starofdawn

I just want to know where I'll be in 6 months. I. Just. Want. To. Know.

I just want to know where I'll be in 6 months. I. Just. Want. To. Know.

I just want to know where I'll be in 6 months. I. Just. Want. To. Know.

I received my UCLA rejection within 24 hours after I received my USC acceptance - they are rival schools and I was very tempted to write "FIGHT ON!" on the results page

I received my UCLA rejection within 24 hours after I received my USC acceptance - they are rival schools and I was very tempted to write "FIGHT ON!" on the results page

I received my UCLA rejection within 24 hours after I received my USC acceptance - they are rival schools and I was very tempted to write "FIGHT ON!" on the results page

I just want to know where I'll be in 6 months. I. Just. Want. To. Know.

I just want to know where I'll be in 6 months. I. Just. Want. To. Know.

I just want to know where I'll be in 6 months. I. Just. Want. To. Know.

I just want to know where I'll be in 6 months. I. Just. Want. To. Know.

I just want to know where I'll be in 6 months. I. Just. Want. To. Know.

I just want to know where I'll be in 6 months. I. Just. Want. To. Know.

I just want to know where I'll be in 6 months. I. Just. Want. To. Know.

I received my UCLA rejection within 24 hours after I received my USC acceptance - they are rival schools and I was very tempted to write "FIGHT ON!" on the results page

I just want to know where I'll be in 6 months. I. Just. Want. To. Know.

I just want to know where I'll be in 6 months. I. Just. Want. To. Know.

Not taking any classes this next quarter, woohoo! So much has happened this past year!
- Switched from an MS track to an MS/PhD track (something I never had the guts to do before); my advisor retired, so I joined a new lab; learned lots and lots of new things since my undergrad degree was in a different (yet related) field; ended an 8 year relationship; learned many new machines and techniques, even authorized to use a few; passed my comprehensive exams and now have an MS; moving into grad student housing; I have one paper under review, 2 more being typed up, and I'm almost ready to write my first first-author paper.
I'm also much more confident in my ability to read and analyze papers, to synthesize new particles and to learn other techniques, to ask questions. I've even started teaching people how to use machines.
I've grown so much in the past year, and I hope to grow more this year. I still haven't experienced the "I hate my life and want to quit" feelings that, I think, inevitably many students feel during their time... this year might be when I really start to push my limits. Summer has been pretty relaxed, and it's been good to recharge before the school year, since I'm expecting to come up against struggles.

Yes, I think it is. I was accepted to UC Irvine and my GRE scores were not as good as yours. I also graduated from a good school, but it wasn't the best school. I also did not have any research experience, but I had 4 years working experience. From my experience, I think you have a good chance.

Yep.  Even double checking I would consistently transpose the numbers.  It was the environment which threw off my thinking.
 
Also to GradSecretary, I plan on getting off AD's with time.  They were only meant as a temporary solution.  But, they might indeed be having a negative effect.  It's crossed my mind in the past.
 
Anyway, good news!  I passed the Ph.D. qualifying exams!  So, after all that work and struggle, I am shocked that I managed to pass.  Apparently, "with flying colors" as my advisor said.  I also had to remind him to inform me.  He had completely forgotten to tell me because, to him, it was not surprising news.  This is definitely the best moment I've had in my life for the past 10 years or so.  I am so glad I opted to go for this.  It's taught me so much about myself, and how I need to improve and cope with challenges.  I just hope I can be there for future years of students coming in with their own confusing struggles.  I managed to pull through despite the challenges.
 
I am kind of bummed that a few friends of mine with whom I studied did not pass the exams, but am more surprised at their emotional maturity about it.  They have made peace beforehand in ways that I still need to work to achieve.

Hello everyone,
 
I haven't followed this topic in a long time, but I wanted to drop a line for those who are still reasearching this program.
 
I think LEAP is a really cool idea, but it is also very, very expensive. I also don't believe it's the ONLY recourse for students who have decided to make a career change into engineering. I just don't want people to think that shipping over to Boston is the only way they can break into the field.
 
I have a BA in English and French, but then made the switch right away to engineering. I took evening classes at my local community college taking the full physics series, chemistry, the full calculus series, linear algebra, and some lower-division engineering. I also studied hard and took the GRE exam and got a good score (just to improve my chances and demonstrate good numeracy).
 
I now finishing my MS in Mechanical Engineering at my local public university and doing it on time, too (two-year masters). I also have a full-time job as a mechanical engineer where I've used my liberal arts background to take ownership of all technical writing, technical communications, and report writing tasks at work. Being able to leverage my English degree as an asset and not a weakness is valued in the office. Being multilingual has also helped bridge certain communication divides that exist in the office. If nothing else it gets my resume noticed.
 
Best of luck to everyone, our country and our society needs more engineers so don't give up!
 
Feel free to PM me if you have specific questions.

It's like a train wreck.... I can't turn my eyes away from it all.

I just want to know where I'll be in 6 months. I. Just. Want. To. Know.

So happy to be contributing to this thread. I've read through all the posts here for the past month, hoping I would one day write about my own acceptance; today, it came.
 
I was sitting in a boring meeting at work - when an email came through. It didn't excite me, since I completed my FAFSA application a few days ago and was receiving many emails from schools about financial aid that were unrelated to my admission decision. However, this particular email had the subject line containing the word "Congratulations!" It could only mean one thing.
 
Yup. I had been admitted. I did my best to keep my  cool throughout the rest of the meeting (no one knows I applied to graduate school), but I feverishly emailed my family and friends to share the good news.
 
I didn't apply to a single school that I wasn't excited to attend. The fact that I got accepted meant I was going to an institution where I would be proud to call myself an alumna someday. Even if I don't receive another acceptance, I'd be content.
 
Edit: Grammar. Sorry. Shaky hands.

I just want to know where I'll be in 6 months. I. Just. Want. To. Know.

People: So... what is Materials Science/Engineering?
Me: You know... it's where you learn how to make stuff...
People: ... Okay....
Me: Honestly, I don't even know how to explain it.