katerific

It may be that you hold this topic very near and dear to your heart, and that others of us were just enjoying a discussion with no serious consequences. After all, the consensus is that the OP was fake, right? Perhaps it was unnecessary to shake your finger at everyone quite so vigorously. But OK. You have apparently established to your own satisfaction that most of us fail your higher education small talk test.

This thread was terribly disappointing. I started reading it believing that at least, the majority of the scholarly soon-to-be academics here would be able to have an intelligent discussion on issues like campus disability services and discussion on health/disabilities, (I mean there are how many threads on people gaining weight on this forum and how to stay fit?) and what do I find? The last bastion  of safe discrimination and the Megatron of concern trolling.
 
Fat people know they're fat, ok? They don't need the constant reminders from people. How many individuals do you think say *per day* to your average overweight or obese person "Well, if you just eat healthy foods, exercise and consume less calories than you use, you can be thinner!" Why thank you, concern troll, I had no idea and this is the very first time someone has ever suggested such a thing before. You are my hero. And seeing as how most concern trolls are not doctors nor have they ever studied the intricacies of the human body, nutrition, kinesiology, or genetics, or even economics but rather would secretly (or not so secretly) just like to not look at fat people ever, the majority of people who hear this on a regular basis would like to take all that fake concern and offer you a nice big helping of STFU. 
 
I know this may come as a big shocker to some people, but is actually possible for some people, appearance wise, to be externally fat but internally (according to all physical examinations and tests by doctors) to be as fit and functional as a healthy person. The opposite can also be true for thin people. There are plenty of naturally thin people who consume nothing but junk and are not internally healthy. 
 
Some individuals here seem to be under the impression that accepting fat people/the fat acceptance movement/plus size phenomenon or whatever you want to call it is PC or coddling or some form of accepting "bad" behavior. Because of course anyone who is fat is absolutely to blame for all of it. Lets just throw a white sheet over everyone and call it a day. Just like Fox News says anyone who is living in poverty is there as a result of their own poor behavior or bad choices. I think I can see what kind of environment some of these individuals were raised in.  The fat acceptance movement is none of these things. Hold on for a second now because I might just make a radical claim here:
 
Like Feminism is the general belief and movement that women are fundamentally people and deserving of the equal rights and opportunities of men, the Fat Acceptance Movement is so too the general belief that fat individuals are fundamentally people and deserving of the equal rights and opportunities of anyone else. It is the belief that a fat person should not have to be okay with discrimination in the job market, bullying, harassment, or threats. Here are a few screen shots from a tumblr I occasionally peruse from people who actually do deal with discrimination, misdiagnoses and harassment just for being fat :
 
 



These were all recent posts. The fact of the matter is, yes, health is important. But you know what else is important? The fact that fat people are still PEOPLE. And they deserve just as much respect as anyone else. 
 
There is also a big correlation between poverty and health. There are areas of our country where people are so fundamentally disadvantaged that finding healthy food is one of their lowest priorities. There are places in America called food deserts. A food desert is defined as an area without access to fresh fruits, vegetables, and other whole foods due to a lack of supermarkets, farmers markets and other healthy food providers. Many individuals in these areas may not have cars with which to drive to an area where such things are accessible or may not be able to afford the gas. http://americannutritionassociation.org/newsletter/usda-defines-food-deserts <- what is a food desert. http://newsone.com/1540235/americas-worst-9-urban-food-deserts/ <- Top 9 urban food deserts. So that covers food. What about exercise? Not only are there people so economically disadvantaged that they can't get to good supermarkets, who of these people do you think are going to get to a gym? Go outside and run, you say? In temperatures that can get below freezing, you say? Or how about above 85 and humid? Above 95? It is it okay to exercise outside in adverse weather conditions? What about in unsafe neighborhoods? Who honestly thinks that anyone who can't even afford gas money is going to be living in super safe neighborhood? I won't even bother addressing the low wage workers who work 10 or 12+ hour days and can't access basic things like clean water and healthy supermarkets (in America!). 
 
For a forum all about higher education, this thread was sorely lacking it. 
 
http://books.google.com/books?id=mILfIjh356sC&lpg=PA201&ots=0T_5klWQvd&dq=food%20deserts%20in%20america&lr&pg=PA201#v=onepage&q=food%20deserts%20in%20america&f=false  <- more on food deserts
 
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1549-0831.2009.tb00387.x/abstract;jsessionid=14E99F2ED815CBE471D72D7A2CC1CB01.f03t03?deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=&userIsAuthenticated=false   <- article on the lack on available healthy food correlates to increased BMI

There are plenty of us still here years after our initial applications. Perhaps for the schadenfreude, but also because getting in is just the beginning.

Oh man, I remember. As an undergrad, back in the day, I could stay up in the computer lab all night, fueled by nothing but coffee. I think I also walked uphill both ways in the snow to get to my office, and there were saber-toothed tigers all along the way.
 
uh, I guess at this point you only have 24 hours or so left, but uh... good luck. If you aren't done, work like hell. You can do it! [/Rob Schneider]

Just a sidenote/PSA:

The worst part about New Jersey is all the people who bitch about New Jersey. They make me want to dial whine one one and get a WAAAAHmbulance asap. NJ is actually pretty normal and alright in terms of places in the US you could live. Oh, and the traffic on some roads is also pretty terrible, but I don't think it's worse than other places I've lived (i.e. major cities elsewhere).

tl;dr: RU is a'ight

Yes. Drowning is a great word to describe it.

There are a lot of really good, qualified grad students who do not get encouragement or reassurance from their advisors. However, I don't think the converse ever happens (i.e., an advisor is confident in a bad student). If your advisor gives you reassurance, att the very least trust your advisor on that!

