We've wined, we've waited, now it's time to celebrate 2016

[Neist]

20 minutes ago, Danger_Zone said:

I'm surprised I did so well in my summer classes since I was home (although all the roommates I've been stuck with have been very noisy too so I'm surprised I got any work done at all)! I'm wanting to move to the US soon as well but I guess I am waiting on a visa to do that, but I think that should be finalized soon! When I've gone to the US it honestly doesn't feel too different to me than Canada, except the US is cheaper and has better food.

That's great though! It's really good to be proud of your accomplishments and things you set out to do. With a good attitude you are going to do well.

Awww. Poutine is pretty yummy!  

I can't even make poutine here. It's hard to find decent cheese curds. Boo.

[Danger_Zone]

1 minute ago, Neist said:

Awww. Poutine is pretty yummy!  

I can't even make poutine here. It's hard to find decent cheese curds. Boo.

Ok that is true. And now you can basically get it at every fast food place here. You definitely need good cheese curds for it though, or it just isn't the same (what's up with people using normal cheese!)

[missleung]

Hi guys! I recently got accepted to UBC in Vancouver for MSc Biostats after being waitlisted for a month (a superrrrrrrr long wait). I'm VERY excited to attend this program yet super worried about their minimum grade requirement (75% average) to stay in - one of my biggest stress right now. Hence, I've been studying their current online course notes right after I received the unofficial acceptance e-mail letter. My undergrad GPA wasn't very good to compete, but I got the spot because I happen to be one of the 10% Canadian applicants for the program. Lucky that I got in, but at the same time super stressful...anyone on the same boat with me? 

[Need Coffee in an IV]

After going through about 20-30 homes, we have finally got a place! Not pet friendly, i guess we will get a dog eventually sigh. Maybe a dog can be a graduation present . My childhood dog was the best friend I needed when I was growing up. I miss him daily. Thanks for letting me complain guys!

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

2 hours ago, Need Coffee in an IV said:

After going through about 20-30 homes, we have finally got a place! Not pet friendly, i guess we will get a dog eventually sigh. Maybe a dog can be a graduation present . My childhood dog was the best friend I needed when I was growing up. I miss him daily. Thanks for letting me complain guys!

Wow congratulations!! Excited to move in?

[hippyscientist]

@Danger_Zone aww thank you! With a note on the visa, it depends what you get issued but if you're F1 you can't enter the US until 30 days before the start of your program. 

@Need Coffee in an IV woohoo! YAY for the house. Pups are fantastic and give you something to look after beside yourself, but equally it's nice to get settled, figure out the pace of things and find your feet before having their needs added to your own. My mum offered to get me a pup for Christmas, and for these reasons (and more) I've said I'd love one, but about this time next year, after my first round of exams are done. Gives me time to find my feet  (plus taking him out to pee won't be happening in the snow...hopefully).

I have finally figured out which classes I'm taking in the fall. I have to say that I'm not thrilled about them. 2 classes are repeating things I've done in my masters, just with slightly different software and one is a new one just looking at methods and theories and optimisations. The offerings for my field are pretty slim this first semester, but my advisor says they'll get better as I go through. At least it should be relatively unchallenging in terms of content presented. Just need to enrol in them - but I have a hold on my account and what I need to do to remove my hold is not available to me right now. AGH! 

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

Strange that you guys already know which classes you're taking... I think it's pretty typical to find out the day before classes start in August here  

[Neist]

9 minutes ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

Strange that you guys already know which classes you're taking... I think it's pretty typical to find out the day before classes start in August here  

Well, I haven't even received my materials regarding the enrollment process for history of science courses.  We have to be advised before anyone can enroll.

My library classes, however, are very self-planned. There's classes I have to take, and they give me a catalog and rotation of courses. It's my job to determine when I want to take what classes over the entire course of my degree. So, my library classes are already planned out way in advance. Years. 

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

6 minutes ago, Neist said:

Well, I haven't even received my materials regarding the enrollment process for history of science courses.  We have to be advised before anyone can enroll.

My library classes, however, are very self-planned. There's classes I have to take, and they give me a catalog and rotation of courses. It's my job to determine when I want to take what classes over the entire course of my degree. So, my library classes are already planned out way in advance. Years. 

Phew, glad I'm not the only one! 

Also am I the only one excited to have dental insurance?!?! I need a root canal and now I only have to hold out until August!

