Danger_Zone

Thanks for the replies everyone! I think it's really interesting to hear about the different backgrounds grad students have come from. I can't say whether or not having parents in academics would have been an advantage to me, but it is a bit of an issue sometimes since they don't seem to understand how difficult school can be, or what kind of opportunities it may or may not give you. I also want somebody to share my research and work with because I'm proud of it but it's hard to get them to sit down and read a 30+ page paper. As for my family, though, one of my aunts did go to university to study Psychology but ended up dropping out early on. My mom really wanted to be a stay-at-home mom, and my dad had been working since he was about 16 (he got kicked out and was told over and over he would never finish high school, but he managed to so of course I am proud of him for that!) I am sad that my siblings will not be pursuing higher education, but I understand that it isn't for everyone. I think it would be nice to help guide them through the process since I have already gone through it myself,but hopefully I can be helpful in other areas of life.

Well all of my documents were acceptable and I will be receiving my visa documents soon! I'm really relieved.

My program didn't offer a thesis option but I submitted a paper from an independent research seminar. Most applications had a page limit of some sort, so in most cases I had to submit only part of the paper. Other schools, though, will allow you to submit a full paper, and some may ask you to write a short abstract of your full paper if you do not include it in its entirety. You should pick the paper which you think best reflects your writing and research skills. I think committees also favour good use of primary/varied sources, and perhaps a paper related in some way to what you plan to study (if you have this, of course. I submitted a paper broadly related to my field but not the particular topic(s) I plan to study.)

@hippyscientist I hope your visa stuff works out. The whole process has been a source of anxiety for me. It seems to be a lot easier for Canadians so I feel bad for everyone else who has to deal with this.. If a school wants somebody they shouldn't make getting a visa such an obstacle.

This is my reading style... I'm going to have a hell of a time at grad school.

@Neist I've been meaning to read about Marie Curie so maybe I will check that book out. I enjoy biographies of scientists and one of the first things that really drew me to the history of science/medicine was patent medicine, particularly the things people used to do with radium! I've also started Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes a Day by Joan Bolker because apparently I really like to read about writing. But it's actually a very helpful book and has provided some tips that I will definitely try to incorporate into my own writing process (I've always been a bit too picky about my writing, so I am going to try the more messy, "free writing" approach and see how that works out for me.)

I was very fortunate to have some really great professors who helped mentor me. I think without them I may not be going to grad school in the fall. When I started undergrad I did think about attending grad school, but felt it was unrealistic for me to go somewhere that was not only more difficult, but more competitive. I also couldn't imagine going to school for another decade! (A bit of an exaggeration, but at the time I was considering going to school for psychology and had heard things about grad school taking 5-7 years, then post-docs, etc.) But once you learn it is more like job training - and that you usually get paid for said training - it really is a whole new environment and experience than undergrad. My parents are supportive as well and proud of what I'm doing, even though I have to explain what that is sometimes (I still have to remind them that I don't already have a Master's degree ).

Thanks! I didn't want to start a new topic if something was already out there, but I don't think I've heard the term straddler before.

I'm just kind of curious if people here have family members, relatives, etc. who are/were academics or if they are the first in their family to be pursuing grad school. I know a lot of people end up going into professions similar to their parents, so I wonder how true this is of academia as well. I am the first of anyone in my family (relatives included) to go to university (both for an undergrad degree and graduate degree.) Both of my parents got jobs out of high school and I'm the only one of my siblings to finish high school. Essentially my family does not place education very highly, whereas it has always been something very significant to me. So I felt a bit alone and unsure of myself in the process as I initially viewed a doctorate degree as something only attainable to the most highly knowledgeable people, and never dreamed I would be going to grad school myself. For those of you who do have family members in academics, do you feel as though this is an advantage (having somebody close to go to for advice, who knows the process and has gone through it themselves, etc.) or a disadvantage (being pressured to pursue academia, or feeling like you must live up to higher standards)?

I was given similar advice from a professor as @puyple was. I only took a year off as well, but that gave me plenty of time to travel, "read for fun", study for the GRE and look into schools. Most importantly, though, it gave me time to really decide if continuing my education was right for me. I was initially worried that I might not want to go back once I had a break, but I've had quite the opposite reaction and am now very eager and excited to start school again. I've always loved writing and conducting research, but my final year was pretty intense and I think having a break may have prevented any burn out I may have felt if I didn't take time off. It also gave me plenty of time to explore my research interests and get a better idea of what I wanted to study in grad school.

I haven't, thanks for sharing! He seems very down to earth, although now I am disappointed to hear that I will not be immediately receiving a Nobel Prize.

