Grad schools and location

[hopefulspeechie16]

So, I got accepted to some schools that are all over the country. One being in California, one in a North Texas suburb,  one in Northern Michigan, and the other in Boston.

Some of the less desirable locations have great programs, but I'm the kind of person that's psychologically affected by weather and landscape. 

I'm just stuck on making a decision because of this. Can anyone provide some advice?

[MangoSmoothie]

This is an excellent question.

You know yourself best. If you know you are going to be affected by the landscape and weather, that's a very important factor, and you need to give it appropriate consideration. I have a friend in my program now who has been profoundly impacted by the long and cold winter here, and it's begun affecting her schoolwork and motivation to do school/clinic work. The stress of grad school has just compounded how the weather affects her, which is why before grad school, she'd lived in the southwest. These feelings are not something she can just "get over" by willpower and pep talks or being more active (and she's already very active). It's only gotten worse as the season drags on (it recently snowed and there's more snow in the forecast). It was an odd set of circumstances that brought her here, and it's an excellent program, but she knows she's leaving as soon as the program is done. If she had had the luxury of deciding what geographic region to go to for a program, she wouldn't be here.

I don't think this should necessarily be the single deciding factor in your decision, but you should give it the right amount of consideration for you. For some people it's not an important a factor at all, but those people have no right to tell you how to feel. Any kind of impact of the weather and landscape is not easy to deal with, especially when you're in a new place, possibly with little to no support system, and under a lot of stress from grad school. It may be "only" two years, but those two years can seem a lot longer when you're dealing with the seasonal affects of weather.

Another caution I'll make is to really think about what makes a program "great" to you. I don't know if this is what you're thinking (and sorry if you aren't!), but rankings mean absolutely nothing to the quality of a program. You may have done this already, but it may also help to look more at the opportunities the programs offer (one externship, two externships, on campus clinic vs. no campus clinic, specialized externships, focus on certain populations, etc). It may help you feel more comfortable with whatever decision you end up making. It won't hurt to tour if possible, get into contact with current students, or make a personal call to the program director. I couldn't tour a few programs, and those personal calls asking for information really helped with my decision making.

Good luck! I think this is an important question to ask yourself, and you should give it the right amount of consideration for you.

Edited April 4, 2016 by MangoSmoothie

[racoomelon]

I would go with wherever you're going to be most comfortable, especially if you foresee it being an issue for you. The grad programs seem like they'll be a bit stressful, at least for the first semester, so why not lower some of that stress by going to a program in a location that will make you happy? 

One other thing to consider with some of these programs is that you'll get to go home during the winter season (though you will have to be there for a few weeks before and after the season). So if the weather gets to be too much, you'll be able to escape it for a little.

[Jolie717]

12 hours ago, hopefulspeechie16 said:

So, I got accepted to some schools that are all over the country. One being in California, one in a North Texas suburb,  one in Northern Michigan, and the other in Boston.

Some of the less desirable locations have great programs, but I'm the kind of person that's psychologically affected by weather and landscape. 

I'm just stuck on making a decision because of this. Can anyone provide some advice?

How is the weather in the area you live in now and how does it compare to the areas you are considering?  My knee jerk reaction is to tell you to choose California, since you already seem certain you will be affected by the weather.  I personally am overjoyed when it is cloudy and overcast here in LA - and I love the rain too, so I am a bit of an oddball here I suppose.

[Rorororosy]

As far as North Texas, Its bright, its sunny and ITS HOT. I mean it gets really realllllyyyy hot. Our winters are a hit or miss, this winter it was 60-70 the entire time. 

I am now in Baltimore and I understand how you feel, its too urban here and cloudy and gloomy and dreadful. I feel depressed a lot when I look out at the fog and just the ugly city , thats just me. I also lived in Alabama and its was sooo green and beautiful. I was so happy there, although my allergies did kill me. 

My first instinct also is to say california, I mean who doesn't dream about 70 degrees and sun all the time  

Texas probably second because we do have crazy weather at times, and tornado warnings from time to time. Its not always but we known for shorts one day and winter coat the next. 

 

Hope that helps! 

 

[Jolie717]

1 hour ago, Rorororosy said:

As far as North Texas, Its bright, its sunny and ITS HOT. I mean it gets really realllllyyyy hot. Our winters are a hit or miss, this winter it was 60-70 the entire time. 

I am now in Baltimore and I understand how you feel, its too urban here and cloudy and gloomy and dreadful. I feel depressed a lot when I look out at the fog and just the ugly city , thats just me. I also lived in Alabama and its was sooo green and beautiful. I was so happy there, although my allergies did kill me. 

My first instinct also is to say california, I mean who doesn't dream about 70 degrees and sun all the time  

Texas probably second because we do have crazy weather at times, and tornado warnings from time to time. Its not always but we known for shorts one day and winter coat the next. 