[hippyscientist]

Agh so of course nothing is ever straightforward. The holds on my account that means I can't enrol and the way I'm meant to remove the holds is not clear and I can't do it and I swear the admin lady for my department thinks I'm stupid already. Such a stressful day.

Edited April 29, 2016 by hippyscientist

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

1 hour ago, hippyscientist said:

Agh so of course nothing is ever straightforward. The holds on my account that means I can't enrol and the way I'm meant to remove the holds is not clear and I can't do it and I swear the admin lady for my department thinks I'm stupid already. Such a stressful day.

Doubtful... I'm sure she's aware of all the bureaucracy behind all that nonsense. 

[Need Coffee in an IV]

3 hours ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

Strange that you guys already know which classes you're taking... I think it's pretty typical to find out the day before classes start in August here  

Yeah I'm not exactly sure what my schedule is either! But then again their official deadline for the program is June so I was just super early haha. And Yes I'm very excited to move in! I'm going to have so much fun decorating! Now if only I had some money, damn you pretty expensive furniture. @hippyscientist Yeah that's the logical and rationally thing to do and my boyfriend has been promising me that we will eventually get a dog, so I'll have to wait. I guess I just have to be a creeper for awhile longer and just stare at other people's dogs haha

[hippyscientist]

1 hour ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

Doubtful... I'm sure she's aware of all the bureaucracy behind all that nonsense. 

Turns out there was some issue in the system and it all messed up. She thought I was being stupid because it was right in front of me, but I didn't have the link! All fixed and I'm now enrolled. This is happening (short of something going bad at the embassy)!!!

@Need Coffee in an IV decorating. Oh decorating. I cannot wait. My entire downtime at the minute is pinning ideas to my pinterest boards. I've found a sofa, and bedding and a mattress and all sorts. I just want to get started and move Puppies are adorable. I want to cuddle one now. 

[Need Coffee in an IV]

@hippyscientist Same here! I like to call my style comfortable, warm, mid-century/electric style......that's a thing right? Btw I had one possible landlord openly admit that they can lower the rent if we paid them in cash so they can avoid taxes......ummmm I rather not be an accessory to fraud

[hippyscientist]

@Need Coffee in an IV yikes. Red flag and then some! Landlords can be really difficult to navigate. But your style sounds awesome I'm more of a modern rustic boho. Kind of like if you combined a lake house with an english cottage with a surf house. I like the industrial stuff too but not for my house. I need cosy and snuggly and zen! 

[Need Coffee in an IV]

@hippyscientist I was super confused that they even mention this to a perfect stranger! They even acknowledge they have had done it before...sooooo I pretty much was like uh nope g2g byes. And thanks! Yours does too. My personally pet peeve is super bulky leather furniture and brown. Tons and tons of brown. I like some color and pattern. Also I swear if I see one more random artistic antler piece on the internet I'm going to lose it.

[hippyscientist]

@Need Coffee in an IV ahh I am a sucker for a leather chesterfield sofa. But I'd throw some soft snuggly blankets over it and some bright patterned cushions and...I'm going to stop now haha. I can't paint the walls in my new apartment so I'm stuck with plain white walls and carpeted floors. I want to throw lots of colour in with soft furnishings, fairy lights and accessories but I have expensive taste. A lot of my shopping will be thrift stores I reckon. Agree with the artistic antler stuff! 

[Need Coffee in an IV]

@hippyscientist See I sweat a lot so I would get stuck on the furniture! We can't paint anything either and I love lamps. Lamps are one of my favorite things to buy, they can be fun and are practical. West elm is my dream and I hope one day to eventually be able to buy a light bulb from them

[sjoh197]

Well, it's almost May and I still haven't heard anything from my department. 

It would be nice to register and stuff, but I haven't heard from anything from the advising staff like I am supposed to. 

I'm hoping that May will be the month for me....because I will likely explode by June. 

[Danger_Zone]

5 hours ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

Strange that you guys already know which classes you're taking... I think it's pretty typical to find out the day before classes start in August here  

When I first accepted I was told I should start looking at courses, and I was too excited not to anyway so I signed up as soon as I could. Although one of the courses is compulsory for your first semester, then a seminar is being held by my advisor/on my research subject so that was a given. So then I just kind of looked around until I found something else that sounded interesting. I'm actually taking a sociology course (not my field), but it's a good fit and my program is super encouraging of interdisciplinary studies.

