MissC

Hi Wildviolet It looks like some time has passed since your original post and I hope things are shaping up in your seminar. I had a couple thoughts. 1. The inherent challenges of large classes suck. They sucked when we were 5 and they suck now. Sorry you have to be in that situation. I do think it can stifle learning and I hope you are able to get what you want fro this particular course. Hopefully it will be the exception and not the norm. You mention the other classes seem to be okay so I hope this is still the case. 2. I am trained in conflict resolution and group dynamics and if you feel brazen enough, I would suggest the following approach that I have both observed and utilized: A- Name the issue. Make the observation out loud to the whole group that you have noticed challenging and frustrating dynamics in the class due to the size and varying levels of participation. Shift this observation to a question and ask if other members have noticed this. Also, consider inviting particularly quiet students by name to weigh in. This is a great way to make a point (that is certain to catch more attention than silence), invite quiet members in, and give more active students a pause to consider what you have mentioned. B- If you are feeling especially bold, you could even call out a couple talkers by name (maybe call out is the wrong word) but mention that their level of participation seems to significantly outweigh other speakers and then question whether that affects the learning of other group members. This does not need to be done in a mean-spirited way, but rather as an inquiry, a curiosity. Since you are all in the field of education, it seems like a valid exploration of learning styles?- especially if it can be tied to course content in some way. C- Spell out exactly what you have here. Share with your class the fact that you have stayed silent recently because you found the levels of participation interesting. Express your frustration that at the graduate student level, elementary behavior still seems to be a challenge and basic struggles with accountability for learning and assertive expression can still be observed quite clearly. I just re-read your original post and other than a couple phrasing adjustments, I think you could share most of the thoughts with your class. Sometimes it seems like furstrations fester for so long that the frustration from stressing about a problem becomes more harmful than the actual problem. Who knows? With as many students in a discussion as you mention, I'd bet you've got a couple co-sufferers (made up word?) out there you don't even know about. D- Don't listen to me. You seem to have a great level of awareness of classroom dynamics, and while I know very little about education theory, etc.- that stands out in my mind as a very important and admirable trait. That is something your over-participators will not be able to include in their list of skills. I also love the fact that you are kind of creating a little microcosm experiment within your class. Quite scholarly indeed:) It's great to bounce ideas off of people here but you seem to have your sh-tuff figured out. I hope things have improved! C-

I graduated with my BS in 2004 and went back for my masters in 2010. During the gap I was employed full time in a completely unrelated field. My first class back I got a B and after that, it was smooth sailing and A's all the way. It just took a couple months to make that shift back. Like riding a bike, only instead of bandaids, you get lower grades:) Lots of folks have made great recommendations above (I particularly love the one about editing your own old papers- DO THIS!!!!). As long as you are aware that adjustments will need to be made, you'll do fine.

Glad to help. Someone should benefit from my adventures.

Yea, poor us. Complaining about choosing between opportunities. I think the hardest part right now is that the school are in the same city (so location/weather/entertainment/housing all level out. Also, the programs are in two different fields, so a direct comparison isn't quite as simple. I leave bright and early tomorrow morning for my visits though and I am armed with a kickin' spreadsheet for evaluation purposes. If that doesn't work I may be freestyling with the choice. It's an apple vs. an orange in the same freaking fruit basket.

I was joking. Heels usually do make me feel pretty tall. Lots of tall female friends though so we all stand out rather than just one giant. The only time it has ever been a "problem" is being around shorter men who were in a position of authority. Being much taller than them can create a weird dynamic- particularly if they have insecurities about their own height. The rest of the time, I love being tall. *Sidenote- Jr high dances sucked too. Being that taller than all the boys who hadn't hit their growth spurts yet made for some painful early teen moments. Aside from that particular time, I love being tall.

^^^^^ Holy smokes that was a long post. Didn't realize it until I hit "POST". No wonder my friends dont listen to my longwinded voicemails.

