overworkedta

Apply again next year and include a few "safety" schools. I'm sorry if that sounds harsh but you shouldn't be required to pay for your doctorate (I'm assuming that is what it is). If they aren't offering funding and that is the norm in your discipline, you should be concerned. They don't want you that badly. ETA: Nevermind, you're going for a Master's. While my dept. often funds masters students, you are not going to find many that do in this country. PhD programs are the way to go. That doesn't mean you aren't an awesome applicant and well-qualified. It's just the nature of this market. This said, you can always ask more about the TA/RA positions. What exactly have you done to to attract an offer there? My dept. usually gets everyone money by fall but their "best" candidates get fellowships, then the next ones get regular stipends, and then some partially funded students come along. You still make get funding but you sometimes have to ask.

Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit (the movies). I didn't see the BS Hobbit franchise but the movies put me to sleep every time.

I wish we had a reference library but we don't. And, honestly, all books that you get for actual courses in-house are going to be required for comps. SO MANY BOOKS. Right now they are all in my office. I still haven't brought them all home. I am hoping I can leave them all there until I move and then move them into my new place when we get bookshelves.

You from the Chicago area, too? I don't get the hype. It smells, the shopping is dispersed, and it's just crazy. Chicago may be the butt of jokes for many people and just as expensive in most ways but I still much prefer it. Things I dislike everyone likes: YA Fiction, Distopian novels, etc. The whole Hunger Games thing is not for me. Far be it from me to tell people what to read but please stop telling ME what to read. Oh, and Bon Iver. I have no idea why people are so obsessive about Bon Iver.

Maybe I just know a lot of people who like to upgrade tech once every other year. Everyone I know SAYS they are going to let something last 4 years and then they never do. Most of my machines end up making it about 4 years but I rotate them out so I don't ever have to rely on only one. I keep most things on the cloud. My teaching stuff is there exclusively just in case - as were all my comps materials. Again, I could be weird but the idea of having one and one only (even if the other one is just a brick at home) is frightening since I have had so many people have their computers crash - HD's, motherboards, you name it - in the middle of a finals week or comps. My ex had his mac crash in the middle of finals two years ago and I had to loan him my desktop replacement computer. ETA: I think people should tread carefully when "buying up" with PC's. The brick I keep talking about is the second replacement for the original Dell my parents paid $2500.00 for in 2008 when my 4 year old hunk of a Dell kicked the bucket and wouldn't tolerate a memory upgrade. We went for the fastest, nicest thing we could get and it bit the dust in about 6 months, then was replaced by another model that had electrical and power issues and finally this one. 4 years later, it has had several keyboards, several mother boards, and a new hard drive, so maybe my experience with "expensive" PC's is just awful and I don't see the point in buying anything that costs a ton unless it is a Mac.

That would be excellent. I'm not an introvert at all and poster sessions didn't bother me as an undergrad. That said, it's been a LONG time. I don't worry about talking to randoms or extremely well known people alike. I just want to make sure I get the most bang for my buck. My friend and colleague says we can share a hotel room there to save money, so at least someone else is going and we can do it together! My coauthor has to come regardless because he has another thing to do with another former student.

I only kept books relevant to my grad degree and honors thesis. Since grad school, I have kept EVERYTHING. I may never use my books on nonprofit management, but if I teach a course in it, I will need them! I horde books. Between my books and my SO's books, we will need many bookcases. The good news is that his dad is a woodworker and makes them.

I don't think apple is a bad product at all if you have apple care. Their customer service is excellent. I love my iPhone and my iPod ran forever but they are very, very expensive machines - especially for somoene who always wants an upgrade. Likewise, they aren't the best choice for everyone depending on the software you are expected to run for a given program/programs. I can't stand dealing with STATA on Mac OS and several other program aren't supported by Mac or are downright buggy as all get out. And your "no viruses" thing may or may not continue as Macs proliferate, so I don't really consider that a selling point (or at least I wouldn't rely on it). Macs may not get malware - yet. I also have never, ever gotten a devastating virus on a computer in all of my years of owning one. People that do don't realize how to scan their machines or avoid bad areas of the internet. Anytime someone brings this up, I'm like "really?" because it's never happened to me. Maybe I am lucky or just better with computers but I think people tend to just know nothing about programming or computers when these things happen. Also, for someone doing things on the cheap, buying something with a cheaper processor - what does it matter? In two years, you will want to replace it anyhow. Most people don't need a hugely demanding processor to use computers as internet boxes. That's why many people are working on tablets these days. I mean, maybe you ARE the type who keeps a computer for 4 years and never wants an upgrade but I know more people than I don't know that want to upgrade every 2 years and spend way more than they need to in those cases. Again, YMMV.

