Time from now till August (when you join grad school)

[garibaldi]

Hey y'all!

If wishes were horses... and we all got into a program that was a good fit for us with adequate funding and all... then, what are your plans for spending your time from now until August?

I quit my job back in May as I wanted to take a year off...never done anything so wayward but highly recommend it! The flip side, however, is: if I dont get in, I dont have the option to simply carry on with the job. My Plan B is to get into a serious job hunt mode... I figure it'll take me at least a couple of months to land a job by which time my year would be up. But just to indulge in some wishful thinking, this is how I would fill in time between now and August:

March - help with/enjoy the wedding of a close friend

April - Plan my holidays for May/June and travel

May - travel (go diving)

June - travel (go trekking)

July - Prep for grad school

....if only!!! :)

[the once and future grad]

Ooh this is fun! I also have been unemployed (mostly) by choice since last May, when I finished my MA, and taking this year off has been invaluable for my applications and my mental/physical health, especially after last year's across-the-board rejections. Assuming all goes happily this time, my plan is:

February/March: work on my languages, make some short trips, and celebrate a lot

April: travel domestically (I'm presenting at a conference in San Antonio, so I'll use that as a springboard to maybe do the southwest and west coast)

May: plan and prepare for the move!

June/early July: travel around Europe and go to all the places I've been promising myself I would go to when I had something really big to celebrate (Paris, Versailles, Provence, Amsterdam, Brussels, Iceland, Italy, Cornwall, Peak District)

Here's hoping!

Edited February 4, 2011 by the once and future grad

[reveuse]

I also quit my job back in June; took some community college classes last semester while applying to programs, and now I am just, ya know, living with my parents, constantly checking my email, or looking for fellowships/scholarships to apply to while sometimes doing yoga. Ah, the life I always dreamed of (not at all).

I've had a couple of job interviews for really great places, but every time they ask me about my immediate future plans I can't lie! For whatever reason, employers much prefer a two-week notice to a 6-month one. I better get into grad school because it's really messing up my job prospects right now.

I do have some savings and would love to do some traveling this summer as well. Going back to Spain, where I studied abroad a few years back, is at the top of my list. Who knows if it will happen, though. For those traveling--where are you headed?

[UFGator]

I plan to continue improving my research, as well as doing some hiking, and perhaps a solid month of nothing but going to the gym, reading, and playing video games.

[troy.princess]

I'm planning on taking a beginners Spanish course and also an English accent reduction course.

I have traveled quite a lot in the past 10 years and also we just moved to US a year ago and I still feel a little bit like a tourist here.

I live in California and plan on getting to know this gorgeous place better now that I'm not buried under a pile of boring GMAT books.

You know, just simple things... catching some sun and going to the beach like all those real Californian girls

Just enjoy my free time and worries free boredom, now when my future is secured

Such sweet dreams!

[2am_frosty]

I plan to continue improving my research, as well as doing some hiking, and perhaps a solid month of nothing but going to the gym, reading, and playing video games.

second that. minus the gym, add riding my bike & sleeping a sh!t ton.

[2am_frosty]

now that i think of it, i think UF gator & i are soul mates. what video games?

[lydibird]

Hm. I have a really flexible part time job that I love, so I'd probably keep it and work. A little extra money is never bad.

But I'd also like to just take a long road trip going wherever tickles my fancy. Read a lot. Spend time with friends and family without feeling like I should be studying...

[Kathiza]

February: Waiting + checking my e-mail every 2 minutes + refreshing the result page ever 10 minutes

March: Wirting my thesis for my second major

April: Wirting my thesis for my second major

May: Writing my thesis for my second major

June: Hopefully finishing my thesis + preparing for moving to the US

July: Preparing for grad school + (if I did a good job) taking the final examination for my second major and finishing it (otherwise I'd have to wait until december)

Oh, I forgot, I also have a part time job and a dissertation proposal to write and to present to a jury. So it SHOULD be a pretty busy time. But I just can't think about anything else...

Edited February 4, 2011 by Kathiza

[Zouzax]

February - June: work on my languages, finish my thesis, try to graduate from my Master's program on time

June: quit my job, prepare to move back to the States

July-August: move back to the States. celebrate with friends and family I havent seen in over two years. drink lots of champagne. buy things I shouldn't. check out my new city, find an apartment, attempt to move way too much stuff/ animals into said apartment

August: once settled, have boyfriend move in so that we can start our new, American adventure. drink more champagne, in celebration.

end of August: start!!!

that was fun!

[Kathiza]

August: once settled, have boyfriend move in so that we can start our new, American adventure. drink more champagne, in celebration.

Haha, I read that last sentence with a comma that wasn't there, like

"have boyfriend, move in..." - I thought you were planning on finding a boyfriend and immediately moving in with him in August

[kyjin]

I'm in Japan till the middle of June, finishing the 10-month language program I started back in September. During the time I'm still here, I want to travel around different areas in Japan that I haven't been to, and just enjoy the culture! I'll move back to the US in the end of June and spend the time before grad school readjusting to American culture, buying everything I need for school, and spending some quality time with my family and friends.