I'm in a slightly different position than some posters here but I am wondering if anyone else has run into a similar dilemma. I own a home in the town where I currently live and will be moving across the country for school. I have the home rented out to former friends/roommates and have no concerns about just keeping it for rental income (I owe very little on the property and it is worth much more than I owe so if worse came to worse, I could sell for a very nice profit. However..... What I am running into are property managers who are refusing to allow me to sign a lease because I don't have "rental history". REALLY?!?!?!??! Even providing verification from my mortgage company that I have never missed or had a late payment, they are still giving me hell. I understand that the housing market left a lot of people upside down and owning/owing more than they could handle. I am not one of those people, and yet I have been turned down by three people because I cannot provide a verifiable rental history. So lame! I will keep looking when I visit the new city later this week and am sure I will find something or someone that will see that my on-time mortgage payments since 2004 and stellar credit might be as good as some rando-landlord saying that I paid and left the place tidy. The other glitch I have run into is that a lot of the larger complexes require that you show proof of employment with an income 3x that of your monthly rent. I will be moving with the BF but he will be 2 months behind me in moving. As a result, we are not able to show any income from him yet and my stipend is not nearly enough on its own to meet this requirement. Previous proof of employment, tax return showing strong income, and even bank statements showing a stack of dough have been turned down. We have saved and prepared for this move but this is a problem I was not expecting to encounter. I assume we will end up dealing with a private owner of a condo or home via Craigslist, etc. to start because the larger companies have a formula that works for a typical undergrad/grad student renter and we don't fit that mold. I plan on doing what a couple posters mentioned above and talking to faculty and other students when I am in town to visit. I will also do some aimless wandering in desired neighborhoods to see what pops up. I've had better luck going that route in the past anyways, so maybe that's the best plan. Additionally, I'm going to try and get some kind of paperwork from both schools (still undecided but they are in the same city) that shows a funding offer of some sort that will reassure the powers that be about my ability to pay. I thought the 22 year olds would have it hard in this department but I feel like being older and having a record of resposibility is biting me in the behind. For any of you looking or planning to look for places this coming summer/fall, I would recommend doing a couple things: 1. Get copies of funding proof and a breakdown of when/how the $ will be disbursed to you to use as proof of future income. 2. Ask current tenants permission now to use their contact info for new rental applications. It might also make sense to have them write a letter recommending you as a renter (on their letterhead of course). This way the new tenant can simply call to verify that the letter is genuine. Most places I have contacted want 2 years rental history. One asked for 5. 3. Keep a little extra in the bank if possible now so that you can show that you have an extra cushion. I know this isn't always possible, but it helps. 4. Be prepared to pass a background/credit check (or at least don't be surprised when they want these things or have questions). 5. Find out before you invest time and effort what the rental company or landlord requires in terms of income/credit/prior rental history documentation. This will save you from looking at places you won't be able to live. Falling in love with a place, only to be rejected sucks big time- trust me. Hopefully this might save someone a little headache in this fun transitional phase. Happy Hunting everyone!

OOOh- A Montana lemonade! I often keep an extra pair of flats in the car, bag, whatever. Once I wear a pair of heels a time or two, I can pretty much tell which ones are all-day buddies and which ones are going to be rejected though. I also have a couple pairs that I will wear if I am going to be doing a lot of sitting- but not if I know I will be on my feet all day. It's silly that we spend this much time obsessing about it but I love my shoes and I don't care if people think they are silly. Besides, being 5'10" makes heels a necessity

