Anyone else utterly bored out of their skull waiting for classes to start?

[Elanti]

Hey guys,

 

So I moved to the city my M.S. program was in 2 months early because that was when my prior lease ended, and I didn't have to deal with trying to get a new apartment when everyone else was hunting- still, ever since the luster of being accepted has worn off, I've found myself more and more bored. My friend and I keep going back and forth about how good it will be to actually be in classes where there will be something stimulating. Is anyone else beyond antsy for their classes to start? How are you coping? 

For me, I've got 30 days to go

 

 

[ProfLorax]

I wasn't bored last year when I was in the same situation as you, but that's because I used all my freetime to explore my new home. You live in San Jose, a great location to explore all the Bay Area has to offer! Drive to Santa Cruz for the day and check out the boardwalk, the beach, and downtown; you can find great vegetarian eats in Santa Cruz. On another day, drive down to Monterey, Carmel, and Big Sur, and just soak in the ocean views and grab some clam chowder. Then, take the Caltrain up to SF and neighborhood hop: eat a burrito in the Mission, taste some dim sum in Chinatown, grab some cannolis in North Beach. SF has so many free festivals and events right now (one of my biggest regrets was never going to the Stern Grove concerts!). On another day, eat some pizza in the East Bay. And of course, San Jose boasts some of the greatest pho in the states. Take this time to do all the touristy things you can; once you get started, you won't have the time! 

 

(This message brought to you by a Bay Area native who is stuck in D.C. for the next four years. I'm also pregnant, hence my obsession with food.)

Edited July 30, 2014 by proflorax

[Academicat]

Elanit, I am in a similar situation. I moved here when my contract at my old job ended, which was early in the summer. I wouldn't say that I've been bored in Columbus because there's been so much to explore (and so much to unpack), but I have felt a little lost socially - moving to a new city is always disorienting like that. What has really helped me connect with people is meetup.com. It's like a hub of searchable clubs in your area, and it's usually free (though a small handful of groups do charge dues). I've met with people who like hiking and board games (and then actually gone and hiked or gamed with them), which has satisfied my social itch. San Jose's Meetup looks like it's got some pretty cool groups, so you could check that out to pass the time before school starts.

 

I've also stumbled upon a pretty awesome creativity co-op in my city (for anyone in Cbus, www.wildgoosecreative.com is awesome), and they hold events/classes almost nightly, and again, many of them are free. There might be something like that in your area, too. I'm interested to know what you find, so let us know!

[Academicat]

I wasn't bored last year when I was in the same situation as you, but that's because I used all my freetime to explore my new home. You live in San Jose, a great location to explore all the Bay Area has to offer! Drive to Santa Cruz for the day and check out the boardwalk, the beach, and downtown; you can find great vegetarian eats in Santa Cruz. On another day, drive down to Monterey, Carmel, and Big Sur, and just soak in the ocean views and grab some clam chowder. Then, take the Caltrain up to SF and neighborhood hop: eat a burrito in the Mission, taste some dim sum in Chinatown, grab some cannolis in North Beach. SF has so many free festivals and events right now (one of my biggest regrets was never going to the Stern Grove concerts!). On another day, eat some pizza in the East Bay. And of course, San Jose boasts some of the greatest pho in the states. Take this time to do all the touristy things you can; once you get started, you won't have the time! 

 

(This message brought to you by a Bay Area native who is stuck in D.C. for the next four years. I'm also pregnant, hence my obsession with food.)

 

Also, Proflorax, you make me want to see San Jose. That all sounds AWESOME.

[ProfLorax]

Also, Proflorax, you make me want to see San Jose. That all sounds AWESOME.

Ha! Can you tell I'm feeling homesick? I don't know much about San Jose itself, but I have lived in cities that surround it (Monterey and SF). What I would give for a mild, non-humid summer surrounded by delicious food! 

[Coconut Water]

You could check Amazon Local, Groupon, etc for local deals and eats, too. I always mean to try a new restaurant or pastime this way but never have the time!! And unfortunately I am most likely grinding at a really unsatisfying full-time job until school starts.

 

Caltrain is excellent, you can take it to SF and then take BART or MUNI within SF. 

 

From a former long-time Bay Area resident:

 

There are some great trails with pretty views of the ocean as you head north towards SF and I distinctly remember one where I hiked/biked/walked along a water reservoir around San Mateo/Half Moon Bay. Been too long to recall how to get there, but you could google the trails which always seemed to run parallel to the 280. I also used to access this one trail right by Skyline College, where I noticed signs of horses. You probably need a car to get to those trails by the coast.

 

This all depends on what kind of things you're into, of course.

Edited July 31, 2014 by Coconut Water

[Ceci]

I'd love to be bored... instead I'm running around trying to get everything done and ready for classes... I had to push my move-in date back so I'll be there like a week before classes start.   Enjoy your free time!

