So what is everyone doing from now until they start in the fall?

[Guest]

Finishing my last semester of undergrad and tons of research papers at the moment. Spring break is next week for me at least. Over summer time, I'm just relaxing before I have to gear up and move to DC. I'm not working for anybody until graduate school starts up as well. I need to jump back on learning my foreign languages and need to read many 'graduate school surivival/tips' books over the summer as well.

[Merlin]

I graduated last fall, so I'm living at home, relaxing, working on a paper based off some undergrad research I did, and preparing to move out to New York this summer so I can get a head start on my research. I guess I'm technically starting in the summer.

[Chiqui74]

We are trying to sell our house, and I'm working until early June.  We'll try to make the move at that point and use the summer to get settled before school starts in the Fall.  We may do some traveling at some point, it depends on how things pan out.

[twentysix]

-Presenting an original work of history on the Dakota War at the WSSA in Portland.

-Finishing out my B.A. and B.S..
-Attending an intensive language program for Nahuatl at Yale.

-Traveling to the Peace Garden and Thunder Bay.

-Moving to San Diego.

-Putting 40-50 hours of work into my Spanish skills which need to be improved.

-Buying a new car.
-Platinuming 2 ps4 games.

-Reading a few more of James Lockheart's books.

Edited April 5, 2015 by twentysix

[shadowclaw]

- Getting ready to defend my thesis and get the written part approved by the graduate school so I can be completely done with my masters program in May

- Presenting some research at a conference next weekend

- Browsing Craigslist, Zillow, etc. for apartments at my new school almost daily

- 10 days after graduation, I start a 2 month job in New York, where I will spend my days chasing birds and mapping habitat

- After my job is done, I'll spend some time going through my things and seeing what I can get rid of

- Pick out an apartment and a company to ship our things 3000 miles across the country

- See if we can sell our two older cars and buy one brand new one before the trip

- Head down to North Carolina to celebrate turning 30 with my best friends

- Make the move to the west coast in September

[beefgallo]

- Working full time till June/July

- making two chapters of my thesis into articles I will try to submit

- trying to read Ulysses 

- reading other books for real

- trying to sell as much of my things as possible before the move

- lots of bureaucracy related with moving to the US - visas, flight tickets and other arrangements

- celebrating my last birthday with all my friends (at least for the next few years... )

- Waiting to hear whether I will get an apartment in the university housing or (with much dread) have to look for an apartment in the summer.

- finding out whether I will need to TA and refreshing my memory on whatever topic it is.

- getting as much information as possible on all I need to know regarding the degree, what courses should I take and how do I even sign up for courses.

- Making at least some initial steps towards my future research ideas. Reading material, brainstorming on questions that interest me.

[katiekay]

- Forever searching for a place to live on websites

- Finishing up undergrad: finish semester May 8, summer credits June 8-July 11

- Finding a new place to live until August when I graduate

- Working/finishing internship at state probation

- Spending time with new baby neice and family

- Visiting friends in other states

- Going to Norway and coming back a couple days before graduation

- After graduation: MOVING!

[Fred Garvin]

Hi Cheshire Cat, sorry for the delayed response.

This is in reference to the question you asked about the two classes I'm auditing at an area community college. Given that they're stats and accounting, they have prerequisites, but in my case all I did was show the registrar my undergrad transcript. After that I was off and running.

It's been a godsend. I've done all the homework and taken all the tests to measure my understanding but it's knowledge purely for knowledge's sake. No grade, no credit, no pressure.

Those will come soon enough when I begin my graduate studies, but this audit thing will leave me feeling much better prepared and thus more confident. That alone justifies the expense, time and effort. It's one of the best ideas I've had in a very long time.

[LeSilkCharmeuse]

-Finishing up work/saving money.

-Writing a speech that I was invited to give at my undergrad institution's McNair Scholars dinner.

-Looking at apartments constantly on zillow and apartments.com.

-Making bucket lists of things I wanna do before I leave home for the next 6-8 years.

-Making lists of things I need to do in preparation for moving.

-Reading Articles/Books in preparation for grad school.

-Finishing data collection and the manuscript for a publication with my undergrad mentor.

