dat_nerd

Start with observing your coworkers. What is it about their communication style that makes it seem "mature"? I suspect their language is more direct, with fewer filler words ("like", "I mean"). 
 
If you talk anything like you write, I suspect you talk very fast and run all your sentences together! Don't be afraid to take a deep breath before you speak and slow...everything...down. If you pause before you speak, you give yourself time to map out what you're going to say in your head and it will come out in a more organised fashion. Instead of filling with "like", "I mean" or "y'know", pause for a microsecond. Once you've found the next word/sentence talk again. People aren't going to notice the gaps, and what you say will sound a lot more deliberate, clear and "mature". 

I am looking to research within the realm of ICT4D (Computing for Development).
 
My research during ugrad was mainly about early epidemic detection using unconventional sources, but that is not really something I am looking to stick to. As you may know, ICTD projects often span across different fields; my projects involved NLP, Machine Learning and a bit of HCI. Among these, ML really appealed to me, NLP was enjoyable and HCI was meh. My university final year project however was about WSN Network Localization using swarm based techniques.

ML is one of the main focuses for me. But I also want to do independent projects in Big Data, AI and maybe even systems/networking before I commit to a thesis.

Oh and I have been celebrating since the day I got these admits! I mean, I can't really go much wrong here regardless of the decision I make

This thread clearly will suffer from selection bias. All the people who were stabbed to death while traveling alone aren't here to post. Just something to consider. Have fun!

Ok, this thread has long since stopped serving any purpose than generating reports. Locking it. 
 
If you found portions of the discussion useful and would like to carry on those discussions in another thread, feel free. 

I feel you. Freshman year I felt like there was never a place I could go to be ALONE. I'd suggest maybe study rooms in the library or staying out late on campus (like in libraries, your office if you know it will be empty) until you're ready to go to bed. I do that now. My roommates think I'm really hardworking since I come in when they're already asleep but in reality I'm recharging and watching Netflix haha.

Hi everyone,
 
Thanks for the replies. I have decided to finish off my classes and TA work this semester and then take a leave of absence. I honestly don't believe I will be returning, but I feel better knowing that I can if I find myself wanting to when I am in a clearer mental state.
 
I'm quite happy with this decision. I need to find some work to fill the credits that used to be occupied by my research lab, but the university wants to keep me around to finish out my TAship so that shouldn't be too hard to do. The only problem I am having is that I am taking some serious attitude from the senior graduate student in the lab I left. Apparently, she is very angry about it and about me not coming to her to tell her. I had asked my previous advisor if I should let other lab members know and she told me not to. I assumed, in that case, my advisor would tell this student. Of course, it seems she heard from gradual trickling of this news through the department and is mad about that.
 
Honestly, it isn't her or anyone else's business. This was between me and my advisor. And it's not like this graduate student devoted a ton of time to helping me in the first place. We were always told how busy she is and how we need to respect her time!

I don't talk to guys like this first of all, second you don't have to respond... I don't remember specifically asking for you help so thanks but no thanks. . And yes all of those things did happen, it isn't as if I can just make myself not feel down. I am so happy all that stuff happened but still.

Ok...
 
 
Didn't you get accepted to all four schools you applied to, got a new job at the perfect time to save up before moving away to grad school, and got a fully-funded two-year fellowship to the #8 school in the country for your field? 
 
 
You're getting very old. Can't you see why people are tired of it? You know guys are people too. They get tired too. 

I have noticed that too, I just started deleting a ton of people, I don't need the garbage on my newsfeed lol. 
You have a boyfriend that you live with.. you can easily get married and have a baby now if you actually wanted. I feel like you have no reason to not be happy. 

UW CS is miles better than Harvard.

Hate to say it, but it sounds like you have a fairly shallow group of friends. I don't think anyone I've ever known has ever made comments like that, so I would I fact consider them uncommon, esp considering that most people in this thread also don't believe such things.

But since you seem to believe in it so much, let me point this out to you: what does it mean about your own looks if you are not attracting the kind of attractive men that you want? If you were a 9 you would attract 9s. As you said, people tend to date within roughly equivalent levels of attractiveness. So maybe you should take a good look in the mirror and recalibrate your expectations.

You keep asking why you don't deserve a relationship when we say NO ONE deserves a relationship. This is true because no one deserves ANYTHING. None of us are entitled to anything - you can try to accomplish what you want in life and to better yourself but that doesn't mean some karmic force will automatically give you what you want. Sometimes bad people get what they want, sometimes good people don't get what they want. Life has never operated out of some cosmic justice or fairness. It just doesn't work that way because so many things are out of our control.

