justanotherlostgrrl

Oh boy, can I relate. I kind of feel like I'm in a super awkward place. A bunch of us went out to dinner and I'm about 15 years older than everyone I was eating with. They were shocked, and they couldn't tell - and there's nothing that I could have said to make it less awkward for them. More than anything I'm frustrated by the lack of thinking by some of the people I've run into who think very simplistically - 'why can't we return to a time before Facebook'. Really, really bizarrely naive.

So tired of groupwork. Tired of everything, to be honest. I see groups where people are able to collaborate, and I'm envious of them. Instead I'm stuck having to present in front of too many people with people who don't work, argue and cram everything at the last minute. Too old for this.

It's not shouting at all - it's a completely valid critique. I have classmates in another class who are dealing with something that started out as 'something you guys can do in your spare time' to 'let's have the class do this class you'll all be teaching for an extra 3 hours every week'. It can very quickly shift subtly, and we should fight back against it. It's one thing to have an optional study group - it's another thing to drag everyone in a class into activities that should be optional. I resent having to rearrange my schedule for people who are doing things like putting on student events with people who don't make school work their first priority. So their priorities are the student events and then classes - 'oh, sorry, can't make it for our assignment meeting because we have a deadline for the conference...' Family commitments or work is one thing - student run events that affect my group's marks are another. Far too many selfish people putting their extra curricular activities ahead of school work and we all have to work harder because of it. I also resent the implication for everyone - students and faculty - that you just need to pull a few all-nighters in a row, and you're expected to be up until 4 am. Sorry, but sleep is valuable to me, and people who assume 'well just pull an all nighter' annoy the hell out of me. I want to work hard, but just saying 'don't sleep' is a pathetic answer and an immature coping strategy.

1. & 2. I find it happens quite a bit, but only mostly because our professors aren't quite clear on our progress on grades, and also because there are a lot of international students trying to see where they need to improve. 4. I can see a lot of benefit of organizing study groups etc. - sometimes collaborative sessions really do help us by talking things through. I appreciate it when we collaborate and work things out. There can be a danger though that some of those activities can spin out of control. I know of one class where a student-led initiative has added extra work (teaching classes above and beyond what's required), and it hasn't been agreed upon by everyone. It's interesting you see this as a millennial issue - I saw it as just people being very keen, but I do wonder how much of it is an age thing. 4. - thankfully not. I think we've been a pretty sober bunch, thankfully. I worry that people will use substances to cope with the stress.

Don't know where I belong either. I do feel like I am a little too old for the program I'm in. The T.A. is 16 years younger than me, and I'm working on projects with people who have 3 years of professional experience. I can relate to them, but they don't attempt to relate to me. It would matter if I wasn't in a program with so much group work. I think people resent that I bring another perspective on things - something a little more experience and nuanced. I'm a little sad that the program is pretty unstructured in a lot of ways - sometimes I feel like I'm showing up to class and there's little guidance, no written assignments (or very vague, or they expect us to be domain experts and know how to deliver quality work), and my team mates have little experience so I take the lead and just feel like people aren't contributing.... and I'm tired of a lot of it. I'll stick it out, but go through moments where it's not at all what I had hoped it would be.

This. I feel like so many of the professors are brilliant, but have serious problems with verbalizing. They contradict themselves about what they want from the assignment, and in one of my classes we've basically stopped him as a class and said 'we need more explanation here - this isn't helping us if we don't know what's required, or you contradict yourself within the span of one class'. Even getting a printed (or emailed) assignment is like pulling teeth. It feels completely different than the working world, and it's exhausting, to be honest.

