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hyronomus4

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Everything posted by hyronomus4

  1. Anyone applying for a PhD in social work? What is your story?
  2. Hey all! I was in your position this time last year anxiously waiting for my future to be revealed. I know the torture of waiting and I don't envy you at all! Now I'm happily enrolled (albeit completely stressed and overwhelmed) in my top choice program. I just want to wish you all the best of luck in whatever happens over the next few months!! P.S. I didn't get my #1 acceptance until mid March even though previously people reported acceptances in December and January. Don't lose hope, Grad Cafe doesn't know everything!
  3. You're definitely not the only one. The application process was a huge reason why I waited so long to go back for my MSW. I had to really break it down into small pieces with deadlines to force myself to get through it all. "Write XXX and XXXX asking for LOR by XXX" and then "Have a first draft of SOP done by XXX". Getting started on the SOP is really the hardest part of the application process, I think. If you have a university close by that has a program you're interested in I would see if they have any talks or public events you can attend. I went to a lecture at a local university when I was working on my app (even though it wasn't one I was interested in) and it was a good reminder of why I want to go back to school in the first place. It helped motivate me to keep chugging along.
  4. This is super helpful information, thanks you everyone! I will be parking on the street and I hadn't even thought about that increased risk. So many things to consider!
  5. As I'm preparing to leave my job and move back into poverty to be a grad student I'm looking at ways to cut costs from my monthly budget. Since I'm moving, I'll be re-doing my car insurance policy anyway and I'm trying to make it more reasonable. The people who have given me quotes at the insurance companies are giving me advice but I'm also aware they're trying to make money. My car is a little two door 2008 with low(ish) miles. So, it's not new but it still has some value. My question is, what can I actually drop that won't be a huge mistake? Collision? Comprehensive? Property damage?
  6. You can take this for what it's worth but you might benefit from medication (if you're not already on something). I did my master's a few years ago and I really struggled with the transition and my first semester was really rough for me. By the time I came back from that first winter break I felt I was starting to understand what was going on and everything improved from there. This fall I'm going back for a PhD and I felt myself getting anxious again. My doctor recommended a low dose antidepressant/anti-anxiety for a few months until I get settled into my new life. I've been on it for a month and I'm already noticing an improvement. If you're having panic attacks and crying every night it might be something to think about.
  7. Lot's of good advice here. I would also add to make sure you have a good car battery. If it's stating to get old you're probably better off to replace it before the winter cold hits. Nothing sucks the life out of a low battery quite like a really cold night of sitting still. I also second the advice on the tires. I have a little car that had never seen snow until last year and it was terrible on slick roads. I got some snow tires and it made a HUGE difference. It was 100% worth the investment and Goodyear swaps them for me for free when the weather turns. Also, people are right about waiting on your winter gear that you wear but don't wait to get your ice scraper. The day of the first snow or frost the stores are usually cleared out of ice scrapers. I've been screwed many a winter because thought I had one in my car and didn't.
  8. When I met with my advisor for the first time a few weeks ago she made a special point to talk about professionalism and my PhD program. She specifically said I should respond to emails even if it's not asking for a response. She said just a "I got this, thanks" if better than nothing at all. I've started being more responsive since I was always one to err on the side of not being annoying with extra emails. I don't known if that's just her preference though.
  9. One of my applications said that it can take up to three months for the school to get your GRE results. Mine didn't take that long (I think it was a little over a month) but that's something to consider.
  10. I found that during my undergrad and masters I could use the campus health services (which included some counseling services) for free since I paid a fee to the university. It doesn't do much good for a big emergency but if you're on you parent's insurance it might be something you can use for generic stuff when you're too far from home.
  11. I would vote Simmons on cost alone. I didn't look at cost nearly enough and the difference between the two is almost a first year social worker's salary. It's crazy to take out 91K in loans when you'll be making a social work salary.
  12. Turning in my resignation tomorrow. Quickly approaching the point of no return on this whole back to school thing!

    1. Jay's Brain

      Jay's Brain

      Scary, but another adventure awaits you! Good luck with it :)

    2. Cheshire_Cat

      Cheshire_Cat

      That's exciting and terrifying all at the same time, isn't it? Good luck!!