Echoing what juilletmercredi said, just about everyone feels this at some point. People have different ways of coping. For example, people who appear confident may be totally faking it. Even the person I consider to be THE BEST student in my program--she has a lot of doubts. Even the "weaker" students in the program have them--but by NO MEANS are they bad students. Everyone's pretty good.

You got in for a reason. You're a good student and a good researcher with good potential. I will say, though, don't compare yourself to other people--there are plenty of other grad students who seem perfect, but that doesn't mean you're bad, by any means.

One thing you could do, though, to help convince yourself--examine your performance vs what the advisor expects. Sometimes, advisors are unrealistic. At the same time, some of us could improve. Like, reading an extra paper (or 5, 10) per week, doing a few extra hours in the lab, etc. If you're already at your max, you're probably doing a good job. Even if you aren't, you're still probably doing a good job (unless you are SERIOUSLY slacking, but this doesn't seem to be the case).
 

Okay, there was a lot of rambling here, but the bottom line is that you're not alone!

Yes. Drowning is a great word to describe it.

There are a lot of really good, qualified grad students who do not get encouragement or reassurance from their advisors. However, I don't think the converse ever happens (i.e., an advisor is confident in a bad student). If your advisor gives you reassurance, att the very least trust your advisor on that!

Echoing what juilletmercredi said, just about everyone feels this at some point. People have different ways of coping. For example, people who appear confident may be totally faking it. Even the person I consider to be THE BEST student in my program--she has a lot of doubts. Even the "weaker" students in the program have them--but by NO MEANS are they bad students. Everyone's pretty good.

You got in for a reason. You're a good student and a good researcher with good potential. I will say, though, don't compare yourself to other people--there are plenty of other grad students who seem perfect, but that doesn't mean you're bad, by any means.

One thing you could do, though, to help convince yourself--examine your performance vs what the advisor expects. Sometimes, advisors are unrealistic. At the same time, some of us could improve. Like, reading an extra paper (or 5, 10) per week, doing a few extra hours in the lab, etc. If you're already at your max, you're probably doing a good job. Even if you aren't, you're still probably doing a good job (unless you are SERIOUSLY slacking, but this doesn't seem to be the case).
 

Okay, there was a lot of rambling here, but the bottom line is that you're not alone!

Amazing. These will never get old for me. Ever.



Uhhhhh, let me try. Prepare the sad trombone, because these are pretty bad.

1. Chuck Norris was admitted to every geology program because he discovered something with a hardness of 11* on the Mohs scale--his fist.
2. They gave him full funding and even offered him future post-doc positions because he later found something rated at 12--his resolve.

....Nevermind, I'm going to stop now for everyone else's sake. You guys, I'm so so sorry.


*note: diamonds are the hardest at 10.

Oh man, I remember. As an undergrad, back in the day, I could stay up in the computer lab all night, fueled by nothing but coffee. I think I also walked uphill both ways in the snow to get to my office, and there were saber-toothed tigers all along the way.
 
uh, I guess at this point you only have 24 hours or so left, but uh... good luck. If you aren't done, work like hell. You can do it! [/Rob Schneider]

I am not a fan of whiskey, so I usually stick to vodka or gin. BUT if you're looking for endurance (i.e. a looong night out without blacking out), I'd say something like Coors Light. Go ahead and judge, but you can pretty safely drink this for hours on end without passing that point of ickiness. (Unless you hate cheap beer. In that case, ignore this advice.)
Something like Long Islands are good for getting the job done if the friend is not in to alcohol.
If they are, and they like whiskey/any derivatives, go with that. I have to agree with Jameson--not a fan of the genre, but it's a pretty solid choice.
 
for the frugal, if you plan on going out: pregaming is KEY. I cannot understate its importance.

Avoid tequila. 99.1% of bad alcohol-related stories (that I've heard) seem to involve tequila. I have not actually done that stats on this, so I can't give you any uncertainty on that number.

I am not a fan of whiskey, so I usually stick to vodka or gin. BUT if you're looking for endurance (i.e. a looong night out without blacking out), I'd say something like Coors Light. Go ahead and judge, but you can pretty safely drink this for hours on end without passing that point of ickiness. (Unless you hate cheap beer. In that case, ignore this advice.)
Something like Long Islands are good for getting the job done if the friend is not in to alcohol.
If they are, and they like whiskey/any derivatives, go with that. I have to agree with Jameson--not a fan of the genre, but it's a pretty solid choice.
 
for the frugal, if you plan on going out: pregaming is KEY. I cannot understate its importance.

Avoid tequila. 99.1% of bad alcohol-related stories (that I've heard) seem to involve tequila. I have not actually done that stats on this, so I can't give you any uncertainty on that number.

Our posts were only a minute apart. I like you.

waiting and waiting and waiting and etc.

Well, I eat my words.
 
I wonder if they posted the notice so late in the day to keep people from freaking out/checking the website obsessively. As if.

While ya'lls are waiting. Reaction gif time.

Waiting for results:


When the grfp site is down for some unknown reason:



BUT IT'S A FALSE ALARM:

Dropbox, Amazon Prime, etc. But just wanted to reiterate--ask other students (both grads and undergrads!) if they have extra student discount cards. I don't know where they come from (I guess local landlords/property management places?), but some people have them, and they're magical. 15% every Subway purchase? 10% off the local froyo place? awesome.

While ya'lls are waiting. Reaction gif time.

Waiting for results:


When the grfp site is down for some unknown reason:



BUT IT'S A FALSE ALARM: