hippyscientist

My plan, if I get accepted, is to foster dogs. That way I can have the companionship, do something awesome and get around the fact that I may not be able to stay after my programme. Maybe look into that? I hear you, nothing from my January schools, although I had an interview at a November deadline school and a fellowship nomination from a March deadline school! Bizarre. I'm also frustrated because when I submitted applications/had my interview my research project was still a "who knows" topic, as we have to pick from a list (don't worry I didn't say that) from advisors. As such I thought I would have to do a crappy project based solely on my departments focus. As it turns out I have an awesome project totally related to what I want to do with PhDs but know that emailing them and saying "hey, you know I said I was going to do XYZ? Well I'm actually doing ABC that is 5million times cooler" isn't going to help anything. Sitting and waiting is hard. Best of luck everyone.

So I think I've got a brain crush on my masters research advisor. He is so awesome! The most supportive and understanding mentor I think I've ever had. Project sounds amazingly exciting, we're getting started next week. He's already said that if I don't get in to PhD programs this time round he'll personally deliver my application to his contacts next year and make sure I get accepted! He wants me to publish my research in one of the top journals in the field and we haven't even started it yet. "This is the goal from the outset. We want to have something publishable for XYZ journal and presentations for XYZ international conferences. We will train you to be awesome and have the best reputation before you apply" You guys, why couldn't I have found him a year ago??? Rejections are going to hurt, but plan Bs and proactive approaches are the way forward. Good luck everyone as Februgatory continues, I hope happy news comes your way shortly!

Does the Roth IRA thing work for intl students? I currently have my savings in an ISA in my home country and definitely want to keep saving through grad school. As for budget things, I agree that the little things really add up. Chocolate cravings and coffees for me were my achilles heel, so I've limited myself to buying chocolate one week per month, and coffee once every two weeks. Bulk buying and crock-pots are fantastic money savers too. The other thing that I find really helpful is to not limit yourself. I probably eat out once every 3 months, if that, but then I enjoy it as it's a huge treat. Looking for coupons, specials, one-offs, sales etc. A good thing to look at is price per unit of the thing you're buying. If you have 20 toilet rolls for $10 or 6 rolls for $4 I know what I'm going for. Seconding the tracking your spending, I was really surprised the amount I spend on "sanity buys" - a new pair of workout leggings, a book, movie tickets stuff to keep myself calm when stressed. I replaced it with a gym membership which was cheaper and healthier! Sorry that was a bit of a brain dump. Hopefully something in there is a little bit helpful.

With you on this one. It doesn't help that this school is 8 hours behind me time difference wise so if I hear anything I half expect it to come through while I'm sleeping. It makes checking my phone in the morning really nerve-wracking!! So I have my first research meeting tomorrow with a brand new advisor and project that I'm seriously excited about working on!! He holds an OSCAR! For working on the technology that makes animation like you see in Lord of the Rings possible. How freaking cool is that?!?!

@pterosaur YAY congratulations!!

So there's this huge storm going on outside. I have no internet (other than cell phone) and no power. I was planning on reading my kindle but it needs charging and there's no light to do any work by. Now I'm worried about emails not coming through! I also noticed last night that there's definitely a rat or something living in my walls because it scurries around nocturnally and I'm scared it's going to nibble through into my room. Leaky ceilings sound bad though! Duct tape?? That fixes everything!

This sounds amazing and I'll come help you if you want?! Oh monday, how I am not looking forward to this week. Onwards and upwards, time to power through!! Good luck for the week everyone

Happy birthday @BooksCoffeeBeards!!

@nka93 I totally understand that. I've put out a PSA telling everyone I will let them know when I hear, that I love them for being interested but that I really can't handle the extra pressure the constant enquiring puts on me right now. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to be holding, but every time I get asked, I try to deflect conversation to my current masters. I'm really apprehensive for this next week. In the past some of my programs have started to notify and I have SO much on this week too. I know I'm going to be a bundle of stress. I have a research report due in, research meeting for new project, open day where I have to give them 6 hours of my time fluffing about how great my school is when it's not, all my classes and labs, tutoring, training and packing as I'm going on holiday this weekend too. I know I'll find time to make it on here and my application status pages but I'm actually pleased to be crazy busy once more.

