katreese

It probably differs by program, but in mine, we were required to have chosen classes by this time last summer.

I can't speak on the bike issue, but I can tell you about the weather! I moved from a much colder climate, so DE seems balmy to me. We got next to no snow - a few dustings, and one 3". I actually find the spring much rainier than the winter. If you don't mind biking in rain and cold-ish temps (mid-20s at worst, and a rarity), you should be all set - snow is not an issue. In terms of cost, I would look closely at the bus schedule - they don't run at all on Sundays, so if you came to campus on Sundays, you might have to pay for parking. Supposedly street parking is free, but there are many streets around here that are no parking at all. City parking garages are $2/hour.

I think that would depend on how much room you have in your luggage. You can buy anything here, although it becomes more difficult if you don't have access to a car, due to the fact that there are very few stores in Newark, and the difficulty in carrying stuff. If you are purchasing sheets, towels, blankets, kitchenware etc your only on-campus option is a K-Mart (which is not that nice, but is on the bus line). There is a Wal-Mart about 15 minutes away (by car) and other stores are 30 minutes away. Did you have more specific questions? Perhaps tell me where you are coming from and what your concerns are. It will be very hot when you get here, so you won't have to worry about buying a coat right away.

The only part that feels dorm-like is that there is one cinderblock wall, and there is no carpet in the main room (it's 'tile'). Also, there are rules - you can't burn candles, you have to request a spare key from the apartment manager (and it's only for a couple of days) - nothing too onerous, but it's a little more heavy-handed than a regular apartment. It's very quiet - I never see my neighbors - and in a great location. Well, there is a bus system, which seems pretty good but doesn't run as often as that in a major city (it doesn't run at all on Sundays). The main problems in living here without a car are that it would be difficult to get off-campus at night and on the weekends, and Newark is a VERY small town. There are 2 trains - Septa (regional rail) and Amtrak - which connect to other places, but the Septa runs pretty much on M-F 8-6. You can take a bus to Wilmington and get on the Septa there - but even then it doesn't run on Sundays. I have never done a comparison but I imagine that not having a car would be cheaper, and less convenient.

Hi all, I'm currently a first-year graduate student at UD and can answer any questions. As previous posters mentioned, Newark is very small (and rather unattractive - but the campus is not), but close to other major metropolitan areas - you get the benefits of the cities for day trips and research, without the same amount of congestion. I've had a very positive experience at UD. The faculty and my colleagues are friendly and helpful, and the president is committed to making the school a better place for graduate studies.

I've lived in the Conover Apartments (grad student/family housing) since August and can answer any questions about them. Since I was moving from relatively far away, I didn't search for apartments in Newark - I signed up directly for the grad student housing. They were all completely renovated last year and are quite nice - I was afraid they were going to be like dorm rooms, but they're a little better! There is carpeting in the bedroom, and all the floors, bathrooms, and windows are new. There is heavy-duty fire and security protection, which is nice. Parking is expensive (over $400/year) but you'd be paying to drive and park if you lived off-campus anyway. The location is convenient, as it's a very small campus. My neighbors are all very nice, but I can't say anyone here has formed a community. Newark - well...it's extremely small, the restaurants are terrible, Main St is underwhelming, and the rest of the town is tired worn-out strip malls..but hey, we're here for education, not the quality of community life, right?! The campus is indeed pretty - sort of less opulent version of UVa. One of the best things about Newark is its location. As I mentioned, it's small, so it almost feels like living in the country - but major cities are nearby, and there is plenty to visit within a couple of hours' drive - including the beach. There is 1 person in my program without a car, but I don't know how she does it! Feel free to contact me with more questions!

My RA position is 20 hours per week, which according to other, more experienced grad students, is more hours than the TA positions require. 20 hours seems like a lot to me, but the real difficulty is scheduling - I have to work daytime hours, so I am constantly taking off of work to meet with professors, go to department meetings, go to conferences, etc. etc. I'm going to be working the entire month of June in order to make up all the time I'm missing.

"a thief is one who caught stealing, not one who stole and was never caught" is this a quote from the madoff school of morality?

Just something to consider - you might change your mind once you get to grad school. I was worried about the possibility of having to teach when I applied to grad schools, because I don't think I have natural teaching skills, but now that I'm in grad school I'm looking forward to it. I still don't know if I'll be any good, but I'm looking forward to giving it my best shot.

my university requires 9 credits while on fellowship, 6 credits while on TA/RAship. people do take more - i can't imagine how though. perhaps an audit, sure.