
Phyl
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Everything posted by Phyl
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I have around $28,000 from undergrad and will be taking on around $14,000 more for grad. I'll be living at home and working at least part time during grad school to save some money. It seems like the rule of thumb around here is to not take on more debt than a years salary. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has that listed from anywhere in the low 40s to mid 50s, depending of course where you are working and what experience you have going into a position.
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I'll be in the Masters of Library and Information Science. Looks like I'll be commuting from about an hour south. Did anyone check out the grad lounge when they visited? I've heard good things but it slipped my mind when I was up there.
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I'll not be hanging out at my usual beaches since MTV will be filming Jersey Shore 2 in the area, which is going to make doing anything all summer quite difficult. Plus all the fun people that will want to be in Seaside because of season 1 :sigh: I will be working, put in for a nice seasonal library position which would be nice to get. I'll be going through the books I'd like to read but haven't gotten the chance to yet. Hang with the boyfriend and hope he gets a new job closer to Rutgers so I can move in with him and not commute. I'll probably look up the books for my classes and get to skimming them since I'm nerdy like that.
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This might be a silly question. Is there a way to check and see what the government is willing to give loans for, maybe through the FASFA page or something? My estimated contribution was a zero, and I'm pretty sure I'm not near the caps since I did take some loans for undergrad. Rutgers instate costs are low enough for me to go without any free money coming my way but I'd like to know if I actually will get loaned the money.
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Anyone heard anything yet? I've not gotten a thing from any schools, and we've only got 2 days to go.
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Even though they have done it in the past, I wouldn't count on it unless you have a firm "yes we will be able to take you on and increase your pay by XX date." I'm biased in this situation, my boyfriend was told pretty much the same thing and a few months later the budget for his position to become full time wasn't approved. This was at an established international corporation, not a start up. If you can't get something firm from your boss don't count on it.
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I'm a big Palahniuk fan (I've heard it pronounced Pal - a - nook) I started with Fight Club the movie is pretty close to the book although the book adds more. I've also read Choke which I saw the movie after reading the book and preferred the book. I also really liked Haunted. The thing I really like about his books is that every time you read them you get something new out of them, it just makes more and more sense the more times you read it. Anyone read the Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris? It's what the HBO show True Blood is based on. I need some short, quick, beach reads. I do like the show but it might be all the southern accents. My beef with Twilight is that it glorifies a relationship where a girl gives up absolutely everything for a guy who's essentially dangerous and predatory. I wasn't so vehemently against it until I was talking with 3 of my little female cousins who were in the target age range who thought it was all acceptable and expected to meet a guy to take care of you and end up barefoot and pregnant. They don't have many positive female role models and the attitude is mostly a product of that but it was upsetting to hear.
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I have pretty eclectic taste I guess I gravitate towards historical fiction and sci fi/fantasy. I haven't wanted to read anything serious for pleasure since I started college. House of Leaves -- Weird horror novel, plays with format. Wikipedia has a pretty decent article on it. I don't read it before I go to bed. Atlas Shrugged -- I was surprised I actually liked the style of writing Dune and related books -- Liked the movie, love the books and -slightly embarrassed- morbid curiosity got the best of me and I read Twilight just the first book and loathed it. I usually don't mind young adult books but a little of me died after reading it. I can't even express how disgusted I am by it.
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This. Where he wants to teach and where the two of you want to live after school should be given a lot of weight in your decision. It's what is going to effect your lives and relationship the longest. I don't know what type of library you would like to work in but the NJ public libraries have some proposed cuts as well. One of big things I've read about finding a library job is that it's not too bad if you are willing to be geographically mobile, so think about you trying to find a job after school too.
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Good to know, the person I spoke to sounded a little taken off guard when I asked. I'm pretty much 100% sure I'll be going but it will be nice to know what the situation will be with money. I'd like to get all the paperwork going so I can put in for a parking permit, after an hour long commute I'd like a decent lot.
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Are you going to be on campus or online?
