butterfingers2010

Speaking of e-mail, there's a couple of things you can get free if you have a .edu address. You can get Google Voice (I think its a program where you get a free phone number through them, which you can use to get free text messaging) and you can also get 6 months of Amazon Prime for free, with a discount off the regular price after the 6 months. I'm definitely excited about Amazon Prime and free shipping. ; )

I had to sign up for my e-mail before receiving any communication about my financial aid, which was in May. I imagine that it varies greatly from school to school. When I started undergrad I didn't receive my e-maill address until I signed up for classes.

For me the entire process of applying to grad school really challenged my sense of self-worth. At every point in the process, I was thinking "Am I good enough for this? Am I going to pull THIS one off?" From taking the GRE to obtaining LOR's to answering application questions, you are constantly faced with how you might compare to other applicants or to what the school is looking for. Some aspects of the application were especially hard for me-for example-bombing the GRE TWICE and basically living in fear that the only programs I would get into are ones that don't require it. I also had some trouble obtaining LOR's, as the first people I asked-those who I were so sure would be great letter writers for me-turned out not to be as interested as I had hoped. It was a huge sense of relief for me when I found the LOR's I needed, but it was definitely a challenge to my self-esteem. I think the most important lesson I took from that is that you have to realize that not everybody will like you or want to take the time to help you achieve your dreams, but that doesn't matter, because there are people who ARE interested in your future and your success. The most rewarding part of applying was being forced to articulate exactly what my goals are and what my professional approach and style is all about. I learned a lot about myself through writing, re-writing, and writing again my SOP and other essay questions that I had to do. A year of researching schools,two GRE exams, six months of writing, a few crying spells, hundreds of dollars, and ALOT of worries later, I am finally a graduate student! Applying to grad school is one of the hardest things you'll ever do but it's so worth it.

Is there somebody of higher seniority that you could discuss this issue with? If this is a brand new manager, it could be that he's just trying to throw his weight around and see what he can get away with. At any rate, he's not the right kind of person to be in this position and his boss should be aware of this fact ASAP. From what you've told us, it sounds like you were wrongfully fired. As you mentioned, this isn't devastating to you financially, but it may lead to other problems for you down the road, such as receiving a bad job reference. For this reason alone you should definitely try to clear things up. You probably don't want to return to working there (if they were allow you to have your job back) since it sounds like management is doing a very poor job and it's just not working out for you. But it might be possible to have your record changed from saying you were fired to saying that you "resigned." This should clear up any future reference problems, so long as you don't list this guy as a reference (obviously!) If the head boss won't help you, you could try approaching the HR department or whoever is next higher-up. It's probably not worth going to court over, since its a part time job and you were leaving anyway, so I wouldn't take it that far. In the meantime, could you pick up more hours at your other job? It would be a lot easier than trying to find other work. You could also try a temp agency.

I was wondering if anyone else here has had success in finding a Chicago apartment while living out of state. Also, just needed to vent a little here, because I am VERY frustrated... I will be moving to Chicago in September for grad school. I currently live about three hours away and work a full-time job, which basically only allows me to go apartment hunting on weekends. With that said, it would be preferable if I only had to take one weekend trip, since it's kind of a long drive. Anyhow, so far the vibe that I have gotten is that Chicago apartments turn over at the last-minute and that they turn over quickly. This makes me very, very nervous, as I do not like the idea of having to wait until the last-minute before moving to find an apartment, nor is that very feasible for me. Ideally I would like to find a lease ahead of time. As in, NOW, or at the longest, by the beginning of August. I'm not willing to sign a lease for a place I've never seen before. I would, as a last resort, but I really would rather not if at all possible. So far what I am seeing in hearing is that apartments are not advertised for rent until a month or less before the lease begins. As I said, this makes me extremely nervous. Where I'm from it's the norm to apartment hunt about 3-4 months in advance, so this is all very strange to me. You would think that landlords would like to be guranteed that their apartments are always full so that they get as much money as possible. Case in point: a friend of a friend is moving to Chicago this week. She was not able to find her apartment until last week. I really do not want this to be me! My strategy so far is to pick a Saturday to go to Chicago and see 3 or 4 apartments that I'm really interested in. I was going to go next weekend, but I'm beginning to see that this is probably not realistic. If that fails, I will have to wait until August because my parents-being parents-insist on going with me and this was the only mutual weekend we have off this month. I'm also wondering how far ahead of time I can make appointments for showings. It's not like my job will allow me to sit on the phone all day Friday so I can talk to landlords. I was hoping to be able to do all the calling around on a day that I have off of work. Any insight into this whole predicament would be helpful. I used to actually enjoy apartment hunting, but I haven't even started yet and I wish it were just over already! I'm tired of losing sleep over this. : /