I'm frustrated. I'm working in groups (and share a group mark) where the students are deciding to be a little too creative on our group assignments - the professor gives us a bullet point list of the things he's looking for, and instead the group decides to do something tangentially related to the topic that doesn't cover what the professor has asked in the written assignment. The assignment is to display that we understand the material, but people are turning their work into a political statement (essentially) rather than follow the bullet points. This has come up a few times in a few classes, and I don't know what to do about it. I show up to meetings with ideas and either the louder folks win out, or the groups decide to do something too creative than what the professor has asked. I raise my concerns with the group, but am cautious about sharing them, as I inevitably will be working with people again and don't want to get a reputation. There is no option for me to work on my own on this. I want to meet with the professor to show him my work (i.e. showing that I follow directions) but don't know what the repercussions would be with speaking with him are. I don't want my grades to be affected, and I know he'll inevitably say something like 'it's up to you to work it out with them'. I'm just worried that I'll put effort in and it won't get recognized because people are turning the assignment into something it's not, and my grades will suffer. Is something that comes from a Millennial mindset - to decide to do something different than what's being asked? Because I'm getting more and more frustrated the more I encounter it.

To be fair, I have a required class where it's a bunch of grad students from different departments, and the ones who aren't into nuance are the more 'artsy' or 'code-y' grad students - so they're not used to thinking meta about the work. Some of my classmates do parse the nuance - it's also difficult because some of our classes are pretty theoretical, so I suspect at some level we're all just exhausted from thinking. I'm disappointed by some of the classes - one in particular whose workload is through the roof, and the professors are unable to communicate clearly what they want, or we all come out going, "what the....?" The good news is some of the students have banded together and said they're frustrated, and we need more guidance. Solidarity in numbers I'm not sure anyone looks to anyone as leaders or inspiration here, and it's been hard to get back in the socializing part. I'm also doing so much group work and by the end of the day, I'm just exhausted from so much human contact. I feel pretty lost as an introvert and feel it's definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone, for better and for worse.

Exhausted - not just the workload, but physical exhaustion. 5 hour classes....and being an introvert through the whole thing is exhausting me, too. In general pretty happy, but occasionally frustrated. There's a class where they just tell us what they want for the assignment, but don't actually print out an assignment sheet, which is pretty frustrating when there are 4 parts to an assignment We're all just furiously writing down what they say, and then spend a day trying to interpret it. So inefficient, and not what I had expected.

Oh, the digestion! I remember being able to have gluten and milk once upon a time Glad your experience is going well. I would say my experience is mixed - I do know some people in my program who haven't worked, and I bring a lot of different work experiences that I do talk about in class (tied to the program material) and I don't know if people just can't relate or not. There are moments of 'let's all go drinking' that I can't relate to at all, or going to event after event. I come home exhausted and sleep - I'm feeling like my 40s are making this harder than I would realize. I'm trying, but I feel like an outsider, and don't think it ever will be easy for me in the program because I feel very different than everyone. I bring a certain kind of more philosophical point of view, but sense that's looked down on. I'm trying to remain open minded and positive where I can be, but it's tricky. People will bring up blanket statements in class - 'Facebook is evil' - and my counter examples - 'ah, but they had a role in the Arab Spring, so while parts of their practices are unethical, there is some value in...' and I get blank stares, and end up not continuing. Any nuance tends to be lost. I do wish I could find the older students in other programs in my school, but I have no idea where I'd go to find them. I try to go to events, but the workload is pretty hard to balance as well as look for some kind of work.

Yay gitters! Nothing much to add other than it's understandable and a normal reaction - as an adult, grad school is probably one of the most stressful things you can do. It's also the anticipation of not knowing quite what it will be like, and the higher stakes. Even if you had a free scholarship, you'd still be nervous in that it's a performance related system - you'll have to perform/create/analyze at a higher standard than you have in your life, so it's healthy to be nervous. It would be a little worrisome if you didn't be nervous on some level. Think of all the actors and performers who say they still get stage fright at times - it's our body's way of preparing for something, but you've crossed one threshold, so you'll succeed to another. There's some excellent advice in the thread, and definitely look into resources on campus - my school has a crazy about of wellness programs, and most of the groups look like they're free, so the schools often know this is a stressful experience. Try to attack the process with a positive, realistic view, and go kick arse at what you do. You've made it so far, and you'll continue!

I'm very curious about other people's experiences especially using disability services in grad school when it's more pratical, studio based work. If I was asking for extra time because of tests because of my learning disability, that might make sense - but I honestly don't know what kind of accommodations make sense when you're in small group work, other than notetaking support or recording the classes. If I disclosed that I've suffered from chronic depression, that may be understandable - but anything like ADHD may seem like an 'excuse'. I'm worried about the perception that profs might have if I disclosed my issues. I'm going to sign up for the Disability Services, but don't know if or when I should reveal to profs.

Yay sub 3's! 2.97 and shocked I got in... but I did. I got into my dream MFA program, and now the struggle begins

Thanks so much for this, julietmercredi. It's funny because I do see lots of statistics and data from community colleges and other private educational 'professional training' companies that do focusing on how well grads have done in finding work in their industry. The school has a great reputation, and I see that a lot of the alumni are working in my field at great companies - it's just a huge life change and I want to make sure that this part of the answer of if it's for me is answered. It's a big motivating factor for me - that it's a well thought of program, and that graduates are successful, but it's one thing to read happy stories - it's another thing to see the figures Now the tough part is contact alumni to get their views on the school and even to find out what I want to ask them.

Thanks, lyrehc! I just found out one of my schools doesn't have a copy of the certificate, so I'm hoping having another one will help.

I'm applying for a MFA in design. Does anyone have tips on how to address a lack of formal research experience as an undergrad? I took a liberal arts program, so there weren't necessarily labs or studios to work with professors. I've written some undergrad papers that are directly related to my topic that I'm applying to in grad school, but worry that that lack of formal research in a lab or detailed with a professor can affect my candidancy, and don't have a way to really include those papers in my application. I've mentioned one of them in my Statement of Purpose, but probably silly to include it in my porfolio. I've written reports as a professional in my field for clients, but don't know of a way to include those in a portfolio to demonstrate that I've synthesized my 'research' (i.e. user research) and created analysis out of it - just not in an academic setting. The program I'm applying to seems to do a mix - lots of research, but students are evaluated on shorter projects, and the written thesis is not a lengthy one. Any ideas? How did you address the lack of research as an undergrad? I hear that you're not supposed to address gaps, but other people also say you need to mention what you'll do for an area where you haven't done something.

Good to know - so how much detail did you go into for that one interest? I need to have a 750 word SOP that includes my background, plan of study, professional goals, anticipated opportunities and challenges and overlap with some of it, but have it split somewhat evenly on all of these areas - so the plan of study/interests section is only about 146 words (although I touch on some of it in the other areas). I can easily write 750 words on one of the topics, but have read a lot that stresses that you need to touch on all areas they want to see in the SOP, like your background.

That's what worries me - the divide. I feel a divide when I read an article mentioning they were in grade school during 9/11 and I was already out of school and working at that point. What worries me more is that students seem to be so much more self-possessed and know what they want to do at a far younger age. I see people's portfolios and they're building apps while in high school, and I feel like I haven't achieved a damn thing - whereas at least if I have a master's I'll know I'll have done 'something'. I know the program I'm applying for is collaborative, so I welcome the chance to be working with people who have good ideas and attititudes, but also worry about talking about my experiences where I just don't seem 'good enough' or just too 'out of the loop'. I've had a long path since school, and big parts of it were difficult, so it's going to be harder to relate to someone who's 23 and hasn't had certain experiences that you inherit from working in Corporate America.

Practicing the SOP writing can't hurt - the process of writing itself can usually clarify what you want to study, and worst comes to worst, if there's content you like and don't have need for in your SOP you can just keep it as a draft for later. It's hard to focus on saying ALL the things, and realizing you probably have to give them an appetizer and not the full course meal in such a sort length of time. I'm fascinated by wearables and why they have or haven't taken off as well as how they'll evolve. I've seen some neat things in fashion design as opposed to actual gadgets or watches - so more responsive clothing like on http://tech.360fashion.net/ How will wearable evolve to address health concerns and respond to the environment rather than using it as a passive dumb terminal for emails and twitter. I can't really get into the Apple Watch - I use piles of Apple stuff, and in general love geeking out on tech, but really am disappointed with the company and instant obselescene. I don't want to buy a new phone, and think many of their design decisions are disappointing. Happy to review your SOP and appreciate you reviewing mine. I'm applying to a Transdisciplinary Design MFA program, so design strategy, research, UX and service design are the focus. Part of me is completely jazzed by all of it, part of me is completely terrified by all of it. It's been a while since I've been in school, so we'll see

