Baylor University - Waco, TX

[kar9291]

Any other graduate Baylor Bears out there? For all the first years, how is the transition going? and for more experienced students... any advice? I'm a first year Biology PhD student and planning to move to Waco late July, and I'm already beginning to tell grad school is worlds different than undergrad...

[PoliSci27]

I'll be starting the PhD program in Political Science this Fall. My wife and I made the move to Waco in the past week. Other than the heat, we've found the city to be great so far. The traffic is nothing compared to the city of my last program. The people are incredibly nice.

You are correct that grad school is very different from undergrad. Moreover, each graduate program is very different from others. This Fall, I will only have three classes (at 3 units each). In law school, it was nothing to have six classes each semester. For me, there will be loads of reading and some sort of work as a Teaching Assistant. I have no idea what you should expect in your department. I wish you the best of luck!

[GreenePony]

I'm leaving in August but if you guys have any questions- DH has lived here for the past 8 years and I've been here for the last 4.

About the heat- it will get worse, a lot worse. This past month has actually been pretty pleasant as far as Waco goes. Starting in June/July you'll get into the 100s and it will probably stay there for a couple months. August will probably be the worst and evenings will get "chilly" starting mid-November but I've needed an actual winter coat once or twice a year, if that (we got a light snow the other year and the whole city freaked, I had to drive DH to work in Woodway and the other drivers were far more terrifying than the actual conditions).

Speaking of the drivers- summer is pretty good as far as traffic goes (even year round the only "real" traffic is between 7-9, and 430-630 and pretty much only on 35 and 6.) But once the students come back be very careful. Parents like to get their little girls big SUVs in case they get in an accident. As long as you're aware you should be okay, just some of them are just idiotic on the road (or with bikes).

Take advantage of Cameron Park (take U Parks towards 35 away from campus and just keep going till you pass the convention center). It's a pretty awesome urban park (during the day, a little sketchy at night). If either of you are runners the "The Toughest Half-Marathon in the State of Texas" (Bearathon) and 5k goes through campus (run by Student Foundation) and Cameron park in the spring. There's also a pretty good disc golf course on campus and in a park near Lake Waco.

The Mayborn Museum Complex across from campus is just awesome (I'm a little biased) and they just reopened the historic village out back. If you guys get your ID cards now, students get in free there and the other campus museums (Armstrong-Browning Library and Martin Art Museum). Every Wednesday in June and maybe July there will be activities and hands-on stuff (one of the staff is a blacksmith and he has a little shop set up out there).