u/earfcake

just started working out at a new gym which has co-ed rest rooms / changing rooms. i personally think that is rather awkward so i am usually a come and leave in gym attire person.

i wanted to go before work tomorrow instead of after, which means i’d need to shower and get ready/do my makeup at the gym. how does this normally work?? am i just meant to wrap yourself in a towel and walk from the shower to a private changing room? i’ve scoped out the area and it doesn’t look like your clothes would be safe from getting wet if you took them into the shower room so it doesn’t seem like that is an option either.

i feel like i’m missing something obvious so please help !! 😅

i recently started my phd in chem (yay!) and am also in my first ldr. my boyfriend is a med student and moved back to PR around two months ago. i moved from my hometown (east coast, major city) to the midwest for my phd so travel to see each other is a lot harder than when i was living back at home.

we have been doing pretty good with being long distance but i already really miss seeing him in person. we have been discussing visiting each other and honestly, it seems impossible. im about to start rotations and with the demands of research, it appears like i will not have many completely free weekends. as a med student, most of his time off is spent studying for exams/practicals or preparing for his next classes.

i know this relationship is worth this struggle but i am already feeling sad and discouraged that we can barely even plan a weekend together. we do have “date nights,” which are fun, but it really will never compare to being together irl.

for those of you who have been in an ldr during grad school (especially if your partner was also in a demanding program/career), how often were you realistically able to visit each other? did you schedule visits far in advance, protect certain weekends, travel during academic breaks, etc.? i would really appreciate hearing what worked for you!

im an incoming grad student and have already met some great people in my department. we have been discussing going out to some bars at some point but we really don’t want to accidentally stumble into a freshman bar and be caught in that chaos. are there specific bars grad students tend to gravitate towards? we also would like some place that would give us the opportunity to meet people outside of our building. thanks for the recs in advance !

recently moved into a new apartment that has an lg washer dryer combo. however, each time i set it to the wash/dry cycle, it says it’ll take over 3 hours and on top of that, i feel like it’d almost “over drying” my clothes. i have tried to separately wash and dry them but the dry time is still ridiculously long (40 min wash + two hour dry for a few t-shirts, underwear, and a pair of jeans). i’m not sure what model it is but could really use some help with learning how to adjust its settings

incoming chemistry phd student here! i’ve heard the chem department is pretty social, but i’m curious about what grad student life is like outside of chem.

have people found it easy to meet grad students from other departments? are there any organizations, events, clubs, sports, or other spaces where people tend to connect?

just trying to get a feel for the overall grad student vibe. would love to hear people’s experiences! :)

i really love lush sticky dates and this VS Pink body spray called spiced vanilla and have fallen in love with how they pair together. although they’re delicious, they unfortunately don’t last very long on me. i really want something warm, spicy, and a little caramely that’s going to last throughout the day so if anyone has recs within that scent range i’d really appreciate it!