unixotic

hi all (sorry for any grammar issues or spelling -- i'm trying to get this up in between meetings!) i'm going to be a new graduate student starting in fall 2021 and i was wondering: what's a good starting course load? i'll be working as a paraprofessional (it's required) for my program, so i'll be working roughly part-time in the office (or more when they need me for when the university is experiencing peak times [e.g. move-in, orientation, move-out, etc.]). i'm really not trying to take 4 courses to start off with, but some part of me thinks 3 is reasonable? i haven't been in school for two years (one being because i was working during a gap year and another due to covid) so i'm also hesitant to really throw myself in all at once because i have to adjust back to school/work life (plus it's a big culture switch since i'll be moving from home to a new city). all advice and insight is appreciated! thank you!

Woah, sorry for the late response! I never got a notification for your reply, so I thought this was just an empty thread I made. Thanks for your insight! I have some family who live on the East Coast (though none are in New York anymore), and they stress that NYC is great in its own ways, much like how you listed! I know my family in LA are showing preferential treatment to USC again due to the campus locality. But for both schools, if I can get the grad assistantship I'm looking for, I won't have to worry about renting! But then again, I'll have to look for other options just in case. I will definitely miss the hiking trails, beaches, and mountains that are all around me when at home, but maybe a change of scenery (even if still inside an apartment due to pandemic things) might be good for me! Socializing though... it might be a bit difficult for me since I am a bit on the shyer side, but I think it might be a good boost for me to build on my confidence and get out there! Maybe it'll really cement the idea of "everyone is busy doing their own thing so they're not worried about you"! Fingers crossed! Thanks again for responding! I have my interviews all next month (all within one to two weeks of each other) so hopefully I can make a decision by then!

Hi everyone! This is my second post on this site so I'm hoping a few of you could offer some insight onto my challenge: choosing NYU or USC. (And yes, I did post this under "Decisions, Decisions", but I found this sub-forum [?] and figured it'd also be a good place to post). I've been "accepted" into both (Recruitment Day Interviews for NYU and official acceptance for USC), and I'm over the moon! Both schools are really good and I feel incredibly lucky to think I got in even after taking a gap year during covid. I'm from Southern California (if that helps) and I'm having trouble picking one. While my family prefers if I stay in the Los Angeles area and go to USC, I can't help but romanticize the idea of being in New York. NYU ranks 10th for my program, while USC is right behind at 11th, so I'm not too worried about program quality since they're so close together. For overall rankings, USC is put at 24th and NYU is 30th, so again, not too concerned with the quality of education! Both seem to be amazing, and while my gut is leaning a little more towards USC (mainly because they've been in constant communication with me vs. NYU plus being a Southern California native), quite a few people around me seem to be cheering for NYU. If anyone has any insight as to what the cultures are like at these universities, please let me know! I'm not too nervous about moving elsewhere since during my gap year (before covid) I was able to travel to another country and live alone for months, so that's no issue! Of course, I'm just being optimistic about NYU since it's not an official acceptance. I would just like to think of my options just in case! Best of luck to everyone as they're receiving their letters! P.S. If this is in the wrong topic and I should move it somewhere else, please let me know! I'm really new to this site so I haven't gotten the hang of it quite yet!

I've been feeling super down on myself, too. I applied to 7 grad programs, and I've only been officially accepted into one. I have another interview coming up next month, but the only two schools that seem to want me are private schools. I've, so far, been rejected 3/7 and I don't know what I did wrong during my applications. What sucks even more is that the schools won't let me ask what I did wrong or appeal, so I have to sit here and wait out the other ones. I've seriously been questioning the validity of my acceptances to my other schools and I just feel a huge cloud of insecurity and imposter syndrome with it.

Hi everyone! This is my first post on this site so I'm hoping a few of you could offer some insight onto my challenge: choosing NYU or USC. I've been "accepted" into both (Recruitment Day Interviews for NYU and official acceptance for USC), and I'm over the moon! Both schools are really good and I feel incredibly lucky to think I got in even after taking a gap year during covid. I'm from Southern California (if that helps) and I'm having trouble picking one. While my family prefers if I stay in the Los Angeles area and go to USC, I can't help but romanticize the idea of being in New York. NYU ranks 10th for my program, while USC is right behind at 11th, so I'm not too worried about program quality since they're so close together. For overall rankings, USC is put at 24th and NYU is 30th, so again, not too concerned with the quality of education! Both seem to be amazing, and while my gut is leaning a little more towards USC (mainly because they've been in constant communication with me vs. NYU plus being a Southern California native), quite a few people around me seem to be cheering for NYU. If anyone has any insight as to what the cultures are like at these universities, please let me know! I'm not too nervous about moving elsewhere since during my gap year (before covid) I was able to travel to another country and live alone for months, so that's no issue! Of course, I'm being very optimistic about NYU since it's not an official acceptance. I would just like to think of my options just in case! Best of luck to everyone as they're receiving their letters! P.S. If this is in the wrong topic and I should move it somewhere else, please let me know! I'm really new to this site so I haven't gotten the hang of it quite yet!