gingin6789
-
Posts
845 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
6
Posts posted by gingin6789
-
-
@any5 Thanks for serving up some mindful truth! That's good, RESPECTFUL advice, and I do appreciate it.
-
Wow people talking behind our backs about how naive and blind we are.
Quelle f**king surprise. I mean we *are* blind because we don't have the experience they have.
But yeah. It feels disturbingly reminiscent of the folks who told me I'm not gonna get anywhere ever since I dropped out of high school.
And I just respectfully went about my life and proved them wrong.
To folks like them, I'm not even supposed to be here, yet here I am.
Will I prove these guys wrong by going to the PhD program that fits me best instead of prioritizing ONLY rank?
I have no clue, but I know that there are people who actually support that decision, and they've made more difference than some anons on that forum have.
... and now instantly I wanna say "sorry for being so naive and kinda rude." But I'm just not in the mood for other rude people. Even if they are realistic and experienced.
I guess I shouldn't have even read that post >_O
-
Hugs for @nowayjose and @Shay825!!!
*offers you both some cookies too*
-
@SickSlickensides Yes, those two things suck sometimes, but as I mentioned, the students are also very willing to learn! However, I still felt the need to mention it because those two things really shocked me when I first came to Bethlehem.
30" of snow is NOT typical. Most winters, we get a bunch of small snowstorms, only snowing like 1-4" at a time. So don't worry!
Yes, most of the buildings are cooled in the summer. Having evening classes in Maginnes during the warmer months, I was freezing because they have the AC so cranked! I remember Christmas-Saucon being warm though (sometimes referred to as Christmas Sauna). Christmas-Saucon is the "math building," but they put one of my sociology recitations in there during my first semester.
But you're in Earth Sciences, yes? Congratulations, you have one of the newest buildings on campus that isn't far up the mountain at all. STEPS is a very nice building and is known for being energy-efficient, etc. STEPS is always comfortable.
-
Super helpful, @Epsius. Thank you! Ah I wish I could go a week early, but I can't be away from my current campus for that long. Either way, I'll see you at the visitation day!! :-)
-
2 minutes ago, kelris said:
I'm also waiting on Northwestern. Loyola and Vandy, too........
Waiting for Vandy with you, too! Heard a couple notices went out on Tuesday for their visitation weekend ... I hope to hear some news soon, too!
Only other program I'm waiting on besides Vanderbilt is Brandeis. Saw an acceptance for Brandeis on the board for Tuesday, too.
-
@SLPgradstudentthank you so much for the encouragement!! *hugs* Hahaha thank you for offering to be mad at them so I can be happy! You're so sweet!
@whatamIdoing_hereI'm so sorry to hear that you get cold sores, too! It sucks so badly!
@artsy16I'm so glad sorry to hear that... That really sucks *offers you a delicious coffee and sits in the thread with you*
- SLPgradstudent and artsy16
-
2
-
3 minutes ago, sjoh197 said:
Yeah... probably 20 minutes or so after said "stressful event" is over. I've learned to wear button up shirts, silky scarves, put my rather long hair in front of my chest, etc. Because it IS embarrassing. Which is a shame because natural'ish things like cold sores and hives shouldn't be embarrassing.
You're so right! We shouldn't have to worry so much about covering it up! I've been getting cold sores since I was 5,and I dread each one!
-
7 minutes ago, sjoh197 said:
Thank you everyone for the nice words about the cards. I had never really thought about making them for other people. I have an entire smashbook of crap like that that I've been saving from our entire relationship. Movie tickets, event tickets, bottle caps, postcards, pictures, etc. I like the crafty stuff.
@gingin6789 That really sucks. When I get really really really stressed... as in "in front of everyone doing a presentation" or an interview or something big like that, I literally break out in hives on my chest. I even had a professor come ask me after a presentation if I was alright and if I was having an allergic reaction/ needed to go to the doctor. Lol.
I guess you could say I'm allergic to public speaking.
Oh no!! That's awful! Do the hives go away soon after?
-
I guess my stress has hit a new level. Woke up with the unfortunately familiar feeling of my lip swelling... A cold sore is on its way. The last one I had was only a little bit over a month ago!!! I used to only get them once a year! And now two in two months? Ugh!!