If Gary King stopped by, I might faint. I jest, but wow. Yeah, I think it will be a good goal to work towards. This is a paper with a coauthor and he says it can't hurt to have a deadline. Thanks!

No problem. I just spent a week on civil rights and liberties in my American class last week and they have Supreme Court presentations coming up, so I love to remind them about how much freedom we actually have in comparison. I love Canada to death and actually would prefer limits if it could slow the spread of hate but I know a lot of people disagree with me.

I won't ever spend that chunk of change on a laptop. $500.00 or less for something with decent specs that can run my stats software. I don't game and I replace my computers every couple of years. I don't buy into warranties either because I can fix a lot of things myself and have been totally screwed by Dell on waiting for a computer for 6+ weeks because of their screw ups. This is what my computer scientist ex taught me. It's about the only thing redeemable about him. Now, if I was to get back into doing photography or graphics on the side, I would upgrade. But, yes, you can find a decent laptop for less than $600.00. I have a 3 year old ASUS that fits the bill just fine. I just upgraded to a new battery but other than that, she's perfect.

Are you interested in policy or public health at all? It could be marketable to get an MA in political science (policy focused), an MPA, or an MPH and also have your MBA to go along with it - especially if your granting institution was well known.

Ultrabooks are a good combination but they will cost you. If I had to have one machine, that's what I would go for. I currently have three - a Dell Studio XPS that is POS now used only as my home computer, a ASUS 15'' laptop, and a Surface Pro tablet that is my everyday go to work computer. I have dongle so I can work my monitor off of it at work. The size and weight are great for every day. I'm currently using my ASUS. It's my go-to laptop. I like having two machines at least, though, it can be very handy in that one doesn't get too abused. I'm also a bit of a tech freak and like toys.

Yup, that's Buffalo Sweat. It's good stuff. And yes I am a big beer lover and it doesn't offend me when people say "wow, you really like beer" - especially regarding stouts. I do get offended when the BF orders a fruity shandy and I an imperial and they bring me the shandy, though. Or, even worse when waitstaff at a very upscale place with craft brews galore determines I would much rather have a wheat beer and get offended when, no, I really did want the stout. Blargh. Stupid. And wine IS my first love. I made "my" first chardonnay when I was about 6 (with help from my Dad the vintner, of course) and there are still some impeccably stored bottles in the basement. Brewing is a lot of the same and really fun. When I think about my mom and I stomping grapes ourselves pre-crusher/stemmer for various batches and how we used to spend weekends upon weekends shopping for supplies and suppliers, though, I wax nostalgic. It's fun to brew, though. And easier, I think, just with the time and amount of equiptment needed for a start up. Wine is way more time-consuming - especially with fresh grapes.

I study Canada (also not a law expert but I've taught Canadian Politics and the Charter to u-grads) and I can say that there is a HUGE difference regarding such things like this. The burden falls on you to "prove" that there is apparently some sort of huge abuse of your rights going on. Now, I would argue in a classroom where you can't move, this may be different, but in a library, there are actually huge problems with limiting access to pornography among patrons. Even in public libraries, there are issues: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-11-11/news/ct-met-orland-park-library-pornography-changes-20131111_1_library-board-chicago-public-library-library-computers Also, take protests like Westboro Baptist "Church" which just came to my campus and we counter-protested. That wouldn't be allowed in Canada because of "hate groups" and the Charter/Criminal Code but they have repeatedly had their rights affirmed here. It's crazy. Are freedoms more "free" South of the border? I would argue generally yes but I am really not sure if that's a good thing.

^ That is great advice. Also, letting them know that you care (even in a little way) can do a lot. Think back to when you were a student and had a horrible prof. Most of us can. Now, think about the TA in that class. There was one such class my Senior year (a little do-nothing psych course I was getting an A+ in but hated) that life was made bearable by very good TA's that actually listened and encouraged us to write to her tenure committee. The prof was racist and homophobic on a DAILY basis, violated FERPA regularly, and was totally derogatory on a regular basis in lectures towards our then-Nobel winner on campus (who was in MY dept.) because she had to take a grad methods seminar from her once 10 years ago during her masters and hated it. Likewise, with a very old, racist, and crazy bio prof, the TA's were the only people who seemed to care. I noted that and didn't blame them. I felt empowered by me suggesting I write a strong eval against her practices. I definutely agree with the idea that if he is violating Title IX, you need to talk to a dept. head. If you can even find an inkling of that with numbers (a strong one), go ahead. Sometimes it's not worth it if your dept. chair is a really PITA but most are pretty understanding.

