hippyscientist

Hi there, I last emailed my POI to let him know that my application had been submitted. That was mid october, and he said he'd make a decision in a few weeks. I have yet to hear anything but I don't want to annoy him by sending an email if it's not the done thing (I'd like to phone but international rates/time difference make that unviable). I've recently had some exam results back and they've been excellent (top of my year), I've found I really enjoy theoretical applications more than experimental (one of the concerns he raised when he met me was that my research focus seems like it could go more towards experimental, but I'd never had exposure to theoretical and now I love it). I wondered whether it would be okay to send an email along the lines of outlining my success here and my new interest in theoretical in order to spark the conversation again?

The distance is getting to me today in my LDR. The UK to New York sucks, especially when he's this wrapped up in work (and me too tbh). Hopefully only another 10 months until we're in the same country for a long period of time. On the plus side, my program is going well (always look on the bright side of life...) But who schedules a meeting for 8pm on a wednesday?! That is training time! I have to cut my training in half to attend a blinking staff meeting.

I've found that by reading (certain) papers multiple times, it's a lot easier to pick holes in them/critically evaluate the arguments they put forward. I'm not suggesting to do that for every bit of reading you need to do, but for certain assignments/key literature it's quite useful. I get on average 25 papers a week that I have to read for my classes, and then more that I end up reading so my assignments are good and my research makes sense. I would say I'm reading approximately 40 papers a week right now, and so I've learnt to find the relevant parts. If I'm reading for background knowledge, introductions and discussions are key. If I'm reading to understand methodologies, or how to present my own more succinctly, I read the methods. If I'm unsure on the best way to present my results, I just look at the results sections. Sometimes I have to read the whole paper, but by cutting down to the relevant sections you can minimise how many you "read".

Start writing! It doesn't have to be pulitzer worthy, just start writing. "I want to come to FSU for Molecular and Cell Biology because... and I'd be a good fit because..." You can start moving the structure around, playing with words once you've got something down. There's plenty of great advice on these boards for fine tuning SOPs but really, you just gotta start writing! Stop panicking, start writing. I think my first draft was something along the lines of "I'm a geek. I like studying. I want to get more knowledge. I want to play with people with knee injuries. I have a good background for this - biomech lab, other stuff I've done, my own injuries. I'd fit good at these schools because cool people, nice weather, good reputation, awesome research. Why you should take me? I've overcome s***, i'm tough, I work hard, I help people - tutoring, working in a school - and you'll love me." Obviously that's not what I submitted with my application but it gave me the bare bones to start building what I actually wanted to say. Once I had a rough outline, then I could work on tying it all together in a pretty SOP package. I hope that helps you get started.

Ouch I feel your pain. R can be tricky to wrap your head around (I had to teach it to myself in order to complete my undergraduate project). Do you have someone like a course rep who can feedback to the university on your behalf? If not, would you feel comfortable talking to the course leader and asking for feedback sooner, citing the concerns you've listed here? I'm programme rep for my masters, and am in meetings with course leaders every week feeding back thoughts, worries, constructive comments as well as praise, and we've found a lot of changes happening for the better because of that.

Ahh I'm so envious you've found out already - congratulations on your acceptance!! I know I've applied for Fall and shouldn't expect to hear anything for a while but I just want to know. My mind keeps playing out scenarios of my life at the different universities I've applied to, and I've been looking at accommodation in the different areas but I want to know so I can start planning for real. Waiting never was my strong-suit.

I think Overoverover makes some good points, if a little bluntly! The UK PhDs are very different to those in the US - you're expected to start your research immediately and there is very little opportunity for coursework. The way it works in most fields is you apply to a specific project, so you have very little say in the topic you will end up researching for 3 years. Additionally, the teaching components are a lot less structured than the US, will less support available. With regards to the job market, it depends where you want to end up - most people acknowledge the worth of a UK PhD (especially in Europe), whereas the american market is more familiar with the US style of PhD. Ultimately it is a very personal decision. I'm studying my masters in the UK, and will (hopefully) be headed to the US for my PhD, predominantly because of the difference in structure, and because I ultimately want to work in the states.

It is possible, but tends to be quite rare (and normally UK citizens get the better deal from this as the universities are aware of what's been covered at undergrad). The official line tends to be that "exceptional students may be considered with a BSc/BA, but a MSc/MA is preferred".

Yay! I just got the top grade in an exam!!!! Suck on that, boy who told me women shouldn't be in academia. (Sorry, I'm just so happy. Plus I'm hoping my meeting tomorrow with our programme head is productive and highlights the less-than-satisfactory behaviour of a certain cohort member).

Masters in the UK tend to be a lot less selective than their US counterparts. I was accepted onto my masters course (top one in the UK) with a 3.3 uGPA, an honors thesis and no publications or research experience (bar the project). From what it sounds like, you're more than competitive enough to get accepted. To get accepted with funding is a whole other kettle of fish. Funding is scarce for residents and even scarcer for international applicants. That's not to say it doesn't exist, it's just very hard to secure! Also MPhil and MRes are very different to MSc, and content and requirements will vary substantially by university. Also a 3.3 GPA equates to a 2:1 classification in the UK and this is considered the bare minimum to be accepted onto most masters programmes. UK programmes are graded VERY differently to American ones, and we also specialise a lot earlier (taking 3-4 subjects at 16, and accepted to a bachelors programme with very little opportunity to take outside courses), and this is why our GPA requirements are 3.3+ Hope that helps a bit, any more UK questions feel free to ask

Warning: My post is a bit ick but I have to vent! AGHHH so the doc has said I need to be tested for celiac, for the test here you have to load up on gluten, eating it for every meal. So far I've vomited in yoga, had blood while going #2 and have bloated so much that people have started asking when I'm due. On top of that I'm taking very strong medication for my shoulder, and I feel so out of it right now. Of course this week I have exams and coursework deadlines and meetings galore. I just want to go home and curl up in my toilet.

I think too, as long as you've cited Professor Y's work too in relation to the theory, you cover all your bases. That's how it works in Biomechanics anyway. So a combination of citing the original ideas from the original works, plus the book you're using for the main theory should make sure you're fine.

In my work, I've never said so-and-so's work has led me to other articles. As long as you cite the article where the idea was from and give those authors credit, I don't see a problem. I should caution I am in a completely different field to you so I hope others may be able to give more field-specific advice.

I'm sorry to hear about your loss. I too had personal losses before and during university which affected my grades (I only came out with a 3.3 - very low 2:1). I mentioned my circumstances in a line in my SOP, something along the lines of "due to the loss of four very close friends, my fathers diagnosis with cancer and the loss of my grandfather to cancer over the time of my bachelors degree, I do not feel I have reached my full academic potential. However, I know I am a stronger student for experiencing these things, as I have learnt how to excel in the face of adversity, gaining a first on my final year project. I am looking forward to producing work of the standard I know I am capable of in my graduate studies" and I know my LORs are mentioning this too, they know through conversations that I knew a lot more than my exam and coursework marks showed. The trick with these things is to show that yes, it affected you, but it's made you a stronger person, better candidate for further study. I think it would be naive to ignore it, as grief changes you as a person, and matures you a lot faster than graduates who have yet to experience substantial hardships. I hope that helps a bit?

The UK has a very different systems for applying to PhDs than the US, and funding is also a lot scarcer - not just for international students. Here, you tend to apply to a project that's advertised on jobs.ac.uk or individual university websites. You submit a proposal with your application and go through fairly rigorous testing (my understanding from watching friends apply for sciencey PhDs). If you get funding, great, but I'v been offered less in the UK than I would in the states (allowing for currency exchanges). Additionally, there is absolutely NO taught component. You start straight on the project you were accepted for, they expect you to be publishing and making useful contributions to the literature and project prior to Christmas (about 3-4months after starting) and it can be pretty isolating. Any further questions about the UK system, feel free to ask me.

It's good to hear that it's not isolated incidents, because other than this one student and impossible professor (who I've already had a rant about) I love grad school. These two individuals just make it a little more testing on my patience, as I'm sure will be the case for whatever career I would end up in. Dangers of being in the minority in a field I guess, yay for tough skins!

