Andean Pat

hahaha I thought the same!!!
 
Now, really, please DO NOT it. I know you feel tempted and you needed someone to tell you it's OK but the truth is such an universal value that it is very difficult to dodge. Honestly, I thought I had not completely grasped what you meant to do... Making a decision necessarily implies leaving something behind, that's life. So even if you skip through this one, you may have to choose at some point. Since you are applying for graduate school, you are mature enough to make an adult choice and bearing the consequences. Take your time to think about it, but clearly you will be happy in both places  

Don't do it.  It's dishonest and you will make a lot of enemies in your field.

I began to clean and box today.
 
I know I am still like 4.5 months away from moving day, but since my work is very demanding at home (I teach ~9 courses at secondary schools), I have decided to start early with the cleaning, throwing away useless junk, and begin to locate some stuff (especially books hehehe). In the way, I ran into old memories and some photos (they are so old that were developed from a film, remember those?). 
 
I still don't have my air ticket. I know I am still 4.5 months away, but the government comes out with a different resolution every now and then (10 days ago it decreed that we had to pay a tax over 20% of any international ticket). Besides, the dollar is more and more expensive, so the sooner I buy it, the more chances I have to pay it!
 
I re-started training in the rowing machine and hopefully I'll play a (field) hockey match next Sunday. On the one hand, I want it to be August already. On the other, I really want to enjoy these last months here. One thing is certain: I will no miss the city. By no means. 

I wonder why people are giving -1 to my early post and this one. Is OK to post against one's religion but it is not OK to find it offensive? Furthermore, I did not -1 heartshapedcookie's post because she did not mean to offend anyone, she just shared one she particularly liked and I only said I did not like it. Period. That is a forum, saying what you think without offending other people. I did like the comic, but that does not mean I was offended my the post.
 
@heartshapedcookie, I suppose you know this, right?  

Yes, I do! Actually broad minded enough to know that!
 
The Oatmeal's humor to me, can be crude at times (ridden with foul language haha), but the underlying ideas in his comics I can relate 100%.  And as a religious person myself, I see no offense in that comic

I wonder why people are giving -1 to my early post and this one. Is OK to post against one's religion but it is not OK to find it offensive? Furthermore, I did not -1 heartshapedcookie's post because she did not mean to offend anyone, she just shared one she particularly liked and I only said I did not like it. Period. That is a forum, saying what you think without offending other people. I did like the comic, but that does not mean I was offended my the post.
 
@heartshapedcookie, I suppose you know this, right?  

I wonder why people are giving -1 to my early post and this one. Is OK to post against one's religion but it is not OK to find it offensive? Furthermore, I did not -1 heartshapedcookie's post because she did not mean to offend anyone, she just shared one she particularly liked and I only said I did not like it. Period. That is a forum, saying what you think without offending other people. I did like the comic, but that does not mean I was offended my the post.
 
@heartshapedcookie, I suppose you know this, right?  

In general OK, but that special one I find it offensive. 

In general OK, but that special one I find it offensive. 

Do not do a science PhD without full funding.  That's the universal advice from all my profs.

or it might be because that comic is stupid

My MBA screen works great to fit two documents side by side. 
 
That doesn't require a particular resolution (high or low), but rather a particular screen ratio- 16:9 or 16:10. 
 
I can put the paper I'm working on one side, and the previous version or a reference or an outline on the other. 
 
Or compare two data sets. Or code I'm writing vs. code I've written. 
 
And I'm not sure what the viewing angles are on the screen you're using, but I've got a very close to 180° angle on my MBA, both vertical and horizontal. 

I would have to disagree with the consensus here. There are certain aspects of laptops that I believe many people overlook in the name of portability, one of which is a quality display. Yes, you could always just buy an external monitor to compensate, but if the whole point of owning a MBA is the portability, then I would prefer having access to a good display when I am not at home or at work.
 
I am not simply referring to screen-size though, but picture quality and resolution. This is where I think the MBA display lags behind as its PC competitors now offer 1080p (1920 x 1080) IPS displays at the same price point. If you have never heard of IPS displays before, just know that they are capable of resolving more colors and have much better viewing angles than the displays most of you are probably used to (TN). A higher resolution allows you to have more applications viewable side by side on one screen, and this can potentially offer a large boost in productivity depending on what your needs are. And as far as apple products go, even the 13" MBP offers a vastly superior display (2560 x 1600 IPS retina display). Unless you need portability at all costs, I can't believe anyone would think that the MBP offers less value! Not too long ago it was not common for stand alone monitors with displays of this caliber (albeit on a large 30 in. screen) to retail for beyond $2000. The fact that paying only a few hundred dollars more by upgrading to a MBP could give you this kind of luxury seems kind of amazing to me.
 