The "near East" side of Madison is very affordable as well as being a safe, vibrant neighborhood. I would definitely reccomend looking for apartments in this neighborhood. It's a bit of a hike to walk to the campus from here, but it's on the bus line and if you're into bicycling that would work,as well. It's a very bike-friendly neighborhood with several bike paths and lanes. The restaurant/bar scene here is great-I especially love the ones on Willy Street. As far as reasonable utility prices go, that will really vary depending on the size and age of your apartment. I have a (very) small studio and the average electricity bill (which includes my heat and A/C) is $40 a month. I have paid as much as $50 in the winter, which I think is still really cheap. In older buildings your bill might be higher. As far as the internet goes, Charter is the most popular service provider here and they offer internet starting at $25 a month. If you want "faster" internet you pay more, but honestly I have never had issues with the $25 one being too slow. Hope this info helps. Let me know if you have any more questions!

TakeruK- Yes it is very typical in the U.S. for landlords to require you to make at least three times the amount of the monthly rent, or otherwise prove that you are able to pay every month. The actual law on this varies from state to state, so I would look up the laws for the state you are moving to. I know that in some states it is illegal to have a "minimum income requirement", however they can use the "three times the rent" rule (for example, a landlord cannot say "You must make $3,000 a month or more), but in other states this is legal. Here in WI it used to be that you could get around the "three times" rule if you could prove to your potential landlord that you have paid similiar rent in the past. Now unfortunately I think WI does not place as many restrictions on landlords. and they can pick any "minimum income" they like. Good luck with your apartment search, I"m sure something will work out for you!

Wow, I'm jealous of you guys! I'm starting a master's program and there are 25 people in my cohort. We will also be taking classes with students from the "three year" program who started this year, so we have quite the group. I kind of wish it was smaller because I enjoy tight-knit groups where everyone knows everyone well (this is what my current office is like). On the bright side, there's lot of new friends to choose from. : )

By admitting early on in the application process that you have a mental illness, you are unfortunately opening yourself up to discrimination. Unless your illness specifically affects your ability to do the job most of the time, I don't think that you are obligated to share this information. I think it is more common for people with physical disabilities to be up front because 1. Often this is obvious to the employer, anyway and 2. There's not as much stigma as there is with mental illness. You want your potential employer to judge you based on your education, training, talent, and personality, not your illness. If you do get hired and you plan on keeping the job long-term, I would wait until after your trial work period is over (usually 90 days) and disclose your illness at that time. That way, your employer already knows that you are capable of doing your job and that they want you to stick around. This will then allow you to ask for whatever accomodations you need without putting your job at jeopardy, since they legally cannot fire you just for having a mental illness. You are correct in that you do need to disclose this information at some point down the line. You should work with your boss/supervisors to come to a mutual understanding of what will help you succeed in this position and what will happen if you have a crisis and need to take time off to deal with it. I've had a couple of different experiences in the past working with co-workers who had bipolar disorder. The first was actually my supervisor, who one day had an angry outburst with some of our co-workers and then walked off the job, probably assuming she was going to be fired. Somehow it came out that she had bipolar disorder and was going through a hard time with her illness. The boss set up a meeting with her and she was able to get everything on the table and keep her job. She might have avoided this whole ordeal if she had disclosed her illness earlier on (she had been working there many months at this point) and formulated some kind of game plan. The second instance was a co-worker who called in to work on many days (because she felt too unstable to come in) and used so much sick time that she ran out and was forced to explain everything to our boss and take FMLA. She would have gotten fired if she hadn't explained that she was sick due to her bipolar disorder. The thing about her is that we actually work with clients who are severally mentally ill, and all of us would have been very understanding and empathetic (including our boss!) if she had been more open about it! Most had been under the assumption that was just lazy or had a bad work ethic. Anyways, I digress. As you embark on your job search, remember that you are more than your mental illness and that you have many skills and talents to offer employers. Go in with the attitude that you are worthy of a good job, in spite of your difficulties, and things should turn out well for you. Good luck!

