how often do you plan to go home?

[Ambigiousbuthopeful]

Once a year? Twice a year? Once in two years? 

 

I'm wondering how to work this out, so I'm curious. 

[St Andrews Lynx]

It depends how far away your home country is, I guess.

From what I've heard the students in my future research group that come from India & China go home once every two years. Since I'm from Europe I will probably go home once a year in the summer for a couple of weeks. 

[ak48]

Family's in California, I'll be PhD'ing it on the East Coast.

 

I'll go home for Christmas, perhaps a summer, but 2 times/year max unless some big event (wedding/death) occurs.

[Casper14]

It's about a 24-hour door-to-door trip for me, so I'll probably only be able to afford a trip home once every two years.  But there's so much I want to see and do in the US I'm sure I won't be ready to visit home after only a year!

[Andean Pat]

It's about a 24-hour door-to-door trip for me, so I'll probably only be able to afford a trip home once every two years.  But there's so much I want to see and do in the US I'm sure I won't be ready to visit home after only a year!

 

Not such a long trip but quite expensive. I thought of coming once a year but it seems improbable; once every two is a better option. However, my research is focused around my home area soooooo MAY BE I get to come more often heheh

[1Q84]

I'm in Toronto and going to be in LA so... once a year, minimum. When that will be remains a mystery... but I sure don't want it to be December or March. I'm going to LA to escape Canadian winters!

[phalanges]

I'm from Toronto, and am moving to Rochester, NY. The two cities are only a 3 hour drive apart, but I still don't predict that many trips home. Likely Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and a week in the summer. 

[annieca]

Assuming I'm going to intern in the summer (I've got to pay the rent anyway, might as well!), I will probably go back three times a year - Christmas, Spring Break and for a little bit of the summer. My parents are moving to Florida so the idea of Spring Break in Florida (even if it's a 13 hour drive from Maryland) sounds heavenly!

[TakeruK]

My wife and I went home 3 times during the first year of my 2-year MSc degree (all 3 trips were related to our wedding, which we had in our hometown), totaling about a month off. But then we didn't go back again until I finished my MSc (we had planned/budgeted for 3 trips in 2 years).

 

During the PhD, we will aim to go home about once a year. Maybe more for special circumstances. My next trip home is actually free, since there is a conference in a nearby town and I'm going to stay an extra while to visit family. Despite living in a different country, we are actually currently closer to home now than when I was at my MSc school! We would hopefully be able to travel more than once a year, though we would probably want to visit other places than just going home. After my coursework is finished this year, I think the biggest constraint on our ability to travel/visit home is not getting time off from school, but it's because travel is expensive!

[Cookie]

For those whose home countries are faaar away and air tickets cost an arm and a leg (like mine), keep an eye out for conferences in the area. It's much more doable that way ;-)

[Arcanen]

I live in a country that costs $2k a flight to get to my grad school in the US. I'm definitely planning on applying to conferences in or near my home country as a way of flying back in a more cost effective way.

 

Really though, I'm not leaving home. I studied in the US for part of my undergrad, and my closest friends are there. Though I'm not going back to the same school, I'll be relatively close. I'm not moving away from home, I'm moving back home.

[Arcadian]

I go about six times a year - once every two months. It's a 5-hour drive, and most of my closest friends and family still live in my hometown.

[Andean Pat]

For those whose home countries are faaar away and air tickets cost an arm and a leg (like mine), keep an eye out for conferences in the area. It's much more doable that way ;-)

 

Absolutely! That's the plan... hahaha However, the academia in my topic is so small that it would be nice to meet other scholars elsewhere.

[nehs]

I am an international student and my travel is also 24 hours door-to-door. Planning to go home this year. I just completed my program and started my OPT. I know that there could be issues since my visa  has expired but hey I got to go

[aberrant]

during my undergrad, I tried not to go home that often because of money issues (have to cross the North pacific / gulf of Alaska / etc.) So I did go home once every 2.5 / 3 years.

 

Now I'm in grad school, I decided to go home once, for 1 - 1.5 months, and that would be after my 2nd year prelim, sometime near the end of the summer (given that in my field, summer is almost always the most productive time when you are not distracted by coursework and other stuff).

 

However, I'm also into traveling and therefore I'll travel to Europe after my qual exam at the end of my 3rd year. I'm still planning to travel at the end of the summer for the same reason.

[MissMoneyJenny]

My program is only 1 year so I'm just going to go home at the end of it, otherwise I'll spend my money and holidays travelling elsewhere. I doubt I'll ever get a chance to be in Europe or England for an extended amount of time ever again so I'm taking advantage of it even though there will be the sacrifice of not seeing my family.

[nugget]

My original home is only 1.5 hrs away from my grad school. My current home, where my undergrad program is located, is about a 7 hr drive away. I don't plan to return for a long time after my move. Not for a couple of years at least. It's time to move on and I'm glad to be moving to a new place that's closer to family and old friends.

  

My program is only 1 year so I'm just going to go home at the end of it, otherwise I'll spend my money and holidays travelling elsewhere. I doubt I'll ever get a chance to be in Europe or England for an extended amount of time ever again so I'm taking advantage of it even though there will be the sacrifice of not seeing my family.

[Andean Pat]

I doubt I'll ever get a chance to be in Europe or England for an extended amount of time ever again so I'm taking advantage of it even though there will be the sacrifice of not seeing my family.

 

Do enjoy your time in England! Especially in London! The good thing about Europe is that you can be anywhere in a couple of hours, literally. For example, you can hop on the Eurostar and be in Paris in two hours. Sorry, London is my place in the world! Where will you be living?

Edited June 12, 2013 by Andean Pat

[MissMoneyJenny]

Do enjoy your time in England! Especially in London! The good thing about Europe is that you can be anywhere in a couple of hours, literally. For example, you can hop on the Eurostar and be in Paris in two hours. Sorry, London is my place in the world! Where will you be living?

 

Right in Central London, in halls. It's a tad expensive, but much easier than sending a deposit to a stranger for an apartment I hadn't seen.

[Andean Pat]

Right in Central London, in halls. It's a tad expensive, but much easier than sending a deposit to a stranger for an apartment I hadn't seen.

London is such a beautiful city. Have you ever been there?

 

Do me a favour, will you? Go to Covent Garden and just around the corner of the Apple Store (going from the underground station towards Covent Garden), turn right (opposite the market) and you'll see a tiny little shop called "Muffinski's". Best muffins in the whole world. You can get three for 5 pounds or so. Have a bite for me! :)