<p>Hi everyone..i'm new here!!
So..i'm going to grad school after taking 3 years off after undergrad/masters to work.
I'm trying to make a to do list so that i can make sure i take care of everything dont get caught unawares.
Can y'all help me list things that i need to do/take care of to prepare for grad school? No idea is inconsequential...i'll start</p>
<p>School Expenses:
Textbooks
Notebooks
Copies of old exams
Pepperspray (baltimore)</p>
<p>I haven’t thought about renter’s insurance since I lived in a downtown area, but that is a good thought to consider.</p>
<p>You may find that your university will require your immunization record. </p>
<p>In my previous cross country moves, I spent money on hotels, gas, meals, tolls, truck rental and a hand dolly (don’t cheap out, rent or buy this, you will be sorry if you don’t), If you are moving with a spouse or significant other, you may want to plan some entertainment in or you may be fighting half way through Iowa.</p>
<p>Also, to reassure potential landlords, consider getting a letter from your DGS stating that you will have a steady income.</p>
<p>Personally, I’m ditching most of my stuff so I can move very cheaply. It’s a great time to get rid of the build-up of junk that happens in life.</p>
<p>One thing to keep in mind is how long until you get your first paycheck. I made a very, very detailed excel file with all the possible expenses I could think of, and it was a sad eye-opener.</p>
<p>If you’ll be changing states and establishing residency, start a folder before you move for all the relevant paperwork needed.</p>
<p>If anyone thinks of other useful tidbits, keep 'em coming!</p>
<p>Honestly, moving to grad school is just like moving for a new job. So everything will be quite similar with the additional cost of books and supplies and printer ink.</p>
<p>You need to distingush between (a) moving expenses, (b) school expenses, and (c) living expenses. Only the first is one-time, the rest need to be budgeted into your monthly/annual expenses.</p>
<p>My list of must haves:
a) Moving
Truck
Trailer (if moving a car)
Hand truck
ropes/straps
blankets (furniture padding)
boxes / tape / packing material
Road supplies
GARMAN - an absolute lifesaver, esp. in Baltimore!
Hotels
Big burly men - my wife and I are hiring some undergrads to move the furniture.
Security deposit money
funds/resources to arrange an apartment</p>
<p>b) School
Computer and accessories
New Textbooks ($500+ / semester)
Old Textbooks (from undergrad)
Sundries (pens, paper, …)
Bike (best way to cross campus)</p>
<p>c) Living
The only thing different than anyone else is the poverty and the insurance</p>
<p>What is your field, and where are you going to live?</p>
<p>Thankfully not everywhere has a rental market so unfavorable as to allow landlords to pick and choose their tenants. You might want to find out this info before you try booking an apartment. In some places, it is totally acceptable to bargain over the rental price and put down only a hundred bucks for a security deposit. In others, you may end up paying three months worth of rent beforehand and be in a vulnerable situation where the landlord can demand references, credit checks, administrative fees etc</p>
<p>I was able to get a 2-bedroom apartment for $760/month (student discount). Luckily, all I had to present was a credit check report and financial aid award (no references required). The key is to not live so close to campus, but be close enough that there’s a bus line nearby. As an incoming graduate student, I didn’t want to live on-campus.</p>
<p>Actually, let me correct myself before someone does it for me. Peace officers are generally required to be stunned to carry, and civilians generally are not. But I’m sure laws vary by location. They are, in fact, illegal to carry in some places.</p>
<p>@evoviro…lol @ stun gun /taser…i wish i could get one. I will definitely start an excel spreadsheet of my expenses @cosmicfish…thanks… yeah! hopkins graduate school of medicine-- pharmacology. You?
good list!! thanks!</p>
<p>Essence: Don’t worry one bit about Hopkins. It is extraordinarily safe. I just spent the best 4 years of my life there. The talk about it being unsafe is a lot of ridiculous hype. Just, as you would in any city, stay out of bad areas. You will love Hopkins/Baltimore. Good luck!</p>
<p>Echoing what callie said, Hopkins is in a pretty good part of Baltimore - you should not have any problems there. That having been said, you want to learn which parts of Baltimore to avoid, because there are definitely places where a taser is just woefully insufficient.</p>
<p>I am in engineering, but I have some experience with the hospital, and have been consistently struck by the high quality of the staff and facilities. I am not sure how the research sections compare, but by reputation you got into one of the best schools in the world! Congrats!</p>