The_Space_Cowboy
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Posts posted by The_Space_Cowboy
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Wow. Lots of hate here for Mount Pleasent. I'm on my phone, so I'll be brief but I can elaborate more if anybody wants it.
Spent 4 years in MP. For context, I grew up in Traverse City and have lived in Kentucky, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Georgia, California, Colorado, Iraq and South Korea.
Mount Pleasent is what you make of it. There is plenty to do if you look and the Student Activity Center is great. Get involved in local organizations. Go 'Up North' for the weekend and find ski hills an hour away. Enjoy the nature preserve 15 minutes north in Clare. Get Cabin Sticks at the Cabin (great pizza) or a microbrew downtown. Head to a football game and get in for free with your student ID. Rent camping gear from the RPL department or hit up the high ropes course or climbing wall in Finch.
As long as you don't expect to be catered to, you can find things to do. I enjoyed all four of my years there.
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stick it
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Has anyone heard back from the Kroc Institute yet? I've yet to hear anything either way.
I emailed the Kroc DGS for the M.A. Peace Studies program and got the following response back:
Our MA Admissions Committee is currently reviewing the applications. By April 1st at the latest, you will receive an email from the ND Graduate School advising you to log back into your online application in order to view the decision letter. -
Is anybody else applying for the M.A. for F2015? There doesn't seem to be too much mention of it on here from what I've found.
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I understand the culture just fine, I simply feel like saying that people in the academy need to do push ups to learn respect is both offensive and simplistic. I'm also a bit surprised that anyone pursuing an advanced degree would consider the term "butt hurt" appropriate in conversation.
The 'butt hurt' comment is part of the military vernacular and language that you claim to understand.
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I find this whole thread a bit offensive. Just being ex-military doesn't give you some special knowledge about how to relate to people, and sure as heck doesn't give you the right to insult others or assume that they are something lesser than you. Just as I have a problem with people in the academy who look down on military members and vets, I find some of the posts here are pretty dismissive of those who have not served. This idea that grad students who aren't vets need to do pushups to learn how to respect professors is either an insult to their discipline or their professionalism.
I've worked for and with vets, had employees who were vets, sponsored plebes at the USNA and hung out with active duty military officers. I understand that it's an adjustment to seeing people as equals regardless of rank, but your comments here are just rude.
Where are you getting this impression? Just as I wouldn't presume to be an expert in LGBT culture when discussing the issue with a gay or lesbian person, I wouldn't expect somebody who has never served to be able to relate better than a veteran or Active Duty member when discussing the military culture and values systems. I've found that, in my experience, some folks can seem to have an unjustified inferiority complex when dealing with servicemembers. I've heard that this is somewhat of a byproduct of America's "hero worship" (though I hate that term). I, for one, respect everybody's individual career paths and professions and recognize the importance of the varied professions as part a well-functioning society. Not everybody can be a Soldier, nor should everybody be, and nobody should feel guilty for a chosen career.
What is frustrating is seeing members of society adopt an ever-increasing sense of entitlement, something that is the antithesis of military service. My impression is that the ivory tower harbors and fosters some of these feelings with the mixture of liberal idealism and economic privilege from a good number of the attendees. I think danielewrites was cracking a joke that some of these members could benefit from some "good 'ol fashioned military hardship and discipline" while also making a casual statement about struggling to adjust to a culture that doesn't emphasize deference to persons of authority.
tl;dr: Relax and don't be offended so easily.
- AuDorBust and RunnerGrad
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When were you at Bragg? Just curious. I'm taking up residence (or should we say "escaping") Fayettenam right now. My husband is stationed here, but we live off post.
I was there from 2007 to 2011, minus a stint to the sandbox. 3rd Brigade, 82nd. I ended up living in Southern Pines for the last year I was there and it was GREAT! I'm hoping to go back at some point.
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25th ID? I'm also a currently serving Army Officer and am just now getting decisions back from my applications this year. I went from Armor to Space Operations a few years ago and got picked up for ACS. The catch was that the degree had to be a space-related degree, and my undergrad was in IR. Also, my GPA was 2.82 and GRE scores were 162V/158Q/4.0W, not great for a STEM focus. Not thinking I had a snowball's chance in hell, I applied to a Space Engineering program (at one of the top programs in the country) and was somehow accepted. It seems that some colleges will heavily value real-world experience (and external funding, lol).
That all said, what kind of COIN experience do you have? I assume you're an 11A, probably with several deployments. I would emphasize your practical experience in your personal statements and tie that into how you want to use your degree in the future.
As an example, I also applied to a Geography program with an intent to concentrate on geospatial analysis and intelligence. In my statement, I discussed how valuable applications like TIGRNET, FBCB2, and CIDNE were downrange to conducting successful operations and mitigating risk. I discussed my desire to participate in the development of these systems and combine my space experience to locate and combat new threats in the EM spectrum.
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My acceptances thus far....
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Dirty Thirty! 8 years out of my undergrad.
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Got into Western Michigan! Now waiting for the rest...
