Halcyon17

Just keeping busy in general. I'm still in school, so there's usually some work I can go do to keep my mind off it (focusing on getting THIS semester done keeps me from thinking about what will happen NEXT semester). Also, I've been reading a lot more and writing a lot more (working my way through Cloud Atlas right now while simultaneously writing my second novel @__@). I also do martial arts (aikido) 3x a week, so if you want to talk about a stress reliever, there's that. It's hard to think about grad schools when you've been turned into a human projectile, haha. It helps that most of the members of the club are also science majors, and we're a very tight-knit dojo, so we're all great friends. And I let my friends drag me away from the computer screen to go do something when it becomes obvious that I'm obsessively checking my email/the grad cafe. Video games also work in a pinch. Grad school stress? What grad school stress? *mashes buttons repeatedly while slaying dragons on Skyrim*

No problem, sorry for freaking you guys out.

That's what I'm doing. At the very least, the excitement is making me want to plan visits to check things out, which will help in the overall decision, I think.

So, lately I've been doing this little number with my head (and emotions). Me: *hears word that I'm being considered by University X* My thoughts; Hmm...I'm not sure I want to go there, I mean it's cool and all and I'd be really thrilled, but I don't know if I'll like the town... Me: *goes and researches school and town* Me: OMG, I REALLY WANT TO GO THERE NOW!!! My mind: "Yeah, I'm gonna treat you to daydreams about going to University X" Me: Sweet! Later on... Me: *hears word that I'm being considered by University Y" My thoughts: "...Aww...but I wanted to go to University X!" And later, repeat the entire process, but this time with University Y. Seriously, this is starting to wreak havoc on my emotions, haha. I should mention that I haven't gotten anything final yet, these are all just whispers so far.

Pretty much how I reacted. And then it was set for immediately after my morning classes. Guess who couldn't focus all the way through class yesterday!

I have, but it was a phone interview with a professor who won't be making a final decision for a while (she wants to look at her options and be relatively sure a student will accept before offering). Have plans to head up there during my Spring Break, but from the way the professor made it sound, it's still early in the admissions process (she implied she was trying to get a head start). I'd sit tight, news should be coming soon.

Just got an unofficial "hey, let's chat about this" type interview from a Top-5 program in my field. Now I'm freaking out!

I enjoy it, however, I'm not sure how it feels as a grad student. As an undergrad, the honors college community is fantastic, and if you're a football fan, the entire school gets charged up in the fall for football season. (SEC, so...you know, big shock, right?) It does have its issues, like all schools. It's an urban campus so crime can be a bit of a problem. It's not the city you'd want to walk around alone in at night. Warm winters are great, summers are unbearably hot. The buildings run the gamut from beautiful and well-maintained (Business) to horrible death traps (Anthropology), so your facilities are going to depend on your program. I'd encourage checking it out before accepting.

Cool! Sadly I don't know much about your programs, but if you have any questions about Columbia, SC, feel free to ask. I can answer questions about professors in the chemistry/marine science departments, though, and I can tell anyone right now that if you're applying to psychology, the Department Chair specializes in throwing people--he's my sensei in aikido, and he's a seventh-dan black belt lol.

Well, I'll be sure to post here once I hear something (and upload my results to the results search too). Gah, the wait is killing me! (And to make matters worse, my own University keeps sending me emails with the words 'university' or 'program' in the subject, giving me mini-heart attacks every time I check my email, haha.)

Oh, hey! If you mean the University of South Carolina, you're applying to my soon to be alma mater. Fun little coincidence

Also an international applicant (well, a current international student applying to grad school). I try not to think about the pressure. It's too unnerving. But hopefully we'll hear back soon!

Agreed! I try to forget about the honors thesis, especially when my director refuses to tell me when he's available to do lab work. >.<

I hope so, the school in question was my second choice, and now that I looked up that guy, it's moved up to my first choice. His research interests perfectly line up with mine! *fingers crossed*