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VirginianFeminist

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Everything posted by VirginianFeminist

  1. I went to George Mason for undergrad. While that was a bit longer ago than I'd care to admit, I believe I can still say a few things about GMU. Mason has a beautiful campus. Swaths of the campus were under construction when I was there, which removed a decent chunk of the forested area within Patriot Circle, but it's still leafy and pleasant. GMU is definitely still a commuter school, despite the Carnegie Foundation's reclassification of the campus as "primarily residential" a few years ago. There is a solid residential "core" in the student body, but without the commuters the campus gets fairly quiet on the weekends. Fairfax is the embodiment of suburbia. If you like strip malls and chain stores, you're well covered. There are few exceptions to this rule. I recommend traveling east to Arlington/Alexandria or DC if you want non-chain places. On the subject of DC, it's close and has tons of connections with GMU, but if you live on or near campus it can feel farther away than it actually is. If you want to take public transit to get to DC, you have to take a bus to the metro station and it ends up taking about an hour and a half to get there. I recommend living close to the Vienna metro station, if possible. When I was there, parking at Mason was more of a rite of passage than a convenience, but they've built a number of new lots since then. There are a number of places to study on campus if you can study with ambient noise. The JC (Johnson Center) alone has a ton of great spots. The only quiet indoor study space is Fenwick Library. I logged hundreds of hours at Fenwick. Also, since GMU is a member of the Washington Research Library Consortium, you can borrow books from G'town, GW, American, etc. The Center for the Arts is beautiful and you can get free tickets to all sorts of performances from the Virginia Opera to Rockapella (wooo '90s kids). A couple of GMU's best qualities are difficult to quantify. First, Mason students take pride in the diversity and inclusivity of their university community. GMU is a young university, which means experimentation is encouraged. I've also studied at another Virginia University that is bound by Tradition, which showed me the value of an academic community that doesn't have those hang-ups. Finally, I'll just say that I really enjoyed my time at Mason, but it's important to leave campus (and Fairfax) and take advantage of GMU's proximity to DC.
  2. I just received an offer of admission from UBC, which was exciting for about 30 seconds. They admitted me without guaranteed funding and they want my decision within a week. "Although we are not able to offer you a funding package at this time, most international students are eligible for UBC’s International Tuition Award:https://www.grad.ubc.ca/awards/international-tuition-award. The GRSJ Institute routinely assigns 4-6 Graduate Teaching assistant positions and 3-4 Graduate Academic Assistantships annually to GRSJ graduate students."
  3. Peeps (the marshmallow candies)
  4. I was playing Civ V when I received my first acceptance. The time difference between CA and the UK meant that I received the message just after midnight. I didn't get much sleep after that!
  5. The same thing happened to me. With a 3.3% acceptance rate (2/60), I don't think you can infer much about your intelligence or ability to succeed in graduate studies from a U of WA rejection.
  6. Dying of ebullism in the vacuum of space. That, or Andorian Shingles.
  7. Overall, I think GW has a slightly better reputation than Clemson or Tennessee. However, GW has a strong reputation in international affairs, law, and public policy. My SO is from Los Angeles and she went to GW for undergrad because of its reputation in those fields.
  8. Alice has your answer. Ten to fifteen percent of women become pregnant over the course of a year of "typical" condom use.
  9. Oy. That's like saying except for the Beatles the Brits haven't contributed much to the rock music genre.
  10. Have you asked the internationally renowned institution for more money? If not, you might send your fantastic funding offer from the less prestigious university to see if they're willing to negotiate. If the internationally renowned institution won't (or can't) increase your funding package, you're almost certainly better off at the less prestigious university. You mentioned that it's a strong department with a good reputation. Moreover, given the job market, you would be wise not to take on a significant amount of debt.
  11. I agree with gr8pumpkin. Vanderbilt is renowned within the field of education. Moreover, Peabody is the top-ranked program for your specialty (education administration and supervision). Your future employers will almost certainly be aware of Vanderbilt's prestige among schools of education. Even those of us outside the field of education know that it's one of the top institutions.
  12. Personally, I would be hesitant to accept their offer even if they guaranteed me an assistantship for the first year. What happens for the next few years? If they're not willing to offer funding for the duration of your program, you shouldn't accept (unless you are comfortable taking on a substantial amount of debt / have other funding opportunities).
  13. I think the LOR from the person with whom you worked closely would generally be the better choice. On the whole, I believe a detailed letter from a lesser-known professor is stronger than a limited letter from a well-known professor. If your interactions with the full professor were limited to exams and the like, s/he might not be able to say much beyond "gz390 performed well above the average in my class and received an A for his final grade". A LOR like that doesn't add much to your application.