[Zouzax]

Haha, I read that last sentence with a comma that wasn't there, like

"have boyfriend, move in..." - I thought you were planning on finding a boyfriend and immediately moving in with him in August

haha umm... that IS what I meant. is there another meaning Im not aware of?

[Kathiza]

haha umm... that IS what I meant. is there another meaning Im not aware of?

I don't know. But if you find out how to do this (find boyfriend, move in) - then please let me know

[HappyCat]

Since I finished my MA last semester, I'm focusing on miscellaneous things:

Learn a foreign language, work on an article, teaching (freshman comp) for the semester.

But the real thing I'll be doing is selling my apartment, buying a house, and moving into my new home :-)

[MusicMovesMe]

God willing I get excepted I will spend the majority of my time trying to maintain interest in my current job. Save as much money as possible to pay off credit cards. Research life in my new city take a couple trips to get acclimated to said city. Buy copious amounts of music while I can still afford it and hang out with friends and fam that I won't see as often.

[garbledy]

If I get in anywhere, I'll be obsessively planning for my move, researching things to do, places to go, where to live... probably won't be focusing on finishing my senior thesis & graduating as much as I should! Over the summer, I'll probably just keep a part time job and use the remaining time to try to relax and enjoy the calm before I start my new journey!

[aquellita]

I have a full time job so I will remain here until first week in september, hopefully maintain enough interest and motivation and remain low key

Depending on the school, I have to work out a plan for moving into school housing, finding a school for my son, renting my house, etc etc etc

my activities will be largely working out the logistics of my new life

No fun for me, but grad school will be fun!

[UFGator]

now that i think of it, i think UF gator & i are soul mates. what video games?

I used to absolutely LOVE COD and I'd like to pick it back up again. Also thinking about playing some Starcraft since I love strategy.

[Old Man & the C(S)]

I've been in the private sector for about 20 years and we haven't really every gotten along. I also took off of work several months ago to pursue research, it was mostly by choice .

I'd wrap up my current research project and hit the job market exceptionally hard. (Since we're still dreaming) I'd secure a well compensating job in the private sector for the biggest jerk I can find. I'd maintain it by the skin of my teeth, "oh sorry I need to take of Tuesday to Thursday to present at a conference." "Sorry about missing that deadline. I was working on a paper, I will get on it right now"...etc, etc. About a week before classes start I would change my cell number and stop showing up at work.

[bikesnbooks]

This is good for my moral--I keep thinking of contingency plans if I don't get in.

If I get accepted by one of my schools my time from now until August would primarily involve continuing to work both jobs.

I'd sublet the "I-technically-have-my-own-place" apartment and make the move in with the fella' official in order to save money for the move.

Lot's of road and mountain biking, with (work schedules permitting) some races thrown in.

Finishing up (read: start) the essay I owe my mentor.

Hunt for places to live that will accommodate me, fella' and an inordinate number of bicycles and camping/backpacking/climbing gear.

Visit future new city, and do what I can to help the fella' job hunt.

Hopefully, I'd get to visit my folks a few times as well before I move.

Here's hoping that all happens.

[CauchyFan]

I will study like there is no tomorrow.

Well, I guess I do have to finish my bachelor's between Feb-May. But after that, I will just study and study and study.

[dmf]

Lot's of road and mountain biking, with (work schedules permitting) some races thrown in.

Hunt for places to live that will accommodate me, fella' and an inordinate number of bicycles and camping/backpacking/climbing gear.

YES, this! Hoping to move to a cheaper city (unless my dream but total reach school come through) where we can actually afford to have a bike room.

Also, probably won't care enough about work at that point to let it interfere with training and racing...

Oh, and also planning my July/Aug wedding!

[mscongeniality1]

Well, I still have to finish up my pesky undergrad, which includes finishing my remaining 5 1/2 novels for British Lit and finishing up a research project in the lab I work for. I also have tickets for Spamalot and Blue Man Group--both of which are coming to my school, so I'm looking forward to that. After graduation (!!!!!!), I need to work like there's no tomorrow so I can finance my grad school adventure.

[bikesnbooks]

YES, this! Hoping to move to a cheaper city (unless my dream but total reach school come through) where we can actually afford to have a bike room.

Also, probably won't care enough about work at that point to let it interfere with training and racing...

Oh, and also planning my July/Aug wedding!

That might be the hard part for us. We currently have a pretty cush set up with an actual bike garage/shop (this is what happens when you date a bike mechanic). Regardless of where we end up (assuming I get accepted), it's going to be difficult to find a place with comparable perks that we can afford.

And trust me, if I could afford to keep work from interfering with riding, I would. :-)

Congratulations, by the way! Sounds like a full summer!