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

[pterosaur]

8 hours ago, haltheincandescent said:

 I'm vaguely considering at this point just going with the dorms for the first year--it's guaranteed, it's not outrageously expensive (even if slightly more than the cheaper options I've found around craigslist), it'll get me there before orientation, and I'll avoid the even-greater-chaos of trying to find a place mid-April without really being able to visit. Then, hopefully over that first year I'll either be able to find people to room with for the following year, or will at least know the area better and will actually be present to do tours and the like. Lots to sacrifice in terms of back-to-dorm quality of living (yikes, communal showers, again), but I think I can survive 10 months in exchange for the up-front convenience. Maybe. Going to chat with students while I'm visiting about what they're doing, and am spending a couple of nights with a host in the dorms, so, that might help clear things up.

If it's any help, people in my program (SEAS) all seemed to highly recommend the dorms, both for their convenience and also the chance to mnet/hang out with non-engineers. One guy actually said he lived off campus with a friend from undergrad for his first year and he regretted not being in the dorms. 

[haltheincandescent]

54 minutes ago, pterosaur said:

If it's any help, people in my program (SEAS) all seemed to highly recommend the dorms, both for their convenience and also the chance to mnet/hang out with non-engineers. One guy actually said he lived off campus with a friend from undergrad for his first year and he regretted not being in the dorms. 

Very good to hear! I'm looking forward to getting a look inside this coming week, and seeing what people in my program think of them. I really am hoping they think the same, as it does seem particularly convenient.

[pterosaur]

25 minutes ago, haltheincandescent said:

Very good to hear! I'm looking forward to getting a look inside this coming week, and seeing what people in my program think of them. I really am hoping they think the same, as it does seem particularly convenient.

Are you going to the GSAS open house? Let me know if you learn anything noteworthy in general! 

[haltheincandescent]

Just now, pterosaur said:

Are you going to the GSAS open house? Let me know if you learn anything noteworthy in general! 

I can't make it to that, actually, but I'm being hosted for a couple of days for my program's visit by a student currently living in the dorms, & plan to ask about how it is to be there. I'll definitely let you know how it goes!

[rhombusbombus]

I'm bringing my dog with me to grad school. Granted, he's a ripe 8 years old so we have the pee thing on lock. My roommate is bringing her dog too! I didn't even ask if I could bring my dog with me to campus. I'll have to play it by ear bc I'm sure the lab I'm in just moved to the Millenium Science Complex and it's still brand new and shiny. Probably not dog friendly.

I'm looking into air purifiers bc I KNOW my dog smells like fresh tortilla chips on a good day.

Edited March 29, 2016 by rhombusbombus

[MarineBluePsy]

9 hours ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

Just a reminder that today is Easter clearance candy day. GO BUY SOME PEEPS

You ever put them in the microwave?  Hehehehe!

9 hours ago, hippyscientist said:

Ugh don't remind me. It'll be good for my chocolate addiction in the long run (although I love ghiradelli (sp?) chocolate) but the withdrawal period is not going to be fun! Mind you I adapted well at camp - rolos stuffed inside marshmallows then toasted and squished between frozen cookie dough. Okay, now I'm realising why I put weight on at camp...

Totally unrelated note: I've been really wanting to get a puppy for a while, my apartment will let me have pets, my department will let it come in and chill in the office. Seems like grad school is about the right time. Hopefully this time next year I'll have my little woof. Is that totally crazy getting a puppy in first year?!?! 

Ghirardelli (that's the correct spelling lol) is good, but I prefer Godiva.  

[Euler]

I'm curious, do most or all of you guys consider yourselves workaholics? I just noticed my go-to stress relief is getting work done, since it feels good to accomplish something (and also I can work basically as much as I want and get paid per audio minute I transcribe- that sure helps)...I think I'm going to need to learn how to actually wind down when I get back into school.

[hippyscientist]

Just now, Euler said:

I'm curious, do most or all of you guys consider yourselves workaholics? I just noticed my go-to stress relief is getting work done, since it feels good to accomplish something (and also I can work basically as much as I want and get paid per audio minute I transcribe- that sure helps)...I think I'm going to need to learn how to actually wind down when I get back into school.

I wouldn't consider myself a workaholic although my mom does. A typical day includes waking up at 7, catching up on the news, facebook, grad cafe etc while I have my breakfast, head to the gym 8-9, head to the lab and work from ~ 9.15 - 5pm (I eat over lunch atm), then normally it's a gym session, or yoga, or swimming or something until 7pm. Then home and eat - I shower while I cook - and curl up in bed to read any leftover papers I haven't until 9pm. Then it's vegging time - Netflix and my book.  Depending on how busy I am the evening gym session sometimes gets cut to an hour so I can hit up the grocery store/hang out with friends/clean my room etc. 

