Grad. School Supplies?

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

4 hours ago, rhombusbombus said:

I just got a really nice air mattress for the first month or 2 of school. 

I'm hell bent on getting a purple mattress, but want to save up for it for a few more months. Luckily I can sleep on the floor without too much trouble so an air mattress should be okay... I hope.

 

Anyone else doing the air mattress thing?

For what it's worth, purple mattresses are "try free for 100 days", so why not just try it for 3+ months before you buy it? It'd be better than an air mattress

I'm inhering an old mattress from my grandparents. I can only yet dream of having the money to buy an actual good mattress

Edited April 24, 2016 by Pink Fuzzy Bunny

[hippyscientist]

So I've saved for a mattress - a proper orthopedic one - which I will be purchasing upon arrival. Anyone know how long these things take to be delivered? Over here, ordering a bed and mattress will take like 2 months to make it to your home and I really don't want to be on crappy things for that long. I'll be in the states ~ 2 weeks before I move into my apartment, so if I time it right I could be able to avoid floor sleeping. 

Also sofas that are beds too. Why are they all so ridiculously expensive??? 

Is it bad I've put some new (professional) clothes, and some weightlifting kit into my moving budget? It's SO much cheaper in the states haha. 

[Neist]

7 hours ago, hippyscientist said:

So I've saved for a mattress - a proper orthopedic one - which I will be purchasing upon arrival. Anyone know how long these things take to be delivered? Over here, ordering a bed and mattress will take like 2 months to make it to your home and I really don't want to be on crappy things for that long. I'll be in the states ~ 2 weeks before I move into my apartment, so if I time it right I could be able to avoid floor sleeping. 

Also sofas that are beds too. Why are they all so ridiculously expensive??? 

Is it bad I've put some new (professional) clothes, and some weightlifting kit into my moving budget? It's SO much cheaper in the states haha. 

It depends on the company, I'd imagine. If you want to get a mattress fast, I'd suggest you consider joining Amazon Prime (do they have that in the UK?) and utilize free shipping. If you can find a mattress you like on Amazon, and it's actually in stock, I imagine it'd be to you within a week or two. Amazon Prime free shipping is magical. I've known people who have shipped couches for free with it.

As per sleeper sofas, I have no clue.  They are very expensive. Also, if anyone out there needs to sleep on something inflatable and you want something warm, I'd highly suggest looking into a good backpacking/camping inflatable pad. Something like a high R value Thermarest would be plenty warm, and it might not cost too much more than a normal inflatable mattress. You might even be able to sell it later to a backpacker.

I think it's pretty normal that you'd look at those sort of things as part of your moving budget. I'm not sure if moving weights is even feasible. They do, after all, weigh quite a bit.  

If this post doesn't make a lot of sense, I apologize. I'm on a lot of allergy meds right now. I feel miserable. Ugh.

[hippyscientist]

23 minutes ago, Neist said:

It depends on the company, I'd imagine. If you want to get a mattress fast, I'd suggest you consider joining Amazon Prime (do they have that in the UK?) and utilize free shipping. If you can find a mattress you like on Amazon, and it's actually in stock, I imagine it'd be to you within a week or two. Amazon Prime free shipping is magical. I've known people who have shipped couches for free with it.

As per sleeper sofas, I have no clue.  They are very expensive. Also, if anyone out there needs to sleep on something inflatable and you want something warm, I'd highly suggest looking into a good backpacking/camping inflatable pad. Something like a high R value Thermarest would be plenty warm, and it might not cost too much more than a normal inflatable mattress. You might even be able to sell it later to a backpacker.

I think it's pretty normal that you'd look at those sort of things as part of your moving budget. I'm not sure if moving weights is even feasible. They do, after all, weigh quite a bit.  

If this post doesn't make a lot of sense, I apologize. I'm on a lot of allergy meds right now. I feel miserable. Ugh.

Haha yes we have Prime. It's amazing. That's an awesome idea actually thank you! Post makes a lot of sense - but then I am on a tonne of pain meds right now so maybe it's just meds making sense to meds.

 

[rising_star]

@hippyscientist, I've never ordered a mattress online, only locally. In those cases, the mattress took less than a week to get (even less one time because it was in stock in the store). I'd think that two weeks is more than enough time, though I'd be in touch with whomever you're ordering from to be sure. 

