michafute

1. I wish I had known the first few months were going to be so expensive-- finishing up with moving costs, establishing the new place, the new computer, textbooks and school supplies, some new clothes, socializing with the cohort (bar costs!) and Christmas/holiday travel and gifts. Starting a budget earlier would have eased some of that post-Christmas money panic where I wasn't sure if my remaining income/stipend would yield enough savings for summer. Adding excess money worries to the already stressful life changes was unfortunate, so I recommend being honest with yourself, your income, and your expenses as they might play out over a long period of time (and not just month to month).

2. Time budgeting can be just as important as money budgeting. I was great about reading for the first four or five weeks, and then I slipped into the (very common) habit of only doing about half of the reading for any given class. It hasn't hurt my grades, but my choice to socialize or just take a lot of relaxation time at home has probably eroded some of the educational benefits of discussion and reading outside of my research for seminar papers.

3. Speaking of seminar papers and term projects: Start earlier than you ever have before. If you ever procrastinated on your big assignments in the past, this new time at school is the opportunity to break the habit and start treating these assignments like what they are: part of your job, and a stepping stone to your career. Waiting until the last week to research, or the last day to write, is something I see a lot of grad students still doing. Sure, plenty of them are doing okay in terms of grades, but they aren't doing their best work and-- let's face it-- we're getting too old for those late-night shenanigans.

4. Everyone knows you will be busy, so they might not say anything, but try not to lose contact with your friends and family from home. There will be plenty of new friends to be had, and starting fresh relationships can be liberating, but they likely won't be able to replace the deeper roots you've established elsewhere. Don't forget to call or write or facebook with the people who know you best.

I made some Grad School Resolutions last summer (the thread is still kicking around somewhere) about saying yes to invitations and being more positive, and I think that I held to them and they yielded some nice results. There are definitely some other things I might add later, but these are the first that come to mind.

~~~~~(Extended version)~~~~~
 
I was checking my email every 5 minutes or so that day as it was a Thursday and we were told to expect emails that week if we were accepted (and to wait for a letter in the mail the following week if rejected). This was the only program I applied to so I was anxious to hear back as I planned to try to put in a few more applications to other schools if rejected but those deadlines were quickly approaching. 
Anyway, it's Thursday. I went to take a mid day shower, got out and dressed to take my elderly father to the store and decided to check my email once more before leaving and there it was - "congratulations! You have been admitted." I was completely floored, to say the least. I smiled a smile bigger than I thought possible and said a quick prayer thanking God for allowing me the possibility and hoping to be able to pursue him and reflect well on him through my future work. 
I told my dad, we decided to hold off telling mom (she's a teacher and was at school). At the store, we also bought cake and ice cream and roses for mom and I cooked fdinner or her to come home to. She didn't really question anything when she came home because my parent's anniversary was the previous day. That is, until I told her she wasn't allowed to cut the cake because it was mine. She asked why I had a cake and I let my dad tell her the good news. 
I've never seen the two of them so proud. I'm my dad's 6th kid but the first nto ever go to jail and the first to graduate from college and the first in our family (at least 4 generations) to go to grad school. 

The night before I was accepted, I had been very ill with a stomach flu.  I woke up feeling completely empty and wasted, without any desire to move.  It was a fitting state to be in, considering I'd had no luck with applications and was struggling to keep myself motivated and optimistic.  Waking up feeling sucked dry.... it was as though my body finally agreed with my mind.
I wanted to do nothing.
I didn't even get up to eat, just lay there, hoping to fall asleep again.
And then my phone went beep beep beep.
I frowned, thinking:
Ugghh, SPAM!
Looked down and saw:
Congratulations!
Followed by an offer of admission.
 
I got up.  Oh yeah.  I got up.