So no, I don't think I work too much! I schedule everything though. 

[Euler]

11 minutes ago, hippyscientist said:

I wouldn't consider myself a workaholic although my mom does. A typical day includes waking up at 7, catching up on the news, facebook, grad cafe etc while I have my breakfast, head to the gym 8-9, head to the lab and work from ~ 9.15 - 5pm (I eat over lunch atm), then normally it's a gym session, or yoga, or swimming or something until 7pm. Then home and eat - I shower while I cook - and curl up in bed to read any leftover papers I haven't until 9pm. Then it's vegging time - Netflix and my book.  Depending on how busy I am the evening gym session sometimes gets cut to an hour so I can hit up the grocery store/hang out with friends/clean my room etc. 

So no, I don't think I work too much! I schedule everything though. 

Dang, that's a lot of time in the gym! I basically just run, which is self-limiting in how much my body can take in a day, so 2+ hours daily seems like a lot.

I really like that schedule, though. Everything's nice and separate and organized!

I *ahem* don't actually have a real schedule right now. It's something I'm working on though, since I'm pretty sure if I was thrown into grad school tomorrow, I'd be working 12+ hours a day, which is obviously not a good long-term option!

[hippyscientist]

Just now, Euler said:

Dang, that's a lot of time in the gym! I basically just run, which is self-limiting in how much my body can take in a day, so 2+ hours daily seems like a lot.

I really like that schedule, though. Everything's nice and separate and organized!

I *ahem* don't actually have a real schedule right now. It's something I'm working on though, since I'm pretty sure if I was thrown into grad school tomorrow, I'd be working 12+ hours a day, which is obviously not a good long-term option!

Yeah I train a lot! Everyone does at my school - we're the top ranked for sport in my country and it's kinda the norm here. When I head to Penn State I'll cut it down to an hour a day. But I think it's really important to schedule in you time. If I block it out in my calendars I can honestly say to people "oh sorry I can't work then, I have other scheduled commitments". Obviously if it's important I'll stay late, but otherwise my mental health is a priority and for me that means gym, netflix and lots of tea!

[Euler]

4 minutes ago, hippyscientist said:

Yeah I train a lot! Everyone does at my school - we're the top ranked for sport in my country and it's kinda the norm here. When I head to Penn State I'll cut it down to an hour a day. But I think it's really important to schedule in you time. If I block it out in my calendars I can honestly say to people "oh sorry I can't work then, I have other scheduled commitments". Obviously if it's important I'll stay late, but otherwise my mental health is a priority and for me that means gym, netflix and lots of tea!

Yes, having time blocked out as "you time" is super important. And with the difficulty of grad studies, mental health has gotta be up there as one of the most important things to stay on top of...I'd probably argue the most important, honestly!

[hippyscientist]

1 minute ago, Euler said:

Yes, having time blocked out as "you time" is super important. And with the difficulty of grad studies, mental health has gotta be up there as one of the most important things to stay on top of...I'd probably argue the most important, honestly!

so block out some time for you to unwind. If you find staying in makes you think of work, go for a walk or a swim or to a coffee shop or climbing or cook yourself a fancy meal or ANYTHING! So good On that note...gym time! 

[klader]

Hi, all! I just formally accepted a school's offer yesterday, so I guess I am an "Officially Grad" now! Yay!

Though I'm excited to finally know where I'm headed, I'm naturally nervous as well (which is a bit of an understatement, really).

I am finishing-up-undergrad-babyface-young and still live with my mom in my childhood home. I never went away to college because my university is about 45 mins away, and I'm anticipating some rough patches ahead of me since this will be my first time "on my own" (even though my new university is only 300 miles/a 5 hour drive away).

I'm sure this isn't the usual situation, but has anyone else been there? I'm starting the apartment hunting process and I just feel grossly unprepared and overwhelmed. I don't have any furniture and don't really want to go buy a lot of it, yet I know furnished apartments are expensive and I'm going to be on a meager (though competitive) MA student salary.

I thought the whole applying and choosing part was hard, but yet again, something else crops up to surprise me!!

[Effloresce]

32 minutes ago, klader said:

Hi, all! I just formally accepted a school's offer yesterday, so I guess I am an "Officially Grad" now! Yay!

Though I'm excited to finally know where I'm headed, I'm naturally nervous as well (which is a bit of an understatement, really).

I am finishing-up-undergrad-babyface-young and still live with my mom in my childhood home. I never went away to college because my university is about 45 mins away, and I'm anticipating some rough patches ahead of me since this will be my first time "on my own" (even though my new university is only 300 miles/a 5 hour drive away).

I'm sure this isn't the usual situation, but has anyone else been there? I'm starting the apartment hunting process and I just feel grossly unprepared and overwhelmed. I don't have any furniture and don't really want to go buy a lot of it, yet I know furnished apartments are expensive and I'm going to be on a meager (though competitive) MA student salary.