Thanks for the ideas! I have actually run across a few apartment complexes that specifically state they work with students, so maybe I'll focus on those when I got apartment hunting. Offering to pay in advance would help, but my loans will be disbursed three times over the course of the school year (they are disbursed with the start of each quarter). At any rate I hope that if I look around enough I will find someone flexible to work with. My current landlord must be, I don't know how else I got this apartment on my income. ; ) Thanks Sigaba : )

Thanks for your thoughts! I think I will wait it out and see what happens. I much prefer talking about serious issues in person anyway, and I'm sure it will come up at some point.

I'm moving to a big city in the fall, where I will be attending graduate school. I will be living almost exclusively off of student loans and am nervous about qualifying to rent an apartment. I took out a little less in loans than I could have, due to the fact that I have money in savings and I'm also fairly frugal, not to mention that I do not want to pay more back in interest someday than is necesary. The apartments I'm interested in are in the $600 a month range, give or take. By my calculations and the "you have to have three times the amount of rent in income" rule that most landlords go by, I have about $500 to spend on an apartment per month. It's just me and I don't plan on getting a roommate, as I like quiet and privacy and have had a traumatizing experience in the past living with a roommate I didn't know beforehand. I do not have any concerns about my ability to pay the rent, as I currently spend about half of my take-home pay on rent and am still able to pay all my other bills (like I said, I'm pretty frugal). This is not by choice-I don't make much money and it was the cheapest apartment I could find, but I do fine. I have excellent credit and a solid rental history, so I'm hoping those factors will help me. I also plan on ditching my car in favor of public transportation, and will be receiving a free public transport pass from my school. This should cut down on my expenses by a couple hundred dollars per month. Now, how hard and fast is this "minimum income" rule? Are landlords more forgiving if they know you are a student? My parents are both willing to co-sign for me, if requested (they both also have great credit as well as a solid income). As mentioned, I also have some money in the bank and my parents have said they will help me out financially if I'm in a tight spot. I will probably also get a part-time job, although I have no way of knowing how much income that will be, since I plan to wait until after I move to start looking. Does anyone have some insight? I have already looked into student housing, which is sadly more expensive than off-campus housing. Please don't say "get a roommate" because this is simply not an option for me. I don't know anyone in the city looking for a roommate and, due to past experiences, refuse to live with people I don't know.

