aginath
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Posts posted by aginath
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I was 31 when I started applying for grad school and had been out of school for 8 years. I sold my house and gave up a $60K job to move my husband and menagerie of animals 900 miles for grad school.
If you have the opportunity to pursue the degree on someone else's dime, DO IT. One of my friends here is a year further along in our program than I am (and just slightly older than I am). He is married with two beautiful daughters. The Air Force is paying for his PhD. The real perk is that he doesn't have to have an assistantship and is able to focus on getting through the program (doing it in 3 years rather than the typical 4 for our department/program). If your employer is willing to pay for it, then you'll work with them to determine what your job requirements will be while you're in school.
As for the age and experience question, I have classmates who are my age and a few who are 10 years my junior. Age (and any difference) really isn't a problem. My experience and knowledge have helped me in a number of classes where some of my younger colleagues have struggled.
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I'm not in History, but I do have experience with non-traditional classmates in Education. I'm mid-30s and in my first semester, I took a mixed level class that included graduate and undergraduate students. One of my teammates on a project was a 40-something undergraduate senior who had been a sailor in the Navy and jack of all trades. He graduated this past Spring and will start on a Master's soon. In the co-hort above mine, there is a 50-something woman. Generally speaking, our co-horts can range from 24-50 in age, with the average student being late 20s to early 30s.
In any case, age has never been an issue or question for any student.
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You can easily use something like WordPress or Blogger to create a portfolio-style website. I teach Intro to Computers for Teachers (undergrad class) and we'll be using Google Sites. They have some stock templates (not the themes, those can look horrid) that aren't half bad.
You might also check with your school's career center or student services to see if they use one of the portfolio services like Interfolio (ex: http://www.career.uga.edu/students/interfolio.html)
Other options include sites like http://www.wix.com or download themes and use a WYSIWIG editor (like Dreamweaver) to customize (ex: http://teedee.myweb.uga.edu)
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Columbia hosted a BreakWriting listserv that just ended. However, you might find some useful information in the archives.
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/gsas/pages/cstudents/dean/break-writing/index.html
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Your field would be a great help here. Otherwise, journal recommendations are going to be pretty hit-or-miss.
This x eleventy billion. Once you've identified the key journals in your field, research them thoroughly. Look up the editing board and become familiar with their work (especially if you cite any of them!). Find out the journal's acceptance rate, turn around expectation/requirements, and ask faculty in your department about their experience getting published in that specific journal. If you're lucky, one of your faculty is or has been a reviewer for the journal and can tell you specifically what they're (and what they aren't) looking for in an article.
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My favorite quote when I was going through the application process was, "you know you can make more money in the long run if you stay here." Keep in mind this was a state agency and the only way to make more money would be to go private sector. He wasn't sure what to make of my, "it's not about the money; it's about achieving a goal."
This smug guy I know (has an ivy league undergrad degree and likes to flout it) was going on and on one night about how it's become so easy to get a Ph.D. these days that they're practically worthless. He was really working it. Finally, after awhile, I asked, "how long did it take to get yours?" he said, "my what?" I said, "your doctorate. Since you've been telling us all how easy they are to get I assumed you had one." And scene.
Hilarious, to be sure, but I'm hoping you meant "flaunt" and "End scene."
- Alyanumbers, gellert and was1984
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Well, I'm not convinced that Dacey's assessment is correct; I think many grad schools tend to be cautious of those who publish in not terribly well-reputed sources before proceeding further in their professional development. However, you don't have to tell anyone you published it, so if it sucks, you can conveniently leave it off your application.
I realized after reading a reply to this same question in another forum that I neglected to address the how and where of publishing caveat. Just being published isn't enough. Non-refereed means are usually disregarded and in some cases frowned upon. Even within peer-reviewed journals and publications, there is a tier system of credibility and desirability. You have to know your field (if you don't know, ask) to determine where to seek acceptance.