It sounds like the above posters have done a pretty good job of outlining the differences in online vs in-person Phd work. I agree with most of what has been posted but also feel compelled to point out that learning is shifting in that direction and as newer scholars, we need to be prepared to adjust to the available technology or risk being left in the dust. This statement doesn't refer to the for-profit diploma mills- which make me sad more than anything because of the empty promises that snag so many who are wanting to make a better life for themselves. Rather, it refers to some of the bigger, accredited schools that have begun to develop their online undergrad and masters offerings in addition to their traditional classroom settings. Also, I would say that in general, it seems more logical to offer taught degrees (or at least some courses) online, while research degrees clearly require a "physical" presence in order to conduct the research, build relationships, etc. Personally, I wouldn't look to complete a Phd online for 2 reasons- 1: funding opportunities are non-existent and 2: I want to be able to get a job in academia when I complete the degree and those who are currently doing the hiring for those positions are not likely to hire anyone with an online degree. I do think we need to keep our eyes on these types of programs (larger, accredited ones at least). I'd hate to see technology and access develop in a way that leaves traditional scholars in the dust because we have refused to acknowledge the potential for education and access via online learning. Some folks may not be aware of this but certain institutions offer online degrees (bach and masters) that will appear on transcripts no different than degrees earned on site. In terms of applications for advanced degrees, this means that online learners will "appear" identical to traditional learners. This means that while reviewing applications, adcoms may not be able to tell that certain applicants earned a degree online at all- unless some other factor gives it away. I don't like this at all. There is a level of deception occuring IMO, but it is happening and I think that a lot of people are unaware. I'm not supporting or opposing these types of schools- just wanted to point out that education is changing right now and we need to be prepared for what that might mean. In response to your specific predicament, I think time will tell the most about your degree versus her online degree. Jobs and opportunities will lean heavily towards you. Until then, you may have to bite your tongue or just try to explain to them that Phd opportunities are different depending on the career goals of each person. You are simply applying to programs that produce a different kind of scholar. Finally, I agree with a couple of the above posters- more than anything, I feel bad for her, as she appears to be investing a huge amount of time and money into a program that is unlikely to offer much in return.

30 here. I hardly ever think about age in relation to my studies at this point. Then again, I'm right in the middle and don't think I need to be concerned about being "too far" in either direction on the age scale. This conversation did make me think about one thing though. During my undergrad, I only remember a few "non-traditional" students and didn't know any of them well. My Masters was a completely different story. Students aged from 21 to 67 and I would say the median age probably fell around 35-40. It was a wonderful, rich, incredibly valuable learning environment and the variations in age contributed to that. Discussions included so many perspectives. By the time I graduated, I had friends from school that were 23 years old and still living at home. I also had friends who were in their 60's with multiple grandchildren. A lot of the older students were choosing to go back to school after "retirement" to pursue interests they didn't have time for during their working years. The only problems we encountered were in group projects where preferences in technology utilization were different. Younger students wanted to use more technology for planning and research, older students weren't as familiar and comfortable with some of that. Even this difference though was easy to overcome by simply dividing responsibilities into areas of comfort. I don't know if my experiences were the "norm" or not, or if hard science students might not feel the same way as a social science person like myself? Either way- I love you all! Young and old! Edit: stupid spelling errors. F.

I'm so glad I found this forum!!! My boyfriend laughed so hard when I emailed him my basic template. It's not that he isn't supportive of the process (and he appreicated that I gave 3 points for his job viability) but our brains just work differently and I knew I couldn't be the only one out there doing this. Thanks for sharing what you've included as well- there are a couple zabius shared that I hadn't included yet. You guys rock!

Anyone out there creating spreadsheets to analyze and compare offers? I am contemplating putting one together and have a basic list of what I want to include and how I will weight each category and sub category. Is this insane? Could it be a good way to compare schools? I am visiting my options next week and want to put my table together to include both person reactions/feelings to the visits as well as basic facts about location, cost of living, reputation, placement, and so on. Tell me I am not the only one and also let me know if it was/is helpful or not.

I thought I had made my mind up completely. The acceptances had been weighed and compared. There was only one school I hadn't heard back from yet and for some reason in my mind I assumed it would be a rejection (even though their deadline was pretty recent and I haven't seen a single acceptance from the school on here indicating that others had been receiving offers). Today- I got an official acceptance letter from them with full funding and stipend. I thought I had my mind made up and am flying across the country next week to check out the school I thought I had decided on. I haven't officially accepted the offer as I wanted to visit first, but now I'm all sorts of confused. Luckily, the schools are within driving distance of each other so I will actually be able to visit both but I'm feeling like I just took a huge step backwards in the process. The 2 schools and 2 offers are so similar. I am very attracted to the structure and organization of both programs. Both offered full funding and stipend (within $1000 of each other in amount). Both have several POIs that I would be thrilled to work with, and both send graduates on to some pretty cool opportunities. I realize this is not the worst problem to have and that I should be thrilled that I GET to choose. I am just struggling with taking an emotional step back and undoing the "decision" portion of this process. Anyone else think they had their mind made up and then have a dark horse admission suddenly appear? I don't need help deciding- just curious as to whether others have dealt with similar scenarios and how things played out.

