More more advice from other people in my program...

I've got some more great information from people who've been in my program for a year and here's what they think:

Count on spending several hundred dollars more than the College of Nursing says you will in preparation for the first quarter/starting the program. (Amen to that. -ed.)

Don't think that you have to get the PDA they say you have to buy I did this and regret it. At least two other classmates have already sold the recommended pda they bought because they didn't like it. I know they changed the recommendation, but still.

I agree with what someone else wrote about studying together and planning social events like happy hours.

Amy at the college rocks as a student advocate. She knows how to work the OSU bureaucracy and has reliable, speedy follow through

If your advisor is nonresponsive or unhelpful, seek advice and support from other faculty and Amy's office.

Jenny CL and Amy can help review resumes. They are good at this.

If you want to try to get free tuition/stipend/mega-discounted health insurance, scrounge around for GA jobs. There isn't one great database where all GA positions are listed, so this involves persistently going to departments and academic affairs places and asking about availability. This is the best advice i got from a further-ahead-in-the-program student

If you are coming from out of state, move at least 1-1/2 weeks early and get as much done to switch over to Ohio residency before school starts, (driver's license, voter registration, auto tabs, obviously lease or house stuff).

I thought the welcome day and orientation were helpful - if only to get bureaucracy background check, Buck ID, etc stuff done in a group & early.