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You really do have to look at the "big picture." How long has the [potential] advisor been at the current school? How long have they been in academia? How many different schools have they taught/researched at? Do they hold any administrative positions (program chair, department head, etc.)? How frequently do they publish? In what publications do they most commonly have articles? How many students have they worked with in the past (served on a committee vs. served as chair of the committee)?
I'm fortunate in that my advisor is the department head. His publishing expectation is somewhat lowered based on the administrative unit exchange. That's not to say that he doesn't publish or actively work on projects; he does and I'm asked to help with data analysis and reading/writing as necessary. However, it means that as a second year, I'm already published on a project I designed and I'm the first author on the publication (he is the third author). Also as department head, he has social obligations when we're at conferences and events. He's extremely mindful to introduce me (as well as his other students) to colleagues and encourages us to network and collaborate whenever possible.
When I was looking at making my final selection, my Master's degree committee chair gave me one solid piece of advice, "pick the program that would most emphasize the student-mentor relationship." As a result, I couldn't be happier with my decision.
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While I dare not speak for all fields, I'm not aware of any faux pauxs committed by way of publishing prior to graduate school. On the contrary, it generally works in your favor. Taking the time and putting forth the effort shows initiative and dedication, two traits that are sought after in graduate students.
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How about sharing a flat with other students? You don't need good credit for that, do you?
Depending upon landlord and lease terms, yes. Some management companies (and individuals) require that all persons staying in the residence for longer than a certain period of time (generally a month) must be added to the lease. Furthermore, to be added to the lease, you must submit to a credit check. Granted this isn't always the case, but it can be.
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I faced the poor credit issue when I moved to Georgia. I, too, received the advice about getting a letter from a previous landlord, but I was a homeowner for more than five years before moving. I stuck to Craigslist and found a landlord who owns a handful of properties and doesn't conduct credit checks.
When I lived in DC for a summer 10 years ago for an internship during grad school, I saw lots of sublets and individual owners in the classifieds. The properties were usually townhouses or old houses that had been converted into duplexes/triplexes.
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Many universities are closed the week between Christmas and New Years. Now, correspondence may still occur and some faculty will still go in to the office, but it likely won't make a difference whether you ask now or later.
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By nature, I love to play in the kitchen and I love to give. Around the holidays, I combine these two loves together. This year, I made up what's called "Cowboy Candy," which is nothing more than a large jar of pickled jalapenos that have been infused with sugar for a week or two before canning. I gave half pint jars of Cowboy Candy to each of the staff members in my department and each of the faculty members in my program. Each jar was tied with a bow and had a label with a serving suggestion (cream cheese & crackers).
Before coming back to grad school, I would do a variation on this by giving cookie or soup mix in a jar with instructions to my co-workers, colleagues, and supervisor.
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I realize you said "shovel of salt," but I'm curious about the numbers. Are they cumulative of all graduate applications or are they based on specific degrees or fields?
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Keep in mind that even though we listen to other's experiences and judge ourselves upon those standards, those experiences are just that...their own. Not every program is the same and certainly we're all different. To compare me and my experience in Educational Psychology to a student in Biology or Chemistry would be laughable at best. While I have Plant Pathology friends who eat, sleep, drink, and breathe their classes and research, I would say that I only eat and drink my classes and research (comparatively speaking). Yet, I'm in my second year, have 1 publication in press, multiple conference presentations, and I'm an executive officer in two student organizations. Even among my peers, some of those statements put me further ahead than they are. Why? Because I came off of 10 years of industry experience and have very defined goals that drive my actions. Some of them came straight from a Masters for lack of anything else to do. Or perhaps they have the same length of work experience as I do, but we have different backgrounds or habits and need/want more support.
Don't focus on others. Focus on yourself. You said you have a passion for Meteorology and that you're completing this degree, because you couldn't as an undergrad. Ask yourself what you really plan to do with the degree when you're finished. Being locked into academia is something you choose to do. The number of graduate degree holders who go to work in academia dwindles every year as the public and private sector increasingly employ Master's and Doc graduates. It doesn't hurt to job search now and see what's open and where. Let that help guide you to a decision.
