SnowAngel3535

I know this may not help you but I have opposite regrets. I did good in school but I focused all of my energy on that and didn't focus on the fun part of college and now that is my biggest regret of my college life. Balance is key. When I start grad school in the fall I will make it my priority to keep on top of my coursework and research but also to make time for fun stuff and socializing with my peers.

This is how I've survived in a job that often requires 60 hour work weeks. I take one weekend a month to cook 4 full sized meals (4-6 servings each) and freeze them in individual portions. Washi tape and Sharpie make great freezer-proof labels that will come off easily when you're done. I take the frozen meals as my lunches so all I have to do is grab it on my way out the door. Plus, since I ate my "big" meal at lunch, I can just do a sandwich or salad when I get home. I make a big batch of oatmeal or boiled eggs Sunday morning and eat the leftovers for breakfast all week and typically only have to do dishes on the weekend!

I'm from The Bahamas. 

I deal with some of the same issues you do (including attention deficit, anxiety, depression) but over the last few years of grad school I've managed to refine my methods, maybe some of this will help.
First.  I find that a solid work schedule begins and ends with a solid sleep pattern, because this helps you establish a routine which I think is so important to dealing with some of these mental health issues.  If I go to bed on time, and wake up on time, the day goes well.  If I stay up too late and oversleep, surprise surprise, I have a hard time even getting grounded and it can be very hard to recover.  Have a routine, and have set work hours.  It doesn't matter if you work from 11am-7pm, 9am-5pm, or 9pm-5am, routine is important.  If you're struggling with getting to classes and meetings, pick a set of working hours amenable to that.  Keep that time sacred for work (though remember to take a break here and there - though don't get too far afield).  If you're like me, and struggle with focus, there are apps for that!  Don't rapidly snap into this new routine overnight, work your way up to it.  I find that even on the weekend I only deviate slightly from this sleep schedule, I shoot for 7 hours of sleep each night, your body may have different needs.
Second.  Protect some time for non-work stuff and keep that sacred as well.  Don't buy into the myth that you should be putting in 70 hours of solid work each week.  Nobody is really doing that, and even if they are, there is plenty evidence to suggest that working in small, intense bursts actually produces better output than dragging out your workday for the sake of being able to comfortably say you logged a lot of hours.  If you have nothing to look forward to then it will be very hard to stay committed to your work.
Third.  Never go into anything as important as a day in your life without a plan.  Even if you wake up and finish your breakfast and walk your dog and you're just itching to sit down and write until your fingers bleed, take some time to plan out your day.  I have used checklists, but I've found that I've had more success after I bought a small lined notepad.  Each day, I mark out the clock hours I'm going to work, each line represents a 30 minute increment, and I visualize how my time will be spent, accounting for time spent on the bus or walking from place to place, as well as any breaks.  Each day starts with a 30 minute block I label "planning/prep", in which I check my e-mail, check and update my planner, get any old coffee cups off my desk, and get whatever books or materials I'm going to need for the day.  After that, I turn on my website blocking app for the next 6-7 hours and I work.
Fourth.  Try doing creative/intense intellectual work in short, highly focused bursts.  There are studies that show that even highly trained and experienced experts in various skills have a very very finite amount of mental energy/willpower that they can expend on their practice before they start to see diminishing returns.  Since I've started actually producing my dissertation, I limit my actual writing time to two very intense 90-120 minute chunks of writing each day.  I've found that I'm having quite a bit of success this way.  In a typical day, I begin at 9:30 a.m., I take care of prep stuff and everyday tasks until 10, I then write until about noon, at which time I take a 30-60 minute break to eat, walk the dog, etc.  I then write for another 90-120 minutes.  These minutes of writing, of course, are focused and intense (I don't check e-mail, don't use my phone, etc., just write).  I then leave the rest of the day for reading and research, or other less intellectually demanding stuff.  I always take the last 15 minutes of the day to close everything down, make some notes on what I need to do tomorrow, and then I take like five minutes or so to just close my eyes, breathe, and disengage from the work.  The strategy of short, intense, flurries of output takes some practice, but I think is ultimately far more rewarding than the drawn out days I used to spend at my desk distracted and despondent.  If you're still in coursework, you may have to alter this formula slightly in order to keep up on reading and seminar prep, which is demanding in a somewhat different way, but I think the principle still holds true.
It goes without saying that this is a very fragile system, it takes some discipline to adhere to.  I have really excellent productive weeks using it.  There are also some weeks that nothing seems to go right with it, and I can't get a groove.  Consistency is key, good days beget good days, good weeks beget good weeks.  If there is something disruptive coming up like a holiday, or a conference, or research travel prepare yourself for it and figure out how you'll get your groove back when you return. I can't stress enough that the strongest indicator I can find as to whether a week is good or bad is a consistent sleep pattern that helps lock the routine in place.  Also, finding a workspace conducive to highly focused work is essential as well.
There is a book I've found very helpful called Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Dr. Cal Newport.  Some of the strategies I talk about in this post come from that, though most are modifications of things I was already working about.  What Newport provides is a solid well researched basis for these strategies and ways of refining them.  It's not geared toward academics, but the author is a professor at Georgetown so the strategies are actually rooted in his academic life.  It's not without its problematic aspects, but overall very helpful. 

