drownsoda

I guess the question is that it depends on what you want out of your graduate experience, and if you possibly want to pursue a PhD afterwards. I also don't necessarily agree with your department head—that feels to me like a ploy to keep you there, which, it's fine if you want to do that, but I don't think you should be coerced into it out of fear that you won't get good recommendation letters from the professors. That seems kind of ridiculous to me. I was only at my undergrad university for two years, and I got fine letters of recommendation. I went to an unranked, zero-prestige state school for my undergrad. I had a good experience there, but I frankly just felt like it wasn't going to open any doors for me, for both geographical and institutional reasons (the flipside I guess was that it was cheap and didn't cost me much compared to what some of my friends were paying at private universities). By some stroke of luck, I managed to get into Fordham's master's program, which was fantastic, but also bittersweet because the majority of their master's students are unfunded. I had started out going to school at a community college and paid my through that, transferred, and took out a very minimal amount of student loans to complete my undergrad, so I bit the bullet and went with Fordham with my eyes wide open, knowing I was going to be paying for it, but I had less reservations about it because I wasn't steeped in debt from my undergrad like many of my peers were. I was lucky enough to get a teaching assistantship at Fordham's business school, which is just enough for me to live on and then some—so basically the debt I am accruing is just tuition costs (which ain't cheap, I won't lie, but having an assistantship has definitely helped). I've actually had enough extra money to make payments on some of my loans while in school as well, which has been great. In any case, your question really depends on what YOU want. Do you want to stay on there? Do you want to move onto somewhere bigger? I think your longterm goals are a factor in this as well. If you think your degree at your current university could get you into a better-ranked MA program, then apply to some in addition to your current school. I considered staying on at my undergrad institution, but the truth is that an MA from there vs an MA from somewhere like Fordham doesn't even compare, and my undergrad institution didn't offer any assistantships whatsoever. The way I looked at it, by going to Fordham, I was not only refining my skills and preparing for PhD work, but also investing in making sure I could get into a prestigious PhD program—so I took the plunge. Maybe I'm crazy (most likely), but I don't regret that decision as of yet, as I am getting a great education there, making connections, and having opportunities that my undergrad university couldn't even dream of offering me. We'll see in the next year or so if the story has changed and I'm destitute and regretting my entire life, but I'm not someone who tends to take risks, and right now I feel glad that I did.

I quite frankly think it's utter bullshit that funding opportunities are based on GRE scores over GPAs and work examples, but we're not going to get into that today. I'm like you— I hate standardized tests. I am also literally the worst mathematician on the face of the earth (hence why I'm a humanities major). I took multiple practice tests, had a Princeton Review study book, and studied vocabulary voraciously, and I still managed to just do just decently on the test. I think I ended up with a 159 or 160 in verbal which was good I think, but I did embarrassingly bad on the quantitative section—brace yourself— 140! I did well on the analytical writing though with a 5.0. I see you're a geology major, so I'm assuming quantitative is an important section since you're going into sciences. I know that in most humanities, your quantitative scores are typically given little weight in your admission decision, so I wonder how much a geology program would weigh your verbal scores? I was applying for master's programs, and I know my middling scores definitely kept me out of a couple of programs, but I ended up getting into my dream program anyway. Also like you though, I didn't get funded (which would've been partial anyway, since they don't have fully-funded M.A.s), but was fortunate enough to get a paid assistantship to help offset the fact that I suck at standardized tests. I can't offer you any help in terms of how to study for the quantitative section— maybe get a math tutor or have a friend help you study? I attempted to study for the quantitative section but eventually just blew it off to focus on getting the verbal right, because that was the most important in my case. I will say this for verbal: if you have a smartphone, download the Magoosh vocabulary app (it's free), and use it everyday. They drill you on many words that you will see on the test, and the app works like flashcards, so it's easy to use and really helps you memorize. It has virtual "decks" of flashcards that are organized into sections, and it will continue to drill you on the words you're struggling with until you get them down. I did this intensively for a week before I took my test, and there's no doubt in my mind that I ended up getting a decent verbal score because of it. Like I said, get that app to study for the verbal section, because it WILL help. I also think that panic and fear can cripple you on a test like this, so I did my best to just breathe and take it one thing at a time. I know in the moment can tend to be thinking a million miles an hour about how this test affects the rest of your life and can make you or break you or whatever, but at the end of the day, it's just a stupid test. When you're taking the test, focus on what's in front of you, and think carefully about what you're reading— the test tries to trick you, and I spotted it on numerous occasions. The GRE does not necessarily reflect your intelligence, but more your knowledge of how to play the game. The Princeton Review guides explicitly say this, and they're absolutely correct. When I took mine, I remember bringing some tea and a granola bar which I had on my break, and I think having that in my system helped me focus. I remember literally getting to the point of not even caring what my answers were on the quant. section, because I knew there was no way in hell I'd get it right, so I focused all my energy into the sections that I knew I had the upper hand in. I'm not sure if that's exactly a smart approach, but I ended up getting where I wanted to be at the end of the day. Good luck! I've been there.

