I applied last year, too, albeit to only a small handful of reach schools since I was really happy with my job, but I didn't get in. As a result, the panic this year is super real.
Planning and having little projects is the only way I know how to distract my brain. I am leaving in March for a(nother) long distance hike, so I've been meticulously planning and researching gear deals. And shamefully, I've also planned out my move to multiple possible cities complete with contingency plans and created multiple spreadsheets with projected budgets based on cost of living and expected stipends at each school I've applied to.
corgibutt19 got a reaction from elx in How are you preparing for next year?