Board 8 > Next month I move to a different state for the first time

(+) Yeah! (+)

No family or friends out there, either. Anyone who has moved away for grad school, any tips?

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Since you're moving for it, I assume your grad program will be (at least mostly) on-campus. So right off the bat, you're making a smart decision. Fully online education is a terrible and fruitless experience, and you're doing yourself an immense favor by pursuing an on-campus education instead.

It'll probably be easiest to network if you hit the ground running early on; the "new in town" card is useful and can be used liberally. It's harder to acclimate to a new community during a time like this, with the pandemic and all, but there are still options. It's a great time to volunteer at places like food banks, and they can be a good icebreaker for meeting people from all walks of life. Libraries and breweries also tend to have community events which are welcoming to outsiders, though they may not have reopened in your area just yet.

If you don't mind me asking, what state are you moving to?

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Which state are you moving to and from? Which school and field of study, if you don't mind sharing?

I didn't move exclusively for grad school, but it was in a different state than the one I grew up in, so it was a change of scenery. I'll say that grad school was my favorite level of schooling, so I think you'll have a great experience. =)

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Say yes to everything. At least, make yes your default response.

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This depends a bit on the program whether or not this will be true for you, but in my case a good chunk of the grad program was also new to the area, which is useful to keep in mind.

Normally I'd say just pick some hobby you have and go out and do that thing if only to meet people, though COVID-19 may complicate this somewhat. If it's a sizable school, they also likely have clubs for lots of things which could useful, although obviously you'd be meeting mostly undergrads this way. (For example one of the first things I did when moving here was search to see if there were any local Super Smash Bros. tournaments.)
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I am going to new haven for Yales business school. Probably should have led with that...

I am nervous mostly about not having a support system anymore, and yes, I personally cant stand online classes.

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nice! i have some family in new haven, but they're not particularly social. it's a weird town. some distinctly poor neighborhoods and some distinctly college neighborhoods

here's my advice for being in a new place, if you want friends. just slow down, be friendly, and try to listen to people. classmates, people at the store, whatever. you don't need to prove you're interesting- being interested is enough. agree to tag along and see what they're about. you can decide you don't like them later

now is a weird time, though. not sure how it'll work in covid times

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I don't know much about Ivy Leagues or east coast schools, but the general advice you've already gotten in this topic is really solid.

Join groups and clubs. My biggest regret during my undergrad years was never doing that, so I didn't get as social or memorable of a college experience as I wanted. I rectified that during grad school and had two of the best years of my life. Once you've found some friends - this has already been mentioned - ALWAYS be down for stuff. When you're trying to make friends in a new town, flaking only a couple times might get you labeled a flake and limit the future invites you receive. Just say yes and go with the flow. The rest will work itself out.

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