  14. I'm sorry to hear that. Now I know to be on the lookout for some old school hard copy rejection action heading my way
  15. Almost five years ago, I traveled to Cusco and Machu Picchu on my own. I was in Peru already because I was doing volunteer work in Lima, but the trip at the end of my stay was just for me. If you have a thirst for adventure, traveling alone can be a fantastic experience. Moreover, if you're the kind of person who enjoys being alone with your thoughts, it can be even more fun than traveling with a group. Just do your research beforehand. Guidebooks are particularly useful in this regard. For example, I read about the feral dogs that inhabit the area between Cusco and the Incan baths of Tampumach'ay. Many of them are friendly, but some are aggressive. I took the bus to Tampumach'ay, but I decided to walk back. When I saw a couple dogs running in my direction, I hightailed it in the opposite direction. If you do your research, you'll know how to avoid most (avoidable) dangerous situations.
  16. I think this can be true, but the extent to which it is true depends on the MA program in question. Since we don't have MPhil degrees in the United States (for the most part), there is more variation between our MAs. There are MAs in the United States with strong research components. UVA's English MA makes the thesis optional, but, if you take the thesis option, it's not all that different from Cambridge's MPhil in Modern and Contemporary Lit. Both involve course work and a thesis/dissertation, though you might get more "one-to-one supervision" at Cambridge. I believe Oxford only has an MPhil for Medieval English, which means you'd do the MSt rather than the MPhil. With the thesis component, UVA's English MA takes two full years. The Cambridge MPhil and Oxford MSt both take nine months. Depending on your funding options, it's worth considering the total cost of nine months in Oxford/Cambridge versus two years in Charlottesville. I don't know about the cost of the programs, but the cost of living in Charlottesville is much lower than the cost of living in Oxford. For what it's worth, I've studied at both UVA (Wahoowa) and Oxford (Catz, to be specific). They are both fantastic universities that value their traditions and history, but the comparison probably ends there. Postgraduate study at Oxford tends to emphasize independence and focused research. Virginia, by contrast, values its liberal arts tradition. You could still focus on your own interests for your thesis, but I think you'd have a broader introduction to the field in your coursework. Good luck!
  17. The late Cretaceous period: T. rex, warm climate, and lots of flowering plants. Plus, it ended with quite the bang!
  18. Your reasons for not taking anti-depressants are fairly problematic. I'll address them in turn. 1) The Friend's best friend's father, or Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc: Your brother's best friend's father committed suicide after he took anti-depressants, but that does not mean he committed suicide because took anti-depressants. Doesn't it seem more likely that he committed suicide because he was depressed? 2) I am lively and outgoing: People who are depressed can be lively and outgoing one moment and then curl up into a ball of despair (a "major down point" in your words) the next. Note: that doesn't necessarily mean they are manic. 3) I should be able to regulate my moods on my own: If you suffer from depression, it's possible your brain is not properly regulating your moods. It's also possible you are genetically predisposed to depression. Moreover, an abundance of stress in your life (grad school + what you've said on the "Finding a Husband" thread) can cause depression. Several of these things could be occurring simultaneously. 4) Being forever dependent on medication: Just because you take anti-depressants now, or even a year from now, does not mean you will continue to take anti-depressants in the future. For example, if your depression is fueled to a large extent by stress, you could reduce or eliminate your intake of anti-depressants by reducing the stress in your life. 5) People who cry all the time or can't leave the house: People who can't leave the house suffer from agoraphobia have an anxiety disorder and may or may not suffer from depression. People who "cry all the time" may suffer from depression, but you needn't cry all the time (or even at all) to be diagnosed with depression. 6) My family would think it is absolutely insane: If your family doesn't think it's "absolutely insane" to see a therapist, I can't imagine they would react so strongly to your taking anti-depressants. Regardless, this isn't your family's decision. It is yours. 7) I am going into a profession where I would be working with people who have mental illness: If you suffer from depression, I would think your ability to treat it and be a successful social worker would be an asset. It would help you sympathize and make connections with your clients. 8) I am afraid of trying it: This one I honestly understand. It can be scary to think about taking medication that affects your mood. I'll just say this. Taking anti-depressants doesn't change who you are. It doesn't change your personality. It certainly does not make you "zombie like". I would liken it to simply a buffer against the lowest of lows. Only you can decide whether or not to take anti-depressants, but they are probably worth looking into for you because your therapist has recommended them twice. I hope this helps.
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