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Plans for the Summer?


oceanlover

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Guest Gnome Chomsky

My program don't start till late September, and I graduate from undergrad in early May, but I have some obligations where I live until June 1, so I think I'm gonna move away to grad school in early June, which is almost 4 months before when my program starts. So I need to save enough enough dinero over the next 5 months to move in early June. I already have a little plan, so I think I'll have about $3,000 saved by that time. Then I'm gonna try to set up some job to do once I get there and do that throughout the entire summer until my program starts. I'd honestly do anything. I have no standards. I just need to make enough money to hold me over for 4 months. Scrape road kill, clean port-o-potties, shine shoes, you name it. 

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I graduated from college in 2012, and I've been working in my field for the past year and a half. If get into a funded program, I'm going to quit my job a month or two before grad school and spend some of my savings traveling. If I don't get in, I'll just keep working and try again next year. Here's hoping it all works out though!

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If accepted, I'll be moving to my new city in May and spending the summer getting settled in, exploring my new state/Country, and traveling. If I don't get accepted, I'm moving ASAP to start over...wherever the wind takes me. I'll settle for a Masters in whatever, teach at a CC, keep two lovers, and volunteer my time helping the elderly and children with special needs.

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Both programs don't start until August, but I currently work a full-time job that makes good money.  I'd be stupid to leave earlier than I need to since I'll need every penny for grad school, but unfortunately I'll have to leave by May due to a one-year non-complete clause that I agreed to.

 

So, I'm hoping to be some sort of ski-lift operator in Colorado and become a hippie for a few months this summer.

 

If I don't get into either one, then I'll stick with my job and try again next year, which I'd be happy to do considering I like my job.

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Going back to my high school job serving ice cream! (Oh boy...) Since I'm hoping to do grad school right after undergrad my options are pretty limited. Also blew my savings on a Europe trip a couple years ago so travel isn't really an option. Mostly spend time with my family before I move out and start real life!

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I'm planning a 6 week trip to Guatemala with my husband! I'd like to confidently add Spanish to my resume after all of these years of Spanish classes in high school and college :)

We're doing this trip whether or not I get into grad school.

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Summer Plans:

I graduate in early May but am technically finished with classes at the very end of April.  Since I'm pretty set about not attending my graduation ceremony, I plan on going home briefly to get my driver's license and then join one my best friend's in California via road trip.  Then I'll return home to do an internship or job in retail/food services up until 2-3 weeks before I start my program.  Also lots of catching up with friends and family members.

 

 

Rejection Plans:  (calling it like it is :unsure:)

I have a realllllyyyyy vague idea of this...mostly comprising of a repeat of this year's application process + serious introspection on what I did wrong and how to change it.  That and a job.  Somewhere.

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I work in my school's IT department which I can keep going at for 18 months after graduation. If I don't get in, then working for a year it is and reapplying.

If I do get in, however...still working

Either way, I hope to go to the Maritimes in Canada on a road trip. I've lived in eastern Quebec for a bit and picked up French there, but I have always wanted to go more east. Ah, summer...how I miss you.

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If y'all get accepted, I would advise you to do the following during the summer:

 

- Rest: I worked a policy development job all through the summer before I started my PhD (and kept it up for a few weeks into my first semester). The monies were important, but I really came to regret not taking a week or two to chill.

- Spend a little time looking at the offering of your new institutions financial aid office and consider throwing together bursary/scholarship applications early. I found that there were several great bursaries available. However, their deadlines were often in September and October; this makes it difficult to complete them because the deadlines coincide with the double-punch of being overwhlemed by tasks (no time for money apps) and imposter syndrom (feeling unworthy of money awards). Do apply for these though, they are nice self-contained tasks and worth doing (and you are totally worthy of them!).

- Buy/read a copy of this (it's $3!): https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/93455

Some of the advice is context-specific (social science and US contexts, specifically) and it is not super recent, but it is VERY helpful for sussing out some of the nuances that you will encounter in grad school that you will otherwise have to learn "the hard way" (relationships with colleagues and supervisors, for example).

- See if you can buy an upper-year student a coffee in the weeks leading up to the start of the semester and ask them what they wish someone had told them before they jumped in. The enthusiasm during welcome days is fantastic, but you might have more luck getting candid "day-to-day survival tips" from someone over coffee!

 

Good luck!

 

 

If accepted, I'll be moving to my new city in May and spending the summer getting settled in, exploring my new state/Country, and traveling. If I don't get accepted, I'm moving ASAP to start over...wherever the wind takes me. I'll settle for a Masters in whatever, teach at a CC, keep two lovers, and volunteer my time helping the elderly and children with special needs.

 

 

PsycD, you appear to be good people! I'm not in your discipline, but if U of T becomes a serious prospect, feel free to PM me with questions about the city/institution!

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If y'all get accepted, I would advise you to do the following during the summer:

 

- Rest: I worked a policy development job all through the summer before I started my PhD (and kept it up for a few weeks into my first semester). The monies were important, but I really came to regret not taking a week or two to chill.

