Moving jitters and down time

[milou]

Oof, I'm moving tomorrow. Excited, nervous, and sad all at the same time, as I'm leaving behind a great city, sig. other, and good friends. As much as I've read about grad school, from the "just don't go" articles, to the more practical "here's what you should do if you choose this path" advice, there are still lots of unknowns. Anyone else feeling a slight rush of mixed emotions right now?

Also, I'll have a bit of down time in my new location before orientation, as I'm sure many other people will. Moving stuff aside, any ideas about what you're going to do with this time?

[Red Bull]

I felt the same way when I moved two weeks ago. I live in a city where I don't know anybody. I had a bit of a freak out the first night, but I think I am settling in well. I am waiting for news about job prospects and waiting for the semester to start. I am honestly a bit bored and wish that I could just get going, but I know as soon as the semester starts I will be slammed with a new job, a whole different way of education, and have absolutely no time so I am trying to enjoy it.

[singlecell]

sweet hypno-toad picture, Red Bull!

I am feeling really emotional about moving, and I don't leave for 10 days. I think I am going through all the anxiety now and hopefully I will feel settled, yet excited when I get where I am going!

[ogopo]

I am definitely freaking out.

I'm also leaving behind my SO, a close family, great friends and a city I love. AND I have to finish my masters thesis before I leave in 15 days. I'm also worried because I will be quite poor when I move. Although I will be going from masters to PhD, rather than straight from undergrad, I still have weird anxieties that I'm not cut out for this. I've already experienced imposter syndrome for much of my masters.. I hope it doesn't take over again for the PhD.

I'm hoping though that these anxieties will all go away once I actually move.

[Mal83]

I'm moving across country in 4 days and couldn't be more ready. I've been having those "can I really make it financially?" jitters, but basically I know I'll be OK. I'm not nervous or worried about the new place, I'm greatly looking forward to going back to the part of the country in which I spent most of my life anyway. I think if anything, I'm most worried about throwing myself back into academia, into a challenging and competitive program, after being out of it for a few years. I've had a few months now to read a book for the first day of class and I haven't been able to bring myself to get it done. I'm barely halfway through, it's so dense and tedious that I've lost all motivation to pick it up. I feel like once I move the closeness of the upcoming semester will sink in a little more. I will have almost 2 weeks until the first day of class after I arrive at my new place so I'm hoping I'll feel more like a grad student rather than someone who's still killing time at her parents' house before the move. But generally, this is a very exciting time!

[ktel]

I'm moving in 2.5 weeks. I have lived here my whole life and have never really lived away from home except a summer in Germany and 6 months house sitting. I'm going to bawl my eyes out in the airport, I'm sure. At least I am moving to my S.O. and some of his family, even though his mother can drive me crazy.

[singlecell]

I'm also worried because I will be quite poor when I move.

Ditto.. there are a lot of ramen noodles in my future.

[kyjin]

I'm leaving in two days, and the pre-moving jitters are starting to kick in. My biggest freak out is once again money; I'm moving to a different country for grad school, so have to worry about exchange rate/banking etc. I lived in Japan last year, so moving to another country isn't freaking me out so much, but it's still the "oh hi welcome to a new place you've never been before" jitters.

I'll be arriving almost a month before classes start, but it looks like I'll be busy. As soon as I arrive I'm going to a conference with my new department. Immediately afterwards my mom is flying up to help me set up and such, and then it's only a week and a half till orientations. It'll be interesting. ^^;

[milou]

I felt the same way when I moved two weeks ago. I live in a city where I don't know anybody. I had a bit of a freak out the first night, but I think I am settling in well. I am waiting for news about job prospects and waiting for the semester to start. I am honestly a bit bored and wish that I could just get going, but I know as soon as the semester starts I will be slammed with a new job, a whole different way of education, and have absolutely no time so I am trying to enjoy it.

I don't know anyone in my new city, either, except a couple of current grad students (according to Facebook, at least) from my very distant past. People whom it would be more or less awkward to encounter in the library, but the probability seems good that I'll have to undergo that awkwardness at one point or other in the next 5-6 years of my program. It's been a lonely few days, but for now I'm just trying to focus on getting furniture, Internet, kitchen supplies, etc. I find that, no matter how thorough the lists I make, I always forget something and wind up back at the same box store at least five times. Haha.

I still haven't really gotten over the feeling of being torn between the new place and the city from which I just moved. I am *hoping* that, once school starts, I'll be too focused on other things to miss it (the people, that is) too much, and I'll get into a groove where I can visit my old home on weekends and appreciate the change of scenery.

Also, I feel everyone on the financial side of things. My rent, plus utilities, is a little over $900/mo (again with not knowing anyone, finding a roommate was not the easiest situation), and I've done the math and been assured that my stipend will cover it, but things will still be tight-ish. I'm coming from a big urban area where rents are generally pretty high, but I'd always lived with people, so I've never paid quite that much. Just have to ignore those voices for now and focus on getting started, I guess. Anyway, my thoughts and sympathy to anyone who is feeling a little lonely right now!