I'm applying to a MFA program in transdisciplinary design that's a mix of theory and studio, and I have a couple of topics of exploration - but I'm not sure how definitive I have to sound, or how focused. I've not done any major research (just undergrad work) - so is it ok to say "I want to explore how x topic is important", or do I have to have a declarative statement - "X topic is great'? I have three separate topics that seem distinct enough - IF I can fit them and the rest of the requirements in the 750 words, should I include all three? They seem to show that I'm thinking about a lot of good topics, which I'm hoping will help demonstrate why I'm a good fit and thinking about topics of interest that the program explores. If it's more important to have only one topic, I can do that - just curious what works. If anyone's interested in reviewing it, I'd appreciate the help! Send me a message and I'll send you the link. Thank yoU!

I'm just a fellow applicant and not in CS (although a UX designer, if that helps!), so take my thoughts here with a grain of salt. Also I envy anyone working in wearbles - would love to get into more product oriented work! I'm not sure you have to justify why you're leaving industry other than to say you're interested in exploring it in more depth, and academia is the place to do it, which I think is quite valid. Perhaps working on short term projects (like less than 3 months) is not enough to explore a topic when you're in industry (like consulting, my background, where all the projects seemed short) - whereas in grad school, with a thesis you can really explore something in greater depth for a greater length. That's a bit of what I'm doing - part of it is to learn about my topic, and part of it is improve my employment prospects in the future. If you've always wanted to build the visualization software, say you want to do that - it need not be aligned directly with your professional experience, although I don't think it could hurt to talk about your professional experiences to date, and maybe your journey of how you got to focus on visualization rather than the wireless energy and wearables. It would be interesting to see how those three topics intersect. As you say, they're NOT going to hold you down to what you say in your statement of purpose, so maybe write 2 separate SOPs - one on the wearables, one on the visualization, and see what that feels like in writing them. That might help you choose. I would say if your application is strong because you have the experience and recommendations for wearables, go with that and get into school first - you can always decide on the visualization for your thesis after you get in. Good luck! Happy to review anything. I am just starting out on the journey myself

That is a good idea... I'm trying to find the right alumni to contact, and have found a few of them on Facebook. I'm specifically trying to find ones who were hesitant on applying to grad school just so I can confirm if it's the right decision for me.

That's a good idea to check - unfortunately it's a lot of 'x is a great schoo that has a great reputation', but less around placement rates and hard numbers. I will look into it, though... thank you!

Hi everyone, After my B.A. I took a couple of 'continuing education' certificates - one from the university I graduated from a few years later, and another from a community college. The web site for the grad school I'm applying to says "Applicants must upload an unofficial transcript, mark sheet, or academic record for each institution (even if they didn’t receive a degree) in the Educational Background section of the online application". Can I assume that it's ok to include continuing education/professional certificates transcripts as well? Also, any thoughts on weighing the GPAs? My undergrad was ok, but just under 3; I got much better grades in the certificates (i.e. 3.97) largely because they were more in my field. They were about 6 courses each which I did in the evenings. While undergrad courses were far more 'research-y', the certificates were a combination of essays and exercises/presentations/group work, and ironically enough much more applicable to the program I'm applying for. Has anyone had experience including the certificates, and did it help you? Also one of the programs doesn't exist any more (some of the same courses I took are there, but under a newer umbrella certificate). I'm less worried about that, but thoughts on any of this are welcomed.

Does anyone have experience with low GPAs that got higher with subsequent education? I had an ok GPA for undergrad, but probably too low (think it was 2.7ish?) but I've taken a couple of professional certificates from colleges where my culmulative GPA was better (3.75+), and they were programs in my current field, design. I've taken the certificates after undergrad, and they're more geared to what I'm applying to grad school for - my undergrad was more general liberal arts and not actual design. If anyone has any ideas, let me know.