Also, you say you want a relationship and are willing to work to get one but it sounds like you have very high standards. Not that that's a bad thing but you have to recognize that practically, if you have a picky filter, you will be less likely to find someone who meets your standards and thus less likely to begin a relationship at all. We are trying to point out different approaches because logically, if what you have been doing has not been working in the past then it is unlikely to work in the future. A new approach may be necessary and we are just observing that you are not really willing to entertain them.

It doesn't matter how pretty or how ugly any guy's next girlfriend is. She's a human being, and to consider her an upgrade or a downgrade is degrading, not only to her, but to you (or whoever the point of reference is). This arbitrary "ranking" of women is offensive and retrogressive. 

Well that is you, you aren't even with him anymore so does it matter? I think not. But thanks and good luck to you too  

Brown teeth can be fixed more easily than an ugly personality.

I didn't think about it like that. I just like being a "woman in a mans world" I want to be taken care of by someone. I just never said it as a huge deal to not pay. Needing a guy to validate me is wrong, I definitely know that but it is just so important. Being in a relationship makes you important, obviously someone picked you to make a part of their life, if no one picked you then... You kind of aren't important at all to anyone. I mean yeah your family but everyone is important to their family pretty much.

I'm officially retiring from this thread. It's going nowhere.

Email in advance to set up the meeting. Start by explaining that you have realised grad school is not a good fit for you and your career goals have changed, etc. Tell your advisor that you appreciate the support/advice they've given (provided it is true!). Then ask the advisor how best to proceed. I suspect that they will advise you to wait until the end of the semester (and I think that's the option I would recommend too) and pass the final set of exams/collect your last paycheque and then officially leave.
 
Set up the meeting sooner rather than later. I think you'd rather tell the advisor outright in a controlled, safe manner when they've had a bit of forewarning than for you to have the very awkward conversation with them when they ask: "So, what are your plans for the summer?...[Pause] Um, you *are* planning to stick around for the summer, aren't you?" 

I am 20, graduating with my BS in may, but I left home for college when I was 16. I paid my rent, food and tuition ever since. As a graduation gift, my grandma gave me a brand new car (i didn't ask for it, and might be moving to boston for grad school). I was the one who created the car insurance thread because I thought the rates were insanely high.

But well, i come from a dysfuntional family, so I didn't have an alternative rather than sucking it up and doing it.

I still eat cereal for lunch though :-)

I think more people follow the "fake it til you make it" philosophy than you might think. It's a process, and one day you'll realize you actually do know a thing or two. Chin up!

Not necessarily an acronym, but saying "Tech" in the south refers to Georgia Tech, but if you go elsewhere then it may refer to something else like Michigan Tech.  Kinda frustrating considering that Georgia Tech is the first one to "brand" the name Tech.  

I was surprised by how much the location of a school impacted my decision. I tend to make my decisions with a kind of emotional detachment, so the location hardly crossed my mind in comparison to the strength and research fit of a program. It makes sense though, since I'll be at the school for 6 years or so.
 
Also, I could usually get a sense for the program after talking with faculty for a few hours or so. The personality-fit made a much larger impact on my decision than I'd expected. 

I mean this in the nicest way possible, but sometimes friendship isn't always about being around when they're doing things you're interested in or even approve of.  My best friend has been in and out rehab and off/on drugs a majority of our friendship.  When she relapses, I'm there for her.  When she is clean and sober, I cherish those months with her and praise her every step of the way.  She's a "super senior" in undergrad and struggles to attend class, much less do the work or make very good grades.  Grad school is out of the question with this friend.  But I love her regardless, I value her as a person, and I cannot imagine my life without her in it.  We laugh until we cry, share an incredible dancing hobby together, and she is my rock when I need her as well.  The best friendships and relationships are give and take.  I think someone else said this as well, it may have been what you quoted for the above response, but find yourself a truly valuable friendship and you will suddenly find much more joy out of life.  I promise.

Well first of all there is WAY more to that response that you wouldn't know. It was directed to that specific person and I'm sure they know why. Secondly you don't think that going out of your way to pull up this thread in your class for a laugh is trying to bring someone down? Ok well that's your opinion, I disagree but that's me. I get eat ever one is saying. I don't think everyone gets what I am saying. I'm sorry if you think it's funny or I'm trolling but I'm not and I am not going to go out of my way to prove that to you. If you don't like the thread then there are a million others on this website, I'm sure you can find something more interesting.

Didn't you get a 130 on the GRE? Now you keep proclaiming yourself as gifted. I guess I'm not a fan of self appraisal.