csibaldwin

Hi everyone, I'm a 2nd semester master's student. My first semester was rough because I'd been out of school for a few years and it was such an adjustment to get back into an academic environment. Other grad students in my department told me that the second semester would get easier... lies, I've already got as much work as I did in the middle of the 1st semester and this one has barely even started! I really don't think it's a time management issue. I make lists of what I need to do and try to give myself a certain amount to do each day so I can make things less overwhelming. I don't procrastinate- I used to be bad about that, but now I just know I can't afford to. Pretty much the only breaks I take are for meals and hygiene activities (gee, this is starting to sound like prison...), and I try to go out with friends at least once a week so I'm not a complete workaholic robot. (as an aside, my boyfriend is visiting me right now- we're in an LDR- and it sucks because I haven't been able to get ahead in my work enough to be able to set time aside to spend with him.)
The thing that bothers me is that other people in my department seem to have a lot more free time- I know a lot of them who go out during the week and almost every night of the weekends, while I can barely scrape together any time to go out once during the whole week (they are further along in the program than me,and I know some of them have less to do than me, but it still makes me feel pretty miserable knowing that I'm the only one slaving away so much). So I'm wondering, is it just me who's struggling so much to keep afloat? Or is that the norm for others on here, too?

sorry. i saw this post and really had to reply because i disagree
 
i went to a pretty prestigous public undergrad.. learned NOTHING.
went to busph  graduated in 2 years (last semester I only took 1 class) and  i worked part time for over a year while attending. which really helped with having a  night class schedule. having only 1 long class a week really helped because i could schedule my work hours more freely AND i could study by my own during the day
 
i had a few scholarships totalling to ~15k ... but other then that everything else is in loans. working while in school helped pay for living expenses and i lived further.. so my rent was cheap even though communit was an hours b*tch
 
graduated.. found a job within 2 months of graduation with a starting salary is 63K raised to 68K after 6mo.....i had never had a full time job experience prior to busph... it was there through classes and internships i l basically gained all my skills and experience. salary is not that high up but its definitely enough for me myself and i
 
so all in all to me.. my time at busph was pretty dang worth it. 

In in my mid-30s and a 2nd year Ph.D. student. I'm on the older end within my department but not the oldest. I would say my life experience has been helpful in grad school... especially as a T.A..

You're lucky... When I took a tour of my prospective school, they didn't even address grad students. They only offer tours to transfers and freshmen. When I asked if they had materials about grad school, the kid looked at me with a blank face.

I guess you have to figure out what's most important to you. I don't want to have kids, so this won't be an issue when I get my PhD in my late 30s.

i agree with jmu, as long as you review & mark the papers in such a way that clearly states what they did wrong. perhaps attach a copy of the assignment (i.e., the document stating the instructions) when you hand it back with the instructions they chose to ignore highlighted. you may also want to incentivize visiting you for help somehow, i.e., adding 5% to their grade on the next paper or the optional paper if they see you for guidance. go the extra mile (within reason, just this one time) to attempt to get some one-on-one face time with them.
 
if they ignore any way you choose to reach out or help, well... you can lead a slacker to water, but you can't make them think.

ugh, i hear that all the time, too, and it grinds my gears. archaeology barely gets enough funding in the U.S. to cover (very worthwhile) projects, let alone pay terminal M.A. students to attend. not all of us are lucky enough to be pursuing top-10 MBA programs with so much money they'll jet you around the globe for training...

I get variations of this one all the time, such as, "Oh, then you can diagnose/analyze me," or, "So you'll be able to prove ____ is crazy?"

My favorite is: "So then you'll be able to read my mind?" To which I reply, "psychOLOGY is not the same as psychIC" or just, "Yes."

"Is it really that competitive? I can't imagine how that many people want to be anthropologists..."
 
and earlier in the process...
"Are you still planning on applying to PhD programs? The deadlines are coming up soon aren't they? Doesn't seem like you've done much." 