This strikes me as really odd because all of the people I've known who had an unsupportive parent-type situation had an unsupportive parent who wanted them to go to school when the son/daughter didn't want to. I don't know if I've ever actually met somebody who is fervently anti-education. Will you be living with your grandma during graduate school? That may cause some problems if she's going to be that dismissive of the whole thing. As far as what ExponentialDecay said, the only way to really come up against that is to basically tell her to F off, which I don't think is exactly a great thing to say to your grandparent, but you could get the same message across in various ways. It's not her life, not her decision, and beside that, it's not like your will to continue pursuing your education is a negative thing. I got lucky and had parents who were strong encouragers (my father especially, which I think is because he went to college for three years but didn't finish) of me going to college, but they approached it without ever pressuring me into it. I always knew I wanted to get a college education so it wasn't even a question for me, but my brother is the complete opposite— he dropped out of high school, got his GED, and is actually making really good money as a carpenter. My joke is that I'll graduate from grad school and he'll still have a higher-paying job for me.

You're overthinking and getting ahead of yourself here. Worrying about getting rejected is the last thing you should be thinking about in August. Take things once at a time— when are your application deadlines? They are typically toward the end of the year, around November/December, sometimes in January even. Here's the thing: you may or may not get rejected by any given program no matter how much you do or don't worry about it. I understand being stressed out while compiling everything for an application (I was a chain-smoker for about 2 and a half months straight), and waiting it out after you've submitted them is tough, but I really do think you're jumping the gun here. Breathe. Just work on what's in front of you. I remember being on here last year and everyone saying "Well, if you get rejected, you can always try again next year." I'm more like you— my mindset was "Fuck that. I AM getting into a school. I may not get into all of them, but I AM getting in to one." I was determined, and I was also mortified because I felt like a crappy candidate compared to so many other people. Long story short, I got rejected by two schools, though I got into my dream school where I'll be attending here in a couple of weeks, and it's actually a much more prestigious university than one of the others that I was rejected from. The admission process in grad school seems to be very random to me; not like "winning the lottery" random, but it's definitely inconsistent and weird. Grind away on your applications, and stop thinking too far ahead. You don't need to be focusing on getting rejected next year. You need to be focusing on making sure your applications are solid so that you have a shot at not getting rejected.

Okay, with that breakdown it's not THAT horrifying I guess. I was told by another grad student that it was over $10k+ for a semester of rent, and I remember being kind of stunned. As you said though, it's Lincoln Center, so it makes sense. For me personally, it just made more sense to get a place on my own, especially since most of my classes are at Rose Hill in the Bronx. I have class once a week at LC, but the bulk of my courses are at Rose Hill, and I've also got a paid assistantship at that campus, so I wanted to be close by (not the mention rent in the Bronx is cheaper, though it seems to be on the rise). I get the best of both worlds— I get to be close to the main campus, but I'm also in Little Italy, which means, as God as my witness, I'll never go hungry again! The subway is not exactly convenient, but it's only a 10-15 minute walk up Fordham Road to the D train, so I can deal with that once a week. Did you live in Columbia's student housing throughout all of grad school? I know a lot of students there live in Harlem-- apparently a lot of Fordham students live in Harlem too, or so said the grad student who gave me a tour of the school. The area around Columbia is beautiful. W 84th up to Riverside Park is honestly one of my favorite areas of Manhattan.