I apologize for rambling on a bit too much since admittedly I am somewhat of a technophile and really value extra screen space (I write a lot of code), but I know that when I have to travel and not have my desktop computer around, the most infuriating fact is being stuck with a crappy 1440 x 900 TN display (similar to the MBA) on my 4 year old laptop. Investing in a new laptop with a better display is definitely something I will have to consider myself when starting my grad school program next fall, so I wish you the best of luck in whatever decision you make. Again, I understand that while the needs of most users are very different from mine, I could never fathom making the compromises involved with owning a MBA as a power user.

* Why would you want to go to learn about Latin America to the US?
 
Totally condescending. 
 
* Aren't you afraid of being away from home so much time?
 
er... No. Otherwise I wouldn't have applied.
 
* Oh, you are going to marry an American?
 
Emm... Ok. Whatever. 
 
* And they pay you to go? 
 
Yes, that's the point.

whatshouldwecallgradschool.tumblr.com

Done!

Thanks everyone for your input.  Let the paperwork begin!

I agree with all said, and would add: talk to someone, work this through. It is a big step you've made --acknowledging this is not what you want-- now you need to find what truly drives you crazy. You need to devote time to this so it's a great idea to finish your masters, get a job and work on this with a counsellor or psychologist. You shouldn't be afraid of this, you are very brave in admitting all this to yourself. Now, go and do something about it :D  

tuck: okay, you can't go full soap opera on us. i'm going to spend tomorrow (read: second sick day in a row. bummer!) digging up that registry.

Dear future applicants and current GRE candidates,
 
I was thinking how terrible the world looked like when I was preparing for GRE and now that my application process is over and I am starting a graduate program in the fall, I wanted to give you my humble advice, the same way another student gave it to me. 
 
GRE is not the end of the world. Believe me, it is not. However, you should behave as it is because although it is not (in my opinion) the decisive factor in your application, it is used to compare you to other students and, as many people in this forum have explained to me, it helps to cut off a pool of candidates. So do take it seriously.
 
You will probably need to sit for it twice. Many people don't, but the majority does. I know many bright people who had to do it twice, including myself hahaha  . No, seriously, bearing in mind that you have another chance is a good option. It helps you plan ahead (so that you have your results on time) and it helps you learn from your mistakes. So, just in case, plan to sit for it early enough just in case you need a second time, and save the money for that. If you do well on the first sitting, excellent!!! then you can spend that money on something more interesting
 
Address the AWA section. Now, this is from my own experience so forgive me if it is not general enough. Apparently, students tend to devote more time to Q and V because it is what most POIs look at. I have learned from an excellent teacher that AWA is as important. If you address AWA properly, you will be addressing V as well. All sections are aimed at testing your ability to analyse, reason, present an argument, etc. I was trained in the AWA section so effectively that my V score was higher than I expected. If you can write it, you can read it. NOTE: She was American (I am international) and so maybe this is something current in the US, it was not here, that's why I point it out.
 
Make a plan and study with someone. I did exercises everyday. I bought the books (the official guide, a kaplan activity book and another one full of exams) and I read a lot from the official guide, went to private lessons and got together at least once a week to study with other students. In fact, they were preparing GMAT, but getting together implied that I was going to spend 4 hours studying. 
 
It costs money. do not pretend to sit for it without expending a penny. This is a business. Now, maybe you can buy used books or have a private tutor for no money, that's great. However, if you get used to the idea that you need X amount of money, the same way you plan you applications, then it won't hurt that much when you pay for it. Now, if you can save some of that money, great!!!
 
Celebrate. Sit for the exam and then go out!!! You made a lot of effort so you deserve to relax!!!
 
This is my experience: I began a course on June 2012. The maths section was OK but the V was a complete disaster and I did terrible in the AWA, I sat for it in early September. I went to another institute where the approach was completely different, more professional (and expensive) and sat the second time in late Novemember. 
 
In conclusion, you can't fight it, you need and you need to do your best. Go for it!!!! :D
 

Yeeeeaaaaahhhhhhh another historian!!!!!!! Here's my advice:
 
1. Contact the department. Do not start choosing schools by their reputation, choose them by their department. It is nice to apply to an Ivy League school but if your interests do not match, it is stupid. I wanted to apply to Harvard, besides there is generous funding from my country to go there but my interests did not even come close to those of the department.
 