Things I learned in the process of applying to grad school: -The GRE is really not as important as it's cracked up to be. It's just one part of the total package of your application, and if you have most other things going for you, it's nothing to lose sleep over, nor is it a reason to not apply to your dream school! I had an AWFUL GRE score and I got into my dream school. I shudder to think that at one point, I thought about not applying because of this. -Not everyone you ask will want to write your LOR, and that's fine. Take your time to find someone who really believes in you and your goals and who will enthusiastically say "Yes. I would love to help you get into grad school!" -If you're on the fence about a particular school, take time to go visit. Pay close attention to your gut feeling. If you get bad vibes or it just doesn't seem like a good fit, go home and cross it off your list. -Writing your statement of purpose is truly an art form and should be treated as such. This means that you should start writing as early as possible and that your work should evolve over time. Think of it as a formal portrait of your professional llife and goals. Have at least three different people read it. If you don't get a "Wow!" or a "That was so interesting!" or "That's great!" you need to re-write. You should also give your SOP the "anyone" test. If anyone could write it, then it's not really about you. Don't be afraid to be yourself and take some risks in your SOP-within reason. After all, the adcomm is using the SOP to get to know you! If they don't like you, then that is probably not where you wanted to go to school, anyway. -Never, ever give up. The application process definitely challenges your sense of self, and is one of the most stressful things you'll do, but it's' well worth it when you start getting those acceptance letters in the mail. If you don't get accepted, don't sweat it. It just wasn't meant to be.

Relax! The loan amount that you estimate is actually ver reasonable, in comparison to what others' often take out. With a master's degree in mental health you should definitely be able to get a job that would allow you to comfortably pay that off. It sounds like you're doing all you can to help pay for school, so there's not much else you can do at this point and you shouldn't worry about it. I think you are definitely doing the right thing and you shouldn't second guess yourself. Education is expensive but it's also the best investment you can make in your future.

Malphaba- My understanding is that your EFC is simply a number used to determine your financial aid elgibility, although this can also be the amount they expect you to pay out of pocket, depending on what your school's financial aid department decides. One school I was accepted to wanted me to pay my EFC, while the other told me I wouldn't have to pay anything out of pocket. It just depends. If at all possible I would pay the out of pocket cost without taking out a loan for it. Depending on how much it is you're paying, you could save that amount up before school starts. If you can't do that, maybe you could work just enough hours that you could cover some of your living expenses (and therefore not take out that money in loans). You could also look into TA positions, as someoen else mentioned. I think that you should avoid taking out a private loan if it is at all possible and just have that be your last resort. You can't consolidate private loans, the interest rates are generally higher and they are not as easy to forgive you should something catastrophic happen that would cause you to not be able to pay.

I agree with OregonGal's idea that you should come here early and stay in a hostel for awhile. If it all possible, you should always look at apartments in person to know what you're getting into. It will also give you a chance to feel out the neighborhood and make sure it's a place you feel safe living. You should also know that apartments in NYC are VERY expensive. If you don't have the money to get your own place, you may have to get a roommate. I have a friend who is a PhD student in NYC and she had no choice but to get a roommate, as she could never afford the rent by herself. Then again, I'm not personally familiar with NYC and there may be cheaper options that I'm not aware of. I would talk to as many different people as you can who are familiar with the city and who can give you good advice about where to look. I'm moving to Chicago and have been seeking out advice from friends and family who live in the area. It's especially helpful in determining if an area you are interested in is safe and reasonably priced, since they live there and know what goes on during a day to day basis. If it's possible, you should narrow your search down to one or two neighborhoods that you're really interested in and focus on that. It will make your search easier and you won't be so overwhelmed with 20 tabs in your browser. : ) Lastly, you should familiarize yourself with tenants' rights and housing laws in NYC so that you are not unfairly treated or taken advantage of. I hate to say it, but you're more vulnerable to that when someone realizes you're from another country, as they will assume you don't know any better. Most cities maintain a tenant's right center, so I would look up NYC's and familiarize yourself with it. Good luck and happy apartment shopping!