-Taking a trip to Japan with friends.

-Getting NSFGRFP set up to start June 1st, so that I can work with my graduate adviser at her Field site that in July.

-MOVING, agh!

[tingdeh]

Starting comps readings, leading an undergraduate research team, traveling to Asia for archival research, spending time with girlfriend before she leaves for South America for a placement and research trip. Yay!

[MathCat]

Things have settled down now that I know where I'm going, so I've planned my summer. I'll be continuing research that I started last year, working towards getting a publication from that. I have my eye on a couple of conferences that I'll attend if I can get some financial support from them. I'll study for writing quals upon entry, and then move near the end of the summer.

[Golazo2015]

Heading to Germany for 10 days after graduation

Hopefully interning somewhere over the summer, otherwise working somewhere

Studying/ Taking the FE

Finding a place to live

Enjoy as much warm weather as possible

[Mwing]

a. Make a to-eat list (no puns intended) 

b. finish the final round of experiments 

c. Plan out how I would approach the next 6 years of grad life 

d. Go to Disneyland (finally, after 10 years of agony) 

e. New contact lenses 

[Dedi]

1. Finish my B.S. and my extracurricular rat project

2. Start my PhD program in June to get my research started early

3. Go to Alaska for an Animal Behavior conference in mid-June

4. Explore the city more, get an apartment

5. APA conference in Toronto in early August

[zadigblue]

Finally locked down my plans this morning and scored two part-time research assistantships at my undergrad university for the summer!

[CBclone]

Just traveled across the country to visit the school I'll be attending and secured an apartment and interviewed for a GA position. Stoked right now. Waiting to hear back on the GA spot. 

 

And now...will be gone this week at a training/certification course. Then back to town, a few pretty relaxing weeks before work ramps up again. Work a lot, make (and save!) money, enjoy my last few months in this place. It's become home in the 4 1/2 years I've lived here and now that I'll be leaving in less than 4 months a lot of emotions are setting in. #sigh 

[lxwllms]

Finishing my B.S. and binge playing the KH series.

[autumn]

I'm working, mostly, and finishing up my teaching responsibilities from spring. Presented at a conference a couple of weeks ago.

 

I've also gone a little list crazy (books to read, articles to read, questions to ask, arrangements to make, etc.).

 

As someone who has a little too much fun organizing and planning, I've also gone a bit overboard with Evernote. I've made templates for class notes, lesson plans, teaching presentations, advisor meeting minutes, general meeting minutes, reading notes, etc. Now, I'll just be able to copy a template to the right notebook and plug in the new information into a presentation-ready format. 

 

I've also been reading books on teaching strategies and class prep.

 

So, so excited.

[nananiemand]

I'll be working out of country for 3 months this summer. Kind of regretting/nervous about this though... I accepted a funded TA position before I knew I would actually get into a program. Got very late notice on my acceptance, and now only have 1 month to prepare. Have to tie together my whole life before I go, and when I get back in the US I will just jump in my car and leave.

 

Sometimes life changes so fast. I feel like I'm on a log-ride, and watching the rapids creep closer and closer.

[amoeba_chica]

Finish my BS is my top priority.  Then I am just going to spend as much time as I can with my family until I have to relocate in July.  No special plans, other than to find an apartment.

[ToomuchLes]

I am shamelessly going to Bali -> Java -> Thailand to do some volunteer work, teach english, and some adventuring. It'll be a nice 10-week escape 

A week after my return to the states, I am driving to IN from CA for grad-orientation and then the real adventure begins!

[hyronomus4]

I feel really torn between enjoying my last months of freedom to binge watch Netflix shows while I can or start getting back into academic mode to prepare myself for the five years ahead of me.... thus far Netflix is winning. 

[autumn]

I feel really torn between enjoying my last months of freedom to binge watch Netflix shows while I can or start getting back into academic mode to prepare myself for the five years ahead of me.... thus far Netflix is winning. 

 

This! I have a stack of books that I want to read now so I will be better prepped and possibly won't be as overloaded in the fall. But I also want to just veg until the real work begins.

Edited April 23, 2015 by autumn