stringy

:-) Adjusting to the winters is something I am looking forward to having to spend most of my summers at temperatures in excess of 40 degrees Centigrade (104 deg F) Is California as hot?

Yours is not as early as mine :-) Aug 3rd for me. I think it is good that they called in early, I will surely need some time to transition from 35 degrees Centigrade or more in India to something less than 10 degrees C there

Hey, I will be joining UIUC for gradschool in Physics. Any others out there who will be joining this Fall?

I got offers from UIUC physics and Columbia too. I got a faculty fellowship at Columbia, and TAship at UIUC for aid. I am interested in cond-mat and I need some help making a decision. I have heard that UIUC is in the middle of nowhere, and it pretty much sucks with regard to anything but academics. Columbia, of course is in NY :-) Subject wise, I think UIUc is a clear winner, but if you have suggestions about that, please let me know. If anyone has been to UIUC or has visited, please let me know what problems you foresee or if things are okay. Thanks a lot !