[Danger_Zone]

10 minutes ago, sjoh197 said:

Well, it's almost May and I still haven't heard anything from my department. 

It would be nice to register and stuff, but I haven't heard from anything from the advising staff like I am supposed to. 

I'm hoping that May will be the month for me....because I will likely explode by June. 

Good luck! I feel like I've never had my patience tested so much as I have by this whole grad school process.

[hippyscientist]

@sjoh197 maybe drop them an email and ask? If you have an idea of classes you want to take, any outstanding questions etc you can use those as an excuse for getting in touch. Heck, even a "I was just wondering if there was anything further I need to do before starting" email does the trick.

@Danger_Zone I agree that the entire grad school acceptance process is designed to test patience to extreme levels. If it wasn't for yoga and meditation I'm not sure I'd have been quite so collected this whole time (and yes that includes the daily freak outs on this forum!). 

[MarineBluePsy]

On 4/25/2016 at 8:11 PM, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

Just cleaned out my closet so that I can pack all this stuff for my move to Ithaca (less than two weeks, whaaaaat?!) I've bought so many things in the hopes that one day I might care enough to dress cute and not just wear a nerdy t-shirt, but I've given in now. Nerdy t-shirts ahoy!

Nerd-chic has totally been on my mind lately.  I've finally settled on nerd jewelry since I found a bracelet that kind of looks like dna.  Now I'm obsessed with finding one of the entire periodic table.  No luck yet, but I'm still searching.  Oh and beaker earrings.  I'm not even sure where that idea came from, but now I'm obsessed with it.

On 4/25/2016 at 10:54 AM, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

I guess I should've looked at reviews for this apartment place before signing a lease with them... utilities run about 3x what they said they would, and the maintenance sucks apparently  

Live and learn, I guess.

Keep in mind that when people report the utilities being high they're usually wasteful or they have kids.  There are so many steps you can take to reduce your costs and if after doing all of that they're way too high then perhaps you have an insulation problem.

On 4/28/2016 at 2:30 PM, Neist said:

Awww. Poutine is pretty yummy!  

I can't even make poutine here. It's hard to find decent cheese curds. Boo.

I don't know what poutine is, but I've heard the cheese curds at Whole Foods are good.  

1 hour ago, sjoh197 said:

Well, it's almost May and I still haven't heard anything from my department. 

It would be nice to register and stuff, but I haven't heard from anything from the advising staff like I am supposed to. 

I'm hoping that May will be the month for me....because I will likely explode by June. 

I haven't heard anything either and I've decided not to worry about it.  I've done what was asked of me at this point and its on them to get things moving from here.  I refuse to be stressed out over their slowness and I'm not going to be rushed at the last minute either.  When they decide to get it together and loop me in then I'll let them know how that works on my end. 

[pterosaur]

On 26/04/2016 at 11:03 PM, cwr said:

Oh, that's awesome! Congrats on the Marshall. Did you do a one- or two-year? 

And okay, I feel a tiny bit better then, because hopefully I would get something more relating to things I've done. But, realistically, no one goes into the Hertz expecting to win, right? I think you just try and enjoy the interview process, and then if something good comes out of it, even better. (Which was essentially my attitude towards all of these international fellowships.) 

You bring up a good point about Harvard having more resources for the Hertz than your undergrad; hopefully, if I struck out with the Hertz and/or DoE this year, Princeton will have some resources to help when I get there. 

I'm  doing a one year Marshall (which I kind of regretted as soon as I met the other Marshalls as our retreat). But again - I didn't really know any better when I was applying.

On the Hertz, going in I definitely didn't expect to win. But then I was surprised to get a first interview. And then the finalist interview. And at that point you really start to get your hopes up and it ends up feeling paradoxically worse than not even getting an interview.

[pterosaur]

For those of you starting PhDs, how structured it the course component and requirements? Mine basically requires 10 courses of my choosing, only 8 of which have to be somewhere in the school of science and engineering (the other 2 could be Russian literature, if I wanted). And 1 class has to be theoretical computer science. I could also take any classes I want at MIT. But my courses all have to be approved by some mythical Committee on Higher Degrees. I had to make a program of study for my fellowship, and some of the courses my advisor-to-be recommended don't even show up in the course catalog. So I have no idea what I'm doing or what my options even are. (I couldn't even find a listing of MIT grad CS courses??) So I can't over plan my future schedule. Argh.