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I haven't heard anything yet. I called 2 schools (Rutgers and Southern CT) and they said info should be coming out "soon"
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Accepting an offer before receiving funding info
Phyl replied to Phyl's topic in Decisions, Decisions
ooh I didn't even think about that first possibility. I know nothing about previous decisions. I suppose I could call and see when to expect any financial information and make a guess off of that. -
Accepting an offer before receiving funding info
Phyl replied to Phyl's topic in Decisions, Decisions
Mom always said not to give it away for free. I'm willing to do so since Rutgers is so damn sexy but if I can get something out of it, that would be an added bonus. -
I was accepted to my top choice program. Yay! However there was no financial aid/funding info and all the acceptance letter said was that "registration and billing info will be sent separately." Since it's a Masters program I don't really expect anything other than federal loans. I know this is the school I want to go to, and it's the cheapest out of all the schools I applied to by a lot. I know I'm going to accept the offer. But just in case there is some free money floating around should I wait to send in the forms? I don't want to get passed over for funding for being a sure thing. I never thought applying to grad school would be so much like dating.
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On campus
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I got into Rutgers, and will be going! Good luck to everyone still waiting!
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EEEEEK!! I need some serious decision help!
Phyl replied to Catch22alex's topic in Decisions, Decisions
For what it's worth, my best friend is at OHSU doing a dual MD/PhD, she went in already having a Masters in Neuroscience and her interest is in drug addiction. She's very happy, likes the program and the area. -
Career goals, types of libraries and course selections
Phyl replied to Phyl's topic in Library Sciences Forum
Thanks, I think my post was a product of the realization I'm going to actually have to start making decisions about grad school rather than just waiting to get in. The other programs I've applied to are far more flexible and it'll be easier to blend my interests and more marketable stuff. I just need some patience while waiting to hear from them. :deep calming breath, check online status,still no decision: -
Career goals, types of libraries and course selections
Phyl posted a topic in Library Sciences Forum
Today I had to fill out a "plan of study form" so I can be accepted by the Graduate Admissions Office (already accepted by the department). This particular school has 6 required courses and 6 electives. As someone who's undergrad only had one required class this is super limiting to me. I feel like if I took a variety I'd not have enough experience with anything. This isn't my first choice program but filling out the form caused me think about what I actually want to study. My interests are in museums, archives, and college libraries. From the (limited) research I've done this is a pretty small job market and especially in college libraries most people have another degree in a specific subject. Also with the economy and job market being how they are right now lots of these institutions are hurting for funding and not really hiring. I also have experience working with my undergrads Rare Books library, and in talking with my internship supervisor (the university archivist) that seems like where my interests definitely lie. I feel that taking public library classes and more database management, online info and other things that would relate to corporate libraries and information management might be more useful in terms of finding a job. But as fun as reading young adult literature for class would be I don't know if I see myself being happy in a public library. But other than my use, I have no experience with public libraries. I've done some database/computer science type classes in undergrad and I hated them. Mind numbing, spirit sucking, mentally screaming at a TA who didn't speak adequate English hate. I know I could make it through a class or two if it meant better job prospects. I want a job after graduation. I chose to take a year between undergrad and grad, and I'm spending most of it unemployed or temping. My BA does not qualify me to flip burgers or file; it's been frustrating to say the least. I don't want to be in the same position 2 years from now with more debt, another degree, and no job. So where do I compromise what I want to what is marketable? What is a reasonable expectation of library jobs in the next few years? How's everyone else handling this? Am I really really going to need more school to do what I want and is there anyway to start working and have whoever I'm working for pay for it? Additional thought: being geographically mobile helps, of course, but I've got a long term relationship and he's got a steady position and wants to stay in urban areas for his field. How screwed am I for not wanting to move a significant distance from NYmetro area? -