At least this one will be gone by my first campus visit.
How freaking embarrassing.
-
Just now, krispykreme said:
SO helpful!!! Capital letters to emphasize the quantity and quality of your helpful reply. Thank you gingin, i hope you enjoy the trip and maybe get to stay an extra few days to make it even more worthwhile
I'm so glad you think so! No problem, krispy! I'll probably stay til Saturday!
-
23 minutes ago, krispykreme said:
my mushy brain meant-- does stipend include health insurance and fees-- woops!
I am not sure, it is one day and $300 does not fully cover flight from the east coast
if you do, pretty please do share your impression of the campus, people, davis!
Health insurance is covered as part of the "tuition & fees" section listed on our award letter. So, coverage is separate from our stipend, meaning health insurance costs are COVERED and will NOT be taken from our stipend.
Sorry for the caps, I just wanted to phrase it in a clear way, so caps is for emphasis, not anger haha.
I've just gotta go visit. I need to visit everywhere I've been accepted in order to make the best decision ... I'm coming from the east coast, too, so the flight will be pretty salty, but I'll try to dip into my meager savings haha!
EDIT: Just heard back from my friend about summer funding. You've gotta save during the academic year or look for other funding during the summer. Here are some examples provided: "There is a small grant for research up to $1000 ... You can apply for readerships but that only provides about $1800 if you do it for both summer sessions. If you have a master's or are ABD you can apply to teach classes in the summer and that's much more money."
So, the summer can be tricky. However, she says the stipend is indeed livable, especially in Sacramento or the other smaller areas around Davis like woodland and Dixon, which are cheaper. She also says "You won't be living in luxury but it's doable for a single person without kids."
Hope this helps!
-
Just now, krispykreme said:
Thanks for clarifying!! i really appreciate it. can she live without struggling? lol i don't want to count my pennies every time i need to buy a cup of coffee bc i know grad school will involve lots of coffee....
ALSO, does stipend include tuition and fees? i did not really understand that portion of the letter
Lastly, are summer RA/TA positions generally accessible to students? I am concerned for years 2,3,4,5
She said the stipend is livable, especially if you live closer to Sacramento and have a roommate. But I can ask her more about that!
Stipend is separate from tuition and fees, in that you receive a full tuition and fee waiver, AND you get paid on top of that.
As for the last question, I'll ask her.
and a question for YOU, friend, is: will you be at the visitation day?? If so, I'm excited to meet you!
-
5 minutes ago, soc_questions said:
I agree with your response, gingin6789. There's a lot that an individual applicant does not have control over, which I was hoping to get across in my post ... but I figured I'd also share what elements I did have control over (even though I of course don't know if those are what got me in).
That's a perfect way to phrase it! There are many things you can control, but it's never certain how much weight each part carries during the admissions process.
-
On 2/10/2016 at 7:39 PM, soc_questions said:
- One piece of advice I received a long time ago (when applying to my master's program) was that your statement of purpose should reflect the academic/professional journey you've been on that got you to where you are, where you hope to go, and why this program will help you get there. I think that was useful and have taken that to heart.
Anyway... hope something in there is useful to someone. Good luck to everyone!
And I think this is where SOPs can greatly differ. Some applicants' SOPs are tremendously personal because that's what really matters as part of their academic journey, while others read more as research proposals.
I'm reminded of Vanderbilt's advice for writing an SOP:
" We hope that your statement of purpose will tell us why you want to be a sociologist, and why you want to earn a Ph.D. in sociology. Your statement should provide us with a clear idea of what kind of research questions motivate you, and why you think Vanderbilt is the right place for you to pursue them. Your statement should also tell us how your intellectual background and perhaps your life experiences have prepared you for graduate school at this point in your life. More effective statements do not start with something like “I think I began to be a sociologist at age 10 when I noticed that white kids and black kids were treated differently in school.” Yawn. What you thought when you were 10 will not help us decide whether you are well-prepared for graduate school now. (For the record, something like this would not kill your application; it would just be boring, and we read so many…) The point is, bring up your personal experience if it matters. We want to hear about it, if it matters."