I thought the whole applying and choosing part was hard, but yet again, something else crops up to surprise me!!

congrats!!!

i am nervous too even after being out of the house for almost 6 years (undergrad + two years working). there's a blog for vandy students, and an undergrad to PhD student said they had the same issue, but ended up rooming with someone else who had been out of school for a bit already and was used to "adulting". when i moved from undergrad to DC (i had two weeks in between graduation and moving), i did a TON of research beforehand for apartments, living in the area etc..and the transition wasn't too awful. it also helped that there was a listserv for other fellows in the area listing available housing, furniture for sale, and people looking for roommates. 

[rhombusbombus]

Uhhhhh i just got Honorable Mention from the GRFP

[Neist]

16 minutes ago, rhombusbombus said:

Uhhhhh i just got Honorable Mention from the GRFP

Congrats!  

i got a flaming bag of poop, but now that it's over, I can move on and worry about something else. Good thing I have thick skin.

[hippyscientist]

19 minutes ago, rhombusbombus said:

Uhhhhh i just got Honorable Mention from the GRFP

CONGRATULATIONS  

I just signed a lease! I have an apartment  That's such a huge relief.

[Neist]

5 minutes ago, hippyscientist said:

CONGRATULATIONS  

I just signed a lease! I have an apartment  That's such a huge relief.

Woo hoo!

Was it the one where you were about $50 short of the required income? Is it creepy that I remember that?  

[hippyscientist]

Just now, Neist said:

Woo hoo!

Was it the one where you were about $50 short of the required income? Is it creepy that I remember that?  

Nah you have a memory like me - so not creepy, just awesome! But yes it is that apartment. The irritating thing is I have to take it 5 days after I start my TA appointment (but 2 days before classes start). I also take it the day before my birthday!! Perfect timing. 

I HAVE MY OWN PLACE! NO ROOMMATES!!! I think I'm almost as excited about this as I was about getting in in the first place.

[pterosaur]

I think it would be a bad idea for me to get a place by myself. I'm a strong introvert with hermitting tendencies, and I would be quite content to never interact with anyone else, but it would probably drive me slowly insane without me realizing it.

[Neist]

12 minutes ago, hippyscientist said:

Nah you have a memory like me - so not creepy, just awesome! But yes it is that apartment. The irritating thing is I have to take it 5 days after I start my TA appointment (but 2 days before classes start). I also take it the day before my birthday!! Perfect timing. 

I HAVE MY OWN PLACE! NO ROOMMATES!!! I think I'm almost as excited about this as I was about getting in in the first place.

Sounds like an adventure! I happen to like adventures.  

11 minutes ago, pterosaur said:

I think it would be a bad idea for me to get a place by myself. I'm a strong introvert with hermitting tendencies, and I would be quite content to never interact with anyone else, but it would probably drive me slowly insane without me realizing it.

I nest, so I do well in solitary spaces. In fact, I almost prefer smaller spaces over larger ones. If was single I'd totally get a tiny house.

[rhombusbombus]

51 minutes ago, hippyscientist said:

Nah you have a memory like me - so not creepy, just awesome! But yes it is that apartment. The irritating thing is I have to take it 5 days after I start my TA appointment (but 2 days before classes start). I also take it the day before my birthday!! Perfect timing. 

I HAVE MY OWN PLACE! NO ROOMMATES!!! I think I'm almost as excited about this as I was about getting in in the first place.

HOW EXCITING!! So glad it worked out for you!!

[pterosaur]

1 hour ago, Neist said:

Sounds like an adventure! I happen to like adventures.  

I nest, so I do well in solitary spaces. In fact, I almost prefer smaller spaces over larger ones. If was single I'd totally get a tiny house.

Oh, but that's my problem: I nest... and never leave or talk to anyone. I started designing my perfect tiny house when I was about 8 (I even have evidence from elementary school art classes) way before tiny houses were a thing.

[hippyscientist]

@Neist and @pterosaur I am a nester too. I love my own space - it doesn't have to be big but it has to be mine. Some of the tiny houses though, would be great for just me, but as soon as a dog or SO came into the picture I just don't see them as viable. Mind you - my idea of what constitutes a tiny house is ~ 50 sq ft. At this point in my life anything more than ~550 sq ft is too big for me. Is that considered small to Americans? I don't know! But I'm okay with the social side of living alone - I can cook, and cook well so when people find this out about me they tend to want to come over for dinner. That's fine by me! Bring some ingredients/dessert/wine and absolutely no problemo. Most of my social life has revolved around me cooking for people! 

@rhombusbombus thank you! it is exciting. Hope your apartment works out too  

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

I feel bad because I might be more excited to move into my new apartment than I am to start research