Hey all. My coauthor and I did not get accepted for a paper at APSA but we did get accepted with a poster. Considering the proposal was put together about a week before the deadline on a wild hare, I'm impressed. It's a piggy-back off of something related to my dissertation and a large amount of the work is already done. We will probably submit it soon after APSA if not before somewhere. Who knows? Is it worth presenting a poster, though? I've never done this. I've always gotten a paper in somewhere - MPSA, SSSA, etc. There will be some cost to me on this but I am told the networking opportunities are huge and I am on the job market this fall. Would you go?

Slow cookers are not bad on the electric bill in my experience. Hairdryers are probably less cost effective. I use one to make the laziest but tastiest soup. I put in tomoto puree, salt and pepper, beef or lamb stew meat, frozen veggies, potatoes, and garlic. Leave it on all day on medium for like 6-7 hours or low for 8+ hours and you have the best soup ever. Or, if you are nervous, put it on low overnight and keep it there. If you have a big enough one, you can also roast an entire chicken. And while chickens aren't "quick", they are cost effective and simple if you have a dutch oven. You can get a cheap one for like $30.00 at Marshall's or a cooking outlet. Put it in the oven with some garlic and olive oil, let the oil heat up, toss in your chicken, and then put the lid on. In about 2 hours, you check the chicken with a thermometer and you have meat all week relatively unseasoned that you can pour any sauce over, mix with rice, etc. And you can frequently find "fryers" for like $8.00 at the grocery.

Have not. We get Tallgrass here and they sponsor coed and women's cycling so I like to give them my money. Buffalo Sweat is a good brew. Will be on the lookout. Thanks for the rec! I have a couple four hands brews in STL that I'd never had before this weekend. We are going back soon to a new Urban Chestnut that just opened near the BF's brother's place. We also may be brewing with him soon. So much beer. So psyched!

Facebook is good. Also, if you could get a skype buddy who would be willing to chat with you regularly, that may help, too. Think of it as like a verbal pen pal.

Actually, this is tricky. A good friend of mine (a grad student) was told that he couldn't report a student for watching porn anymore than anything else because of "academic freedom" and the policies at our public university. Another friend was in the library studying and went to report someone watching torture porn on one of the huge mac screens and the librarian said again that because of the 1st Amendment protections provided, they couldn't ask the person to leave. For that, I give you various case law and the case against "obscenity" made by SCOTUS but that's a lot to explain to the administration of a school with a law school, apparently. *head desk* At IU, I don't know what the policy was. And, yes, the TA excused the student as in, sent them packing!

I would retake if only because a lot of schools use GRE scores as a measure of "should we even consider this app". If you apply to one and their cutoff is 165, you are going to short just by a bit but it won't matter. I retook to boost my scores and did so successfully with only a month of studying. Learning how to take the test really did most of the work. I did much better the second time. And as for the brownie points, probably not. My verbal and argument sections were off the charts but I have been told by many social scientists that these matter not to social science adcoms for the most part (I am in a highly quantitative field) and that my quant score was valued the most. So, I would imagine engineering would be even worse to deal with as far as quant scores mattering. I don't think it will kill you but it couldn't hurt to retake, either.

It's okay. It's not a bad beer. Not bad, not amazing. Too honey-ish for my tastes but even a shandy is too "sweet" for my liking. Everyone likes their own "type" of beer. Even the "best" beer you could buy on the market is worthless if you don't like drinking it! Case in point: Stone is supposed to be one of the best breweries on the market but I think their stuff is really hit or miss and is generally overpriced. I say tihs as someone who regularly buys expensive beer. Everyone likes different things.

This. My first day of college I had a class in a lecture hall with about 550 people. It was a math class and I got stuck next to someone with a 17'' laptop who was watching PORN on it. It was incredibly distracting to me to try and focus and it's not like I was trying to watch porn in class. i can only imagine how distracting that could be to someone like 2 rows back or directly behind this guy. I reported it to a TA who excused him but it was ridiculous. It's very distracting when someone is watching videos on facebook and you are sitting either directly next to them or behind them. I say that from personal experience. And most students WON'T say anything. I rarely did in my 4 years of school and laptops were far less common back then than now when everyone has one that they bring or a tablet. They just weren't that portable back then.

Our TA's have to take two courses (a speaking and culture course and a composition course) before they can teach. I have two friends that have done that process and RA'ed in the meantime. It hasn't been bad for them. They both said the first semester was frustrating but you just have to deal with it and get over the fear. Immersing yourself in it is the only way to get better for a lot of people. In the meantime, though, with my French, watching TV and reading french newspapers has been helpful. It's still frustrating using technical language but you learn it over time. Do you know what duties you've been assigned? Our department doesn't give labs or independent sections to first year, first semester students and most of our international students don't teach independently until year 5 or year 4 at the earliest. So, most of their duties are regarding grading or just helping a prof in lecture. They don't have to give their own lectures, basically.