I was lucky in the sense that my program at Purdue included my masters so I was able to stay with the same institution from MS to PhD. This did not stop me from moving NINE times between opening my acceptance letter and starting my postdoc. That's right. In seven years I moved NINE times. Thankfully most of my moves were relatively short distances but I did move from Ohio to Indiana, Indiana to Ohio, and Ohio to Delaware. Two of the three of my bug moves involved moving to places where I had little to no social networks.

I am exhausted even typing that. I am fresh from my last move in August and thinking about my next move already (I'll move at least once more after my postdoc contract ends). This post is a list of ways to survive and maybe(?) thrive while moving to a new place.

Congratulations! You've been offered a position somewhere. You vaguely know where it is on a map (unless you're like me who did not fully appreciate how far south Delaware was). You've decided to accept. Now what?

THINGS I TRIED THAT WORKED:
This list is my new standard practices for moving to a place for work. It is easy to throw yourself into work when work is the only thing you know about a place. If you want to protect yourself from burnout, make settling in a part of your schedule. 

• (1)Make transitioning a priority.
  • Think of adjusting to a new place as part of your job. Schedule time in your day to figure out logistics. I set aside 20 minutes every morning to track down information, set up appointments/meetings, and unpack.
  • Whatever amount of work you think you will get done your first month in a new place, cut it in half. Finding grocery stores, health care providers, mechanics, coffee shops, bus routes, etc. all take time. Much more time than you think (or at least more time than I ever expect).
  • Ask the folks in your new department what they do in the area. Ask for recommendations and schedule time to explore those recommendations. When I've moved to a new place I try to schedule one activity a week for the first few weeks. This is a good way to stay busy and you can follow up with your new colleagues about their recommendations (this is such a simple and effective way to bond with new coworkers). University of Delaware is on the boarder of a few states so I dedicated the first few weekends I was here to day trips. It gave me something to look forward to and I know that as work picks up and make local friends I won't have time later to carve out days out of town.
• (2)invest in a hobby that can be done alone
  • Feelings of isolation and loneliness are common in grad school. Having a hobby outside of work is an excellent way to stay grounded. My favorite hobbies are usually social so moving to place without an existing social network can be rough. I like to plan projects before I move so I have have long to-do list for the weeks where I'm establishing myself in a new place.
  • If you've moved for work without family, work can become the only thing in your life. When this happens, a bad day at work can feel like the only thing that matters. Find something outside of work that brings you joy that you can do anywhere and without a social network. For me, I cook, bake, paint, run, and as part of my latest move I'm challenging myself to learn to sew and alter clothes. 
• (3)invest in a hobby that can be done with strangers
  • There is a joke in grad school that you have to either take up running or rock climbing. You may have noticed this in your program. (If you live in a college town the odds are good you are within 10 miles of a rock climbing gym). One reason why these activities are so popular is that you can start on your own but be around a lot of people. Rock climbing and running groups are often informal and regular (running groups may meet at the same place and time and members can show up on whatever days work for them). If you aren't into athletics try asking the local library about book clubs (the local library is more likely to have groups that aren't affiliated with the university or college, meaning a lower chance of undergrads). Check the college, city/town, and county for activities fairs - for example Newark, where I recently moved, hosts a countywide org fair where organizations, businesses, and clubs advertise. 
  • I have been known to overcorrect with #2, I make myself so busy with solo activities that I forget to meet new people and build a new social network. You have probably noticed that I love lists. I have daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly lists of tasks, goals, projects and more. If you're a list maker like me, add social events to your to-do lists. If I put it on my list I'm far less likely to skip it (I have discovered that I have to force myself outside for "fun" activities by making it an assignment). NOTE: If you find lists aren't working for you that is totally fine! I am a list person but I know plenty of successful people who hate to-do lists and feel extreme guilt or a sense of failure for not crossing an item off their list. I make social activities an assignment to justify taking a break, if "assigning" yourself fun is making you feel worse then it's defeating the purpose.

THINGS I TRIED THAT DIDN'T WORK FOR ME:

• (1) Joining every club, activity, and org that interested me
  • In a past move I went from an area that didn't have much in the way of my interests to an area where I was tripping over fun opportunities. Because of the nature of academic work, the summer and early Fall may be slower (work-wise) and we* may think we* can fit more into our schedules than is humanly possible. I know now that I need to settle in at least six weeks before making recurring commitments like weekly meetings or regular events.
  • (*we=me at 22 and 27 specifically)
• (2) Owning furniture
  • I deeply regret trying to hold onto large furniture pieces. If you are moving to and from college towns try not to get attached to furniture and just buy and sell pieces as needed.
  • I am a big fan of thrifting and hand-me-downs. I've had to be less sentimental about things like dressers, desks, couches, etc. over the years. I try to pay it forward by rehoming (giving away my furniture to other grad students). My big regret this last move was not giving away the majority of my possessions. Not only is it exhausting to move furniture and boxes, moving vans/hitches/etc are expensive. Moving and storing items adds up quickly but there are additional costs like higher tolls that you* may not have budgeted for.
  • (*you=me at 29)
• (3) Asking about moving expenses
  • This did not work for ME but I do still suggest trying it - when you are offered a position, ask if about the possibility of getting moving expenses covered. NOTE: Negotiating can be nerve-wracking and get advice from trusted mentors. (Keeping in mind I was unsuccessful) After I received my offer I followed up with my genuine enthusiasm for the position and made it clear that my acceptance wouldn't hinge on the answer. I also sandwiched the question between requests for more information about the contract. 
  • Every job cycle you hear rumors or horror stories about offers being withdrawn because the applicant asked for something. I felt secure negotiating based on my knowledge of the position, the search committee, and the specific negotiation I was making. I recommend doing your homework and getting a range of advice from trusted mentors when making any requests before an offer is finalized. 