It's very weird to me to remember that I sent my first application over 5 months ago. I've been so preoccupied with this whole process! And now it's all over. I wish I could tell former me to stop freaking out so much. Anyway I think as long as you are passionate about your topic you will make it work. It's also nice to go into grad school having a solid idea for a topic. (I also love your pic! I spent a lot of time watching Seinfeld and Curb to help pass the time and relax. )

That sounds like a really cool idea actually. I probably should have applied right out of undergrad so I wouldn't have all this spare time to worry and obsess over applications.

@Need Coffee in an IV It's definitely a helpful read. I've picked up a few books on thesis/dissertation research/writing that I thought I'd read before starting my research, so I will have to see how useful I find them. I am hoping I can start grad school much more organized and informed than when I started undergrad!

@Need Coffee in an IV I feel the same way! It's too bad when plans you thought you had fall through. I took a break after I graduated and now I'm restless as well and very eager to begin school again. At least going to grad school is an official thing now and I can begin planning that. Working at a museum sounds awesome. Although I didn't end up taking that kind of path in my studies I've always loved to visit them. I'm a big fan of history museums and art galleries.

As others have said, I can't help you come up with ideas for your thesis - a large part of writing a thesis is being able to formulate ideas that will make a significant contribution to your field but also help you grow as a critical thinker, writer, researcher, etc. - but if this helps at all I am currently reading a book called How to Write a Thesis by Umberto Eco. He doesn't tell you what to write your thesis on, but goes through the process of finding resources, compiling bibliographies and coming up with a realistic, workable thesis (by that I mean how wide or narrow in scope your thesis should be), among other things. It may help to find resources like this which help with the initial research process. Through this you should be able to find a number of resources essential to your thesis topic and you can go from there.

Good to know! I was worried I was going to have trouble finding a cheap quality laptop. My sister recommended a Macbook but they seem a bit pricey and I don't feel like it's necessary to keep synced up to my phone. I am planning to do something similar: take notes/do work on the laptop and transfer it over to my desktop if needed. I went through undergrad writing up notes by hand but I'd rather not rely on my sketchy notes for grad work. And yes, I just found out that I get Microsoft Office for free through my school! My undergrad school didn't offer this so I was happy about that.

I'm finding it really bothersome that it's actually frustrating and tiresome trying to find volunteering opportunities. I just wanted something to do in the area for a few months before moving away for school, but it seems that nobody is willing to take you if you can't commit multiple months, often 6 or more. I would have looked into volunteering much sooner than a few short months before leaving, but I was to be interviewed by a representative of what I considered the coolest history-related volunteering experience I could find (local genealogical research)... but things seemed very disorganized, an interview was scheduled but he was a no show and has not gotten back to me since. So maybe it's best I am not volunteering there if they can't even give me a few minutes out of their day to interview me, but now I'm kind of stuck doing nothing, and it's too late to do any sort of school-related volunteering because classes are almost over.

@TakeruK I'm just a worrier I guess. My school's International Office does seem pretty busy, but I guess the school also has a very high percentage of international students, so despite some slowness they are probably quite good at providing them with help.

Yeah I'm sure getting the statement signed/stamped will be simple if I end up needing it, I just wish I had known so I wouldn't have to resubmit anything.But it's reassuring to know this process isn't as scary as it sounds!

Thanks, that definitely makes me feel better about all this. I think my TAship covers the minimum living expenses specified, but I still have a small amount of tuition and health insurance fees which would need to be covered by personal funds. I know there is the April 15 deadline and all but I still felt like I should have started this sooner! So it's good to know there is more than enough time. I'd just like to get this whole process over with.

So if for some reason they want another financial document instead they would let me know and I could give them something else without any problems? I did follow the instructions they gave on what type of document to submit (what needed to be on it, etc.) but I received an e-mail after I submitted it telling me it also needs to be signed and stamped by the bank, which wasn't at all mentioned in the document criteria. I'm not sure now if I should contact them with a new document or wait and see if they accept the one I gave them or not. I am receiving a tuition waiver and TAship which should cover most of my expenses, but I do have savings to cover the rest.

Thanks! I actually just bought one (it's an ASUS Chromebook 11.6" to be exact), but I wanted to know if others have had positive experiences with it as grad students (sounds like people have had positive experiences from the conversations on it here, thanks for pointing me to that page). I like the idea of having a small, light, minimal-type device to use for classes then having a desktop at home. I do have a full-size laptop as well but I found it too heavy and inconvenient to take to class during undergrad.

@GradSchoolTruther I had a really hard time finding research opportunities during undergrad that weren't for students on financial aid (basically any summer scholarship was reserved for only these students and I wasn't even eligible to apply) so I used to ask my professors if I could help out for free. They seemed very confused as to why I would ever volunteer for this, but it can be tough to find research opportunities and I feel like I was at a disadvantage because I lacked the experience others were able to get. I was also eager to do research and was happy to volunteer my time, which seems to be why @anxietygirl was asking about this.

Thank you, this is what I was thinking as well. I am hoping that is enough, but I will have to see what happens I guess.