Or maybe they were just so bad you now think the later ones are better? Either way, glad it's getting easier! In totally unrelated news, have you guys seen cookie the penguin? My friend was sad so I sent her this to cheer her up and now I'm in hysterical laughter too.

@gingin6789 I had my Nirvana band tee on, and when I was explaining it was a band - the older gentleman asked what it was - he thought it was my band. So cute. I haven't officially started yet, but one of the researchers at my university is in the brand new IOC-comissioned research centre for sports medicine and he's developed a novel tool for injury analysis and it looks like I might be able to work with him on that which is just mind-blowingly cool in my book. Isn't it awesome when you get all nerdy excited about research?! haha

Also a man asked me if I was in Nirvana! On grad school related news, I got to pick my Masters research project yesterday and I'm so excited about it. It's way more advanced than I thought would be possible and I get to use the same software that game creators and animation studios use but apply it to ankle injuries. So much more exciting than the modelling of gymnastics techniques I thought I'd have to do!!

Today I am doing my work (writing a journal article) in a coffee shop and there's the cutest kid singing the alphabet song. Oh I miss those days...

On the subject of motivational quotes, I have two that I like: "Either you think you can or you can't, either way you are right" and "Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow" The first one reminds me have conviction in my decisions, and trust that I know what I'm doing or that I can learn. The second I actually got as a tattoo following a long series of losses and it reminds me to live each day to the fullest, moving on from the mistakes I've made in the past and keeping a positive outlook for the future.

Oh this is far too accurate. I realised half my inside jokes with my friends are nerd related. Also @rhombusbombus that is not okay! To the ice creamery being closed or the fact that they made you talk to them by yourself!!! @Neist mmmm happy hour! My burger hit the spot. So good. Enjoy yours later!

I feel ya buddy I feel ya. And I know the adcomms of my california school is meeting today. Eeeepp. I'm making Texas burgers to distract myself then drinking some vino later so I can sleep through any news.

@Foreveronward totally agree with you. My discipline isn't on here (Biomedicine is about the closest I can find and that's not really what I do), and it's awesome to chat with people applying to all different disciplines anyway. I am rooting for everyone! Have fun @rhombusbombus, please have an ice cream for me! And tell them to let me know if I'm accepted or not... But hey, have fun - this should be a wooing you visit now! Enjoy the woo (does that even make sense? I just woke up).

@rosali it definitely depends. Most of my programs specifically ask for you to contact POIs before submitting applications and one won't even pass it on to the adcom before a professor has agreed to work with you. I think contacting is very field dependent. If it's not required in your field then I wouldn't stress about it.

@Neist agreed. My plan of action is to wait out Feb and if I haven't heard anything from anywhere then I'll enquire, mainly because that's roughly the time-frame I need to start looking at plan B jobs.

It's still only first week in February. We have plenty of time...

@Pink Fuzzy Bunny (I keep trying to tag you as Fuzzy) that made me laugh. It's so tough to chill though! I just got back an exam grade for a test I thought I bombed. Although I didn't get the top grade I did come close Phew!

@SLPgradstudent right? It's horrible. Yes I know a time frame, just for one programme though so there's still the anxiety and mood swings for the other programmes. My masters work is ramping up too right now so I've decided to do the adult thing this weekend and go out to the pub.

I've come to the conclusion that I think it's worse knowing when the ad-comms are meeting. For one of my schools they have the meeting tomorrow (Friday) and so I probably won't find out until Saturday due to time differences (POI said she'd email me as soon as she comes out the room). I am just a bunch of nerves!

@haltheincandescent as much as the gluten thing is frustrating, I find it relatively easy to work around. I can't imagine not having nuts though - they're in everything!!! It's been so great today just vegging out. Back to the grind tomorrow though.

@SLPgradstudent are we the same person? I too am allergic to cats. Foodwise, I can't do seafood or pork or turkey, mushrooms or gluten. It's normally okay to eat around but it can sometimes be pretty tricky. My boyfriend is lactose intolerant, celiac and deadly allergic to shellfish so our meals can get boring for those who don't have to eat to allergies. However, my group of friends at university are predominantly gluten-free or lactose-intolerant so it means we can go eat places together! It's awesome!! (There's a pizza place near us that makes gluten-free bases and customisable toppings and we can actually share food. It's so exciting!