Archaeodan

I GOT ACCEPTED AT PENN STATE!!! I LOVE THEM AND IT WAS GREAT AND I'M DEFINITELY GOING TO GRAD SCHOOL THIS FALL 

I GOT ACCEPTED AT PENN STATE!!! I LOVE THEM AND IT WAS GREAT AND I'M DEFINITELY GOING TO GRAD SCHOOL THIS FALL 

Apply for your visa early. Mine got delayed for stupid reasons and I almost didn't get it in time. Start as early as you possibly can. 
Fly into Manchester, use Trainline.com to book you train tickets to Sheffield. The train is cheaper if you book before you get on, takes less time than buying at the station (though you still have to pick up your ticket from the auto kiosk), and is much more convenient than taking the bus. Costs less, too, if you book for a specific time, but give yourself at least an hour, maybe more depending on whether its a big day for student travel, to get off the plane to get to the train. Border control for student visa holders can sometimes get really packed with all the students coming back. The train station is an easy walk from the terminal. Manchester to Sheffield takes more or less an hour. DON'T COME FROM LONDON UNLESS YOU WANT TO PAY A BAJILLION POUNDS. London to Sheffield is 4 hours. If you choose to take a trip to London, take the bus. RyanAir is your friend. Travel often.
Sheffield is ridiculously hilly. Like, for real. Unless you live in City Center which is 5 mins from uni, student housing in Endcliffe is a half hour up the hill, Ranmoor is 45 mins. Getting to class, the walk is nice, coming home, it...takes getting used to. You can take the bus, but I'm cheap and appreciated the walk at the end of the day to clear my head. I lived in Endcliffe, where most students live. It was nice, felt like the suburbs. I often took the long way home to walk through the Botanical Gardens (so much so my friends thought I lived in the gardens, but check them out, they're beautiful). The postgrad housing is not in the same complex as the undergrads, so it's quieter (though we did have this one guy who played endless ukulele at all hours of the night...don't be that guy). It is near a couple tiny kid schools, so you will see many small children in uniforms. I thought it was adorable, but it did get dicey to go running in the afternoon trying to dodge them (i joke) (kinda). 
Classes are harder than in the US. Your entire grade in a class may be one 3000 word paper. Paper writing is also different, more scientific. Prepare yourself by analyzing what makes a journal article good (organization, clarity of descriptions, concision). The grade scale is also different. A 70 is an A and they're hard to get, 50s and 60s are things you will probably get. It's based on the idea that a Nobel Laureates best work is a 100 and everyone gets graded on that scale. Being 70% of a Nobel Laureate is an A for a Masters student. 
Fear Human Anatomy. That class literally made people in my year cry it was so much work. I was osteo, so I didn't have to take it, but I was told the best thing is to just trust Pia to get you through it. Though it's hard af, the human osteos knew so much about the body by the end of the year, it was awesome. Also, Human Osteology quizzes suck, but again, you'll feel like a superhero by the end of the semester because you'll be able to identify any bone in the body by feel (literally you'll have to do identifications of a bone in a cloth bag by feel) (it's cruel, but also kinda fun). Lean on your fellow students. The archaeology department is big into discouraging a competitive atmosphere between the students. They want you to collaborate (not cheat, obvs), so embrace the camaraderie and raise each other up.
The archaeology building is different this year as Northgate House was falling over (), so I can't speak to the labs, but I've been told they're better than before, and they were awesome. If you get after hours access to the building, take advantage of it. You seriously will need that hands-on time to study.
Get involved in everything. The Human Osteo people are great, so are the Zooarchs (I'm still friends with a bunch of them, profs included). Take advantage of the fact that the archaeology department has a pub. You will spend more time at the Red Deer than you'd think is humanly possible. Embrace it. Embrace Sheffield. It's really a wonderful place and I miss it so much.
I'm going to stop writing now as this is getting ridiculously long, but if you have more questions, please ask. As you can tell, I could talk about Sheffield all day. 

