Summer Plans

[ocop]

For the first half I'll be taking a couple of classes and working the same job that paid the rent during undergrad. Then, being lazy (maybe travel?) for the rest of the summer... ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

[silencio1982]

i hope to get a teaching job at a summer program. if that fails, i'll try to get something non-taxing to bring in some extra money. i don't plan on doing too much prep work before school starts. i'm trying to enjoy my last few months of brain vacation.

[Canadianpolsci]

I am going to learn to brake dance. Key skill for department mixers. A different kind of affirmative action.

sababa

[rising_star]

I'm looking for a gig with a summer program so hopefully I'll work 6-7 weeks and come out with a bunch of money. A visit to wherever I'm moving to secure housing. And lots and lots of trashy novel reading at the beach house. I love the beach and it doesn't look like I'll be near a decent beach in my PhD.

[labmouse]

I'm torn between trying for an internship, working doubletime to get a full time and a part time job to get money to relocate or taking French. If I get into Concordia, the French will come in handy in Montreal.

[Antigone]

Quitting my job, attending my graduation ceremony (graduated early so it's funny that I'm doing this so far afterwards), tropical vacation with the family, the long and arduous process of moving all my earthly possessions and getting another job wherever I'm going to school, and maybe working to save up more cash if I can.

And oh yeah, rereading all of the "essential materials" for my field and reviewing my languages lest I sound like an illiterate moron when I arrive to take my placement exam.

[owlettkh]

I got a fully funded summer internship to go to Lesotho, Africa for 8 weeks to implement a program I designed to educate high school students about HIV/AIDS, human physiology, and the gendered nature of the epidemic. After that I guess I will be working on finding a place to live and spending time with people before I leave them for good.

[adizzygirl]

Mmm.. My program doesn't technically start until September but they said they'd be willing to help me find funding so I can do my first lab rotation over the summer starting July 1st, I believe. I just need to contact them and see who has the time to help me out, but I've been holding off until I formally accept their offer.

So assuming the details get worked out there, I will be finishing up classes here, not going to commencement because I'm cool like that, moving back with my parents in Massachusetts for a month and a half, and moving back to Rhode Island sometime around July 1. I'm planning to sublet for the summer while I look for something more permanent and save up for a security deposit/first month's rent. Am toying with the idea of working part-time, but I'll wait and see how broke I am because that's what I've done the last two summers and I'd really rather not do it again.

If I don't spend the summer doing a rotation, I'll be looking for work at home and will take a couple weeks at some point to travel. Possibly to Europe or Australia. I'd like to go somewhere in May or June either way, but at this point I seriously doubt I'll have the money

[eve2008]

I'm going to be crazy-busy wrapping up this other field research project I've been working on for some time, but reading all your comments makes me realize I should probably also find some time to lose myself on a sandy sandy beach with a trashy novel and a cabana boy.

This is so sad, but I think I've forgotten how to relax, how to completely turn off the brain. I'm sure many of you share this affliction. We wouldn't be going to grad school otherwise.

[santana]

You get the textbooks and start studying. Perhaps I am old-fashioned but I just do not see what else. If you want to be successful in any kind of graduate study you better be prepared. You never know what can happen. On my second study I stayed for a semester without a housing since I didn't apply on time. I had to stay in motels. That kind of things can impede studying and if you are already prepared in a course or two you won't have problems.

Serious graduate programs are not cakewalk, you better get ready.

[deadparrot]

Nothing firm yet, but likely one of two options:

(1) Stay at home, mooch off my parents, do an internship at a local museum during the day and work my theater job at night, allowing me to prepare for my halfway-across-the-country move coming up this fall

or

(2) Do an internship out of state which, while less "comfortable," will allow me to make connections in the region in which I ultimately want to work (and, you know, be near the ocean).

So...we shall see.

[NO8DO]

I'll be spending 2 months in France (travelling for a month) and then the second month I'll be taking a course in Paris. All the while getting a head start on crazy long reading lists in Spanish & French literature.. !

[eve2008]

You get the textbooks and start studying. Perhaps I am old-fashioned but I just do not see what else. If you want to be successful in any kind of graduate study you better be prepared. You never know what can happen. On my second study I stayed for a semester without a housing since I didn't apply on time. I had to stay in motels. That kind of things can impede studying and if you are already prepared in a course or two you won't have problems.

Serious graduate programs are not cakewalk, you better get ready.

I have 12 very long (but I hope happy!) years of training and research and job market and all of that stress ahead of me. I may not end up taking my own advice, but I think there's a lot to be said for taking a deep breath before embarking on that.

[UndraftedFreeAgent]

Spending some quality time in the gym, enjoying living in a home with a yard/pool/cat/big TV, and frequenting the Victory Brew Pub, as soon as they finish renovations.

Oh, and reading. Lots and lots of reading.

[4givn1]

Brushing up on my sociology (as has been advised by the grad director at my most probable school) probably by finding a book and reading it, and working/volunteering at my church.

[labmouse]

I will probably have a job, since grad school is insanely expensive, especially my last two admissions. /sigh

I wish I had a bit more support from home.

[dmh26]

Working at my internship, exercising to be new and improved for grad school..lol, catching up on some reading for fun and not for class, and trying to improve my russian by readings lots of russian crap..lol

[TMP]

Original plan as of Jaunary 2008: Travel to Russia for 5 weeks via Moscow and St Petersburg, then take the Siberian Railway all the way to Beijing, China. No JOKE.