THINGS I TRIED THAT WOULDN'T HAVE WORKED FOR ANYONE:

• (1) Assuming I could work uninterrupted while moving
  • I am blessed in that my PhD advisor nipped this in the bud. You need to factor in moving times - packing takes more time than you think it will. Logistics will go wrong at some point. Setting up internet, waiting for plumbers or electricians, finding a pair scissors or piece tape amidst a sea of boxes, it all takes longer than you think. It's also exhausting. I am always thrown by how stressful moving is no matter how much time I take to mentally and physically prepare.
  • Your productivity is going to look different in the week(s) surrounding a move. This is going to be doubly and triply true for folks with dependents and/or without another adult in the household. 
  • Avoid taking on new work or agreeing to deadlines within a week either side of moving. This is easier said than done (I certainly failed to do this during my latest move and it took about three weeks before I felt caught up on my work).

If you are in your first year or two of graduate school you will be inundated with advice. Some of it good, some of it irrelevant, some of it genuinely terrible. I had a tough time separating the useful advice from the counter productive advice. Here are some strategies I used:

1. Get the Lay of the Land
2. Know YOUR Goals
3. Give Yourself Time

Overall, I was wonderfully supported by faculty in my program. I did have some odd exchanges here and there but mostly everyone had my best interest at heart. I hope this is your experience too but I wanted to give some advice on how to suss out bad advice (or unhelpful to you advice). Most of the unhelpful advice I received was not given out of malice. Successful faculty will often share how they specifically became successful. Their model may not work for you for a number of reasons. 

If your program is like mine, you have an advisor right out the gate. Some programs vary - you may have to find an advisor in addition to all the other first year hurdles. You may be in a program that does not do one-on-one advising. I explain graduate school to people outside academics as similar to apprenticeships. Each journey is very individualized. Programs, timelines, advisors, departments - they all vary widely. 

The advice you get may not apply to your program or situation AT ALL. There are very few pieces of advice that will apply to all graduate students. I think of it like traffic patterns. There are some laws that apply everywhere but graduate students are like pedestrians in this metaphor. Definitely learn the traffic laws, but it's also important to learn the local habits - which stop signs are usually rolled? what crossing are dangerous? 

You may expect the drivers to follow the rules and you may have recourse if they fail to do so but typically, pedestrians are at the higher risk for injury and damage. Being cautious and aware of your environment can add a layer of protection. Know what your rights are as a student and/or worker but be aware of the power dynamics in your program and the university at large.

Your department may have existing relationships that are important to know. Maybe the faculty has spousal hires - you wouldn't want to make a comment or criticism of a professor only to find you were talking to their partner. Understanding faculty relationships can help you make sense of competing advice as well. This does not happen often in my experience, but sometimes the advice you get is not about you at all. It has to do with a pre-existing disagreement between faculty.

Much of the advice I received was how to get a job at an R1 (Research 1) University. While that advice might have been spot on, it was not achievable for many students and was not helpful for students with other career goals. It is likely you will be evaluated on how well you are following this advice - whether it alines with your goals or not.

I recommend journaling about your career or professional goals. Think about what you need to focus on to achieve your specific goals. Compare your goals to the career advice you are getting. Find a faculty member or professional in your field (ideally someone with the job you aspire to) who supports your goals. I remember friends who felt terrible that they wouldn't be competitive for R1 jobs only to remember that was not what they wanted for themselves. It can be easy to get caught up in what the department or your committee wants from you. Regularly check in with yourself to make sure you are clear on the kind of career you want.

I did not feel I had good handle on graduate school until I was ABD (all but dissertation). My masters in particular was a gauntlet. Give yourself time to adjust to the expectations and rhythm of academia. There is an insane amount of pressure to arrive on day one with a publication in progress and a clear research agenda. 

If you are publishing and have your dissertation mapped out when you arrive on campus I bow to your preparation skills. You are not typical. In my experience, the dissertation and even masters thesis will change and develop. I spent my first year preparing one thesis proposal only to have to redesign completely in year two. I did not publish during my masters despite working on several research projects. I was convinced I was woefully behind. Talking with other graduate students and faculty during my PhD, I realized I was incredibly normal. Everyone's career looks different. It's okay to get your footing and learn the paper and publication process before you dive in.

Part of graduate school is learning how to navigate academia. It's okay if you take time to do that. You don't need to revolutionize your field the first semester of your masters. Figuring out what your area will be and how to begin research projects while juggling advanced coursework takes time and effort. Have patience and take time to find mentors among your faculty, wider field, and peers.