I was extremely homesick when I moved to Georgia. Even though I had my husband, two dogs, and two cats, I was miserable being 900 miles away from my friends and family. I had lived in a community for almost 15 years. I could walk into one of any number of restaurants and see a friendly face either dining or working. I could take my mother to dinner for her birthday at a nice steak house and get a nice bottle of wine on the house, because I was friends with the General Manager and organized happy hours using his restaurants. I had a spiritual support group that has been (thus far) unmatched here in Athens. Starting over is hard, but look at this way..it's only two or three years and you're halfway through that first year. Before you know it, summer will be here and you're halfway or almost halfway through the program. If you decide to stay, spend some time looking for student organizations and/or visiting churches. Seek out that which you feel you are lacking. It may help.
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I had 3 acceptances in my application year; Indiana, North Carolina, and Georgia. Two offered roughly the same level of financial support. The third offered very little direct help, thereby ruling it out. I made a pro/con list between the remaining two schools. While weather was a con for the Indiana school (I had actually visited in February and experienced the dry cold, first hand -- I'm used to breathing hot, wet air), it was not the deciding factor. The pro list for UGA just wound up being longer with more significant factors.
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FWIW, it's not uncommon to encounter faculty and/or committees who stop reading at the limit. Going over the limit risks not having all of your statement read or understood as you intended it.
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SOP can and should refer to previous research, but the focus is more about where you're headed as opposed to where you've been. Obviously what you've done informs future plans. The point is to expound upon what you'd like to do (research- and careerwise) and identify faculty with whom you might like to work.
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Not exactly. FAFSA isn't like TurboTax and doesn't ask if you're moving or having a baby or own a house. It generally asks for line items from the tax return you just filed.
In many cases, we're all making more money and better off financially in the year immediately prior to beginning graduate studies. Which means, you may not get a "good" offer depending upon your school's calculation of how to award aid. However, in subsequent years of your program, the offer could improve. Personally, I won't see a significant difference in my offer until year 3, because year 2 was calculated based on half salary from my former career and half student/graduate assistantship.
Clear as mud?
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I don't know that I've seen published acceptance rates. There's no requirement for schools to report how many applications they receive. However, I think some of the reporting orgs (like U.S. News) sometimes include an acceptance rate in the school/department profile. I had a conversation with my department's executive committee about two months ago about this topic. They were recently asked about it when a prospective student referred to such a report, but no one knew from where the data was taken.
ETA: That said, some departments/programs include the information on their website.
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I think it would behoove you to get to the bottom of the moneys owed issue regardless of the transcripts. Something like this could and has appeared years later on credit reports, sold to bottom feeder collection agencies, etc.
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Never thought I'd see the day, but there I was at a major conference in California for my field and talking to a prospective student when he says, "Wait! Are you on GradCafe?"
It can happen to you!
- rising_star, waddle and psycholinguist
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If I were you, secret-name, I'd be more concerned about the potential implications on the job market than on what your peers think. Regardless of who you date, that person isn't going to magically get along with all of your peers (and, for that matter, neither will you!).
This. I've seen first hand what happens with a spousal hire (she was his GA at another school) and how both both faculty are treated as a result. It can create an uncomfortable dynamic and makes it awkward as a student after the fact when colleagues at other schools ask you for the story.
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My exhusband had a B.A in Music Performance and wanted a Master's in Music Education. Without a background in education, he had to take a few extra courses that did not directly count towards his M.Ed., but it wasn't a problem and many programs/faculty have processes in place to account for this type of situation. As a result of the courses he had to take to "catch up" (so to speak), he was only 3 classes away from an M.Ed. in Curriculum. So, he spent an extra semester taking those courses and walked away with two Master's degrees.
Admission acceptance (Deposit)
in Decisions, Decisions
Posted · Edited by dacey
I've not encountered a deposit requirement for graduate studies (only undergraduate). However, balderdash is spot on. If you pay the deposit, it secures your spot for enrollment and is typically applied towards your student account balance (tuition and fees) after you register for classes. If you withdraw your name for admission, you lose the deposit.