HistoryGypsy

They HAVE to have planned that for their own sick amusement! Oh my gosh! I have a current theory-in-progress that perhaps all of these different departments are working together on some top secret psychology experiment, and we're all just the "Baby Alberts" of tomorrow.

I just keep getting dreams lately in which I either suffer grievous bodily harm or make a horrible life choice that I would never in a million years make and then have to find a way to back out of it. I'm blaming the looming proximity of February for the nightmares.

I can identify with so many of these! Especially the oft-quoted, “But you’re so smart — you’ll get in everywhere!” And the ever-popular, “So what will you do with that degree?” My plan to study American Studies has produced a wealth of responses — apparently, many people disagree that this is even a valid field of study (that’s always fun). Here are a few of my favorite responses I’ve gotten: “American studies?! Ha ha ha, what is that?” “So you’ll be a better American when you finish?” “They actually have a program for that?!” “So you study Americans then??” “But aren’t you already an American? What do you need to study?” “Oh, I have a friend you should talk to. She’s studying <100% non-related field> at <university I didn’t apply to>. You two would hit it off!” “Wow, they just have PhDs for EVERYTHING these days . . .” “Well, it’s better than women’s studies, at least.” “Is that one of those made-up degrees?” “But I thought you had a masters in history?”

I asked about it when I finished my application (American Studies), and they said it would be early to mid March for this program (although it seems on Grad Cafe that they have been earlier in previous years). Although I initially was thinking of BGSU as a safety school of sorts, I actually think I really could be happy going there, based on how friendly/helpful the department has been.

mouse trap

I also had a TERRIBLE experience a few days ago when a coworker told me that an official-looking large envelope had arrived for me from somewhere in America (I live overseas, so I have my mail sent to the school where I teach). I choked down the last bites of lunch, ran out of the lunchroom and charged up the two flights of stairs to the lobby, nearly trampling a cluster of slightly wide-eyed elementary students . . . only to find an envelope containing the latest Leadership magazine from NHS (I am the faculty advisor for my school's chapter).

One university sent me emails with the word 'Congratulations' in the subject line . . . so that they could inform me that a recommendation letter had arrived. Seriously, school?! You couldn't think of a better word to use with an on-edge person waiting anxiously to hear about acceptance or rejection? NYU sent me a Christmas email, which I thought was also a bit of a cruel mind game. And Purdue keeps sending emails inviting me to check out different new developments on their campus, all with that adrenaline-producing word 'invite' in the subject line. Sometimes I wonder if they torture us for their own amusement.

That moment when the country you currently live in (China) decides it's a great time to block all the major VPNs and tighten up internet security to a ridiculous level . . . so now you can't access ANY department websites! And then you have to start harassing departments via email to make sure your documents have all arrived (and explaining, with just the right amount of pathos, that you live in a very restrictive country that hates intellectual freedom). So, so, so frustrating!

I was originally only applying to four schools, but then panicked and added two more. Now that I've seen so many people here applying to ten and thirteen schools, I've begun to worry that I should have done at least two more. The trouble is, applying is so wretchedly expensive, plus I factored in how pleasant/unpleasant life would be in each place . . . and some places, such as anywhere particularly hot, are just not places where I could see myself living for five years.

Oh gosh, yes! And even though it's totally stupid to do so, I keep comparing my scores with all the ones that are posted ("Oh gosh, this person got a higher verbal score and still got rejected -- I am DOOMED!" and "This person got accepted with that low of a GPA? My worries are over!") Sigh. Human nature . . .