I didn't interview but I was accepted to the MSc Osteology/Funerary Archaeology program at University of Sheffield last week. I have 0 experience in archaeology and majored in history, so this will be very new. I took 1 phys anth class in undergrad. Apparently archaeology  in the UK is considered a subfield of history so my major is more applicable.

Just now getting onto Grad Cafe upon the recommendation of a first year Medical/Linguistic PhD candidate who I'm close with - hello! The waiting game sucks, but I just found out I've been admitted to the University of Iowa's MA program in Cultural Anthropology! I'm fourth on the waitlist for funding, but to have an admit at all is exciting! To those who have had interviews or admits, congrats!! To those still waiting, hang in there!

Yo, @suavesana...wait. You were at the ICON symposium? Wait...we met. You're the monkey/primate person, right? I'm the geography girl. Online world and reality coinciding is weird. 

Just got an email for a skype interview at Brown with POI. Had basically written this application off since I saw other interviews go out last week. My subfield is linguistic anthro. They want to talk to me tomorrow! I am so scared...

POI contacted me after Penn State interview and said it went well! She said they have a site I can jump on with my project idea! Next week/week after, I find out if I'm a finalist. Wooo!

POI contacted me after Penn State interview and said it went well! She said they have a site I can jump on with my project idea! Next week/week after, I find out if I'm a finalist. Wooo!

POI contacted me after Penn State interview and said it went well! She said they have a site I can jump on with my project idea! Next week/week after, I find out if I'm a finalist. Wooo!

Just had an interview...I think it went well? Maybe? I hope I didn't come off as having weak ideas and as not being able to talk about my research, cause I feel like that's how I sounded...but they seemed to like me well enough?

POI contacted me after Penn State interview and said it went well! She said they have a site I can jump on with my project idea! Next week/week after, I find out if I'm a finalist. Wooo!

POI contacted me after Penn State interview and said it went well! She said they have a site I can jump on with my project idea! Next week/week after, I find out if I'm a finalist. Wooo!

POI contacted me after Penn State interview and said it went well! She said they have a site I can jump on with my project idea! Next week/week after, I find out if I'm a finalist. Wooo!

POI contacted me after Penn State interview and said it went well! She said they have a site I can jump on with my project idea! Next week/week after, I find out if I'm a finalist. Wooo!

Just got an email saying I am "high on the funding priority list" for Georgia Geography (archaeology prof)! Not exactly sure what that means, but I'm taking it as a good sign! 

Just got an email saying I am "high on the funding priority list" for Georgia Geography (archaeology prof)! Not exactly sure what that means, but I'm taking it as a good sign! 

Just got an email saying I am "high on the funding priority list" for Georgia Geography (archaeology prof)! Not exactly sure what that means, but I'm taking it as a good sign! 

I GOT MY FIRST ACCEPTANCE TODAY!!!!!!!!

@Archaeodan I asked my interviewer what support the dept provides in grant writing, placement of graduates, how I would be involved in their research/opportunities to publish, the dynamics of dissertation advising/committee (collaborative, or mainly working with POI?), What their approach is in advising students (see everyday? Meet once a week? Hands off?), and ease of interdisciplinary studies (e.g. taking additional stats classes, medical classes, whatever is relevant to you). 
Hope this helps, and good luck! I’m sure you will do well  

The wifi at my apartment actually seems to be working. Like what???? You forget how much functional wifi is a necessity until you don't have it for a month. I think my landlady switched services and daaamn is it helping 

Apparently I'm on the shortlist for University of Chicago Geophysics? I didn't apply to Geophysics, but apparently that's where I fit better...That's cool. They're bringing me for a funded visit next month. 

Apparently I'm on the shortlist for University of Chicago Geophysics? I didn't apply to Geophysics, but apparently that's where I fit better...That's cool. They're bringing me for a funded visit next month. 

Apparently I'm on the shortlist for University of Chicago Geophysics? I didn't apply to Geophysics, but apparently that's where I fit better...That's cool. They're bringing me for a funded visit next month. 

Apparently I'm on the shortlist for University of Chicago Geophysics? I didn't apply to Geophysics, but apparently that's where I fit better...That's cool. They're bringing me for a funded visit next month.