 

Hope that helps! 

 

Weeellllll, not quite 70 degrees all the time, otherwise I'd be happier!!!  We didn't really have a winter here at all this year.  I guess it depends on the specific CA school the OP is referring to.  CSUN is often 100+ by late spring and definitely 100+ through the summer - it is a dry heat though compared to some other areas in LA.  Out of the Cal States I would imagine SDSU and SFSU would have the nicest overal weather.  More seasons in SF of course.

[hopefulspeechie16]

10 hours ago, Jolie717 said:

How is the weather in the area you live in now and how does it compare to the areas you are considering?  My knee jerk reaction is to tell you to choose California, since you already seem certain you will be affected by the weather.  I personally am overjoyed when it is cloudy and overcast here in LA - and I love the rain too, so I am a bit of an oddball here I suppose.

 

10 hours ago, Rorororosy said:

As far as North Texas, Its bright, its sunny and ITS HOT. I mean it gets really realllllyyyy hot. Our winters are a hit or miss, this winter it was 60-70 the entire time. 

I am now in Baltimore and I understand how you feel, its too urban here and cloudy and gloomy and dreadful. I feel depressed a lot when I look out at the fog and just the ugly city , thats just me. I also lived in Alabama and its was sooo green and beautiful. I was so happy there, although my allergies did kill me. 

My first instinct also is to say california, I mean who doesn't dream about 70 degrees and sun all the time  

Texas probably second because we do have crazy weather at times, and tornado warnings from time to time. Its not always but we known for shorts one day and winter coat the next. 

 

Hope that helps! 

 

Thanks everybody for the advice. In response to the above I'm originally from WA but moved to NY state for college. I forgot to mention a school in Arizona was in the choices too. I visited AZ last June...almost passed out with the heat. I've never sweated that much in my entire life. I just wasn't feeling well, swollen hands and overall fatigue with the heat (I was hydrated mind you). I hope TX is not that bad? 

[Rorororosy]

10 hours ago, hopefulspeechie16 said:

 

Thanks everybody for the advice. In response to the above I'm originally from WA but moved to NY state for college. I forgot to mention a school in Arizona was in the choices too. I visited AZ last June...almost passed out with the heat. I've never sweated that much in my entire life. I just wasn't feeling well, swollen hands and overall fatigue with the heat (I was hydrated mind you). I hope TX is not that bad? 

No lol Arizona is that dry heat that makes your allegies go away but leaves your skin like quenched for thirst. It like almost burns, our is a bit dry but not that dry. Its still pretty hot though, at least its not that bama humid heat. That killed me....I would go outside and just start sweating and my hair.... you don't even want to know. frizz vile. 

[racoomelon]

10 hours ago, hopefulspeechie16 said:

 

Thanks everybody for the advice. In response to the above I'm originally from WA but moved to NY state for college. I forgot to mention a school in Arizona was in the choices too. I visited AZ last June...almost passed out with the heat. I've never sweated that much in my entire life. I just wasn't feeling well, swollen hands and overall fatigue with the heat (I was hydrated mind you). I hope TX is not that bad? 

I'm gonna second @Rorororosy. Texas heat is totally different than Arizona heat is, and it varies by what region of Texas you're in. I say this as someone who has lived in the panhandle, East Texas, and Arizona. Arizona heat is ridiculous, and it's horrifically dry. You need to drink twice as much or more water than you normally would, especially if you're not acclimated to the heat levels. East Texas, around the Houston area, is humid and hard to deal with-- you're getting into the swampy area so there's a ridiculous amount of water in the air. Having lived in Arizona for the past four years, I have a really hard time going back to the humid heat. It dehydrates me and gives me headaches now.  I will say that Arizona has its own special brand of allergens, though. The palo verde, olive, and mosquite trees tend to give me horrible allergies come March. 

North Texas has more reasonable weather. Someone from that area might have better insight than I do, though. I lived in Amarillo until I was in 3rd grade, and I don't remember the summers being too bad. They were warm, but not as extreme as Houston's 90% humidity summers or the 110+ degree Arizona summers. If you're looking at one of the schools in the Dallas area, I doubt the weather is going to be on the same level as Arizona! 

Edited April 5, 2016 by racoomelon

[CBG321]

Southern California would be the perfect weather...northern California would vary a bit more but still probably the most temperate year round.  Cold at times sure but Washington being further north is colder anyway.  What school in CA?

[Rorororosy]

My husband lived in Arizona so we went for his graduation and did a week hiking thing and the heat was very very dry. I lived in Dallas and I loved it, even on hot days, you just needed some Mexican fresh fruit juices and some shorts and sunglasses and you could survive. I love Dallas so I am very biased, the weather again is hectic though, but out winters aren't bad.