Including clothes you'll need makes perfect sense to me. I upgraded my wardrobe only slightly when I started grad school but that's because I moved to a much warmer climate and needed things which were appropriate for that weather. You have to prioritize the things you need, obviously, and you may need to spread out some of the purchasing.

Sleeper sofas are always insanely expensive and are rarely comfortable in my experience. Part of the reason for the cost is that they're ridiculously heavy. I think you're better off getting a quality futon, an air mattress, or using a twin bed as a couch/day bed situation. In fact, that last option is something I'm seriously considering doing in my own place right now because the bed part will be more comfortable than most sofabeds I've laid on. 

[hippyscientist]

@rising_star thanks for helping me justify my clothing habits! Grad school where I currently am is not at all smart and we all live in yoga pants and hoodies. Where I'm going is a lot smarter and while I have a base wardrobe a few more nicer pieces to tie everything together will be really beneficial. 

Also thanks for clarifying buying in person shouldn't take too long. That definitely makes life easier. 

The reason I was looking at sleeper sofas is I will have my own apartment, but know that a lot of people will come and visit me so wanted the living room to double up as a second bedroom for those times. But I'd want it primarily to be a comfy couch. I don't know. I think that's going to involve lots of sitting on things and figuring out the best option. The futon may be a good call...ahhh all in good time. I just want to get house decorating.

In terms of grad school itself, I can't wait for stationery shopping. Pretty highlighters, notepads, pencils, red marking pens  Already in possession are the external hard drive for my laptop and folders of previous notes (synthesized). I can't think of anything much else that's going to be different from Masters to PhD in terms of kit. But wow it's going to be a lot of fun shopping for it!

[MarineBluePsy]

11 hours ago, hippyscientist said:

So I've saved for a mattress - a proper orthopedic one - which I will be purchasing upon arrival. Anyone know how long these things take to be delivered? Over here, ordering a bed and mattress will take like 2 months to make it to your home and I really don't want to be on crappy things for that long. I'll be in the states ~ 2 weeks before I move into my apartment, so if I time it right I could be able to avoid floor sleeping. 

Also sofas that are beds too. Why are they all so ridiculously expensive??? 

Is it bad I've put some new (professional) clothes, and some weightlifting kit into my moving budget? It's SO much cheaper in the states haha. 

I've never heard of anyone waiting more than 2 weeks for their mattress to arrive regardless of how they ordered it.  The company you choose will give you a ballpark and if you ask them they can explain their transit procedures to you get why it takes the time it does.

As for sleeper sofas being expensive my unverified theory is because they're a terrible invention.  See people think they'd be great because they save space by being 2 items in 1, but once they or a guest actually uses the bed part they'll be begging for the nearest chiropractor.  Then said owner will realize what a horrible creation it is, want to return it, and the furniture company will have to deal with that hassle.  By raising the price so much they might be hoping people skip them altogether or convince themselves that it really is amazingly comfortable to justify the absurd price they paid.

And yes absolutely budget for wardrobe and fitness needs.  You don't want to find yourself really needing something and unable to purchase it because of poor planning.  Also I don't know what a weightlifting kit is, but if its the kind of equipment every gym has many gyms in the US offer free trials of 1-2 weeks.  Depending on the city you go to you could just keep changing gyms and enjoy free workouts for several months or more.  Your campus may also have a gym that is free for students or a partnership with a nearby gym for discounted memberships.

[rising_star]

2 hours ago, hippyscientist said:

The reason I was looking at sleeper sofas is I will have my own apartment, but know that a lot of people will come and visit me so wanted the living room to double up as a second bedroom for those times. But I'd want it primarily to be a comfy couch. I don't know. I think that's going to involve lots of sitting on things and figuring out the best option. The futon may be a good call...ahhh all in good time. I just want to get house decorating.

In terms of grad school itself, I can't wait for stationery shopping. Pretty highlighters, notepads, pencils, red marking pens  Already in possession are the external hard drive for my laptop and folders of previous notes (synthesized). I can't think of anything much else that's going to be different from Masters to PhD in terms of kit. But wow it's going to be a lot of fun shopping for it!

A really good air mattress (I like the ones from Aerobed) could be a better choice given that situation. Something which you can put in the living room as needed but will also fit easily in the bottom of the closet when not needed. 

