TediousTaskHolder

I will enjoy a night of sleep that's free of stress and worry. It has been over three months since I applied to my program and I am completely tired of drinking chamomile tea.

Thank you for the suggestion and yes, I’m hoping to get accepted to UMCP. The last few weeks I've been contemplating whether to get a job that is close to home or close to campus. If I am accepted, I think jobs on campus (or close by) will be my best option, especially if I qualify for at least partial tuition remission. In that scenario, I don't mind stapling and filing for 20+ hours a week

Thank you everyone for the kind words and advice. This site has been wonderful in opening my eyes to the similarities aspiring grad students share while going through this process. Even when someone doesn’t fully relate to my particular situation, their own experiences still teach me a thing or two about making the most of things. I think the most important lesson I’ve learned on this board is that perseverance and always being open to alternative methods can get a person incredibly far in regards to finding professional and personal happiness. Throughout my experience with higher education, I have learned that communicating more with my professors and the schools themselves about alternative opportunities have greatly helped my situation be less stressful or overwhelming. I was even able to get a really great job at the community college I attend through their work study program for a couple years. I am looking into possible financial aid outside of loans, but so far, it looks like my options are few. I'm more so looking forward to beefing up my work experience by volunteering at a local archives. There’s an large number of library assistant opportunities in my region, possibly due to the number of public & academic libraries, so that is another option. JasmineFlower - Thank you for mentioning online programs, especially for the MLS/MLIS programs. I've been wondering about their reputation in terms of the quality of the classes. My father was able to get his certification in special education last year through an online program and he was incredibly happy with the experience. If things fall through with my current choice, I will certainly look into the possibly of completing the program online since moving is not an option.

While searching through the threads here I have come across many people who are dealing with the dilemma of leaving something/someone behind in order to attend grad school. For many people it's family, friends, spouses, and jobs. I am wondering if anyone can relate to the situation I am currently in and perhaps share their own experiences. So, here my story: Both my father and older sister have cerebral palsy and my mother was diagnosed with Lupus almost a decade ago. Going to college has been an aspiration that I always needed to plan around taking care of my family. I managed to pursue and earn my BA through a very intricate strategy involving community college, evening classes, and a few weekend classes. Since my family just barely qualifies as "middle class" and my mother's health decreased her ability to work full time, I was able to squeeze a great deal of financial aid from the state of Maryland (thank god for grants and transfer scholarships ). Therefore, I didn't acquire a great deal of debt during those years. My process of applying to grad school consisted of finding the closest one that offered a comprehensive program for the MLS degree (and an archives specialization). As well as, facing the fact that I'm probably going to be paying for it through a large amount of loans. Guess I couldn't avoid the debt forever This hasn't dampened my excitement to be accepted to the program, but it has made me realize the limitations caused by my choice to stay close to my family and provide them with a much needed hand. Now, I find myself wondering if anyone else is in the same boat where caring for your family has altered the usual process most go through when choosing a school, developing a course/class plan, or figuring in work/internship opportunties? For those who do not have family obligations but still choose to only consider in-state school, what were your primary reasons?

I currently live in one the Maryland suburbs and planned to just drive straight down to College Park and pay for the parking permit rather than the metro. For the last couple years my sister has been able to make the drive in less than 30 mins (as long as she times her classes right to avoid Maryland's traffic hazards). However, I'm still on the fence about whether to move closer or not. I'm just wondering what factors others take into consideration when choosing to commute to their campus of choice. Is finding affordable accommodations the most important factor? Or finding an area to live in that brings you as close as possible to the campus to minimize travel time? Which one of these holds more value for commuting grad students?