Summer before Starting

[Coffe-ology]

I know that there is a topic in the Officially Grad Section but wanted to see what all the soc people will be devoting their time to this summer.

[2010international]

I know that there is a topic in the Officially Grad Section but wanted to see what all the soc people will be devoting their time to this summer.

My summer is kind of cut into three distinct blocks.

June: holiday (yes!) - so just a lot of lazing around, spending time with family, reading, watching movies and so on

July: work for a month (back to the place where I am currently working).

August: first two weeks: relax etc again, and then go off to grad school.

I'm someone who needs a schedule for everything, so I was actually kind of freaking out about having this 1/1.5 months off during the summer. But I am so happy about it now - I am literally dreaming of lovely sunny days, reading by a lake/river and just doing whatever I please.

That said, I have looked at the '10 books every sociology student should read this summer' thread and since I am not from a soc background I feel like I def should read at least some of them. So I'm trying to figure out what a good balance would be. I know I'm going to be reading a lot of soc stuff over the next five years so a part of me wants to wait until sept to start, but the other part is terrified of falling behind...

[lastdazeman]

It's been decades since undergrad so I feel like I need to get back into the right frame of mind. I took a grad course Fall 2009 so I've got a start.

Through an online book exchange I've been trading books I've read and those that I know I will never get a chance to read for those I probably will need.

I started getting familiar with the statistics package I know I will be using and I hope to get a chance to review research methods.

I also have been spending a little time trying to improve my writing. I've been using an online writing group where we review one another's work. There is also the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL).

I've started reading some papers and polling my interdisciplinary network for research areas, for those hot topics that are likely to be interesting areas during the years I'm in grad school and following. I've been searching for research and if any papers have been published by sociologists in one particular area in which I am very interested.

Since was laid-off last August I have been working intermittently. I had a gig going during all of February and half way through March. I got another assignment the last week of April and that may give me 40 hours a week for another month or so. After I was accepted to grad school in early April (got off the waiting list) I began to poke into research methods, statistics, reading, honing my writing, polling my network, etc. When I visited the campus I asked most everyone how to best invest the 18 weeks between then and when I start my grad school career. Now that I'm working 40 hours per week I probably won't get much chance to do any of that stuff until the assigment ends (they run out of work for me to do).

Ya gotta love it!

[socialcomm]

I'm being pulled in a few different directions this summer -- I actually can't wait for the fall when I can concentrate on school!

1) finish up work. I probably won't stop working until early Sept.

2) finish up volunteer responsibilities. not entirely sure what my end dates for these will be or even if I'll really stop them entirely.

3) travel! two trips planned, one in June, one in July.

4) continue working with the research group I've joined at the school I'll be attending. this includes one fieldwork trip in June.

[captiv8ed]

Since I am on the quarter system, I still have about a month of school left. I am doing a contract on theory, and I am watching a lot of movies for my contract.

I am packing the house. At the end of June, we plan to to pack completely and store our stuff in our new town. Then we are going to head to the mountains and camp for the month of July.

In August we will move in, get the kids settled and I have orientation by mid month.

lastdazeman, if you don't mind saying, where are you going to be going?

[lastdazeman]

Since I am on the quarter system, I still have about a month of school left. I am doing a contract on theory, and I am watching a lot of movies for my contract.

I am packing the house. At the end of June, we plan to to pack completely and store our stuff in our new town. Then we are going to head to the mountains and camp for the month of July.

In August we will move in, get the kids settled and I have orientation by mid month.

lastdazeman, if you don't mind saying, where are you going to be going?

Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana. Proud to join the Boilermakers.

[captiv8ed]

Cool. Congrats

[socnerd]

Hanging out and relaxing on the beach.. I can't wait! I am totally looking forward to having a few months break to just do nothing and get acquainted with a new city.

[Roll Right]

I'm working for the US census a little....drinking a lot....Landscaping for some private residents in town, and working on a couple of Grad assistantship positions. Just keeping busy.