2. Do your research. This is connected to the one before. Really investigate where you want to go, not only for the academics but also for the place. I did not apply to a place I did not want to live in. Check if your hobbies are available, for example, I checked out for field hockey teams. Ask EVERYTHING to grad students, most are happy to help you and to meet you if they have a chance. Many will advice you one the mood in the department, funding, housing, etc. Furthermore, they know very well the departments rankings/interests focus and thus can advice you to also try elsewhere.
 
3. Take your time to prepare your app. I was working full time so I started in July with the contacting the department/POIs and preparing GRE. I finished my applications in December. Take your time to write your SOP, show it to professors/friends in grad school. Many grad students I had met were happy to read it for me, even though I did not apply to their school. Take time to prepare for GRE. Although it's rubbish, expensive and almost pointless, it is necessary and you cannot fight the system. I had an excellent private teacher who started with the writing section and because I could write logically, I could also read logically. I got excellent results. My advice here is DO prepare it, and choose your course wisely. Work on your letters of recommendation, do not just ask for them. Meet your professors/employers, tell them about your ambitions, be clear on what is expected from them. Your SOP and CV should show the adcomms how great you are and why making you an offer is the best decision they will ever make. Now, I understand that you Northamericans are quite skillful in "decorating" your accomplishments, especially (I envy this a little bit ) because ALL your accomplishments have names. So you won the "Robert Smith Senior essay of the Year on how to dehydrate an amphibian's limb". So, do not put yourself down here.
 
4. Narrow your choices. Many people may not agree with this. I believe you shouldn't apply to more than seven schools. First of all, its loads of money. Second of all, if you did points 1 and 2 thoroughly then you will not be able to apply to more than 6/7. I had an EXCELLENT fit with a program I really really wanted to apply to but the POIs responded my e-mail very late and then he did not answer again. I could have applied, but how much do I want to be accepted in a place where they did not show any interest? Mmmm, I don't know. Another example, I was a great fit with a professor in a program on the west coast. He acknowledged that and was happy to talk about my application, but advised me that there was no funding and it was almost pointless for me to apply. Finally, one professor directly told me he was not taking any students this year. So, communication is basic and although I would have applied to, say, 10 programs, I ended up with 5. Which programs? The ones that are best for you. 
 
5. Be confident. You will have an offer from a place that really really wants you. It doesn't matter how badly you wanted to go into another program. They just don't want there. I mean: be prepared for rejections but be confident that a rejection is not a bummer, it just means you did everything you had to do and the department had to choose. This is difficult because you feel stupid when someone else gets into a top school and you don't. In the end, all that matters is the acceptance, not the rejection. 
 
6. Be realistic. Do not yield to emotional stress and drama. If you get in, great. If you don't, it is not the end of the world. Be an adult in your application, show your real potential as a historian. Be prepared to make decisions. Save money. Have a plan B (a master's elsewhere? Year abroad? You name it). Listen to those who praise you and those who criticize your work. Learn from mistakes. Get yourself published, it's awesome. 
 
Mmmmm I sound to motherly, don't I? You get more or less what I mean right? 

Ugh. *This* story...

but... (wait for it)











Still a better love story than Twilight. XD

Hi Surlefil! I'm from Argentina as well! If you want, you can PM me and I'll give you some hints that other Argentines passed me over.  

Everyone feels that way at some point during their program.  I am a 5th year and I still grapple with trying to understand why my advisor thinks I'm a great student.  I feel lazy and not as productive as the scholar down the street (the theoretical one) who publishes 3 papers a year and dreams about data analysis.
 
And yes, I've definitely dealt with feeling like I was drowning in work.  It gets better over time - you learn to manage your time better, including learning to write in some relaxation time.  And you won't have courses.  Now, as a dissertator, I read for pleasure and go out with my friends and cook dinner most nights.  When I was in coursework - especially my first year - I felt like I was barely keeping my head above water.  Stay the course, and try your hand at scheduling your time and sticking to a (realistic) schedule.  Take note of how long it takes you to do things.
 
You are smart enough, but more importantly, success in your grad program has nothing to do with intelligence.  Everyone who was admitted is intelligent.  It has to do with desire, hard work, and perseverance.  Most people who drop out don't do so because they aren't smart (many of them are brilliant) but because they realize that the PhD is not what they want anymore, for whatever reason.  I don't think I'm that smart, but I'm a hustler.  You just have to put your nose to the grindstone and work work work (within reason, of course - make sure you sleep, eat healthily, and get some exercise, and have some fun.  I make it a point to sleep 6-8 hours every night, regardless of how close a deadline is).

I would be overjoyed to attend UConn, but damnit I put $200 into the UC applications so I at least want to know!