As for the red pens, I'd caution you against grading in red. There are studies which show that students perceive comments written in red as more negative than those written in blue or black (I've also had students tell me this). While it's easy to say "I don't care", it's something that can show up as lower scores in your teaching evaluations. Consequently, while I do buy variety packs of pens, I save the red ones for taking notes in meetings, marking up articles I'm reading for research or class, or as pens which students can borrow when they forget theirs (knowing I'll never see it again). I do most of my grading in green, blue, purple, orange, and pink, FWIW.

And I'll second what MarineBluePsy says about the gym. All of the universities I've attended have included free use of the campus gym for full-time students. I've also found that other gyms offer discounts for students. If you meant clothing when you said "weightlifting kit", then I'd say where to buy depends on what you need. I'm your average gym goer so I just get my workout clothes from TJ Maxx, Marshall's, Ross, or Target, and exclusively from the sale/clearance rack.

[hippyscientist]

Interesting about the red pen thing! Over here, I've only ever had stuff marked in red. In fact, at all the places I've been it's been ruled to only mark in red. Good to know before I made that mistake in the US! 

I know the gym stuff - weightlifting kit is more specific shoes and belt. Most of the makes are US brand so it makes sense to buy once I move. Wasn't planning on setting up my own gym (yet). A pair of weightlifting shoes will set me back over $200 in the UK and I can buy the same pair for $70 in the US. 

I'll check out the airbed situation - thanks for the advice

[Neist]

31 minutes ago, hippyscientist said:

I know the gym stuff - weightlifting kit is more specific shoes and belt. Most of the makes are US brand so it makes sense to buy once I move. Wasn't planning on setting up my own gym (yet). A pair of weightlifting shoes will set me back over $200 in the UK and I can buy the same pair for $70 in the US. 

Yeah, I figured that was probably the case. I'm pretty sure that the gym here requires that everyone supply their own belt. However, the facilities at most universities tend to be pretty nice. The free weight room alone in our gym is the size of a lot of freestanding gyms, and that's not counting the cable or hydraulic weight machines. Also, I found a video of the Penn State facilities. It's a few years old, but it looks like a nice building.

And $200 weightlifting shoes? Yikes! You'd be hard-pressed to find any athletic shoe in the US that expensive (although some do exist on the higher end). 

[rhombusbombus]

@Pink Fuzzy Bunny Is that how it works? I thought they took the money out when you bought it and would give a refund if you didn't like it. What you said is a better solution!

 

@hippyscientist I've been seeing people do a lot of lifting in Converse. What's your take on Converse vs. weightlifting shoes? I've budgeted to get some proper shoes and a belt at some point. Maybe when my squat gets above 150!

I've been stalking powerlifters on instagram and have become insanely motivated by how strong they are so I started Stronglifts 5x5 last week!

I have so many questions, but I don't want to annoy you before we even meet!

Edited April 24, 2016 by rhombusbombus

[rhombusbombus]

Note: I semi-recall being told that grad students have to pay for the gym membership at Penn State. But it gets you access to ALL 3 gyms.

[hippyscientist]

@rhombusbobus drop me a message with all your questions  I can talk about this for days! I'll lift in chucks for deads but need a heel for my squats as my mobility is shocking. Working on it though. I'd told myself I'd get a belt when I hit over 100kg for deads and body weight on squats which has happened so I want an IPF approved belt (lots of monies). 

Stronglift 5x5 is awesome and horrid simultaneously. Prepare for DOMS hell for about 2 weeks. And yes we gotta pay for the gym but it's super cheap so that's cool. Plus access to the pool & fitness classes too for that dreaded cardio. Checking out the gyms was one of the first things I did when I visited...they'll do. Just wish we had access to the footballers gym. That's more like what I'm used to haha

[sjoh197]

On 4/24/2016 at 2:54 AM, hippyscientist said:

So I've saved for a mattress - a proper orthopedic one - which I will be purchasing upon arrival. Anyone know how long these things take to be delivered? Over here, ordering a bed and mattress will take like 2 months to make it to your home and I really don't want to be on crappy things for that long. I'll be in the states ~ 2 weeks before I move into my apartment, so if I time it right I could be able to avoid floor sleeping. 

Also sofas that are beds too. Why are they all so ridiculously expensive??? 

Is it bad I've put some new (professional) clothes, and some weightlifting kit into my moving budget? It's SO much cheaper in the states haha. 

