ashiepoo72

Chiqui and Heimat -- you guys should email the programs!! Don't let this freak you out, just get it taken care of ASAP. There's plenty of time for freak-outs in the coming weeks

Congrats girlscoutcookies!!! That's so exciting

Anyone else see that Ohio State acceptance on the results board? I just got done telling my classmate I have about a week before I start really freaking out. Apparently I overestimated haha EDIT: sorry for being rude! Congrats to the acceptee

Thanks for the info, fopdandyhomo

LeventeL - meeting with classmates is on point advice. My cohort does google chats where we discuss the books/articles before actual class discussion. It's very helpful. Welcome elinen! I'm glad to see a bunch of new posters making their appearance

The worst part is seeing all the interviews and acceptances rolling in from other disciplines. Most history programs are silent except for the occasional interview, usually informal, so we get to suffer in agony. Northwestern should be getting back pretty soon...like the next week or so. They have been known to respond as late as mid-March, though. Maryland starts notifying early February but usually isn't done til March either. We got a LONG way to go...

Maybe you could mention having overcome an illness, but not be explicit that it was mental illness. It's better to be vague about that stuff anyway, otherwise it can be viewed as an excuse (that's not my opinion...the fact that you're so thoughtfully considering how to--and if you even should--broach this shows you aren't attempting to excuse anything).

Hello rmw, we are pleased to have you join in our insanity If you're willing to share, I'd love to hear what your field is and where you applied I do modern U.S., with an emphasis on war and conflict.

Your opinions matter--don't be afraid to speak up. Not every grad student is [insert deity]'s gift to history. That being said, pay attention to discussions and use them as a learning experience because plenty grad students are good at what they do, and the ones that aren't can be lessons for you by the very fact that they are challenged. Try to be humble and don't feel the need to fill every silent moment--that's something I really get irritated by (and something many grad students feel the need to do). It really shuts out students that need the quiet to gather their thoughts and courage to speak. Remember...your prof let you in the class because you SHOULD be there.

I wish I could like your post a bajillion times, Heimat! When the forums go quiet. I get extremely nervous haha

I am losing my ever-lovin' mind. Classes start tomorrow...classes start tomorrow...I NEED the distraction...

Chiki--I WAS going to say that it's also a bad situation for a child that comes from such a selfish union, but I think it's best if we don't feed the troll

I'd just like to clarify. Funding is essential. Don't withdraw your applications until you're SURE you will turn down the program anyway, based on your interest in said program and whether they have sent an official acceptance and are funding you. So if you applied to six programs and are accepted to your second choice WITH funding, you should withdraw your application from your fifth and sixth schools. The key here is withdrawing applications from programs you KNOW you would turn down anyway, not withdrawing the application to your second choice when you feel like it is starting to be your first choice because you got accepted to your first choice which is now more like second choice (that's a mouthful, but I hope you can see the difference between that and withdrawing an application from a program low on your list once you've received an offer from one higher).

I don't know if it's different in other disciplines, but I've always been told to withdraw any pending applications once I know I won't say yes to a program if it admits me. The thought behind that is that this process isn't about collecting as many trophies as you can, but keeping your eye on the prize while being conscious that not withdrawing an application somewhere you wouldn't go anyway may cost someone on the wait list their top choice or perhaps only choice. It's the neighborly thing to do

Hi HistoryMystery! Glad to have another CA resident on the board also, love your profile image...I'm so behind on that show what's your field and where are you applying, if you don't mind me asking? Heimat--I think we are all paranoid at this point, so totally understandable! Let's all enjoy the last week or so before chaos begins!

That's exciting, Heimat! I'm sure they just want to hear more about your research interests, which is a great sign. Make a list of questions you have for them, too! Good luck and keep us posted

I'm giving each of my letter writers a book specially selected for them with a thank you card before I hear back from programs. My thinking is that I'm thanking them for the recommendation letters, not whether I get into a program or not. I do plan on giving them some home-baked goods and maybe a shot glass or mug from the program I select (if I get in anywhere). I know people think that's cliche, but I like the idea of them having something from where I end up, especially because their letters supported my efforts. I think it's perfectly fine to give your rec writers a thank you note even before your defense. They are professionals, and as long as you don't go over the top I doubt they'll view your thoughtfulness as an attempt at manipulating the outcome of your thesis defense. It's really up to you, though

I second paying down credit card debt. I want to be more efficient in my "time wasting." Instead of getting distracted while doing my work and hopping on YouTube for an hour or two, I'm trying to schedule mental health breaks after reasonable amounts of time working. I tend to be hard on myself for taking any breaks, so I think it'll be better if I accept that I need them instead of having impromptu ones that waste so much time. I also would like to spend more time being present with family and friends, not so consumed by my work. It's hard, because it seems like everywhere I go, no matter who I'm with, some conversation, thought or moment sparks intellectual questions that bring me back to my research or potential research. I don't know how to shut it down, and I'm not ashamed to say I'd like to sometimes!

