jhefflol

I read laying down, which usually results in a nap unfortunately. If I'm reading scholarship, I have to be in the library or a coffee shop so I don't fall asleep.

The Flappers Series is by far my favorite YA trash series I have read to date. It's about some debs in the 1920s who get involved with speakeasies, the mob, interracial marriages, etc...the usual. And it's relatively feminist considering the content. I'll look through my bookshelf when I'm fully awake to see if I can spot anything else. YA lit is my favorite for pleasure reading!

Well, our landlord decided to raise rent to an amount that we cannot justify paying, even for the good neighborhood we live in. We have to move. I really didn't want to, as I am trying to save money in case I have to move across the country, but we really don't have a choice. The search is going to be nuts, as we have 2 cats and I can't sign a lease for longer than 6 months because of the application limbo. The bright side of this is that I become obsessive over apartment hunting and will have something to occupy my time while I wait to hear back! Okay, end rant. I just wanted to vent to an audience that would understand the absurdity of trying to find a short lease apartment in case I have to move.

Congrats to everyone so far!!!

I took a course that was an undergrad/grad student combo and since there were 5 undergrads to each grad student, us grad students were distributed among groups of undergrads for group discussion. My group had the task of discussing gothic elements in a certain novel we were reading and immediately after the professor gave us the discussion question, the undergrads just stared at me. After realizing that no one was going to contribute to the discussion, I asked the group to name off some of the elements of gothic literature and got absolutely no response. Mind you, these students were about to graduate with a degree in literature or English education, and elements of gothic novels are discussed during lower division survey courses. Its basic. I was really annoyed. Also, in the same kind of situation, one of the undergrads told me she didn't like doing research papers. Each class requires at least two. I was very puzzled by her life choices.

Yep. I get the whole "Oh you're smart, you'll get in somewhere" response. Then I try to explain the actual process and when I start to see their eyes glaze over, I just compare getting accepted to a bit like winning the academic lottery and explain that its not uncommon for bright students to apply for multiple seasons before getting accepted and leave it at that. Luckily I have a good number of people in my program who are also going through the same process so at least they get it and we can vent to each other if necessary.

I'm in the middle of Night Watch by Sarah Waters and its a bit too complicated of a plot for the usual trashy novels I like to read for pleasure. I'm at a standstill with it, hoping to get over the rut and actually enjoy it because the author is a very good writer.

Yo, that EM lit course sounds amazing.

refreshing coke

INSANE ASYLUM ETA: idk why my caps lock was on, but I'm keeping it because it fits.

How I feel when I check my email and there isn't anything new: How I feel about stress eating during the waiting process: How I think my SOP sounds in hindsight: OH GOD THIS IS FUN!

Agree. I'll leave my responses because I'm on the mobile version and it sucks lol But I love you all and have absolute faith that our cohort will have a high acceptance rate:) We've got some smart cookies here!

I wasn't talking about you specifically, just the attitude of this thread in general. I participated too, and I'm guilty as well.

And I just want to add that, yes, there are 15 schools that would be a perfect fit for me. There were actually 27, but I narrowed them down. Being an early modernist has its benefits, as nearly every school has some kind of well-funded EM/medieval program. Your fit list might be less because, if I remember correctly, you are studying something way more risky? innovative? I'm not sure what the correct word is. And that's okay I think you'll be just fine for applications, but questioning others' methods and choices isn't really fair.

Is it just me or is this thread getting to be some kind of sick competition to see who had it hardest? We all have our struggles. It's part of the human existence. Every single person is fighting some kind of uphill battle, no matter what kind of privilege each person has.

On another note (trying to distract myself from how impatient I am), when does everyone start the new semester? What classes are you taking? Anything you're particularly jazzed about?

I feel like I should answer here. I only took each GRE once and didn't have any prep courses either. I come from a single-income family, a teacher's income at that. I have had to work 2 jobs totaling 55-60 hours a week to support myself through my MA, all while taking 3-4 classes. I don't live at home, and rent in long beach isn't cheap. I was able to apply to 15 schools by some miracle. My parents set up an education investment fund when I was young. When my parents divorced, my dad took all of our important documents when he left and refused to hand them over. Last semester, we were finally able to cash out the fund through a long process, and it came at the perfect time. I could only apply to the schools that the education fund could afford. I had some fee waivers as well, which I'm immensely grateful for. Would I have liked to take the GRE again? You bet. Would I have preferred to apply to more schools? Yep. I do think that the fact that I couldn't afford prep classes, a "higher ranked" MA institution, and to retake the GREs will effect the outcomes of my application. That's why I chose to apply to so many: I see this as a one-shot deal. If I don't get in with funding this year, I'll have to work for 2 years to save up to apply again. And who knows, by that time I might be perfectly happy as a community college professor and won't want to pursue a PhD.

The best feeling in the world is making plans with someone early in the day for later that night and looking forward to the plans all day. You even get extra cute because you are too excited: you took extra time on your hair and did a little more with your make up. But when time rolls around for the other person to come pick you up, the person is late...a half hour...an hour...and they won't reply to any texts or calls. Its even better when that person is your boyfriend who, when finally answers your call, answers the question if he is coming home with, "Don't I come home every night?" Apparently he didn't have time to take ten seconds to call or text me during his 12 hour shift to tell me that he probably wouldn't be able to make it. Do not date a restaurant manager who is terrible at managing the other aspects of his life.

AWWWWW YEEEEEAAAAHHHHH! Congrats!! Also as a side note, your icon has been appearing as the "next" page button on my mobile version of GC for some reason. It makes me laugh every time. It's like, "back," "reply," or "hypervodka."

I like how we are calling each other out lol EXPLAIN YOURSELVES!

Also, does anyone want to claim that rhetoric admit to Michigan state? Congrats!

Congrats!!!! You are amazing!

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Congrats! You're going to nail the interview! Let us know how it goes!