, believe them and don't buy the book unless you're really interested. Get it from the library or don't get it at all.

Oh don't scare me like this!  I just got engaged and will have to plan a wedding in my first year of grad school while my significant other finishes her last year of a masters program.  We are hardly going to have time to see each other let alone plan a wedding.  

My sentiments exactly @biochemgirl67!! I'm trying not to be hated by "friends and family," but when it comes to paying for a wedding - spending money on food is the most! I've started telling people that if they come, they can't expect a seat, a meal, or some cake.  I just don't have the funds lol. 

Furiously planning a wedding (and trying not to go crazy on the constant drama.  You think applying to grad school was hard?  Weddings have way more drama because it turns out that the people not paying like to secretly add people to invite list after the fact.)
Oh, and trying to decide who to list for my first rotation choices.
And going to Nashville to vet apartments.

If your university/school offers online course for that subject, then go ahead for it. As far as I know, taking online courses is not frowned upon. But if your school doesn't have online class for Epidemilogy and you are thinking of applying for online course from a different school, then I suggest you rethink about it. Talk to your college authorities about your problem and see if they can help you out with it.  

Is it offered online at your school or would you have to take it online through a different school? If it's the former, I would assume they wouldn't offer it online at the grad level if it was frowned upon or considered a lesser course. I took an online course for my MS in the fall because the on-campus lecture option didn't fit my needs; it was just as - if not more -  demanding (the on-campus course was a full semester, online was 1/2 semester) and covered the same material with assignments as similar as an online format would allow. If you have to take it through a different school, that is more likely to be frowned upon or not as favored. 

Buckhead is the farthest from campus of the neighborhoods mentioned and is not where any graduate student should be living.  If you want to play there - by all means.  Living there?  No way.    Most grads, seem to default to Campus Crossings - or a related complex - around Emory (if you are Emory bound).  There are however, no shortage of roommate situations one can pursue on Craigslist that will take them away from the university, so that they have an actual incentive to discover the city.   If you are going to Georgia Tech, you might be tempted to venture to the West of the freeway to live. . .don't.  I would suggest something close to the East/West train line or the border between Midtown and Virginia Highlands.   GSU folks can really live anywhere on a bus line as the train has a Georgia State stop.

Here is the real deal with Emory/Atlanta. I currently attend Georgia State, but I actually live closer to Emory. I take the bus to campus every single day. While it is true that the MARTA buses don't always stay on schedule, there are advantages to taking the bus rather than the train. You will never be hit up for change or have someone try to sell you socks, lighters, etc. when you ride the bus. However, these are very common occurences on the train.

You will want to live in the Virginia Highlands area. There are a lot of apartments in this neighborhood, prices for a one-bedroom will range from $500 up to $1500 or so. There is quite a range in the quality of apartments, but this is a very safe and nice neighborhood. It is approxiamtely 2 or 3 miles from Emory. There is a specific MARTA bus route that runs back and forth between the Highlands and Emory. Since this route is so short, this particular MARTA bus will virtually never get off schedule. There is a lot of shopping in the neighborhood, including a grocery store very close on Ponce DeLeon Ave. I do have a car, but I only drive it about once a week. It is definitely more convenient to have a car in the ATL, but if you live in the area that I have recommended you can easily get by without one.

Honestly, I'm not sure I would tell past-me to go to a PhD program, if I had the chance.
Assuming that I would, though, I would tell past-me to apply to more PhD programs. I only applied to one, because I was afraid I wouldn't be competitive anywhere (I was planning to get a master's first).
I'd also tell past me to take 2-3 years off after undergrad and before graduate school to work in my chosen field (public health). I think then past-me would've had a better handle on her own research interests and been better prepared to hit the ground running in graduate school wrt publications.