Hopeful21

I just tried to 'vote up' some of your comments one-too-many times it seems. Grad cafe said that I've 'reached the limit of positive vibes you can give out' today. How depressing. Even the forum thinks that we should be miserable while we're waiting! 

First post in  a year. 
 
Can anyone claim the University of Washington PoliSci PhD interview? Getting antsy as I am feeling that I may not have made the cut for UW PoliSci again. 

I just tried to 'vote up' some of your comments one-too-many times it seems. Grad cafe said that I've 'reached the limit of positive vibes you can give out' today. How depressing. Even the forum thinks that we should be miserable while we're waiting! 

I just tried to 'vote up' some of your comments one-too-many times it seems. Grad cafe said that I've 'reached the limit of positive vibes you can give out' today. How depressing. Even the forum thinks that we should be miserable while we're waiting! 

So much waiting.

It is worth reiterating how important this is. These forums are filled with stress, anxiety, self-doubt, and perfectionism. They also encourage us directly to compare ourselves to others -- never a psychologically healthy thing to do. This is entirely understandable, but reading these forums can add to stress, rather than diminish it. (Although, of course, talking this stuff through helps, and like minded communities are good.)

At this point, the above advice is the best advice. Be proud of yourselves. Celebrate your achievements. Remember that decisions are not personal -- they're the product of an imperfect data gathering process, and the best efforts of imperfect people. Rejection isn't failure.

In this inevitable and unpleasant waiting period, when the stakes are high, positive psychology is the best thing to do.

Also, Facade19, your post made my day. Thanks.

This entire process of waiting and checking my e-mail is taking me back to early months of 2010, when I applied to law school. I received a few acceptances, was wait-listed at a few institutions and received my fair share of rejections too. Ultimately, the school I ended up attending and graduating from did not make me an offer of admission until mid-June. That was the school I really wanted to attend, given that my sister had already completed two of her three years there. Ultimately, I hope that this will not necessarily repeat itself; meaning the long wait, but the acceptance occurring. 
 
I am not sure how much relevance this may bear, and I hope that each and everyone ends up at the right institution, meaning the one we really want to, but also the one that really wants us. I guess we all did the best we could have done and therefore, there is no need nor a point in second guessing ourselves. We will either get accepted or rejected. I dislike the thought of rejection, but like I stated, I experienced my fair share of them, and will probably live through a few more. I just want to encourage each and everyone of you to not lose sight of what is really important. No matter what happens, and  sincerely mean it, be proud of the courageous efforts you have undertaken in securing a bright future for yourself. No less in the field in which you actually enjoy making a living. It takes alot of bravery to undergo this and for that I salute each and everyone of you. 
 
With that said, I really really wish the best to each and everyone of you. 

My day usually goes like this:
 
Go to lab > check GradCafe/Results page (20 mins) > misc. online procrastination (10 mins) > Ok time to do work 
 
(10 mins later)
 
check GradCafe/Results page (20 mins) > misc. online procrastination (10 mins) > Ok time to do work
 
repeat until 5.30 PM. 
 
...You get the idea. :/

So far I've been doing a lot of pleasure reading: about one book every 2 days. Its a costly habit.
 
I'm hoping to get back in to weightlifting because that was a hobby of mine that I used to enjoy before grad school and was actually good at it. My boyfriend and I are going to start meal planning/prep on Monday, so hopefully that will motivate me to lift. I've been thinking about starting running again, as I used to run half marathons about once or twice a month, but it just sounds so boring now. 
 
I find that I'm having a hard time adjusting to all of the down time I have. During the semester, I have class more than full time and two jobs; I'm doing something every day of the week. Unfortunately, one of my jobs is at a community college, so after finals I went from working/having class 7 days a week to just serving at a cafe on Saturday and Sunday mornings. My friends are all servers who work nights, and my boyfriend manages a restaurant where he puts in 60+ hours at his job, often forcing him to come home around 4 am on the weekends. Basically, I'm really freaking bored. And I'm trying to save money in case I have to move which means not going out.
 
All of this down time means I stress out more often than I should. I'm not handling the wait very well.

As an international student, the anxiety is huge. I check my email even though I know it is already late night in America. I worried about my application and visa at the same time. I could not sleep at night because I keep thinking about my emails. To be honest, if I live in US now, I would fly to the admission office, sitting in their office, hand my materials, staring at those professors until they make their decisions. I guess I am kind of crazy now.

Making beer!

Online shopping. For myself.