I personally like Chrome bags just for the sake of durability. When I was in undergrad, I had a plain Jansport backpack for a year but had to switch because it would literally get soaked in the rain on my walks to and from train stops and buses-- like, literally my papers getting wet inside. This is in the Pacific NW where I'm from, so this is standard. Waterproofing was the big selling point on the Chrome bags, but they do well in any harsh weather. I'm relocating to NYC for my graduate program, and am going to get a new Chrome bag before I leave. I've settled on this one— It has a removable laptop sleeve built into it which is really nice. I can't do messenger bags. I had surgery several years ago, during which they removed part of my muscle in my shoulder, so my right side is weak and carrying a single-strap bag over either shoulder is really uncomfortable, almost unbearable. I'm trying to pinch my pennies over the next couple of weeks, but I really need to get a new bag-- my old one has worn out velcro and has taken an overall good beating over the past few years. I'd like to have something new for the start of my program, as silly and materialistic as that sounds.

Thanks, rising_star! I decided to be outside on the patio for the sake of lighting, and it worked out fine. The interview was pretty informal and mostly consisted of him describing the duties and the layout of the program that I'll be TA-ing in. I don't want to jinx myself, but he said he was optimistic about me since I have tutoring and composition experience in background, so I'm pretty confident that I'll get it! He said he'll get back to me this week. Apparently they take on fourteen grad students for the assistantships, but there aren't enough applicants from the English department to fill all the positions, so they may have to start seeking out social sciences students as well.

I was so busy in undergrad that I barely had a chance to talk to any of my letter writers about the prospective programs. I was only able to ask one in person, who was entirely out of my field but who I'd done an internship under, and I only knew her for the length of one class; she was more than happy to write a letter for me, although I did build a solid relationship with her in the classroom (spoke a lot, talked to her about our assignments, etc.). The other was one of my favorite professors who I'd built a good working relationship and taken multiple classes with, and the third was the head of a writing tutoring program at a community college where I'd done another internship. Basically, I don't think it really matters if one of your writers has only known you for one term. It's obviously a plus to have at least one of your writers be someone who knows you and your academic strengths well, but having a letter from a prof. you've known for a short period is not the end of the world. Even if she doesn't know you THAT well, she at least knows what your strengths are as a student, and I don't think having one letter from someone in that position is going to kill your application.

I'm not in the sciences, but I'm not sure if it's necessary to bring it up in a Statement of Purpose since it's already present in your transcript and essentially speaks for itself. When I was applying last year, I had a year-long gap in my transcripts between my sophomore and junior years and was concerned that it made me look non-committed or something, so I lightly brushed over it in two of my SOPs and explain how it was a motivating force in my life in spite of putting a stall on my goals. Unfortunately I didn't get into those two schools, though I doubt that was why. One of the schools I did get into though (and the one that I'm attending) had an extra input box in their application for any additional explication on things that you weren't able to cover in your SOP, letters of recommendation, writing sample, etc., so I used that opportunity to explain that I was ill for a year and was in and out of the hospital for surgeries. I had thyroid cancer, though I didn't say exactly what it was I had; I was intentionally vague about it in order to avoid looking like I was asking for sympathy or something, but I wanted them to know there was a valid reason why I had to withdraw for a year, and that it wasn't because I was goofing off or lazy. As far as grades, the department boards are unlikely to throw out your application immediately just because you weren't a 4.0 student. Maybe if you had like a 2.0 GPA, but a 3.67 in your major is not grounds for them to remove you from the race at all. That is a very good GPA. I believe I had a 3.75 overall GPA, and a 3.89 in my major, but I think the extent to which they use your grades as a determining factor varies from school to school, as well as discipline to discipline. I know there were people who applied to the same program I did with grades better than mine, and they didn't get in. There are no guarantees in any of it, so my theory was to just be as honest as possible in my applications, while also highlighting my strengths. What is your cumulative GPA going to look like when you graduate? You seem to have a lot of relevant experience and internships, and that will inarguably be valued in your applications, especially since you're going into the sciences.

So, I applied for a TA position at Fordham's Gabelli Business School through this program called Ground Floor; as far as I know, the bulk of the job is grading and mentoring freshmen students in a writing-intensive business class. The associate professor there who runs the program contacted me and wanted to meet me in person and discuss the fine details of what the TA-ship entails, but I am not going to be in New York until the end of the month, so he's going to call me via Skype tomorrow to talk to me, and I'm frankly a little nervous. I presume I'm a solid candidate for it since he reached out to me, but I have little to no experience in the realm of business— the assistantship is centered on writing though, and is only open to students in the English MA program. Has anyone ever dealt with Skype meetings like this, and have any tips or anything? I've never actually used Skype, believe it or not, and made an account over the weekend. He didn't phrase it as though I'd be having a formal interview— he simply said he wanted to talk to me and explain the details of the program, so I don't know quite what to expect or how formal and/or "interview-y" it will be. I REALLY want the position because it pays pretty damn good ($5,000 for 10 weeks of part-time work) and would give me some good experience outside the classroom (or, at least outside the student position in the classroom). As I said, I'm mildly nervous, but part of me is also not that worried since he's the one who has shown interest in me for it. They take ten students from my department every semester, so I think I have a shot, but I'm honestly a bit scared!

