emailing current students

[nike of samothrace]

So, I haven't been able to visit (yet!) my new program, and I really want to get in touch with some of the current students to get a feel for the atmosphere of the department (yes, there's a reason I didn't do this before - no worries). I have the names of a few at various stages of their degrees who my advisor recommended I get in touch with, but the problem is, I can't come up with anything to ask! All I really want to say is 'what advice do you have?' or 'what do you wish you'd known before you arrived?' But those are really broad questions, and I don't want to ask them either right away, or without anything more specific as well. I know I'd be annoyed if I was in the middle of finishing papers and grading, and I got this random, extremely-broad email. And I really don't want to give anyone a bad or odd impression of me before I've even gotten there.

Anyone have any suggestions about what I could ask?

I've only made the decision to go recently, so my head is still swimming - this is probably why I can't collect my thoughts!

[kalpesh]

I am in the same dilemma tooo

[rising_star]

I'm in the same boat. I've never visited the program I'm going to in the fall. I asked current students questions about office space, collegiality, faculty-student relations, grad-undergrad relations, where students live, what they do outside of school, etc. They were extremely helpful. But, this could be a BAD time.

[4givn1]

I couldn't visit the school I am going to. They had an open house earlier but I couldn't go at that point due to a bad injury and work. I tried as soon as possible I got in--the middle of the week before the 15th, but they absolutely wouldn't give me an extension.

Nobody could take me to the airport (kind of far, no bus service there, and I don't have a car). No student could be found to put me up while I was there, and air fares were extremely expensive at that point to fly out. The end result was that it would have cost me over half my monthly salary to visit (and I'm out of school and working full time) and furthermore nobody could or would help me any in terms of the cost.

I've asked extensive questions before I got admitted, seemed to get along with faculty and students that I did speak with, and other factors did make the decision somewhat easier (higher ranking, availabiltiy of housing, more certainty of full funding, a less favorable than expected impression at my other choice, etc.) but I have been very badly burned by making quick, uninformed decisions in this manner before and the decision was extremely stressful.