Blackhawks10

Did anyone get their e-mail activated yet? I have been on and activated all my other accounts but still can't get email.

Make that $$$

Has anyone else out there made their choices? I will be attending UIUC in the fall.

I'm looking at T&C as well. My building is in the middle of the quad (Davenport Hall). Would it be feasible to take the bus everyday? And are there any student lots on the interior of the campus? I was looking on the parking map and it was kinda confusing.

I will be attending, starting August 15th.

Anyone have information on Busey Court Apartments? I am considering living there. If not there, any other suggestions? I am looking for something fairly close to campus in a quieter area (Urbana?).

Depends if you are looking around campus or a little off campus. I lived at Ironwood Gardens which is north of the campus and is about a 5-10 minute drive to campus. They are nice and a mix of students and non students so it is pretty quiet. I know for sure they allow pets and they have a nice walking path on the interior of the complex.

I personally have responded to the programs that have accepted me. I think its a good idea just to let them know you received the acceptance and you are still interested in the program, and I also think its nice to say thanks.

I completed my undergraduate there. It may take some adjusting if you are coming from a big city. There is some public transportation (buses) that are free to students, but are not very useful unless you absolutely cannot have a car. But the town has pretty much everything you need: several grocery stores, a mall, most chain restaurants, etc. Campus is nice with a lot of trees and pretty compact. If you can afford to have a car I would recommend living a little bit off campus, the apartments are a little nicer and cheaper. If you have any other questions just let me know and I will try to answer them for you.

Contacting your program isn't necessarily a bad thing. I had been waiting around 10 weeks to hear from a program, so I sent an e-mail. Two days later they sent me an acceptance e-mail. I wouldn't contact a program right away, but if you have been waiting for a while a follow up e-mail wouldn't hurt.

Received an acceptance e-mail from UIUC today. No news on funding yet, but should hear within 1-4 weeks.

For my LORs, two came from professors I had several classes with and one came from a professor I completed a research project with. So my suggestions (along with what others have said) is to #1 try to find a project that you can work on with a professor. This will be a great opportunity to get to know them better and also to see how you work and your strengths. #2 is to try and take multiple classes with the same professor if possible. If they see your face often and see your work in several classes this will give them good material with which to write your letters. And although you may be shy, try to speak up in their classes every once in a while. Also, if your department hosts guest speakers or presentations, try to attend some of those. Say hello if you see your professors in the hallway. Just try to be seen as much as possible. Profs will recognize you quickly if they see you around a lot. Once you feel comfortable, maybe stop by their office hours and tell them of your plans to attend grad school. This helps because they might have some good advice for you and also it gets the idea in their head that you might need a LOR. Then near the end of the semester, ask them about writing a LOR. I know it may be a little awkward, but all the professors I asked were very happy to help, and I'm sure most professors would be. And remember, when speaking to profs you at least have one thing in common, anthropology! So don't be afraid to use that as an icebreaker. Good luck to you!

Yes, I am waiting on UIUC. Thanks for the heads up, I will check with them.

Hello, I don't consider myself a cultural geographer, but I have some background in it and have taken a few classes in cultural geography. I can tell you about the basic things cultural geographers study: -Globalization: How has globalization effected the cultures of various areas. With information traveling faster than ever (TV, internet, etc.) this has an effect on popular culture throughout the world. Trends started in one country can catch on in another almost instantly (music, fashion, video games). Another good example is food. Almost every large city in the world has a McDonalds and other fast food places. Globalization also brings ethnic foods to places as well (think of the number of Chinese/Indian/Mexican/etc. restaurants found in the U.S.) -Cultural assimilation: When people immigrate from one place to another, what traditions do they keep from their homeland, and which ones do they change to the culture of their new home? Also, when large numbers of immigrants from one specific area to another specific area, it can have an effect on the surrounding culture (for example Chinatown in various large cities). -Religion: Religion can have huge impacts on the culture of areas such as clothing, food, entertainment, architecture, etc. -Environmental Determinism vs. Possibilism: There is a debate in cultural geography over environmental determinism (the environment determines the culture of an area) vs. possibilism (the environment has an effect on the culture of an area, but ultimately determined by the social conditions of the area) One of the biggest things I had to do in one of my classes is study an areas "sense of place". Now this is a phrase that is kind of open-ended. But basically you study how people work, live, and interact with other people and the environment in the area, and how this differs from other areas. For example, the "sense of place" of New York City would be far different than a rural town in the Midwest. Now I am not really sure what cultural anthropologists study (please excuse my ignorance), but basically cultural geographers how culture relates to a specific area. Unfortunately, I don't think there is a huge job market for cultural geographers outside the academic world. Perhaps you could become a writer or something like that, but I think the large majority of cultural geographers stay in the academic world. I hope this helped to answer some of your questions. If something isn't clear or if you have anything else to ask I can try to help.

Hello everyone. So far, I have been accepted to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and awaiting news on funding. I am waiting to hear from the University of Illinois and Northern Illinois University.