Regression2theMean

I started grad school taking all my notes by hand but it became unmanageable, particularly when I need to review my notes at the end of a course or even several semesters later. Now I use an iPad and use Notability to take my notes. Note taking apps like Notability allow you to take notes by hand or type depending on your preference. What I really like is the ability to record audio, insert videos or images, and convert hand written notes into type. It has honestly made my notes more dynamic while still being easy to search through. You can also save all your notes to your storage system of choice like Google Drive, Box, and so on.

I agree with many of the things others have said. I also want to add that cost of living in Uptown/the Wedge has been steadily increasing and might soon outpace what most grad students can afford. There’s been a shift towards living in Northeast which is safe and still affordable. Dinkytown is definitely an option but is so populated with undergraduates that it might not be appealing long-term for graduate students.

I think the answer to this question is complex and differs a lot across programs. I certainly cannot speak to all programs. I know my department will not take anyone into a PhD program that they cannot fully fund for at least 5 years, unless that person has a grant or other fellowship. This is actually written into my department’s graduate student handbook and on our department website. In general, I believe most PhD programs at prestigious and/or R1 institutions look down upon so called “self-funding.” It is a point of pride and indicator of commitment to fund all of your students. In some cases, funding students can be part of a larger departmental commitment to the university and/or donors. Moreover, by funding students, programs are then able to hold students more accountable for their research productivity (and, to a lesser extent, coursework) because that is what they are being paid to do. Again though, some programs may be more amenable to your idea. The best way to know would be the first read the program’s website carefully and look for indicators of their guaranteed funding commitments. The other thing to do (after checking the program’s website) would be to contact their program officer/assistant director of graduate studies. Program officers often know the most information about how admissions are going to work on a given year and can be a huge asset in the process. When I applied, I found the program officers more useful than the faculty in answering my more general questions.

Hi all. I am a current PhD candidate in a social program at an R1 school that some of you have mentioned (PM me for more info but I don't feel comfortable posting more details here). I wanted to give you all a heads up that many programs (the one I'm in and at least 5 other programs that I have friends/colleagues/peers in) are limited on admissions this year due to university budget cuts related to COVID. The social program I am in has been cut down from our typical 6-7 department/university funded admission slots to 3-4 slots for our area. Across the entire department, the reduction is similar to this (~60% in each area) with areas that must maintain specific numbers for APA accreditation (e.g., clinical and counseling) having few to no admissions related cuts. Fortunately, PIs that have grant funding to support a graduate student or students that qualify for grants/fellowships (such as NSF GRFP and diversity and inclusion fellowships) are not impacted by these cuts. Also, as some have noted, most faculty take time off at the end of December or are on mandatory furloughs during winter break and probably won't review applications in totality until January. Programs that make decisions per advisor tend to be quicker than programs that make decisions as an area which could also impact how long it takes to hear back. Best of luck to you all!

All areas make their decisions separately but they should all be out soon because Welcome Weekend is the third week of February (20-22).

I agree that a nice hand written note is the right way to go!

It's hard to not connect with your cohort. I've been lucky to have a very inclusive and social cohort that I love. However, through the years of graduate school I have experienced that people do tend to splinter off a bit as time is more constrained and people decided on different career paths. A few things I have noticed some grad students feel uncomfortable doing are going to drinking-oriented events, going places that will cost money that they might not have, and/or attending events that their significant other is not welcome at. I know you said you tried a variety of invitations but perhaps there's a common thread amongst the events you've proposed that is turning some people away. Or maybe you just have a less social cohort which definitely happens too! I hope you manage to find some social outlet because it seems like you are putting a lot of work into it and having social support is so important!

UMN social program decisions have been made and acceptances should be emailed out by the end of this week.

Has anyone had experience having to TA or teach fellow grad students, some of whom are in your same lab? If so, how was that experience for you? Any advice?

This thread is very interesting and will likely be helpful for students early in their careers! I want to reiterate that finding your support structure while in grad school is a must! Whether the support comes from other students, trusted faculty, friends outside of grad school, family, a therapist, etc., getting support can make all of the difference. Grad school is hard. Having people who are in your corner is a must. I prefer a combination of people who are involved in academia and can understand the specific hardships of grad school and a few people completely outside of academia who can help keep you grounded. I wouldn’t be where I am today without my support network. I also want to add that you could work every hour of the day and still have things left to do. Grad school is hectic. If you want to be able to “finish your to do list”, then you are in for a rough ride. You have to be intentional with your time. I started setting aside “writing time” every day during which I block off my calendar, close my office door, turn off my phone and email, and just write. Don’t be afraid to say no if you can’t or don’t want to do something. Don’t be afraid to take time for yourself. Time is a precious commodity!

Your first year in a PhD program can be tough, particularly with everything new being presented to you. I’ve found that if I focus on my passion for my research, I feel a lot better. It’s also great to have friends outside of grad school who can remind you how awesome and difficult what you’re doing is. I still remember telling my friend (who had never even considered going to grad school) that I was helping write a chapter for a book. She freaked out about how cool that seemed because it is something so unusual to a lot of people outside of academia. That instantly made me feel so much better!

UMN social program should be having “the meeting” soon to make decisions. They admit to the area, not to a specific POI so don’t be surprised if you haven’t been contacted yet. Also, UMN’s social and PIB programs accept students without formal interviews. Visiting weekend for accepted students is the third weekend of February. Good luck to all those applying this year!