You understand what YOUR life is about, which is great. You wouldn't miss class for a wedding, at least in theory based on the information and feelings you currently have. That's your prerogative and no one should demand you do otherwise. Doesn't mean you understand what OP's life is about. She didn't ask us to understand her life (I have an urge to shout "you don't know my life!" Haha) she just asked us for advice on how to make a wedding while in grad school work. Considering you haven't planned your wedding while in grad school, I'm not sure how your advice would be particularly useful to her? Good luck OP!

You can care about grad school and still have a personal life. It's not like OP is blowing off class for date after date--and who cares if that's the case?? Not our business to judge! I'm GLAD to hear OP values her personal life. Grad school can consume you, and that isn't healthy or productive. I don't have statistics (I'm an historian, and not a quantitative one!) but I know from personal experience and observation that the students who have a good work-life balance do the best in grad school--as in, aren't overly obsessed with one or the other...the levels of dedication to each will fluctuate depending on the person and the circumstance. Everyone's work-life balance is weighted differently, but completely eliminating one is the wrong approach. Life is about finding your balance.

Funding is determined based on merit, not need, so I don't think how financially strapped we are is taken into account. There are special fellowships and stuff based on diversity or research interests but that's different than financial need. Only one application asked how much undergrad debt I still had, none of the others mentioned my finances at all except to say I should (or need) to apply for FAFSA. I have heard that international applicants need to send financial documents, but that's probably because there is less funding for international students than domestic.

Absolutely it can mix. It requires meticulous planning and gnarly spreadsheets, though! In all seriousness, when I was planning my wedding (which ended up getting called off a few months before the wedding date, but I digress...) I took care of all the big, stressful things right away. That's venue, caterer, DJ, photographer, etc. I chose a venue that does everything to save me the stress and a bunch of money. All-inclusive wedding venues are awesome when you have a busy personal life. I DIYed most of the invitations, favors and decorations. I spaced these out over like 4-6 months so it wasn't overwhelming. If you're having a wedding party (or not...this works with a group of close friends too), get the guys and gals to come over one night and work on favors and the like. It's fun and will save you time. I was only half kidding about the spreadsheet thing...having a spreadsheet with invitees, their address, phone number, number in their party, and a checklist indicating if I finished their invitation, favor, save-the-date, etc...was really useful. I also had a spreadsheet that mapped out when I wanted certain things done (like: have tasting by this date. Order cake by this date. Buy invitation stamps by this date). The best thing you can do is be hyper-vigilant about organization. And set all this stuff in motion BEFORE you start graduate school. Try hard NOT to get obsessed with wedding planning. I totally did--this was extra bad for me, because I almost married the wrong person and "wedding frenzy" masked our problems--but this applies to happy couples too! You need to focus on your other responsibilities and happiness outside of wedding planning. As for the wedding day and honeymoon, are you set on a date? Is there a way you can plan to get married a week or two before school starts in the Fall? There are other options, like having a delayed honeymoon (tons of people do this now because wedding costs are so prohibitive) or having a local honeymoon. Or you can just level with your professors--they've seen this before. Your personal life is important, and graduate school shouldn't totally supersede it. I'd like to add that having a Sunday or off-season (like November-February) wedding will save you a HUGE amount of money. I know the season is rather important to some people, but I wanted to throw that out there. Finally, do your best to enjoy planning your wedding. It's a really special time in your life (cliche, I know)--so many people get so caught up in the consumerism and details that they forget that a beautiful wedding is less important than the beautiful marriage on the other side of it

I'm just glad I start school next week...that'll take my mind off the waiting game! I'm gonna try and pull a Glamdoll and leave my phone at home so no frantic email checking... Hey, when this is all said and done, would anyone wanna do an SOP exchange? I'd love to read your finished products I feel silly, since we don't know each other, but I'm glad I'm going through this with you guys!

Our eyes, they play tricks on us. Is there anything on there indicating that something is missing? I'm sure you're fine! This is just the calm before the storm, y'all!

I was 23 when I started my MA, and I'll be 26 when I finish. Some people in my cohort started directly from undergrad and began at 21 or 22, others are in their 30s, and we have quite few older than that.