Yes-I think that what you're feeling is VERY normal! I'm also going to a "glamorous" school and I keep having fears and doubts about fitting in there and liking the program. I would focus less on the school's reputation (which will only make you feel intimidated) and focus on what you know about the program. One key reason I decided to attend my program is that I attended an open house and found that the students and staff were actually very welcoming and down-to-earth (although not without a healthy dose of pride in their school!) so whenever I have doubts, I think about that day. I've also talked to a few of my classmates and found them to be friendly and helpful, which has eased my fears a bit. If you have this opportunity at all, you should definitely take advantage. I also try to remember that THEY chose ME and that I got in because I deserved it and because they felt I was a good fit for their program. If I wasn't qualified and my interests didn't align with their's, I would not be going! I think you chose the school you did for a good reason-usually, intuition is your best guide and you should listen to it. Try to find out as much as you can about the program, school and the city you'll be living in. Knowledge is power and the more you know about your new surroundings, the more at ease you will feel. Cold feet are normal and I wouldn't sweat it too much. : )

My student loan package is technically only for 9 months ( I think most of them are) but I plan to spread out my living expenses over 12 months. It means that I have to be pretty thrify, but it's worth the peace of mind to know I have funds for the summer months. I plan on finding work over the summer to keep myself busy and earn extra money. Depending on how things go I may have to start my internship over the summer, anyhow. You should probably save money throughout the year to help pay your bills in the summer, in case you decide to stay here or if you don't want to go home all summer. If anything you could just get a 12 month apartment lease and have a place to keep your stuff for the summer-even if you're not there, you would be saving money on utility bills, groceries, etc. You could also try subleasing your place over the summer months if you're going to be gone.

School starts at the end of September for me, but I plan on moving the 1st of September as I will need to start a new lease and I would like to get aquainted with my new city. I plan on working right up until the 30th or 31st of August (I may take off the last day to do laundry, run errands, etc.) I'm about two months away from the big move now and am definitely starting to get antsy-work just seems to boring to me when I know what exciting adventures await me so soon! I am still working as hard as ever, though, because I think that if I didn't I'd go crazy from boredom. It would be nice to quit sooner and just take an extended vacation before school, but personally I would rather earn more money before I head into two years of (mostly) living off of loans. I plan to use it to pad out my living expenses for the year as well as to help me during my first few weeks, before my loans are disbursed. It's also worth the peace of mind to keep my health insurance as long as possible. : ) I know it doesn't sound exciting but I would just keep working as long as you are able to, with maybe a couple of weeks inbetween quitting and starting school. You never know when you will need the money, especially as a student in a tight budget.

Please be very, very careful when considering living with someone you don't know, especially if you are both going to be listed on the lease. I had a very bad experience with a roommate I found on Craigslist. I didn't get to know her well enough and did not do the research that I should have beforehand. We hit it off the first time we met and it seemed like we had a lot in common, but it went downhill after I moved in. Unfortunately she had some substance abuse and mental health issues and living with her was literally impossible. I suggest that you thoroughly interview any roommate you are considering. If at all possible, do a background check, even if it's just on your state's records website. It turns out that my roommate had a past history of battery, harassment and disorderly conduct-If I had known this, I would certainly never have decided to live with her, and given her antics it all started to make sense after I saw her record! I would also get references from past roommates. This would have been my second hint, if I had looked into it-my roommate had a string of past roommates who left after they decided they couldn't deal with her behavior anymore. One thing I did do (which I'm glad that I did!) was to call the landlord and ask if she had been reliable about paying the rent in the past. I was assured that she had, which made me feel better about signing a lease with her. This might not be possible if you are both moving into a new place together, but if the roommate is already living in the apartment you're moving to, it's something to consider. I would also ask potential roommates about their financial situation and ascertain whether they will be able to pay their half of the expenses. It might sound invasive, but it is your financial health and security you are putting on the line when you move in with someone you don't know. If they fail to pay their rent, it would be your responsibility. Same with the utilities. The gas and electric was in my roommate's name and she failed to pay it for four months in a row, putting us in jeopardy of having them cut off. I'm not trying to scare you. I know that at times, roommates are a financial necessity. All I'm saying is that you should get to know this person and their situation as well as possible before signing anything. Have you thought about trying to connect with some of your classmates? Several of mine have asked the others if they would like to room with them. It's probably a safer bet than going the Craiglist route. At any rate, good luck and I hope it turns out well for you!