I don't know if you've already picked out your mattress and stuff...but if you haven't...

If I can't find the furniture I want on amazon prime, I usually look at wayfair.com. They have free shipping on almost all their furniture (I think it's everything over $50) and they have some good mattresses. They take a little longer to ship on some things, but have an awesome return policy (basically will take anything back/ replace anything that is broken... no questions asked) We had a metal bed frame come in a week, a chair that came in a few days, and a couch that took 3 weeks, but it was a particular couch and it was really large so it had to be special delivered, not in a box. 

[RCtheSS]

Seconding Wayfair.com! When I moved into my current apartment, I used Wayfair to outfit so much of my space: loveseat with matching storage bench, dining table, canvas pictures, toaster and tea kettle, bookcase, bed sheets... they have affordable prices and good sales.

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

I'll admit, I thought all the talk on previous pages about finding the perfect writing utensil was a bit frivolous - I've just used pens from the dollar store for my entire life and had no issue. But then on Thursday my worldview changed when I had to borrow a pen from the guy behind me... I. NEED. TO. FIND. THAT. PEN.

[puyple]

I've noticed that a lot of the stuff I've found on wayfair.com has incredibly low reviews and appears of very low quality.  Has anyone gotten any of the cheaper items on wayfair and been happy with it?

[sjoh197]

7 hours ago, puyple said:

I've noticed that a lot of the stuff I've found on wayfair.com has incredibly low reviews and appears of very low quality.  Has anyone gotten any of the cheaper items on wayfair and been happy with it?

I only get the stuff with good reviews lol.

[Neist]

So, I mentioned a while back that I was going to buy The College Cube. I thought I'd give a quick initial impression, if anyone is interested in something similar.

It's quite sturdy! Or, at least it's far more study than I would have expected for $47. I'm not sure if I'd load it up with textbooks, but I'll probably load it up with my history books, both in the cubbies and the top. I'm really happy I bought it.

There is a quirk I should mention, though. If you look at the picture, there's a horizontal shelf in one of the cubicle spots. The shelf that was included for that spot was about an inch too narrow, so it couldn't be used. I don't care, as I'm using it as a bookshelf anyway, but it's worth mentioning. Also, someone on Amazon had the holes for that shelf misaligned, so the shelf sat at a tilt (I'm way too OCD to have endured that....).

[AP]

OK, this topic has been going on for a while now. I remember I used it before starting grad school! After three years, I thought I might give my two cents. 

Note taking: I have always been a pen-and-paper person. Yet, I decided to go laptop for grad school. Two main reasons:

1. You can search you notes faster. For writing papers and/or sitting for your Comps, it is always better to make your notes word-searchable.
2. Easy to edit. If the discussion involved a reference to a book that I didn't know, it is easy to add hyperlinks/side notes to that book. Also, I would go home and add historical background (if needed), or other information I saw pertinent. A good resource was adding keywords and their definitions. 

For notetaking, I use OneNote. Free and websync so you don't lose your stuff. 

Laptop: I brought to grad school a 2010 Dell mini 10''. Light, easy to use but very old and very slow. It took it half an hour to start running (even if it wasn't shut down). For my third semester I invested in a MacBook Pro and it was the best decision  I have made. First, because I have VERY GOOD campus support for Mac. Second, it is as light as my previous computer but the screen is bigger so I can actually work here (13''). Third, because Mac is SO much better for viruses. I travel a lot for research so it is nice not to worry about one thing. Pay attention to your campus offers as regards software. Most of the software I can download through my school is both for Windows and Mac, which is great. 

Software:

• Bibliography– I use Zotero but because I only made a choice when I started three years ago. It was either Zotero or Endnote. Choose one and stick to it. I would suggest doing some digging -again- about support on campus. For example, when I work on campus computers, I make sure I choose one where Zotero is installed for using with a word processor. Endnote is everywhere, Zotero not so much. Like OneNote, it syncs online which is great.
• Writing– I recently started using Scrievener. It is a great resource for extensive writing. It has many features that you sort of discover as you use it: brianstorming, corkwall, keywords, etc. The only problem that I have with it is that there is not a good extension for bibliographic managers. But I will definitely write my dissertation here. SO MUCH BETTER than word. You can try it out for free for 30 days (30 days that you actually use it which can extend over a longer period).
• Scanning– If you need to scan books/documents, I suggest CamScanner. It scans and turns your scans into PDFs documents, and then you can send them to your e-mail. I also use traditional scanners if I am on campus, and traditional cameras if I am in the archive. But this is an awesome resource because, let's face it, your phone has a good camera. 
• Organizing files– For knowing what documents I have from which archive, which one has been OCRed, etc, I use online AirTable. It's a database software but SO MUCH easier to use than access. And it looks nice. And it's free. And online. 
• Organizing research– A Gantt Chart. Always. How to make a good Gantt chart? Look up GanttTeam.com or something like that. I have planned my research plus the tasks for each time. 

