Bacchanalia

So, I'm just wondering what others have done to make money over the summers? Is it possible to live off of a 9 month pay out? What are some common ways you have heard/done to make money. I've worked at Starbucks before.... I just hope it doesn't come to that again.

Glitter, Thank you so much for all the information! I am planning on taking my car out so I will look into all of those areas. My wife really wants us to rent a house so we can have a yard for the dog, but I'm not sure if we can pull that off. Thanks again for the info! Any other tips on living in Sand Diego?

Just a heads up to the CUNY people. I just emailed to ask for a timeline (because UCSD wants an answer by the 15th GULP) and they said to expect a response in the next 10 days. They also said to contact them if I haven't heard anything in that time frame. Now I can be a total psycho about checking my email for the next 10 days...hooray.

Wow! Thank you both so much! That is definitely exactly what I needed!

Hi all, I'm about to make my first campus visit for a program I've already been accepted to. So far I love the program and the professors all seem great. I'm just wondering if there is anything I should be looking out for? Anything I need to make sure I do? So far I'm sitting in on classes and observing the TA process (that is part of my funding) what else should I make sure to ask about/ check in on?

Welcome Morne! I think I'm the only one who has heard back from Stanford, and it was not good news, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for everyone else!

I know its been a while since anyone has been on this thread, but I'm thinking about enrolling at UCSD in the Fall, and I am looking for recommendations on places to live, right now the only place that looks affordable is Tijuana, and I can see that causing quite a few problems with my wife... We also have a 75lb dog and a, shall we say, "special" cat... Is there anywhere in the La Jolla area for a PhD student and a social worker to live without breaking the proverbial bank?!

This thread is EXACTLY what I needed! I just got admitted to a great program and the second they said they wanted me, I started making up reasons why they would take me other than I had a good interview and they like my application. I even got to a stage where I assumed that just because they admitted me, there must be something wrong with the program. The whole Grocho Marx thing, "I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member." Luckily, I talked it through with a couple people and realized that I was being crazy. It is definitely nice to hear that others are feeling the same way, at least we're ALL crazy and neurotic.... maybe that's why we're all trying to go to grad school? Some Psych person can run with that one! Also, I can vouch for gubidal's comment that it happens in all fields. I teach High School and my whole first year I would call my wife and say, "can you believe people leave their children with me ALL DAY?! I'm just making it up as I go along!"

Your projects sound AMAZING! This is why this is such an fascinating field of study! LadyeBird, my wife works in a domestic violence shelter and works with survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence every day. I told her about your project and she thinks it is amazing. Keep up the good work! Sorry if that was unclear, but from my experience PS is pretty divided along lines of the two scholars who "created" the field, Richard Schechner and Victor Turner. Schechner went on to start the department at NYU, and had a background as an avant garde director, so NYU is traditionally more based in there/dance, though recently its moved more towards performance art and performance of everyday life (this shift is usually largely contributed to Peggy Phalen who was chair at NYU until she went to Stanford). Turner's field was Anthropology and he went to Northwestern, where the projects (as far as I can tell) are more oriented towards ritual and anthropology. MintBrad, I'm interested to hear your take on the practice aspect. I don't know if I had ever thought of it in those terms. The dept does offer some opportunities fro practice, but I would say first and foremost is the HEAVY emphasis on high theory and scholarly writing. Practice was always around, but never emphasized at NYU. I have my undergrad in Theatre (acting) and English (literature) and then I did my M.A. in Performance Studies, my M.A. thesis was about racism, stupidity and the abjection of the American South. For my PhD I'm trying to bridge the gap between Performance Studies and Theatre Studies, hopefully working with new Theatre/Performance groups like The TEAM, Nature Theatre of Oklahoma, Elevator Repair Service, etc. I am working on imaginiation and theories of spectatorship mainly with the idea that spectators are not passive, but active members of the creation of the performance.

Welcome Chottosassy! Sounds like you were busy during application season! Sorry to hear about the Berkeley news. Just curious, what are all of you interested in working on? More theatre or more PS? More NYU or Northwestern style PS? More theory or history or cultural studies focused? It's such a diverse field of study, I'm always amazed to hear what everyone is doing!

Yeah, the winter is pretty sweet. It makes up for summer heat that can melt a cell phone if its left in your car. But Austin is pretty awesome all around. I have a friend who is ABD in the Comp. Lit. department there and he has loved it all the way through. Lots of great teaching experience and a really cool campus. I know it's not quite the same, but I have only heard great things.

To be totally honest, I was trying not to think past the application process, so that I didn't get my hopes up. Now I'm not really sure what to think... I like SD more after hearing more about their program. I'm working on planning a visit now to help me decide. Any pointers on what to look for/ask to make sure its the place to be?

Mocha Earl and LaydeBird, thank you so so much for your kind words! I'm still trying to wrap my mind around it. LaydeBird, glad to hear you feel good about your interview. The waiting is absolutely brutal, glad to hear you have a good support system! I have no idea on UCI or CUNY's timeline, but I would like to visit both UC campuses soon, so hopefully soon... Mocha Earl, I talked to them for just about 30 min, but because of scheduling there was no way they could have had an interview after me, so that might be why. I currently teach High School, so I was unavailable at almost all of the times. Also, I went to NYU for my MA I know its a different dept, but I will back up the expensive part. And the part with VERY limited MA funding, only 2 were funded in my MA class of about 25. I agree an the good vibes, this thread is definitely helping keep me sane! So I will continue sending sane, positive vibes to all of you. May we all find a program that loves us as much we love them.

So good to see all the exciting things that are happening! I likewise had some technical issues during my UCSD interview, but they stopped after they turned off their video screen, so I was just talking to a blank computer (very nerve-racking). Sorry to hear about the ambushed impressions! I spoke with a friend who is currently at Stanford and she said to expect the whole department to be there (for UCSD), so I was actually surprised to only see 3 professors and only 1 POI. I just got an email this morning from the school and the department saying I was admitted with "full support" so I will have to see what that means in practical terms! Very cautiously excited. As far as questions I asked, I had a lot. I think maybe too many... but I asked: 1. How is the funding earned? Teaching? TA-ing? Mopping floors? 2. What are the opportunities for Practice as research and are they student driven or institutionally driven? 3. How do you see me and my research project fitting in as a part of your department? 4. I also asked a question to show that I was familiar with the publications by the current faculty. I am sending good vibes to all of the UT applicants for their interviews! Let us know how it goes!

Congrats on the interviews LadyeBird and Mocha Earl! I live in Austin currently, so If you have any questions about what it's like, I would be happy to help! Break a leg to both of you!

UCSD said they are going to be in contact in the next two weeks, for those of you that are curious.... And the waiting game continues. Anyone else replaying every moment of their interview in their mind?

Hello, hello! Greetings and commiserations to you all. I have my interview scheduled with UCSD on Monday 1/26, and I'm feeling a bit nervous, not quite sure what to expect. Would anyone mind sharing what to expect? Heard back from Stanford with a no, but a nice email. Still waiting to hear from CUNY and UCI. Best wishes to all of you! I hope you are enjoying your compulsive email checking as much as I am!