Your Last Semester

[anxiousapplicant]

How are you handling your last semester? Are you excited or sad to leave? Any senioritis (I doubt it with grad school applicants)? Anything you're really going to miss or loose ends you need to tie up?

I myself am taking the usual difficult courses; I didn't want to cop out, especially not with the grad school thing looming in the background. I keep forgetting I won't be there in the fall (I hope! *gulp*). I am going to miss my professors. A downer is that I used to be the sole work-study/research assistant to a professor who recently hired a new work-study student, so it's like I'm replaced before I even left, so that's put a real damper on my last semester. I guess I'm just trying to work hard and finish strong.

For those of you not in school any more, how are you handling the last months before you go off to grad school?

[urbanchic]

I'm trying to enjoy it more...have the most fun I've had ever..even if I have to do it on my own. Expand my comfort zone. Try new things...so, far it has been snowing every weekend, so I'll try again next week.

[jlloyd87]

I actually took only 12 hours this semester and it was a huge mistake. 3 of those hours are independent study so it's not really a class to me. My schedule works out that I don't have classes on Monday/Wednesday/Friday. I was excited until I realized it would give me more time to focus on my applications and not hearing anything... lol

I know how you feel about your adviser already having a new RA... I was my advisers first RA and we are pretty much friends. Although, even though he is planning studies and it doesn't make sense to include me on he has said that he would still like to work with me after I leave. It kind of sucked having to explain that starting in the fall his lab would take a backseat to my new adviser's lab and my personal research, but he understood.

Point is: Do not take a light load on your last semester. I had taken over 20 hours in the last two semesters and only taking 12 is pretty frustrating.

[iWILLgetin]

I'm taking 19 right now, which everyone thinks is crazy. But you know what? This week the workload really kicked in, and its the perfect distraction from anxious email checking

[DJLamar]

Heh, I'm taking only four classes this semester, plus my senior research project. I am definitely having massive senioritis, especially since three of the four courses are not the same level of rigor and difficulty that I've been used to in most of my classes the past couple of semesters. I've almost only had math classes left (i.e. for a math degree) since the Summer, and this semester three of my four classes are not really proof-based at all (one of them is even sophomore level differential equations).

As a result of that and the fact that two of my classes are at 10 AM and 9:30 on M W F and T R respectively, I am skipping a lot... but this is the kind of material that's relatively easy to just glean from the book.

[juror#1]

I am only taking 12 hours, with only 2 real classes and then 6 credits worth of independent study research. Then I am the TA for the intro to statistics course for the psychology students. I thought I was copping out and taking a light semester, except stats and my research are ruling my life because they both know I have the time haha, not that I mind. Plus I am already going to be gone for two entire weeks this semester due to interviews and then AP-LS, so I am quite glad I only have two real classes that are not too difficult but still 400 levels. It is kind of strange though, as like Jlloyd87, the past 2 years I have had around 25 credits each semester so this is kind of nice

[ColorlessGreen]

I have five classes for 15 credits this semester - two advanced undergrad classes in my major, two grad classes in my major, and one Spanish elective - but they're so spread out over the week that it seems like I'm taking fewer. Theoretically we're supposed to spend two hours studying outside of class for each credit hour, but I definitely have not been doing that. I would blame it on senioritis, but I never studied that much to begin with.

I'm really trying to make the most of my last semester, but I just can't stop worrying about my applications. Luckily I have great friends who drag me away from my computer to do things sometimes. Of course, I have other ways of dealing with stress as well - over the past week, I've accumulated 7 gym badges on my current Pokemon game. You all now know my shameful secret.

[murpstud]

I'm taking it easy. I only need 7 credit hours (on the quarter system at Ohio State), so I'm taking my final required GEC course, I'm done with my major and minor, and will fill the other two credit hours with physical activity courses like hockey and tennis. It should be a fun quarter. Plus,I'm working 35-38 hours a week and will most likely have an internship at a local planning division. Don't want to take a course I don't need and do bad in it...

[RockEater]

Taking 12 credits. One class is astrobiology, one is on weather and climate, the other is on "legendary performers" (Scott Joplin, Eddie Cantor, Ethyl Merman, etc.). Writing my undergraduate thesis. Going out three nights a week, catching up with old friends. Doing band, performing in towns throughout the state. Overall, life is good except for the lack of an acceptance letter.

[gildedProgressive]

I'm in my second round of applications. My last semester was the summer, but since my school doesn't do summer commencement, I actually ended up walking in December. For the fall, I got two new jobs, both of which are extremely pertinent to my future goals. Upon the suggestion of my mentor, I continued to take some classes at my undergrad institution. I'm in a class now on the American Civil War (missed taking it for my UG), which will end in March. The same professor is hopefully teaching a class this summer on Alabama history, and I'm thinking of auditing it. With one admit already, I'm definitely going somewhere, so the time off after March will be great (to get things together, etc.). Going to Hawaii, hopefully, to stay with my best friend who's out there. I'm beginning to feel the sting of leaving my undergrad because my department is so SMALL, and I've developed such good relationships with all the profs and my fellow classmates..

[prolixity]

27 quarter hours right now, and I have no time to think about anything.. it's fantastic. My wife doesn't even see me anymore.

I have three midterms on Tuesday (one of my classes is a pre-req for another class I'm taking by exception, so I only need to study for the more difficult one) and I have to have a research poster completed by Monday morning!

I've always been a crisis-mode motivated worker though, so this isn't too bad. Because my good friend Jack Daniels is my constant study partner, the weekends tend to fly by; however, he and I live by the mantra, "If you can do your homework wasted, you can totally ace the test sober."

It works.

To answer your question, there's no way in hell I'll miss UC Irvine... this city has no soul. Unlike other UCs, which are cultural centers for their respective regions, UCI is unfortunately placed right in between LA and SD.. so instead of reinforcing culture, the two gigantic cultural singularities on either side are sucking away any semblance of social life like.. well.. like the poor stars stuck between two black holes. yeah I went there.

My professors have been quite influential, and I'll miss some of them dearly (others.. not so much) but it's time to move on. I wouldn't say that I've outgrown my digs, as UCI is a major player in my field and I could stay here and continue to learn a ton, but.. sometimes a person's gotta move on.