[WriteAndKnit]

Not bored (I'm reading fun stuff and crafting while netflix-binging), but feeling like I missed SOMETHING. Everything SEEMS to be in order, but I have that feeling like I forgot to do some paperwork and it will bite my backside. 

 

Oh, and VA doc appointments. Sprained knees aren't fun. Don't do it.

[maelia8]

I'm moving in 5 days, and once I get all of the stuff in order that needs to be done (getting my university ID card, buying furniture, registering for classes, etc.), I wanted to work on a project. In my case, I've been meaning to go through several shoeboxes of old photos, sort the good ones out, and then scan them before disposing of the hard copies. If you can come up with a project like that, something that will take you a few weeks to finish and that you can work on whenever you have a spare minute, that might help with your boredom

[toasterazzi]

Elanit, I am in a similar situation. I moved here when my contract at my old job ended, which was early in the summer. I wouldn't say that I've been bored in Columbus because there's been so much to explore (and so much to unpack), but I have felt a little lost socially - moving to a new city is always disorienting like that. What has really helped me connect with people is meetup.com. It's like a hub of searchable clubs in your area, and it's usually free (though a small handful of groups do charge dues). I've met with people who like hiking and board games (and then actually gone and hiked or gamed with them), which has satisfied my social itch. San Jose's Meetup looks like it's got some pretty cool groups, so you could check that out to pass the time before school starts.

 

I've also stumbled upon a pretty awesome creativity co-op in my city (for anyone in Cbus, www.wildgoosecreative.com is awesome), and they hold events/classes almost nightly, and again, many of them are free. There might be something like that in your area, too. I'm interested to know what you find, so let us know!

 

Like Academicat here, I've also been in Columbus since early summer, and I've found that there's been plenty to enjoy here. Though I've been somewhat limited by my lack of funds. I'm finally getting more hours at my job though, so I'll get a chance to explore some more things here soon. I've also checked out meetup a bit, and while I haven't gone to any of the groups yet, it seems like there's plenty of people to hang out with. I've also passed some time by creating an excessively long Yelp list of restaurants I want to go to in this city haha.

 

That being said, I am itching to be in class already. I can't help it man. I like school too much lol. But it's less than a month away for me now, so I figure I can deal

[Threeboysmom]

Really antsy to get started.  I did not have the luxury of moving to a new place.  I'm a wife and mom of three so luckily I was accepted to a program relatively close.  It does feel like I'm missing out on the whole grad school experience though.  In the mean time, I am outlining schedules for my children, cooking tons of meals to fill my freezer and binge watching shows on Netflix. 

[Academicat]

Really antsy to get started.  I did not have the luxury of moving to a new place.  I'm a wife and mom of three so luckily I was accepted to a program relatively close.  It does feel like I'm missing out on the whole grad school experience though.  In the mean time, I am outlining schedules for my children, cooking tons of meals to fill my freezer and binge watching shows on Netflix. 

 

Threeboysmom, maybe my experience will reassure you a little. I'm a little older than the typical student, and I wasn't in a position to move out of my area for my MA. Many of my classmates in grad school were in a similar position, some with kids, some returning to school after a long career in another field (one was a lawyer turned writer). We were a pretty motley crew, but I don't think any of us felt like we were missing out on the grad school experience - we all shared a big bullpen office, worked collaboratively, and shared frustrations and successes. Do you have an assistantship so that you'll be teaching with your cohort? That really helped us cohere as a group.

[Threeboysmom]

No Assistantship yet.  I have to start taking classes and see what opportunities are available.  I have identified professors I would like to work with though.  Thanks for the reassurance. 

[seeingeyeduck]

I wish I were more bored! Then I could've followed my plan of independent research and reading before school. Instead we had to move despite me getting into a local program so all our time has been consumed with finding a place, packing all the stuff we accumulated over 6 years and now moving. Then we'll have to unpack, buy some necessities that we're missing and move more stuff into my office-studio space at school. I wish I had some time to relax instead! I really hope we finish before school starts so I can concentrate on that.

[oceanlover]

I'm insanely bored out of my mind!! Literally been spending my days netflix binging and counting down the days until I move into my new apartment. Its finally coming up later this week, and I'm sure I'll be more occupied then with settling in, buying last minute things for my place and exploring the area (plus the fact that wifi will take a week to get set up will force me to leave and find things to do!) I have about 2 weeks before classes once i move in, and i'm also hoping to get started on a consistent workout and eating healthy schedule that I can continue (hopefully) through the semester). Nonetheless, I can't wait for classes to start. But of course its always this way; when you have nothing to do you wish to be busy but as soon as your busy again you wish you had nothing to do!