Both my parents barely made it through high school. My dad worked a job he hated most of his life and took his frustrations out on my mom and I. My mom is really unambitious and doesn't want anything other than to please my dad. Neither has anything to make them happy, no friends, no social lives, jobs they hate, and it was all in the name of "Saving For My Education". They had a plan for me. I was supposed to get a full scholarship to a state school, live at home and become a kindergarten teacher, marry (then I was allowed to move out) and start making them some grand-babies. During high school being at home was pretty unbearable, so I joined a ton of clubs, volunteered, worked, did all my homework in the library and took my time of it. My sophomore year one of my best friends had a baby, I swore to not have sex until I was out of high school so I would never go through that. Come senior year I had a fabulous resume, great grades, my parents were too busy fighting with each other to notice I applied to strictly out of state schools far enough away to never have them drop in unannounced. I struggled through selecting schools to apply to, I didn't really know what I was supposed to want. I got offered a full tuition scholarship to a very nice school 8 hours away that I found because I was offered some random award that came with a scholarship. It was hard since seemingly everyone was upper middle class, had designer clothes, been to Europe, and didn't worry about money. The girl next door had a rough day, called her mommy who told her to order something from Tiffanys for herself. A (over dramatic and entitled) girl down the hall ran up a $5,000 credit card bill (all the purchases in the same day)cried to her grandpa that her trust fund wouldn't cover it, so he paid it all for her. I started working, joined a sorority and found a lot of people who were more like me. I went a little nuts partying, enjoying the freedom of being able to have friends, boyfriends and a social life. I met a nice guy, settled down a bit, went to therapy to build up some self esteem and recognize that how I grew up wasn't healthy or normal. I knew I wanted to go to graduate school but I wasn't really sure what I wanted. I talked with my boyfriend's parents, who both have PhDs and they made some suggestions. I couldn't commit so I decided on taking a break from school. I had an okay position right after graduation until the company did layoffs and there I went. The day I moved back in with my parents they handed me an application to be a cashier at Walmart and told me it's what I deserve for not being a teacher. I spend a lot of time at my boyfriend's parents house, and while my parents don't get why I decided to go back to school so I'll have "more useless pieces of paper" I get my support from his parents. My time off from school only ended up being a year but I feel better for it. If anything living back at home has shown me how incredibly nuts and abusive my parents are and it just doesn't get to me anymore. They are so glued to Fox News they don't notice me much anyway. Most of my friends from high school that stayed in the area are married with babies, the same jobs they had in high school and no aspirations. I volunteer in a library and animal shelter when I'm not working to stay out of the house. So far I have one acceptance, should hear more in the next two weeks. I found my support elsewhere. I'll be moving in with my boyfriend in our own apartment in a few months once we know where I'm going. While I'll never be a kindergarten teacher/baby factory my parents want me to be I think I'm doing very well for myself. Good luck everyone, and keep at it. We are doing something right to get where we are and for whatever our background was or wasn't hopefully we learned something from it. I mean I know I'll never run up a $5000 credit card bill on shoes in a 2 hour period.
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I just got an email from Pratt saying my app has gone to the admissions committee. How long did it take between that and for you to get a decision? --Hopefully I'll have something other than a question to this topic soon--
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I attended University of Rochester for undergrad (history major and did some research). There isn't much to choose from outside of American and Western European history. The faculty they have listed as global don't teach a lot of global classes, or they are global in the sense they include American and Western European topics. The department has been working on getting a Central or South American history professor and a Asian (most likely Chinese) history professor. But UR is more of a science school and the history program isn't something they put a lot of money into. There are a lot non majors in the classes and it takes the level of class down a lot. It was frustrating as a junior and a senior I can't imagine how annoying it would be as a grad student. Grad students don't teach classes and out of 15 history courses I took 3 had TAs, the professors let them give one or two lectures during the semester. There are a lot of undergrad courses that are crosslisted as grad courses. The grad students would have to do an extra paper or two. I'd want more out of graduate study. From the graduate students I talked to they were all American history interested in abolition and suffrage or interested in medieval Europe. As an undergrad I was happy with my experience, but my main interest is American history, so take it as you will. I did consider doing graduate studies in history but I'm not willing to deal with the poor job prospects, it wasn't the department that was a turn off. Just my 2 cents.
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Yeah, it's illegal to pump your own gas anywhere in the state. There's only one other state that's the same Washington or Oregon I think. And since everyone seems to ask this, no you don't tip the people pumping your gas. Are we all relatively young since we are living with our parents? From the open houses I've attended it seemed like library science was a lot returning students, people getting a second masters, long time teachers switching to school librarian. I graduated last spring, thought a gap year would be fun/help save up money/recharge the academic batteries. I'm certainly ready to get back into school, the other gap year ideas not so successful.