Starting grad school - clothes and supplies

[Eliza Thulson]

I'm starting a PhD program at UNC-Chapel Hill this August, and I've never lived on the east coast or visited for more than a few days. I'm from New Mexico/Colorado, so I'm used to the dry, arid temps and cooler nights. I'm also more used to the very laid-back, easy-going clothing style here! Does anyone have any advice about the types of clothes that girls wear around the east coast, and what is appropriate for a grad school look? I want to update my wardrobe from the "collegiate" style to a more "adult" style but am pretty sure that I won't be wearing pencil skirts and heels around campus/lab all day.

I'm also curious what types of supplies and bags people use in grad school.. do you have a backpack or a messenger bag or simply a computer? Carry a lunch bag? What works best for you? I'm not picky on any style and I'm sure it'll depend on how much stuff I'm carrying around, etc. Just looking for extra advice that I can think about! Thanks!  

[avflinsch]

I am not female and not at UNC, so I won't comment on fashion there. August on the east coast anywhere south of of the New England states can be pretty brutal - be prepared for much more humidity, and the temps don't drop quite as much at night as they do in New Mexico or Colorado. You will also be getting there in the middle of hurricane season, so be prepared for rain.

As for carrying stuff around, it seems to be pretty evenly split between backpacks, messenger bags, and smallish briefcases. Use whatever is most comfortable for you. Personally, I switch between a briefcase big enough to hold my laptop, a few pads, folders with materials for whatever I am doing that day, and a large leather overnight bag that holds way too much stuff.

 

[3dender]

I've lived in CH for about 15 years.  It's a college town, and dress is informal except for special occasions (either personal or business).  Also, being a large University, there are all types of people from all types of places, and all types of dress, so don't worry about fitting in.  I also wouldn't stress too much about shopping before you get here -- there's a good outlet mall in Mebane, 20ish min. away, where you can get great deals on name brand stuff, from Gap to Saks 5th Ave.

Depending on your sensitivity you may have trouble adjusting to the summer humidity, but it's manageable and I can't think of any warm-weather clothing you need that you probably don't have.  Oh, and you'll probably want at least one umbrella or rain jacket 

[Need Coffee in an IV]

I lived in Virginia before moving for grad school. Yes be prepared for all the humidity! Also make sure you have an umbrella, it rains more. Overall, you don't have anything to worry about. My friends and I wore casual clothing. Not yoga pants but jeans, sweaters, jackets, etc. Also you don't have to get a lot of heavy duty winter clothes. Just get used to wearing layers.

[rising_star]

The south tends to be more formal, especially for teaching. I would say it's pretty rare for younger female TAs or faculty to teach in jeans (unless they're trouser jeans) in the south, which is definitely different than the southwest. It's also pretty uncommon to teach with one's shoulders bare (in fact, in my MA program in the south, we were specifically told not to do this). Hope this helps!

[AP]

On 6/22/2017 at 0:10 PM, Eliza Thulson said:

I'm starting a PhD program at UNC-Chapel Hill this August, and I've never lived on the east coast or visited for more than a few days. I'm from New Mexico/Colorado, so I'm used to the dry, arid temps and cooler nights. I'm also more used to the very laid-back, easy-going clothing style here! Does anyone have any advice about the types of clothes that girls wear around the east coast, and what is appropriate for a grad school look? I want to update my wardrobe from the "collegiate" style to a more "adult" style but am pretty sure that I won't be wearing pencil skirts and heels around campus/lab all day.

Well, I'm one of those who sees grad school as a job so I try not to dress like going to the gym (tank tops and shorts). I've never worn heels and the days I didn't have meetings/classes I would dress more casually. BTW, my dress code is casual but without huge cleavages or mini skirts. Jeans, nice sandals/shoes, shirt/button down, etc. 

On 6/22/2017 at 0:10 PM, Eliza Thulson said:

I'm also curious what types of supplies and bags people use in grad school.. do you have a backpack or a messenger bag or simply a computer? Carry a lunch bag? What works best for you? I'm not picky on any style and I'm sure it'll depend on how much stuff I'm carrying around, etc. Just looking for extra advice that I can think about! Thanks!  

I invested in a good women's backpack with great support. Women backpacks are smaller so I found them more comfortable. 

I've never carried a lunch bag, always had my lunch packed in some grocery store bag and from there into the office's fridge.

Having a study in the library helped me ameliorate the amount of stuff that I carry around. Eg: I leave books there, snacks, and some supplies such as notebooks. I did this only recently, but I would have gotten a whiteboard sooner. Visually having a to-do list everyday staring at me helped me get through different deadlines more effectively.