[avflinsch]

I have too many things to do at work & home to be bored, but I am getting antsy for the start of classes on 9/2. I will get to meet the incoming class (and the continuing grad students) on 8/13. I know some of them already, as I had several mixed grad/undergrad courses over the past few years.

My biggest worry is wondering exactly what I have gotten myself into for the next 3 years.
 

[wildviolet]

Not bored, exactly, but I find that regularly scheduled classes and meetings help keep me on track. I don't do well with unstructured time, which is why I'm worried about what's going to happen once I've finished taking classes... will I be ABD???

[The Wayfarer]

Not bored, exactly, but I find that regularly scheduled classes and meetings help keep me on track. I don't do well with unstructured time, which is why I'm worried about what's going to happen once I've finished taking classes... will I be ABD???

 

This.

 

I'm trying to keep busy by organizing my new apartment and such -- I still have to conquer my books, DVDs, CDs, etc. But it will be nice to have a structured schedule soon. On the topic of books I've finished two decent sized novels in less than a week and just started the tome that is Hillary Clinton's Hard Choices...

 

Also more anxious than bored....especially since I'm not even sure what the third course I'm taking is yet. (They have to let me know by the 25th but when you don't have much else going on that feels like an eternity.)

[Catlovers141]

I'm not exactly bored, because I'm currently working a full-time job, but I have a lot of anxious energy about grad school and wanted to share what I'm planning to do before classes start, as it both takes up a lot of time and may be helpful.

 

I was worried about having time to cook while in school and working, and I was concerned that I would start eating a lot of unhealthy microwavable options, so in the week before classes start I'm going to take a day or two off and spend the whole day cooking.  I would like to make a large quantity of my own freezable meals that I can take out of the freezer as needed so I can eat something I cooked without taking the time to cook it when I am really busy.

 

It's kind of fun, and does take up a lot of time if you are looking for something to do (and it's great if you also want to feel productive).  Last night I went through a few cookbooks and found a lot of different meals, and later I'm going to make a big grocery list and then go shopping.

 

I plan to still eat fresh foods in school, but having a nice dinner or lunch already made that I just need to heat up sounds nice. 

[maelia8]

Well, I moved into my apartment a week ago, and I'm pretty bored now … I've taken care of all of the administrative stuff I can before the semester starts, but since I'm literally so broke after furnishing my bedroom that I can barely afford food until I get my first stipend disbursement in two weeks, I'm trying to find things to do in my absurdly expensive area that are free … it's been difficult. I've been going on walks in the afternoons and spending some time in parks and wandering around on campus, and then in the afternoons and evenings I watch Netflix and work on knitting projects … not exactly glamorous sightseeing in one of the most exciting cities in the country, but hey, it's all I can afford.

[Sigaba]

Well, I moved into my apartment a week ago, and I'm pretty bored now … I've taken care of all of the administrative stuff I can before the semester starts, but since I'm literally so broke after furnishing my bedroom that I can barely afford food until I get my first stipend disbursement in two weeks, I'm trying to find things to do in my absurdly expensive area that are free … it's been difficult. I've been going on walks in the afternoons and spending some time in parks and wandering around on campus, and then in the afternoons and evenings I watch Netflix and work on knitting projects … not exactly glamorous sightseeing in one of the most exciting cities in the country, but hey, it's all I can afford.

 

Have you gone there yet?

 

[maelia8]

@Sigaba oh yes, and it was lots of fun! My friend and I went into the used scifi section and tried to pick out the books with the worst covers in a quick-draw competition  

[Coconut Water]

Too anxious to be bored! Even though I hate my current job and can't wait to leave it.

 

Lotsa downsizing left to do for the tiny grad apartment, but am making progress - getting rid of lotsa extra paper weight. This week I took off from work so it's been good to have large chunks of time to prepare. And once I quit my job I will be busy moving and then will have an department orientation to attend and a BBQ that night before the first day of class. No time to be truly bored. A little apprehensive too, because of a recent annoying health issue but I think I've got a handle on it.

 

When I'm not at work or downsizing, I read for fun, like the novel I just started, Beautiful Ruins. Am also working my way through a book on how to write for academia. Sentence structure has never been my strongpoint (or to be honest, essay writing in general), so I hope to address my weaknesses while I have time!

[hurlockca]

I recently got accepted for Spring 2015--yes, I applied suuuuper early but I couldn't quite do Fall 2014, and as someone who is already a couple years off the "traditional college student" age, I didn't want to wait it out any longer. So now I'm camped out at home in that (not at all) sweet spot between acceptance letter and the big move. I'm not even sure if I've gotten into my school's very limited graduate housing yet, so I can't even really plan towards a move-in day or anything _D_ The good news is I should hear more from them this month!