JediKooter: That'd be awesome.
MacroGuru: Yeah, my dad has a bit of a gambling problem himself, so I know the feeling there. I keep hearing how cheap it is to live in Vegas, which is frankly a blessing to my impoverished ass.
So it's the 10th. I'll find out by the 15th if I got in to UNLV or not. If I do, the decision's pretty easy. Major city with lots to do (even though I was quite disappointed to hear the theme park and Wet n Wild are both no longer there and even though I don't like gambling), kick-ass program with required study abroad and guaranteed assistantship = win (especially since I've always been happier abroad than in the US overall).
If I don't get in, well, that's where the difficulty sets in, unless I get considerable funding from somewhere and love an ODU visit. I do plan on applying for a fraternity scholarship, no matter what happens with UNLV, and see what comes of that, but essentially, if I don't get into UNLV, I have two options: 1) Go to ODU or 2) Get a job at a resort back in Wisconsin that I have connections to, work for a year, and start the application process anew next year.
Only a few weeks left to the end of the semester. I'll be walking across the stage in May, but won't actually finish the degree until the end of the first summer session, due to a change I made. Although it means I'll be in Arkansas til the end of June rather than totally done by the first week of May, it's a decision that saved my sanity.
As for my Arkansas experience overall... the professors I've had have been awesome and the teaching was a great experience, although I enjoyed the first year far more than the second, if I'm totally honest. The university itself is a pretty campus and the ice storms were fun events.
On the flip side, it's also been a very lonely time here. I've had quite a few acquaintances, but only one true friend in Fayetteville itself (the roommate on internship this semester). Now granted, I'm used to being by myself, but this was still a major adjustment from La Crosse, where I had the fraternity, and Gateway, where I was living at home, to name the other two schools I've officially graduated from. Oh, by the way, I loved hanging out with you the times we did, MJ4H. In fact, they were the most fun social experiences I had here.
This sense of isolation has been exacerbated by the fact that there frankly isn't much to do in Fayetteville and the food is, overall, the worst I've had in any city I've ever lived in. Isolation, boredom and poor eating habits = triple whammy for bipolar disorder, particularly this year, when it's hit hard and often. I did go to the mental health clinic, but when I was standing there and they ignored me, then asked if they could help a girl who came in after me, I told them to go fuck themselves and stormed out, never to return. (Yes, rage has been a huge problem for me this year as well).
So overall, it's been a mixed bag. In the end, though, I'd say I don't regret coming here. From an educational and professional growth standpoint, it's been wonderful and without my time here, my chances of getting into an MFA program would be significantly reduced. On the other hand, it's been a disaster from a social and mental health standpoint. In fact, the last time it was this bad was Minnesota, or, as I call it, The Lost Year.
And yet, even that shows how far I've come from those dark days. Back then, or during the equally miserable days of UW-Parkside, I would've given up and just quit. Now, I've fought through it and am in excellent shape to graduate from a masters program with a strong track record.