- Spend a little time looking at the offering of your new institutions financial aid office and consider throwing together bursary/scholarship applications early. I found that there were several great bursaries available. However, their deadlines were often in September and October; this makes it difficult to complete them because the deadlines coincide with the double-punch of being overwhlemed by tasks (no time for money apps) and imposter syndrom (feeling unworthy of money awards). Do apply for these though, they are nice self-contained tasks and worth doing (and you are totally worthy of them!).

- Buy/read a copy of this (it's $3!): https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/93455

Some of the advice is context-specific (social science and US contexts, specifically) and it is not super recent, but it is VERY helpful for sussing out some of the nuances that you will encounter in grad school that you will otherwise have to learn "the hard way" (relationships with colleagues and supervisors, for example).

- See if you can buy an upper-year student a coffee in the weeks leading up to the start of the semester and ask them what they wish someone had told them before they jumped in. The enthusiasm during welcome days is fantastic, but you might have more luck getting candid "day-to-day survival tips" from someone over coffee!

 

Good luck!

 

 

 

 

PsycD, you appear to be good people! I'm not in your discipline, but if U of T becomes a serious prospect, feel free to PM me with questions about the city/institution!

 

Thanks, Surefire!

 

It seems that UT is the school most likely to reject me, but I will def take you up on that offer if, by some miracle, I get accepted. 

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If I am accepted, I will likely quit my full-time job 2-3 weeks before I plan to move to take some time to rest, see friends/family, and watch as much Netflix as I possibly can. Other than that, I haven't thought about it much.

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If y'all get accepted, I would advise you to do the following during the summer:

 

- Rest: I worked a policy development job all through the summer before I started my PhD (and kept it up for a few weeks into my first semester). The monies were important, but I really came to regret not taking a week or two to chill.

- Spend a little time looking at the offering of your new institutions financial aid office and consider throwing together bursary/scholarship applications early. I found that there were several great bursaries available. However, their deadlines were often in September and October; this makes it difficult to complete them because the deadlines coincide with the double-punch of being overwhlemed by tasks (no time for money apps) and imposter syndrom (feeling unworthy of money awards). Do apply for these though, they are nice self-contained tasks and worth doing (and you are totally worthy of them!).

- Buy/read a copy of this (it's $3!): https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/93455

Some of the advice is context-specific (social science and US contexts, specifically) and it is not super recent, but it is VERY helpful for sussing out some of the nuances that you will encounter in grad school that you will otherwise have to learn "the hard way" (relationships with colleagues and supervisors, for example).

- See if you can buy an upper-year student a coffee in the weeks leading up to the start of the semester and ask them what they wish someone had told them before they jumped in. The enthusiasm during welcome days is fantastic, but you might have more luck getting candid "day-to-day survival tips" from someone over coffee!

 

Good luck!

 

 

 

 

PsycD, you appear to be good people! I'm not in your discipline, but if U of T becomes a serious prospect, feel free to PM me with questions about the city/institution!

 

This is the best advice!

 

I graduated three years ago, and have been working in research since. Should I get rejected everywhere, I plan on continuing in my position while trying to gain some perspective about whether to try again. Should I get accepted somewhere, I plan on working for a while, searching for a replacement, taking time off using accrued paid vacation hours, and then returning for a few days to train and onboard my replacement. After that, I'll leave my job, buy a p.o. box and file a change of address, move to my new university early, and follow all of the advice surefire has given.

 

The biggest focus now is saving my money and watching my retirement account. I want to set a good sum of money aside, and pay off what little credit card debt I have, in preparation for what presumably will be crushing poverty...  ;)

Edited by cautiously_optimistic
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I currently work in my hometown, so if I get accepted I'll keep working and keep saving up money (/paying off debt) until a few weeks before classes start, then take a few weeks of R&R while preparing for my move.

 

If I don't get accepted I'm going to start seriously looking for a job that's closer to my preferred field and preferably in a bigger city.

Edited by Canadianna
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I'm getting married at the end of May.  If I get accepted, I'm using up all my PTO and sick days that I've acquired the past 1.5 years.  I’ll then quit my job a week before the wedding and enjoy being a newlywed the summer before grad school starts.  Also, I’m sure I’ll be busy writing Thank You Cards, exchanging gifts and all those fun things that happen after a wedding. 

 

If I’m not accepted….  Continue working as a technician.  I don’t plan on reapplying, as this is already my second attempt.  Maybe give it another shot after a few years and some serious thought as to what went wrong.

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Depending on how much money I have saved up, I hope to take a month off and just relax before everything starts! However, if I end up moving for school that probably won't happen, as I will be moving across the country with my son (it will be an adventure!). Will also definitely utilize the advice mentioned and check out scholarships and bursaries ahead of time.

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Have a great trip! I did the same thing a number of years ago and had one of the best times of my life. I recommend Quetzaltenango if you are serious about learning Spanish as Antigua is full and tourists and English (at least that was the situation when I was there).

 

I'm planning a 6 week trip to Guatemala with my husband! I'd like to confidently add Spanish to my resume after all of these years of Spanish classes in high school and college :)

We're doing this trip whether or not I get into grad school.

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