Switzerland

oooh...which desk did you choose? I still need to get one...

I will be moving my current non-profit to a new location, moving myself across from the west coast to the east, finding and moving into a new apartment, reading up on the class for which I'll be a TA, brushing up on my French and Mandarin, saying goodbye to my partner, researching my tentative thesis and area interests, and trying to remember to have some last bits of fun before the start of school in August!

I've heard back from URI, UCLA, U of British Columbia, Pratt, Simmons, and Syracuse....U of Southern CT and Rutgers are the only ones I haven't yet heard back from, but I've already declined their offers of admission. Best of luck to everyone waiting...The waiting can be crazy making!

Thank you so much to all for your thoughtful replies...I really appreciate it! I actually won't be on campus until the fall as I live on the opposite coast...Should I initiate a meeting via email or do you normally meet the week before with the professor? Are TA's normally provided the texts for the class in advance and free of charge? I think I will simply be leading discussion sections, attending lecture, and maintaining office hours, but now I'm wondering if there is more to it than this....It sounds as if most of you have had much more responsibility than that...I didn't realize that TAs were actually teaching classes, by which I imagine you are presenting lectures, etc? Also, I am a woman, and I'm wondering your advice on getting problematic students to behave. Do you ignore them? Call them on it? On the first day of class (in my case, discussion), how did you introduce yourself? Also, how did you respond to questions to which you didn't know the answer? Lastly, what kind of dress code should I follow? Thanks again for your advice...You have NO idea how valuable it is and how I much I appreciate it!

Thanks for the feedback! One more question for you all...As I will be a TA in my first semester and I haven't yet met my professor, should I initiate an email to the professor to introduce myself? What questions should I ask? Any protocol here? Also, am I crazy for thinking I should try to read up on the class this summer? Any other suggestions? To those of you who have TA-d before, what advice would you give those of us who haven't? In particular, how do you approach the first class? Thanks again for your advice, suggestions, thoughts...

Thank god for this post...I was beginning to think I must be the only one out there stressing! I'm also a first year TA and I'm wondering how in the world I'm going to do it all....I'm totally totally anxious about that first day of class as a TA...Undergrad was so long ago for me that I can't even remember what my TAs were LIKE! It's really challenging because I'm moving so far away and there are all these unknowns...where will I live? with whom? will the undergrads listen and respect me? will they be little monsters? AHHH! Thanks for the advice, though...Now every time the thoughts start a-rolling, I'm going to just start singing Don't stop believing....ohhhhh OH!!!" That helps...oh it helps... That, and a nice cold one... Above all, I will keep repeating...I am my own glee club...and... I am my own rainbow! Anyone else out there who is a TA in a class they've never actually taken??? (:

Yea! Thank you so much to all who have taken the time to post and comment on this...I'm actually moving from the west coast (portland) to Rhode Island University in the fall and I'm wondering how gay friendly my new neighborhood will be...Is there anyone, anyone at all, who has been to Rhode Island and knows anything about the community there? I know that URI used to be noted as one of the most homophobic universities in the nation due to assualts, though several years ago, they reversed the trend with a mention in the Advocate as having made huge strides, particularly with a queer center on campus...I'm wondering if anyone on this forum has a perspective on this? Will I need to be in the closet? How accepting are the students at URI? Thanks for any advice you have!

I'm moving from the west coast to Rhode Island to attend University of Rhode Island and have NO idea where to even begin looking for an apartment...Anyone out there have any suggestions? I'm panicking!

First of all, congratulations! I am in precisely the same boat you are in...and I just don't know. I waver back and forth. Ultimately, I believe I will go with the full funding as I am also in the humanities/social sciences, and it seems very foolish to rack up debt in such an uncertain economy. However, I am not planning on pursuing the phd ( I may, but it's not a decision I've made at the moment), so reputation seem to be less important than the degree and internship/experience. I will be graduating with two masters however, and the opportunity to graduate debt free doesn't seem to come twice in a lifetime! I would also say that the fit between you and the schools, as well as the reputation and accessibility of the professors are at LEAST as important as the general reputation. Have you spoken with any current or former students? What was their experience like? Best of luck to you as you make this choice!

Hello all, I’ve been accepted to the dual degree program at the University of Rhode Island in History and Library Science. I don’t think either one shows up in the US News Report Rankings list, but wondered if anyone out there had any perspective on how well regarded either of these programs are? How much does the ranking of the program matter in terms of career or possible phd? Thanks!