I think feeling like this is totally normal; I've got the same jitters and I haven't started yet (my first classes are on the 2nd). I'm moving from the west coast to New York City, so there are going to be a lot of changes coming up, not just for me, but all of us. When I toured my school, I remember the PhD student telling me when he first started there on his Master's that he felt like he wasn't smart enough and that he couldn't hack it, etc.-- he said the first several weeks and the first semester overall were tough, but he came through it and look: he's in the PhD program now! It's normal to feel like this. I felt the same way when I transferred schools as an undergrad my junior year, but I settled in and grew more and more comfortable. I think the main thing to remember is that it's mostly about adjustment; getting into the rhythm and intricacies of grad school. I'm half-mortified and half-elated about starting, and I think self-doubt, nervousness, and even some depression is normal, but as you find your place, it should subside.

Thanks for the input, both of you. It does sound very similar to what my undergraduate courses were like, albeit with some minor differences in terms of expectation. As for the academic superhero genius syndrome goes, I knew many people like you and ProfLorax are describing when I was an undergraduate, and that attitude has always gotten on my nerves. I had multiple classes with one particular person who acted as if he were Jack Kerouac reincarnated, and while he was intelligent, he was also pompous and obnoxious. He was the kind of person who in discussions always seemed to be judging everyone else's ideas and thoughts, but would never actually directly present that. My intuition told me that he acted like that because he was insecure, and people have different ways of dealing with that, one of which is to overcompensate. I'm naturally a less brassy person, so I don't know if even imposter syndrome could push me to that point, but I do know what you are referring to because I've known people like this. The department at Fordham seems really tight-knit and the PhD student who toured me around the school told me that their students are really close and like family— it's not a cutthroat environment like NYU or the like— so I hope to feel fairly comfortable in the seminars. I enjoy the intimacy of smaller classes and always have, and feel like I've learned more in them, so this all sounds positive. Oh, and yes, I did have a Courtney Love avatar! You're the first person who noticed! That's where my username comes from as well. I'm a diehard Hole fan, which is funny because when I was visiting Fordham, the PhD student asked me what kind of music I liked, and he told me I was the second person he'd met who was considering their program that was a fan of that band (he was as well). It felt like a sign from the heavens!

I'm starting my first courses as an MA student this fall, and am just curious what seminars are typically like. From what I've read, they are mostly discussion based, and hinge on questions/musings/ideas/theories that are posed by the students, which are then talked about as a group on the topic at hand. If this is correct, and is what graduate seminars are essentially like, I'm kind of surprised because that was basically the format of ALL of my upper-level undergraduate English courses. When I was reading about the standard differences between lectures and seminars online, I found myself thinking back to when I was studying to earn my BA, and couldn't think of a single class I took that WASN'T like a seminar. Maybe this is just standard for humanities courses, perhaps? Full-on lecture was rare in my undergrad classes, and the bulk of our class time was devoted to discussion— it was really common for each student to be required to submit a thought/make a post on the week's reading online, which the professor(s) would review and then select salient points of discussion for when class time came. Since many of these classes had around 20-30 students, we were often divided into groups, but discussion was essentially par for the course, and about 75% of our class time was devoted to it. Occasionally we would have to do presentations at the end of the semester, and obviously papers were frequent as well. Anyway, if the standard graduate seminar is actually like what I've read it is like, it really doesn't sound all that different from what I experienced in undergraduate classes (aside from having higher demand from the professors and being a more intimate group). For anyone who has more experience and has taken seminars, does this ring true, or were your seminars wildly different from your undergraduate "lecture" courses?

Was it $1,000/month for a studio through the university's housing system, or outside of it? I managed to swing a 1 bedroom for $1100/month in the Bronx which is reasonable considering costs in the rest of NYC. I have a job at the school that pays me $5,000/semester and I'm going to have help from family, so it's totally feasible, but major city schools are a bitch when it comes to housing costs. I was honestly astounded by how much Fordham charged for grad student housing. I mean, I get that it's in Manhattan, but the cost of a 1 bedroom apartment for the semester's length was MORE than my tuition.