Hotel vs. staying with student

[osupsych05]

Hello all.

So I'm trying to plan my visit for my interview and I've been informed that graduate students have offered for us to stay with them for 1 night. With the interview being all day on a friday I'm obviously going to be arriving thursday and leaving saturday, which would mean for another night I would need a hotel(prob. thursday night), which then causes the awkward situation of having to bring my luggage with me to the school on interview day after checking out of the hotel if I was going to stay with a student the next night. I've gone through the interview processes before, one school put us up in a hotel and with the other I stayed with a student, so I'm aware of the opportunities staying with a student provide(more face time, a chance for candid conversation about the program, etc.), but I have a feeling in this instance just getting a hotel for both nights might make life easier and less stressful, but I wouldn't want to do anything that might make me seem disconnected from the process or ungrateful to the offer. thoughts? suggestions?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Psych Dork]

Hello all.

So I'm trying to plan my visit for my interview and I've been informed that graduate students have offered for us to stay with them for 1 night. With the interview being all day on a friday I'm obviously going to be arriving thursday and leaving saturday, which would mean for another night I would need a hotel(prob. thursday night), which then causes the awkward situation of having to bring my luggage with me to the school on interview day after checking out of the hotel if I was going to stay with a student the next night. I've gone through the interview processes before, one school put us up in a hotel and with the other I stayed with a student, so I'm aware of the opportunities staying with a student provide(more face time, a chance for candid conversation about the program, etc.), but I have a feeling in this instance just getting a hotel for both nights might make life easier and less stressful, but I wouldn't want to do anything that might make me seem disconnected from the process or ungrateful to the offer. thoughts? suggestions?

Why not stay with the student on Thursday night so you can pick their brain about the program before the interview? Then you can leave your luggage at their place. You could also see if staying with the student 2 nights is possible. Just ask them politely and offer that staying in a hotel one night is fine, you just wanted to see if it were possible. No harm in asking.

 

[osupsych05]

Why not stay with the student on Thursday night so you can pick their brain about the program before the interview? Then you can leave your luggage at their place. You could also see if staying with the student 2 nights is possible. Just ask them politely and offer that staying in a hotel one night is fine, you just wanted to see if it were possible. No harm in asking.

good call, god its ridiculous how getting nervous about these things can make the smallest things seem complicated, happened last year too, gotta try to shake that, haha.

 

[healthpsy]

Have you folks heard the horror story of the interviewee whose student host was like, "I got plans with my girlfriend tonight so you're on your own; throw your stuff in that room, toilet's down the hall, and there's the remote...see ya!" That kind of thing is really the exception and not the rule.

I stayed with a grad student for my first interview and it was very cool. The student was definitely sympathetic to the interviewee process; plus having a guide to and from an unfamiliar campus was cool. I think that if I had spent that same time just sitting in a hotel room, my anxiety level would have been greater.

I'm a fan of the student host!

 

[Alacrity]

My friend has decided to stay with grad students when he goes to his interviews in the coming weeks. I'm thinking of telling himm he shouldn't because he snores so loudly. Seriously. We've been dorm-mates as undergrads so I can personally attest to his loud choking sounding snores. Should I tell him to get a hotel? Or is it not such a big deal?

 

[cheer12345]

My friend has decided to stay with grad students when he goes to his interviews in the coming weeks. I'm thinking of telling himm he shouldn't because he snores so loudly. Seriously. We've been dorm-mates as undergrads so I can personally attest to his loud choking sounding snores. Should I tell him to get a hotel? Or is it not such a big deal?

"my friend" hahah

 

[PsyDWannabe]

"my friend" hahah

HAHAHA! too funny.....

 

[Thrak]

Part of the reason I stayed with family instead of with a student host for my interview was because I have sleep apnea and use a CPAP machine. It was easier for me to not have to explain my need to be near an open electrical outlet, or why if they saw me in the middle of the night, I looked like I was being attacked by NooNoo from the Teletubbies.

 

[bookends]

my interviews are structured this way too but i just scheduled my flights for 8 or 9 on friday. may be a kinda long day but it saves money and awkwardness

 

[twilson]

For one of my interviews I just decided on a cheap hotel. But I will be getting there Thursday at a really late time I know a host wouldn't appreciate (11-12 at night) and I will be leaving Sunday at like 7 am. No point in torturing anyone else I say.

 

[kapinkkidowski]

If at all possible, I'd stay with a grad student the night before; it helps a lot to get a feel for climate of the school, and you can pick their brain. Last year I stayed with students at 4 different schools. Granted, one of them was a bit of a "horror" story, but even then I'd still do it.