(emphasis added)
I've been hesitating to what makes my "application stand out." I've now been fortunate enough to have been accepted to five of eight programs.
It's hard to say what makes my application different from those who have been rejected from multiple places because so much of the decision process contains things I have no control over.
I could be a perfect fit for a program, know the profs in the department, but if those profs aren't able to take on PhD students, then I might not get accepted, for example. If I'm the perfect fit for a program but my stats are slightly weaker than the top 5, and they're only taking 5 students, then I'm bumped out of the running.
Sounds like a cop-out for an answer, but I always remember my professor's story. One of the best professors I've ever witnessed teaching, completely brilliant in his field, he got his PhD from WUSTL but was rejected from much "lower-ranked" programs. He shrugged and told me that the process can be completely arbitrary sometimes.
-
Um @123hardasABC is that a freaking pokedex case? THAT. ONE. PLEASE.
I agree with @nevermind, @sjoh197! I would so buy one of your beautiful cards <3
*relaxes in the thread, lovely belgian ale in hand, and begins to prepare for my recitations tomorrow*
Anyone is welcome to have a lovely belgian ale with me.
-
24 minutes ago, krispykreme said:
i got the same thing but "contingent on continued funding from the university" concerned me. Also, is 19k enough to live by for Davis, in the event summer RA or TA job does not happen after Year 1?
I think they're required to say that. Kinda like "oh you get your funding for 5 years contingent on satisfactory performance." just kinda like a requirement to say, or that's how it sounded to me.
Did you other Davis folks get nominated for any other fellowships? Keep those in mind, too.
PS, I have a friend who's currently in the PhD program. Let me know if you want me to pass on any questions. She'll likely know about summer funding stuff too.
Part of why I applied was because she was very happy with the program, funding, everything.
-
18 minutes ago, macadamia tea said:
Received a Cornell acceptance about half an hour ago, so there is still some hope
Congratulations!!! Whoo! *throws confetti for you*
-
26 minutes ago, sjoh197 said:
I've been wasting my time away making my third consecutive "love you" day card. I don't even know why I do this. He doesn't care about cards. Sigh.
Those are so beautiful!!!! I would love such a heartfelt card!
-
-
Starting off on a rejection SUCKS, badly. My first notification was a rejection, and I received it the day I had to go back to my university, where I live alone. So, having to process that rejection alone that evening really sucked.
However, a few days later, I got two acceptances and an interview notice within 20 minutes of each other.
As someone told me here, it's good that I was rejected from Emory, because you don't want to end up at a program where they don't really want you, you know?
-
Wow, thank you all for your support! @nightfarmer @Neist @Lexie16 @The Interdisciplinarian @Cat_Robutt @hippyscientist thank you all for your replies! Having this support and advice means the world to me, but I can't say I'm surprised to receive such love here! I'm also sorry to hear that so many of you are going through similar situations ... but we can support each other, right? <3
-
6 minutes ago, Shay825 said:
The Graduate Coordinator from UMass Boston reached out to me via email for more information. She indicated that they are just now beginning the process of evaluating applications. The Sociology PhD is a new program at this school. Did anyone else apply?
Hey, I didn't apply, but I just realized I know someone who is currently in the UMass Boston PhD program. Let me know if you want me to reach out to her/connect you two!
-
Hey all *curls up in the thread and settles in*
Got 2 acceptances yesterday which was great, but I learned just how much someone resents me for even applying to these programs. And they said some very mean and hurtful things about me like how I'll *for sure* choose a program without letting my husband know, leaving him behind and destroying our marriage. It was a punch to the gut. This person said they loved me, and now they peg me as some she-demon who would leave her husband behind?
The important thing is that, while the person who said this means a lot to me, my mom, my husband, and my siblings are all on my side, and they're the ones who are most important.
So, this person turned my happy champagne into sad champagne last night. Ugh.
Anyone else experience something like this?
What's the meaning behind your username?
in Waiting it Out
Posted
Nickname given to me by my softball coach originally.
"*enthusiastically when I arrived for practice* How ya doin', Gin-gin?!"