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I am most fond of my undergraduate institution. I can't compare too much, but I am currently a post-bacc student at another institution and it made me realize how wonderful my time at my undergraduate institution was. Although it was a state school "in the middle of nowhere in the upper midwest", I was able to form close relationships with professors who really went above and beyond for me. I was given research, teaching assistantships, and internships that I don't think would have been possible had I been at another institution. I had never been a person to like being involved before college, but I completely changed that in my undergrad. I give all the credit to my professors at this college for helping me find my true calling as well.
With that said, I now attend a state school in a more semi-metro area and I don't care for it. The professors and students seem less personable. I am in a competitive major/program but the hostile "I am smarter than you" type mentality that is very prevalent at this school gets old. People at my other institution were competitive but this is something else. I am applying to my master's program at this program because I can save $$$ but it doesn't compare to my undergrad.
Central Michigan???
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One of my gmail tabs lit up with one of my top program names.
Turned out it was a "Happy New Year!" email.
I haven't gotten ANY emails regarding financial aid stuff, housing, ID numbers, anything, from anyone. Crickets.
You too? I about jumped out of bed this morning (I'm a few timezones ahead) until I saw it was from the Undergraduate Admissions committee telling me how to apply for FAFSA.
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Having obviously not partaken in graduate studies at this point, I feel that most of these initial dismassals of military ethics/attributes being valuable torwards the academic paradigm is really based on a skin-deep understanding of what the military is and the values they embrace.
While you're correct that the military values and promotes outwardly confident leaders and discourages the outwards insubordination (or disagreement) of orders given, there is a distinct emphasis on establishing and displaying competence in one's job or career field. As an institution, I would argue that the military has done more with less than the general lot of academia in educating/training individuals to preform a job. Universities are able to establish their own admissions standards and be more selective with whom they choose to allow into their institutions than then the Army. As such, the Army has learned to train to the lowest common denominator, while simultaneously recognizing and promoting those more quickly that are able to establish competence and the ability to teach those skills to others. The ability to learn one's career AND the ability to develop others to learn it is HIGHLY prized in the military profession. I would argue that this emphasis would be hard to find in most undergraduate institutions.
As an Officer, professional development for myself and others within the organization that I lead is actually evaluated. Once I graduate with my Bachelors degree (with a minor in Military Science), it is acknowledged that I have now met the bare minimum for commisioning. I'm then sent for another 4-12 months of schooling prior to actually executing my first assignment, and am expected to attend another 6-12 months of school for (almost) each subsequent promotion. In the mean time, I am expected to study the art of war and leadership and to teach these ethics to my subordinates. Additionally, I am expected to continue my civilian education in pursuit of a Masters Degree (a verifiable discriminator for promotions to the rank of Major and beyond). Most units have "book clubs" or reading programs that require the reading of a common book, an essay on some thoughts about the report, and a discussion of the applications to our profession. As a young Lieutenant, my Squadron Commander arranged for a Cambridge professor to come lead a week-long seminar on the ethics and implications of counter-insurgency warfare. I've listened to David Kilcullen preach and have written 30-page monographs during my military education courses. Presently, I've been selected for a program where the military fully-funds my attendance to earn a Masters Degree at a civilian education program while I retain all pay and benefits. I'm essentially being paid to earn a free graduate degree.
This is all said to prove the point that while the formalities associated with the military may be not be appropiate in a civilian academic setting, the paradigm of military experience may very well be a great fit.
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I know a few premed students who are heterosexual white male took a Women Studies course as part of their liberal art pre-req. I would have taken a Men Studies course if it was offered at my UG
You can get a degree in Men's Studies too...
Anybody find it interesting that 42% of the faculty there is female? How would they have any practical concept about masculinity today without having ever experienced it?
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It goes great! Air Force has it good and I don't mind taking advantage of their amenities. I rue the day that I'll actually have to go back to Army housing & facilities. I'm getting spoiled here.
I was with the 82nd for a while before I went to the dark side and started working space operations stuff. Good to know about the sick call! Hopefully your husbands alright!
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Hi all,
I'm kind of in a unique situation and hoping to get some feedback from the group here. I'm an Active Duty Army Officer and have been serving for almost 8 years. I was recently selected by the military for a program known as Advanced Civil Schooling (ACS). ACS funds 300 Officers a year to attend a civilian graduate school to obtain an advanced degree, enabling them to serve in a future assignment requiring said degree. I'll be applying for a Masters program.
My undergrad GPA was a dismal 2.82, but I just finished a math course with a 3.67 and am enrolled in another (but it won't be complete until after the admissions decisions are made). My GRE scores are V162, Q158, and 4.0.
My questions are: How holistic is the admissions process? How might an admissions committee look upon an Officer selected for ACS? Would the selection, external funding and/or experience as an Officer be viewed favorably? Or would it be more of a non-issue?
Any insight would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
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One, Drill Sergeant....Two, Drill Sergeant...Three, Drill Sergeant... Active Duty Army here. I'm totally picking up what you're laying down.
As a fellow servicemember, I understand what you mean. It's hard to think of professors or other academic folks in a position of authority as peers.
Where are you applying for 2015?
in Geography Forum
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Just got an acceptance for a M.S. Geography from Michigan State!