Misc: I always have a copybook, pens, and color markers on my desk, including highlighters. I often make graphic notes for prepping for lectures and I need color for that. Also, writing by hand makes your mind process your thoughts differently than typing so I always resort to hand and paper when stuck. My "drafts" notebook is full of postits, bubbles, highlights that look like a mess, but made sense to me at some point! Finally, I have page markers all over the place: my desk at home, my bag, my office in school, my pencilcase... You cannot have enough of these! 

Furniture: My first year I lived in a furnished apartment and bought a bookcase like many suggested here. On my second year, I bought this bookcase-desk combo on craiglist. Actually, the "little" bookcase on one end of the desk was the one I had before and I put it next to the big one as a bed-side table (my room is pretty small). The desk + big bookcase + office chair were like $100. Oh yeah, invest on a good chair. The guy also gave me his desk lamp . So never underestimate Craiglist for a good buy! On this topic: many schools have an office that manage furniture and many sell their old furniture really cheap, look for those. Also, ask your department to contact you with people that are leaving/graduating to see what they do with their furniture (we "inherited" a lot form older students: bedframes, side tables, washer/dryer). 

Finally, I am happy to answer any questions! All the best to new students!!!!!!  

AP

 

[puyple]

6 hours ago, sjoh197 said:

I only get the stuff with good reviews lol.

Makes sense.  I'm just wary about buying certain things online because I've been screwed in the past...

[puyple]

In my undergraduate English courses, most of my professors had a technology-free policy (this included e-readers; they wanted everyone to buy the actual books).  Is this common for English grad seminars, or was my department just a little weird?  I'd like to type my notes of the discussion and, like AP said, make them searchable.  

[Neist]

57 minutes ago, puyple said:

In my undergraduate English courses, most of my professors had a technology-free policy (this included e-readers; they wanted everyone to buy the actual books).  Is this common for English grad seminars, or was my department just a little weird?  I'd like to type my notes of the discussion and, like AP said, make them searchable.  

I'm not sure about English departments, but in my history classes I've never, ever felt any hostility towards me because I use a laptop to take notes. I've been doing so for over three years now. However, I do make a point to usually maintain a lot of eye contact. I dictate my notes as I think them, without looking at the screen. There's time to make them pretty afterwards.

[AP]

10 hours ago, puyple said:

In my undergraduate English courses, most of my professors had a technology-free policy (this included e-readers; they wanted everyone to buy the actual books).  Is this common for English grad seminars, or was my department just a little weird?  I'd like to type my notes of the discussion and, like AP said, make them searchable.  

mmmm I haven't heard of something like that for graduate seminars, but I'm in the humanities. We are small classes (10 people super tops) so I wonder if this has something to do. You may want to ask grad students in the school and program you'll attend. 

[Songbird222]

On 3/27/2016 at 8:54 AM, eternallyephemeral said:

I've been thinking about this as well! Whenever I go on sites looking for reviews (like the femalefashionadvice section of reddit), I see tons of support for a shoe brand called Corso Como: https://shop.cccorsocomo.com/

They are apparently made with comfort in mind and people say that their flats are really good.

You could also try different kinds of loafers or smoking slippers (some loafers can be found here): http://shop.nordstrom.com/c/womens-flat-loafer-moccasin

If anyone else has recommendations, I'd also like to hear them! I'm constantly looking for shoes that will last a long time, as I walk tons every day.

Thanks for recommending Corso Como, I'm definitely going to check this out. 

I have owned several pairs of Danskos, and I highly recommend them, especially as they have begun to come out with new styles. These are definitely not for everyone, but they will help out with arch support, and you could get away with working in these, traveling, and going to meetings/classes. I think it depends on your outfit that day, but a good pair of black Danskos will last a long time.