  13. It varies by program what they will accept. If it's a basic stats class from an accredited university then it will likely count but it won't be a guarantee until they actually get your transcript and approve it. I found that many programs required the stats class before you start classes but they didn't require you to have it done before you apply. I didn't take my stats course until I was accepted into a program. That way I could send them the syllabus of the class I wanted to take and then made sure it would count. I didn't want to take any more stats than I had to. You might even be able to take it online the summer before you start your program through the same university to make it as simple as possible.
  14. You don't have to have it all figured out, just tell them what you're interested in. Basically, from how you talk, you're interested in the clinical track and likely pursuing an LCSW to do individual and group work. Through previous work you've found that you're interested in working with individuals with chronic pain or disability. Then drop in some person-in-environment perspective and talk about how you also want to work with families and communities to understand and learn how to best support your clients. You don't have to say the exact position you want, you're going to school to learn what would be the best fit for you.
  15. No, not necessarily. The letter could go either way.
  16. If it's somewhere you're really interested in I would say do the interview at least to gather more information. It's worth asking about their policy on mileage reimbursement. You could ask them if there is flexibility with your schedule so you could do longer days and not have to make as many trips back and forth or if there was anything you could do from home. Once you get a better feel for the different agencies (and how much this particular one would be willing to work with you) it should be easier to decide how important the drive time is.
  17. You should definitely apply as it looks like you would probably be a pretty good MSW student. The apps I did asked for both your Overall GPA and the GPA for the last 60 credits of your undergrad. Like others have said you should address your reasons in you personal statement and explain what happened and what you've done to make sure it doesn't happen again. I would apply with that and see what happens. If nobody accepts you then you can try retaking classes to improve it for the next year. I've also heard of people asking to do an interview if they have things on they're application that they're worried about. You could check on that if you think it would help your situation.
  18. It varies a little by program. I think "good" would be a 4.0 and it's an attainable goal. 3.0 is a minimum and I knew a few people who fell in the 3.3-3.5 range but I'd say 3.5-3.7 are where most students fall. I think I had a 3.6 or something around there.
  19. I think it depends on of it's a personal account or a professional one. If it's professional and they're tweeting about research related stuff and they're primarily just following other researchers then It's fine and I would. If it's a private account or they're posting stuff related to they're personal life then I wouldn't... at least not until you know them better and have a closer relationship with them.
  20. I would be concerned if you weren't scared of that much debt. That's A LOT of debt. I'm not criticizing because I'm over 50K myself but it's a huge investment. I think as a culture we're used to student loan debt and it seems normal but in reality it's not something to be taken lightly. Good luck and I hope you get a great job as soon as you graduate and you get that debt paid off quickly!
  21. For several weeks after I accepted an offer I was basically overcome with sheer terror. After some time now I'm starting to move through the panic into more positive feelings. At this rate I should excited to start by the time August rolls around! I've been working for the past few years and I'm excited to get back into an academic setting. I love being a student and being surrounded by people who are incredibly intelligent and also love to learn. I also can't wait to have access to the university library and all that comes with that. Small town rural community libraries just can't compete.
  22. For my second and most important one I was at work. Luckily the co-worker who shares my office was out for the day. I got an email saying a decision has been made with the letter attached. I closed the door to my office and I just stared at the screen for a few minutes before I opened the attached letter. My heart was beating really fast and it felt like one of those big life-changing moments that I should be emotionally present for. When I finally read it and it said I got in I started crying. I gave myself a few minutes of emotional explosion before I fixed my makeup and went back to work like nothing happened. Later I sent an email to some family and friends that contained all of the exclamation points I was forced to hold in at work.
  23. Public transit is pretty good as long as you're not too far out, plus students get a free bus pass. It's doable. Madison is also a very bike friendly city so that's another great way to get around. As far as companies not to rent from I had a place from Randall Park Apartments (who is a offshoot of Colonial Property Management) and I would not recommend them. Looking at online reviews I would say I was not alone in having a negative experience.
  24. I feel really torn between enjoying my last months of freedom to binge watch Netflix shows while I can or start getting back into academic mode to prepare myself for the five years ahead of me.... thus far Netflix is winning.
  25. I think it's too early to be fearful for your future. I think it's a little strange they don't let you register for classes on your own but if it's online and the date/times don't really matter then it doesn't seem out of line for an online program. I also don't think it's crazy that they take longer than a day. It's a busy time of year. If you need the class you'll get it, even if it's not this semester. They likely register people who are at the end of their academic career first so they can graduate on time and then do the new students at the end. As far as classes not being available every semester that's totally normal. I experienced that plenty during BSW and MSW at two different schools. They can offer a wider variety of classes if they only do them every other year/semester.
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