Yes they are allowed if they are 150 cc or larger in certain states, this was Illinois. We sold it because we were moving to two different states to go to separate grad schools. Yes, the cheap Chinese ones are not made well. Regarding the classification, yes in Illinois it went by engine size, so hers was technically a motorcycle for licensing purposes.

Ha! I thought I was the only one. It's not so much that I don't have time to eat (though it's a factor) but that I'm walking a LOT more, and unlike last year I'm not sitting in an office & snacking because I'm bored. I'm also eating a lot of salads because they're quick & easy with the result that I'll need to go shopping for pants soon...

I've lost 22lbs while in grad school thus far, not because of some strict regimen of working out and dieting, but because of the fact that I simply don't have time to eat. Many days I only eat once per day. I wasn't that big to begin with, just slightly overweight (161 lbs for a male) and am now down to 139lbs. I haven't been this light since my freshman year in high school. At this rate, ill be sporting a 6 pack soon all without even trying, and ive never had a 6 pack in my life. Anyone else losing a ton if weight because they slend more time doing work than having time to eat?

Fail them and offer them the opportunity to make it up later with an additional, optional, paper. If they don't do it, it's on them.

I came in with serious self-doubt & fears of imposter syndrome setting in, because I'd been out of school for a bit; many of my fellow dirtnerds seemed much older & more experienced, but the more I'm getting back in the "reading ALL of the pages" grind, the more confident I'm feeling. I took a leap of faith with a somewhat important task my first week for a seminar class, & my professor & I both were pleased with the results. I'm really enjoying my classes, especially my seminar, which is giving me a strong background in all the theory-&-method stuff that my undergrad work was severely lacking.
 
My professors, so far, are awesome, & TAing has been going smoothly (save for the occasional "are the tests hard?" types of students). My advisor is on sebattical for the semester, but he's still in town; meeting with him put me at ease with my temporary-lack-of-thesis worries. He seems to think I've got my head in the right place, & he's very supportive of my personal goals, including getting out of here in 2 years with a solid thesis in hand.
 
I'm loving my new city, too! My housemates are wonderful, & it's easy to get around without a car. Lots of outdoorsy people, organic & local foods, fun things to do on the weekends, & so on. Also, we have rabbits, including some 2 week old bunnies. So, there's that. It's very strange to be investing in decorations & furniture that I will have to eventually U-Haul along with my S.O.'s stuff; I've been living mostly out of suitcases for the last 5 years of my life, so, really, the only "bad" feelings I have are uneasiness about "settling" or "permanence." Not such bad "problems" to have

I'm in a non-cohort Master's program now and love it, but let me state that is because it is a perfect fit for my personality.  I can take whatever classes I want each semester based on my own personal needs and establish my own degree completion timeline.  New people enter the program constantly so there are always new and old faces.  Each student is held to the same standard, but our grades are based on our individual merit.  This works for me because I love to work independently.  I have no interest in what or how the other students are learning, their future plans, their motivations for being in the program, and I'm not there to make friends.  I'd rather focus on my own goals and interests and seek out my own opportunities if I need to be further challenged. 
 
There is very little group work required in the program which I like because my experiences with group work in undergrad were horrific.  There was always some lazy jerk that did absolutely nothing and got an A because of the hard work of myself and the other group members and somehow professors find that acceptable.  No thanks.
 
I will be going the PhD route after this and more of those programs are cohort based which admittedly concerns me.  The idea of staring at the same people all the time and hearing the same opinions makes me wonder how that generates new thought processes and perspectives.  I don't think it will be so bad if grades are completely merit based, we're allowed to explore our own interests outside of core cohort coursework, we're not forced to make friends with others (that either happens naturally or it doesn't), and there is little group work.  I'd like the option to work above and beyond the minimum requirements for my cohort if I choose, but that's probably something I'd have to discuss with an advisor.  Of course all of that is my ideal, but if its not the case then I'll figure out a method of adapting without tearing my own hair out lol.

lol @ "TA training"
 
I don't remember anything from my TA training because it was fucking pointless. Everything that was said was either trivially obvious or could have been summarized in a page of text.