Yes! Living for this. I have been equally addicted to GradCafe and the skincareaddiction subreddit this winter.
When I started my MA program, my first meeting with my future thesis chair was a several-mile hike at what felt like Mach 2 speeds. On that hike, they gave me an excellent piece of self-care advice that has been very helpful to me ever since: No matter what else is going on or how busy you are, you should reserve 1 full day each week that is about taking care of your human needs. Don't read, don't research, don't write, don't grade, don't do email, and don't hold any meetings or study groups for just 1 day each week. Use that time to sleep, to play music, to play games, to go hiking or running or swimming or whatever-ing. Take a day for yourself to recharge, to reflect, and to have fun. Do whatever activities or non-activities allow you to recharge and reconnect with your more-than-just-a-student self. 
It can be really difficult to stick to this, and you'll feel enormously guilty about taking time off from your studies, but it makes a huge difference in the long run in terms of avoiding burnout. In moments of weakness, I tell myself "it all gets done" and indeed, it does. 
 

hey,
 
I got an unofficial offer for waterloo (actual amounts will be in the official acceptance) but I wanted to know if about $31,000 (roughly) per year is enough for an international grad student to pay tuition + living expenses. I live a very frugal life now but not sure how that translates here

!!!! I was just accepted to a great MA program. They have a great renaissance lit program and I’m so excited! I’m sorry if i seemed a bit melodramatic before but this has honestly been such a long process. I initially applied to 6 MA programs and 4 PhD, each with lots of hope/consideration. I also have two more apps still pending but it feels so good to finally hear a yes! Especially one that’s funded. And from a phone call of all things. 
Thanks again everyone for being so supportive. I will probably seek professional help in the upcoming months and  I really appreciate everyone here.

I also applied to SFU as an international student but like Lena_Regina said, the portal doesn't really say much about application updates, status etc. I can only guess based on previous year results for my program that results come out around May. I really think it's department based so I would use that as a guide

I’m a lurker. I’ve applied to 11 programs. I’ve been told that I was an extremely strong candidate, yet all rejections so far. Not even a waitlist. What bothers me most is the demeanor of some people on these boards who have already been accepted to more than 1 school, yet they are complaining about rejections. Gratitude. Be thankful you have been accepted to ONE. I’m sure y’all don’t mean to sound that way - but that’s how it comes across.  Not a troll. A sad person, who will pick myself up and continue my pursuits. Best to you all and congrats to those who’ve been accepted. 
 

Exactly - I know plenty of us can relate. "Go to college, do well, and you'll never have to work hard like I did."
So you go to college, you do well; but then what? You get so caught up in the idea that being a good student magically opens doors and creates jobs, that you don't network and schmooze the way other kids learned to do. And forget about unpaid internships - you can't miss a paycheck from your menial job!

My mom sounded like she was going to burst into tears when I told her my (temporary until grad school, hopefully) new job: an overnight EMT. She's worked herself nigh to death as a late shift ER radiographer. I don't mean to disappoint her, but her idea of college as a shining miracle institution has failed us both.

Straddlers, remember: the fight has merely begun in college. You're fighting to get into, or succeed in, grad school. Then you're fighting for recognition as you mature as a student. Then you're fighting for jobs in a market where it really is who you know. And always, you're fighting the urge that you're a stranger in a strange land, an impostor from outside. Keep up the fight, straddlers!

Thank you! That's awesome! I wish you all the luck  

I graduated with a BA in Psychology in 2015. Since then I have been pivoting into Computer Science. My community college level coursework includes:
Java and C++ Programming Data Structures and Algorithms Internet Programming (Javascript, CSS, HTML) Elementary Computer Organization -- currently enrolled  Calculus I and II (III is planned) -- currently enrolled in II Discrete Mathematics (planned) My undergraduate GPA was 3.54. My current Comp Sci GPA is 4.0 (though is all undergraduate level). I'm a tutor this fall for the college's CS department, though I have no work/internship experience. I did do research in the cognition and learning labs for my psychology department in 2014-15.
From my research into schools, I will be eligible to enroll in some MS CS programs. Given my background in psychology, I have some interest in Human Computer Interaction. Are there any schools that have particularly good programs for someone with that emphasis? Any recommendation for schools I should look into? Also should I pursue the MS CS with emphasis in HCI or should I be looking into MS HCI programs instead?

I think a reasonable starting point is knowing which specific countries you are interested in and researching the prospects in those areas.