Housing that is provided by the school is typically included along with your tuition bills. When you get your financial aid award letter, the letter will state how much money is alotted for room/board, so that's a good guide to go by. If you're a grad student and you qualify for federal financial aid you can borrow up to the "cost of attendance," which includes room/board. If Stafford and other types of loans you receive are not enough to cover both your tuition and housing, you have the option of applying for a Grad PLUS loan. Have fun looking for grad schools!

So here's the story. In January the director of my graduate school program notified me via phone that I was accepted into the program. She informed me at the same time that I was also accepted for an assistantship for a specified amount of money. Fast forward to the end of May and I received my financial aid letter from the school. To my surprise, my award was not listed on there. I figured that perhaps it was a mistake and e-mailed the director to clarify. In response, I received a short, terse response stating that she doesn't know what I'm talking about and that the department''s financial aid letters have not been sent out yet. Okay, fair enough, but about a month later, I still have not received this letter. In the meantime, I was required by the school to specify what loans I was accepting and for how much. Not being sure about whether I was getting the assistantship, I went ahead and took out loans to cover that amount, figuring I can always cancel it if I have to. Now from a financial standpoint this is not a huge deal. To be honest, the assistantship award is not that much in comparison to tuition and I was still able to get the loan I needed. It's the principal of it that bothers me. I know it's hard to read others via e-mail, but I got very bad vibes from the response I got. Maybe I am just overly-anxious and my department is slow with getting their letters out, but the more time goes on, the more I am skeptical. I'm a non-confrontational person (unless it's absolutely necessary) and I don't know how or if I should approach this. At the same time, I don't want to be a doormat. Presumably I will be crossing paths with this person at least ocassionally, if not often. I don't want to start off on the wrong foot but if it turns out that I was mislead, it will really put a bad taste in my mouth. I already turned down acceptances to other schools ( the deadlines occured before I found out about my financial aid for this school) because it's my dream school and was so thrilled to get in, seeing as it's very competitive. Any insight/advice would be appreciated...

Once again-I did NOT, at any time, demand...or even so much as suggest....that I see my LOR. I agree that doing so would definitely be wrong and unjust. Personally I think now that I would have preferred not to see it, because I wouldn't be so stressed about it-ignorance is bliss, I guess. So after considering multiple opinions, both helpful (and not so) helpful, I think I'm just going to let it go as is. To play fair, I'm not going to ask for edits to the letter. I'm just going to relax, or try to anyway. Of course my boss has gotten-and will get-a big thank you. We've worked together two years and she is the best boss anybody could ask for, and just did me a huge favor. The same goes for my other letter writers.

You misread both of my posts. I did not, at any point, pressure this person to show me the letter. She offered to initially (without me suggesting it) and did end up showing it to me (without me suggesting it). I am aware that I am not supposed to read my LOR's, but the opportunity was given to me and honestly..would you turn down such an opportunity? While I truly appreciate my boss's thoughts and efforts to help me, I did not feel it was a very strong letter. Yes, she did say nice things, but after all the research I did regarding LOR's...it just didn't seem quite up to par. Please refrain from making assumptions about people you don't know, based on information that you are merely inferring. I was looking for CONSTRUCTIVE criticism/advice and support. I was under the impression that this is what these forums are for, and your "advice" is anything but. Yes, I did give you a negative point for your post. Why? Because your comment is mean-spirited and ignorant. Go take out your anger/hurt/whatever your problem is to a more constructive place. Your negativity is not needed here. That is my two cents as a COUNSELOR. Also, please learn how to spell.

I agree with Gellert...life experience is definitely a plus. It shows that you are mature, stable and have a lot of different experiences/knowledge/skills to bring to the table. I honestly doubt that any grad program would discriminate against you based only on your age. Make sure that your applications are as high-quality as possible and you shouldn't have a problem. Good luck!