Most of the prior comments are spot on. Missoula is the "other " larger college town in Montana (I live in Bozeman- which as a side note has WAYYYY better skiing) but I have spent a ton of time there and if you can handle the cold, the rest is no sweat. Housing is a little challenging if you want something brand new unless you are willing to live a good distance from campus. Parking has always sucked at mid-day. Don't see that changing, but again- if you can walk a little way in the weather, NBD. In the summer, on the hot-hot days, the river smells a little. It really bothers some people, others couldn't care less. In general, Missoula is probably the most liberal town in Montana. Fairly forward thinking population- relatively of course. Crime is not going to be a big issue anywhere and there's a pretty active art/theater/music scene that you wouldn't expect to find in Montana. The worst thing going for UM right now is their reputation in athletics. There are some current/former undergrad athletes and former athletes that have been in trouble for all sorts of crimes ranging from rape to drugs to gun violence lately. I don't imagine that undergrad student athletes are the biggest concern in this forum however- or at the top of the list for why we choose a certain grad school. I'm not sure what the specific archaeology interests you have but I know that Both UM and MSU have good reputations/researchers in the Northwest so my advice would be to buy some Sorel's and a warm coat and come on up here. It's a pretty damn cool place to live. If you have questions about Missoula or MT in general, feel free to send me a PM. Been here my whole life and can tell you more than you'd ever want to know.

"You were like the smartest person in the whole school- why are you worried?" "Are you going to start wearing long skirts and scarves and wearing your hair in a bun?" And the one that drives me nuts- because he's still in control of rational thought is from my boyfriend: Him: Are you checking all the websites again? Me: Yea Him: Didn't you check them right after dinner? Me: Yea Him: Do you really think someone is there updating their system at 11 pm? Me: YEA! Him: On Sunday? Me: ......

Dal phDer mentioned what the undergrad students were wearing that might be poor choices and it made me think of something I think is soooo important- in academia at 9 am or at the club at midnight: DO NOT wear shoes you can't walk in. It doesn't matter how cute the kitten heels, 5" wedges, or pointy boots might be- if you look like a flamingo with a bladder control problem because you can't walk in them, don't wear them. I see younger girls doing this all the time but older women occasionally as well. I wear heels most days and am pretty comfortable with most heel heights, so it's not like I am anti-cute shoes or anything. I simply don't think women realize how strange they look though when they have this footwear problem. For those wanting/needing to wear dressy shoes and heels but have not done so much in the past I offer the following advice: 1. When shoe shopping: try shoes on in the evening when your feet are a little more swollen and tired. 2. Wear shoes around the house to break them in. People at home might make fun of you but if you live with them you probably know them well enough to throw something in response. 3. Try to wear them out of the house on a few short trips before you try to pull a whole day in them. Sometimes it takes 2 or 3 hours for that weird blister to show up. What sucks is when you end up with 8 hours after that wearing the same pain monsters. 4. If after all of this, they still hurt like a mothergoose, they are probably just crappy shoes. Give them to your sister. Or someone you don't like. 5. If you abolsutely LOVE a pair of shoes but they kill your little toesies, you can try this trick: A- Put on cute outfit and your amazing new shoes, pour yourself a drink B- Call your friends and invite them for a girls night out, pour a drink while you wait for them to get ready C- On the way out the door, check out your outfit and your sexy shoes in the mirror and take a quick shot D- Immediately upon arriving at a bar/club have a shot with your friends and listen while they compliment your shoes E- Dance, take a shot F- Repeat step E any desired # of times The end result is a hell of a hangover and some nicely broken in shoes. The trick is to reach the point where the booze cancels the pain.

Mine have all (accepts and rejects) have all come midweek in the morning. Doesn't stop me from checking each schools' website at all hours of the night and on the weekend though.