The "throw grad students into TAing without any real training" is unfortunately a common approach. I think being trained to do our job is important and we should not be expected to "train ourselves" (especially not without being compensated for the time). At the schools I've been to, it is through students voicing their concerns to the department/school that TA orientation and teaching development workshops were built. I would also argue that there is a huge difference between TA orientation (which is more logistics, like how TAing works, where to get help, what is expected of you, and the rules and policies governing TAing) and actual teaching workshops (where you practice and develop teaching skills). Sometimes there are also optional/extra training courses through the school's Center for Teaching & Learning. Unfortunately, most schools view this as "enrichment" training where they will allow students to do this on their own time, but they don't consider it employment training so that we are not compensated or credited for this time at all. So, it is sometimes quite difficult to meet all the other commitments and also find time to take one of these workshops!
 
I hope that more schools, especially the science research heavy programs, would value teaching more and send their grad students to these training workshops!

I believe there is a bus from Chicago.

But it's MUCH easier to just fly into Indy, and there is a regular bus that goes from the Indy airport down to the Student Union on campus.

yup, that's what I did- I kind of narrowed down my interests through each position, too. I have pretty specific interests that are hard to cater to with just internships, but I made a point of learning along the way, e.g., going to a NAGPRA seminar and reading larsen's bioarchaeology book when i was working on a colonial/historic stuff in VA (barely related to my interests). it's hard to be choosy for short term jobs and internships, so you have to work with what you've got and make the most of it for your needs – and your employers' – while you're there. better to be working and learning on a project that's not quite what you're 100% set on researchers than to be doing nothing while twiddling your thumbs waiting to do exactly what you want.

hey there! i took a year off before applying to M.A. programs in archaeology (funky interests make me the ultimate anthro fence-sitter, but archaeo is the closest subfield), so i think i'm in a good spot to give you my two cents on this.
 
i don't think i ever went more than 3 weeks without doing some kind of work. most of it has been unpaid or on a really small stipend, which has been pretty difficult, but i've made it work; i don't have a car, i don't eat meat, i have money saved up from part-time jobs during school, and i do a lot of focus groups when i can. anyway, i had a few of my POIs say they were impressed with the work experience i had on my resume/cv. there is so much you don't — and can't — learn in an undergrad classroom setting that is seriously important in archaeology. for example, i never really knew what section 106 was until i got my first job after graduating, even though i wanted to go into federal/public archaeology. it was never mentioned in a single class. i had to go out of my way at my job to learn about it, but it was worth the effort, and i got some good field and lab experience along the way.
 
basically, work. as much as you can. don't be picky; it's a really hard year for paid fieldwork. apply for everything, and don't stop applying until you have an offer in hand. try to not go more than, say, a couple of weeks without working (besides holidays, of course). work is great for field and lab experience, but it also teaches you a lot about thinking critically, working cooperatively (from direct co-workers to consulting parties) and independently (read: being a self-starter), being a great communicator, and so on. plus, you can make connections with mentors (possible LoR writers, and general beacons of awesomeness) and friends who you'll probably bump into down the road.
 
also, go to as many training seminars and annual group meetings (e.g., SAAs, AAAs) as you can, even if you're not presenting a talk or poster. as a student, you can usually do so for free, or close to it. apply for scholarships through the group running the event, and you probably won't have to foot much of a bill. it's a nice way to network for jobs, make face time with POIs, and find new topics you're interested in.
 
considering you're an undergrad who's publishing and presenting, i suspect you'll be totally fine. just keep working, and go to cool places with good pay if that's an option!

Wasn't talking to you.

At least for me, the visceral response came from just how seemingly dumbfounded you were that anybody would even consider a non-mac option, when price limitations are a very real constraint for most of us.
 
