anxiousapplicant

I agree with Ferrero. I got a 730V, 600Q. A top-ten, HYP program which rejected me told me they threw out my application on the basis of either my GPA or my GRE (they did not read my SOP or my stellar letters of rec). My GPA is 3.98. You guess which score sank me.

Congratulations! See, I knew something would work out for you. Good for you and good luck!

I'm still waiting too. At this point I'm just curious to see if they ever get back to me, or if they just took my money and tossed out my application.

Well, April 15 came and went and still haven't heard. Wonder if Monkeefugg did? She was so adamant that the financial aid emails meant something, and as I received two of them and yet never heard from NSSR, I think I can rest my case that it didn't mean anything.

Someone got their rejection letter today for the political science program, and I have a feeling my news is on its way as well. I have already accepted another school so it is a moot point by now, but I still am intensely curious to find out the result.

Sorry to hear that. Keep your chin up, ok?

Although you are a "novice" to philosophy, you might still be interested in The Critique of Pure Reason by Kant. It is notoriously difficult, but majoring in philosophy doesn't make it easier anyway, so it's worth it just to jump in and fight your way through. It is hard, but rewarding, and will set you up well for the Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals which you may have been introduced to in your ethics course. For a scientific, logical mind, Kant is a good philosopher. I think he himself discovered some things in physics, though I don't recall what exactly. Kierkegaard is a little less heavy on the rationality stuff in comparison to Kant. Either/Or is a fascinating comparison of the aesthetic life and the married life; you could try an abridged version, because it is two volumes long. I highly recommend Kant though.

I guess I did just ask that! I'm going for a degree in political philosophy. Most of my outside reading centers around philosophy or classic literature. Especially Russian literature...

He will ask three times before the cock crows.

Oh come on! What's wrong with him?

In the rare moments when I get to spend a few minutes for pleasure, I have been reading Chekov and Kierkegaard.

I've mailed in my acceptance of another school. I have to say, I'm really disappointed with the way they've treated me. No response to emails, nothing. I would have been happier if they had just rejected me right off the bat instead of never responding to me. On another note, Monkeefugg hasn't posted in this thread lately. Wonder if she had better luck?

I am leaning toward this advice. Student4ever, I am not trying to make judgements about you, but you never used the word "love" in your post. In my own relationship, I would take the offer at his school without a second thought. I could never bear a long distance relationship, I have to see him every day. But that's me. Your situation is likely different, and so you have to weigh things. How deeply in love are you? Will you be resentful? Will he sacrifice for you? That type of thing.

I do realize that grad students do more than take classes. That's why it scares me. Because all I do now is take undergrad classes, and the workload leaves me with no additional time, so I have no idea how I'll handle an ever bigger courseload plus the other responsibilities.

I'm curious too. As an undergrad, I take five classes a semester, no electives (double major takes up all my space), with a very heavy reading/writing load. I spent basically all my time either in class, at work study, or studying on my own. I have all A's, but I am continually at the breaking point. I'm scared because if this is only undergrad, and I have no time for anything else, what the hell is grad school going to be like for me? And I attend a really shitty non-elite school! I don't get it. It scares me.

Congrats! The pain is over. Good for you and good luck!

Haven't studies shown that sleep is necessary for processing information you've learned? So I would think sleep would be a priority for professional learners like us!

I'm not sure of anything, but I do know that you're going to have to make a good case for why you are switching careers and why you need a Ph.D, and you'll need to demonstrate that you know what's going on currently in the field of political science and the research that is being conducted.

For research papers, I tend to use the old-fashioned index card method. I just write a quote or a topic and page number to reference back later. For class, though, I only handwrite notes. I basically take a transcript of the professor's words. It makes me cry when I go to study because I usually wind up with 80+ pages of notes from the lectures, but it always pays off without fail. I do need a better system for notetaking for research, however, so I hope to learn something from this thread.

I myself never understand the purse girls. Yes, I get that it's a hassle to switch all the items from backpack to handbag, but I don't get how they carry textbooks plus the fucking huge laptops the school makes us use. I know I look like a very unfashionable moron with my dirty backpack, but at least my shoulder doesn't hurt. I think I will purchase a slightly less stupid looking one for grad school, though. A lot of my profs carry backpacks, so I don't think it's shameful.

I never pulled an all-nighter. I used to need at least eleven hours of sleep, but I've cut it down to a measly ten. I never wanted to put myself in the position of needing to finish a paper the night before, though. I need at least an extra day to proofread or I have really idiotic errors in my paper.

I'm sorry to hear that the good news isn't as good as you hoped for. Hopefully your new school will offer lots of great opportunities too. Good luck for the future. Edit: Just noticed a little unintended pun or Freudian slip, depending on how you look at it, in my reply. But I do hope things go well wherever you go. The rest of us will stay here in our own little "purgatory."

That is so excellent! Love it

I think Fordham University might fund MAs.