As of all the PhD rejections and acceptance to my MA program without grants/fellowships/funding, scratch that. Time to apply for jobs to pay for my living expenses! WON-DER-FUL. Anything for my dream career in the academia. :roll:

But I'm still taking a vacation to Israel to brush up my oral Hebrew skills in prep for literature level classes in the fall and being a beach bum! Nothing besides those Israeli beaches. So I'm looking forward to that! Once I come back, it's time to move to grad school! WOOT!

Hahaha, my advisor did ask me earlier this week what my summer plans would be.

Him: So what are you doing this summer?

Me: Um, I guess try to find a job to start paying off those loans... *grumbles*

Him: What about Hebrew? What about you going to do about it?

Me: Right, that's my next sentence. I'm going to Israel for the rest of the summer! I need a break!!!

Him: Great idea! You're going to have fun!

[crustaceangirl]

Moving from Boston to Atlanta, taking a ~3 week vacation in Europe, attending a friend's wedding in NY, and doing my first lab rotation.

[ollie cromwell]

Wow, some of y'all got awesome plans.

I'm going to try and figure out how to scrape together first month's and last month's before moving to a strange city and attempting to find a place that will let me work for a month and a half (which probably means excruciating temp work). I think I get two weeks at my place of origin.

[hack]

I'm taking advantage of my job to get some last work related research travel in now and then finishing up a major project in early May. I want to take a two week vacation in June and then leave my job to move to the city where I'll be enrolling in late July/early August. At that point I'll spend a month relearning German and reading my assigned summer reading, hopefully poolside.

[zigazowohnow]

I am trying to spend the least amount of time back home with my parents and have a some money saved so I will be abroad in Spain, Italy, France, Greece and hopefully some parts of Africa (Kenya, provided the violence calms, and possibly Cape Town South Africa)

I've been planning on traveling this summer for a while and am really looking forward to it...but I'm nervous I only have about 10k saved and I don't want to use all of it traveling. Flight costs will total around 2,500 plus room and board for two months=2k. Then first and last months rent (1k or more) plus however much it will cost to furnish and decorate my new place (anyone have a rough estimate?).

I hate being so cheap but I almost considered not going over seas so as to not deplete my savings and keep a nest egg...what do you think?

[rising_star]

I am trying to spend the least amount of time back home with my parents and have a some money saved so I will be abroad in Spain, Italy, France, Greece and hopefully some parts of Africa (Kenya, provided the violence calms, and possibly Cape Town South Africa)

I've been planning on traveling this summer for a while and am really looking forward to it...but I'm nervous I only have about 10k saved and I don't want to use all of it traveling. Flight costs will total around 2,500 plus room and board for two months=2k. Then first and last months rent (1k or more) plus however much it will cost to furnish and decorate my new place (anyone have a rough estimate?).

I hate being so cheap but I almost considered not going over seas so as to not deplete my savings and keep a nest egg...what do you think?

Yeah, I don't think room and board will be 2K. It'll probably run you much more unless you do couchsurfing and do your own cooking... Even then, it'd be tight trying to do it for just 2K. 2.5-3.5K seems much more realistic to me. Personally, I'd probably be willing to deplete my savings somewhat for a trip of a lifetime.

FWIW, I spent about $1300 to move in to my apartment (first month's rent + security deposit + bed + desk). I got lucky in that my family (80 miles away) gave me a dresser, desk chair, headboard, and bed rails. I also moved in with someone else so I only had to furnish my bedroom, which saved me a bunch of money. Otherwise, estimate about $150-250 (for cheap pots + dishes) for the kitchen, several hundred for the living room (couch, TV, DVD player, chair), one hundred for a kitchen table, not to mention the start-up food costs of stocking cabinets and whatnot.

[silencio1982]

I hate being so cheap but I almost considered not going over seas so as to not deplete my savings and keep a nest egg...what do you think?

I did this- it sucks, but my husband and I want to buy a car (need one soon!) and a house (not yet, but eventually) and with me making only 16k as a grad student I couldn't justify eating into our savings. However, I'll also probably be doing fieldwork abroad in the next few years so I will postpone my travels til then.

As others have suggested I would shorten my trip or stick to a few key destinations- the dollar is incredibly weak right now and I can't see you getting away with spending only 2k in all those places. Last time I was in Europe for 10 days I spent about 1k and that was with a better exchange rate. Train tickets were expensive for traveling around... I stayed in really cheap hostels and ate mostly from street vendors and that was still 1k for only 10 days. Of course I was in more expensive places like the UK and France... but it can all add up.

[zigazowohnow]

I trust you all when you say I am underestimating my costs.

I think I will have to cut things short and possibly just stick to Spain & Italy (with maybe a stop in Morocco since it's right of the coast of Spain, but then their Lisbon, Portugal that's right next to Spain aaaahhh! Too many places, I wish I had unlimited finances!)

I have looked into the cheap hostels that have kitchens and they are averaging about $20/night. The Euro vs. USD situation sucks so I can only pray that it gets better.

Also when it comes to furnishing my new place I wanted to set aside a good amount because this will be my first place of my own, and I've had a miserable three years with my last roommates + no space! So I was looking forward to getting a decent bed and a halfway decent couch and table. However my first stop will be to goodwill and the salvation army to see if I like the cheapest stuff first. I also figure when I move I can take the furniture with so this should be a one time expense.

Overall, I just cant see myself giving up on the traveling completely this summer, I worry I'd always regret it, therefore I will minimize my trip and save up for others in the future. The only reason I wanted to do so much now is that the airfare from the US overseas is expensive so I would like to get as much out of one overseas ticket as possible.

***Have any of you guys heard of the round the world tickets, they're pretty decent from 2.5k=5k for all continents and many stops provided you travel in the same direction (i.e. east to west or vice-versa)