Basically, a "let 'em eat cake" moment.

here is mine:
 
Undergrad Institution: Western Illinois University
Major(s): Anthropology w/ physical emphasis
Minor(s): Zoology/ Law Enforcement and Justice Administration
GPA in Major: 4.0
Overall GPA: 3.99
Length of Degree: Community College = Jan ‘08 – May ‘10      University = Aug ‘10 – Dec ‘12
Position in Class: Top 7 %
Type of Student: Domestic/male/white (33 yrs old)

GRE Scores:
Q: 141
V: 150
W: 4.0

Research Experience:
Archeological Field School – Orendorf site in Canton IL
Study Abroad London England for Criminal Justice
Study trip at UT Knoxville Forensic Anthropology Center

Awards/Honors/Recognitions:
WESTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY – Macomb, IL
Designed and created a former professor’s website, 2012 Acceptance in the “Who’s Who Among Students In America’s Colleges and Universities” national recognition program for scholarship, leadership, and service, 2012 College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s list (semester honors), 2010-2013 Law Enforcement & Justice Administration Academic Excellence Award for 4.0 GPA, 2011 COLLEGE OF DUPAGE – Glen Ellyn, IL
Invited speaker at the foundation board meeting regarding my honors and scholarships, 2010 Student essay contest winner – 3rd place, 2010 President/Webmaster of the Academy of Law & Criminal Justice club, 2008-2010 Student Activities Certificate of Excellence Award – for leadership and dedication while serving as President of the Academy of Law & Criminal Justice, 2009 and 2010 Invited speaker at the Career and Technology Center in Addison, IL by Professor Deborah Klein, it was to address Criminal Justice high school students about my career goals in forensics, 2008  
SCHOLARSHIPS/FELLOWSHIPS_____________________________________________________________________________
 
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA - LINCOLN, Lincoln, NE
Graduate Teaching Assistantship Tuition Waiver/Stipend – UNL Anthropology Department, 2013 Edgren Graduate Tuition Fellowship – UNL Anthropology Department, 2013 WESTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY – Macomb, IL
Mellinger Foundation Academic Scholarship – Edward Arthur Mellinger Educational Foundation, 2012 Summer School Academic Scholarship – WIU Financial Aid, 2012 Civil Service Employee's Dependent Scholarship (President’s Choice) – WIU Human Resources, 2012 SGA Academic Scholarship – WIU Student Government Association, 2012 International Association for Identification (IAI) Forensic Academic Scholarship – Johnson-Whyte Memorial Foundation, 2010/2011/2012 Academic Excellence Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship – WIU Foundation, 2010-2012 COLLEGE OF DUPAGE – Glen Ellyn, IL
Achievers Academic Excellence Scholarship – COD Foundation, 2009-2010 Donald J. Craft Criminal Justice Memorial Scholarship – COD Foundation, 2009 Michael Browning Criminal Justice Memorial Scholarship – COD Foundation, 2009
Pertinent Activities or Jobs:
Study trip at UT Knoxville Forensic Anthropology Center
Archeological Field School - Orendorf site in Canton IL

oh boy here we go
 
edit: blergh, i shouldn't even bother, but i feel the need to not be a total butt and fail to respond altogether beyond my initial snark.
 
i didn't say that it didn't fit OP's requirements; it's just not the right choice for me. i know a few people who like their airs just fine, but it's not for me. i use my personal laptop frequently for work, and there are a few things that i can do on my (not so) "pro" that i'm guessing would be impossible — or, more likely, a big hassle that i just don't have time for — on an air. although i purchased my laptop when i was making the undergrad-to-work transition, i had work in mind when i bought it.
 
regarding price, telkanuru and ANDS! summed it up pretty well. price comparison is a very real thing, even when you're sitting on enough of a nest of cash to afford a new laptop. just because i'm fortunate enough to be able to purchase a laptop doesn't mean i'm willing to spend every single cent i have set aside for that purchase on it if i don't have to.
 
when i mentioned the "money-grubbing changes," what i had in mind, admittedly, was related to phones. this is mostly me being completely human and shaking my fist at inevitable changes that are going to keep happening at smaller intervals, such as the new iphone 5 chargers. really, it's a minor inconvenience, but i can't help but feel that part of the push for all the new do-dads is a means of nudging people into buying what they think is the "latest and greatest" and making the more affordable, older options harder to access and hang onto.

Pears, I just wanted to tell you I absolutely love the grumpy cat icon.