Wow ashiepoo! There's a guy on our (very maths/mechanics intense) course who constantly asks the girls why they're even there, as everyone knows a girl's place is only to serve men. Everyone was disgusted by his comments but he keeps making them, despite all of us trying to shut him down. I did feel a little smug when I scored substantially higher than him on a maths exam...

Is your degree in Spain a primary degree, or have you already completed a degree and done further study? I completed a final year project (full research study) as part of my UK bachelors, and so I applied with a BSc. If you have gone on to do further study beyond the degree you are talking about then that is your MS. With regards to the GPA requirement of 3.0, see the many many threads on that around this forum. There's many websites such as http://www.foreigncredits.com/Resources/GPA-Calculator/Spain which may help you convert your spanish grades to those of American universities so you know if you're in the right region to apply. These are just rough guides so a quick email to the administration team of the programmes you would like to apply to should help you to find out if you meet their minimum requirements (although I'd try and check by yourself first - you are afterall applying to a postgraduate level course). With regards to TOEFL, I'm sorry I cannot help you there as I have no particular knowledge of how that works, but common sense tells me that if you struggle to communicate near-fluent in the language you are applying to (written, AND verbal as you will be teaching) then you'll probably minimise your chances of acceptance. Again, I'd check with the programmes you're looking to apply to as they'll be able to tell you more.

Have any of you experienced sexist comments from peers and/or professors? This is to both guys and girls! There's been a few comments made by certain staff members and an individual on our cohort and it's led to an awkward atmosphere.

I totally agree with you radiomars! Glad to hear you're loving life as a grad student. I'm loving grad school, my home friends all tell me that I'm in my element and I feel it. I'm obviously stressed, and there is a high workload, but it's manageable and I still manage to train and compete in my sport. I do think a lot of the moaning/complaining is down to maturity levels and life experience. Despite my younger age (I'm 23) I've lived a lot, experienced a lot, worked in the "real" world and know academia is the right place for me. With that knowledge, I'm thriving. I find most of my stress comes from my peers stressing, and confiding in me. I think what you said about doing your research is vital. You gotta know that you're going to thrive wherever you end up.

The UK system is VERY different to the one America uses for "grad school". For one, we tend to call it postgraduate study! What in particular is confusing you about the applications? I'm currently doing my masters in the UK so can hopefully try to offer a bit of help when it comes to the application process.

I just wanted to comment and say I've been feeling very overwhelmed right now. I can (just about) do my work, I have a few deadlines and exams next week, my mum has a"friend" coming to stay with her who attacked her the last time she was here so I'm worried about that, my gran's going in for surgery tomorrow, my responsibilities as programme rep, and keeping up with training has just meant I feel I'm burning the candle not just at each end but in the middle too. TakeruKs advice has really resonated with me, so thank you! To swampfox, although I'm in a totally different field, I think it's safe to say you're not alone with feeling like you are. The advice above sounds excellent.

My knowledge is only of the UK system, but we don't have a taught component to any PhD. It's expected that the 3 years you do are purely research based, and you'll have gained extra knowledge through a masters. One of the reasons I'm applying to PhDs in the US only!

There are 14 of us in my cohort and we have split into about 3 very flexible groups. I tend to study, hang out and work out with these people. Thankfully I also have my coaching which means I'm not around them 24/7 - more like 16/6! It's weird when I'm naturally quite an introverted person, but I guess we all have quite similar personalities which means they're easier to get along with. Not what I was expecting, but actually quite nice. I think as we get more stressed I'll create a bit more distance, but currently it's not competitive. There are a few members of the group who do think quite negatively, so I'm trying to put some space between us.

When I applied I entered the name of my overall programme as my Major (for me that was sport and exercise science), so for you that would be International Studies. For your GPA, that is the overall grade that you graduated with. The American system can be confusing for those who haven't been through it, and I'm grateful I had an American professor who could help. As you don't have a major/minor breakdown, I found it helpful to also supply schools with a breakdown of the classes I took (content, credits, assessment methods) along with your transcript. Good luck!