<p>Guess I'll try to hit as many of those questions as possible.</p>
<p>I'm a first year graduate student in Materials Science and I did my undergrad in the same.</p>
<p>I'd say the classwork is considerably more difficult from a frustration standpoint, because I'm taking 75% grad physics classes instead of materials, but I feel if I had been a physics undergrad I would be adequately prepared and wouldn't be having such a hard time with it. I took a few grad classes as an undergrad and found them to be very enjoyable, as they were on subjects I was very interested in, so I didn't mind spending large chunks of time doing the work they required.</p>
<p>I'm friendly with a few of my professors, though I also was in undergrad. I think it mostly has to do with me being in a small department more than anything else. For example, I've never talked to the math professor I had all year, but I can have a conversation with any of my materials professors whenever I feel like dropping in their office.</p>
<p>I've got a couple of good friends here within my department, and not many outside of it. I'm trying to do more activities (like a summer softball league that started this week) to meet more people, because I don't want to be a shut-in. I don't think you'll find as many people that want to go out and get hammered at frat parties or things like that, but my friends in undergrad also stopped caring about that as they got to be seniors. I'd say most of the people you'll meet will be similar to yourself.</p>
<p>Grades are based on homeworks/exams, and it's pretty much like undergrad, except most professors are understanding that classes aren't your main concern, research usually is. Deadlines seem to be a lot more flexible; they just want you to learn the material.</p>
<p>I'm living in campus owned apartments for this year and next, since they're a five minute walk from my office, pretty nice, and cheaper than anything else within a mile or two.</p>
<p>I'm spending pretty much this entire summer working in my lab enjoying not taking classes. Once the school year starts up I'm going to be taking quantum mechanics and solid state physics, so I'll be thoroughly miserable then. I will take some time off to visit my girlfriend out at her job (she just graduated this year). I'm also going to fly home and visit my parents for about a week. Some of my friends are doing this crazy 2-3 week trek up in the mountains in India, but they're really into hiking/marathons/camping. Another one of my friends is going home to visit his family in another country for a few weeks. I think I'm the only person that's really planning on staying here and working all but one week.</p>
<p>Social life is alright. My biggest complaint is that I can't find anyone here that likes to play video games. Everyone just laughs when I say I like to do that, as though smart people aren't allowed to touch them. :mad: It's to the point where my girlfriend's taken pity on me and started to play games with me, haha.</p>
<p>I don't deal much with other departments within the school, but I think that's mostly a function of the department and research group you're within. I'm doing metallurgy-based research, so there's not really a whole lot I need from other people. We do collaborate a little with other faculty within the department (share equipment and run various tests on each others materials), but that's pretty much the extent of it.</p>
<p>After graduating (and maybe a postdoc or so) I'd like to become a research professor. I know it's pretty competitive to do that, so I'm not really that upset if I wind up having to go to a national lab or industry.</p>