Yanaka

Too far from NB unfortunately! Very close to NYC however... According to Maps...

Hmm okay, lol. Thankfully we’re working on all linguistic manifestations of gender including expressions in the law etc.

Yes! Unfortunately it's widely mocked (of course). I know my circle uses it a lot on social media, but that's only the reflection of my entourage, not of society. I also read that using the - instead of the . was more appropriate for people with dyslexia and vision impairment!

Thank you! If you have any recommendations around NB (whether it be places to live or places to hang out), feel free to tell me!

Are you seriously using l'écriture inclusive?! omg. Haha! Love it

Just got an email from the former chair of French dpt. at the Sorbonne because he endorsed all my letters of rec from there and I told him about getting into Rutgers. He told me he wasn’t surprised because the prof whom he knew and whom referred me to her dpt at Rutgers really wanted to work with me. — In other news, I am freaking out and have imposter syndrome big time. I’m having a tough semester (I think my latent depression is manifesting itself) so I feel really unable to go to Rutgers and pursue grad studies. I always feel like I do something intensely and then give it up. I also feel unable to study French Lit because I always thought other people had better culture than I do (FYI I’m French so it’s more being confronted to my peers in my own culture since I was a teenager). Earlier a friend told me, joking, that I am going to be the weird professor going on rants about Proust and stuff—it was a general example but like I’ve never read Proust but everyone around me who likes literature has and loves him. And I’m freaking out about moving to Jersey, I have this probably inaccurate idea that’s it’s a boring hell. (Maybe not so inaccurate?)

I had a lot of fun reading the Prof. X and Dr. X messages. I could feel my inner X-Men power vibrate

I know who that person is!! And they don’t regret it, last time I spoke with them.

@Mandasplaining I laughed out loud at the dog raising the kid! Same for you @M(allthevowels)H. So many funny peeps on this forum

Is it a different process for younger kids? Fingers crossed for you guys! As someone who was adopted, I'm sure you make a great family for another adopted kid

I'm so creeped out by this topic. What a dangerous jerk. I hope he hasn't/won't harm anyone

I know! I'm truly on that "we don't need to add new people" board. But I can't help but long for a pregnancy and all that. I'm such a hormonal bore... Me the radical feminist wanting to be preggo one day. Doesn't mean I wouldn't adopt as well! haha. Anyway everything is hypothetical right now. Did you/are you adopt/ing? Or fostering?

I've been feeling the same way about being single for a long time but still wanting to have a child. I was looking into pregnancy options being single, but it's a little overwhelming money-wise when I've never had money. Eight years is very long, no wonder you already started the process--it also gives time to be sure about it haha. Thanks for the info! I'm here temporarily, and I don't know where I'll end up after my PhD, but it's good to know the options out there. It's pretty scary to think I'm in my late twenties, no partner any time soon (not even knowing the gender of future partner--could be a woman and we'd have the same "issue"), and I've always wanted a child. Edit: looking at the website, it's interesting to know more about fostering. These poor kids, man.

I am SO interested in the process of adopting when you're single. I thought it wasn't even possible!!

The feeling I am trying to compare being a Ph.D. candidate is when I worked a 9-5 job. That felt much more like a "job" than my MA currently, although I'm starting to grasp how much the independency of the status weighs in and changes how I'm experiencing this. But I do still feel like a half-adult mainly because my mom still supports me financially. @ZeChocMoose you are right! If I go on campus during the day instead of working from home, I do feel more surrounded by my peers and less like an imposter reading stuff at home. I'm very curious to see how this Ph.D. will be like, especially the first portion with coursework! @TakeruK I am so humbled that you took the time to answer so thoroughly. You did hit the nail on the head there, and I will be re-reading your post as "my fate" comes closer. I guess our parents/grandparents and earlier were more community-oriented and their mistakes turned out ok for the most part. Congratulations and good luck for the baby! The feeling of wanting to "move on" is what I've been experiencing this year. I know I want to do a Ph.D., though, so that's why I'm curious if it will be five years of wanting to move on, or if I will feel like I'm really actually doing something of my life.

I get your point. So you’re saying that it depends on the individual and there’s still a possibility to feel like a weird nomad? What about people around you? Do they treat what you do like it’s a job?

Hahaha that’s why I’m asking!?! When will we be recognized as working adults, dammit!

Hi all! In trying to over-plan the fact that I got into a program (yay!), I am wondering how much of a student people feel while doing their Ph.D. One of my worries about pursuing studies after an MA was still feeling like I’m a pre-adult at almost 30 years old. I guess financially it gets more independent—but what about professionally? Do you feel like you’re a professional with a job? Or still in limbo? My program is a Literature one, if that helps. Thanks!

Awww yaaaay!!!!!! I don’t know what that means but yaaaaaaay!

Like @hotpotatosaid: that’s so awesome!!!

Good call, @Warelin!

Congratulations on UConn!!!

Congratulations!!! It is UNC Chapel Hill?

Did you look in the Newark/Morristown areas? Or maybe just a tad closer to NB, since I guess you'd be driving and your partner would be using transportation?

Who has the April 1st deadline? Yes, typically ph.d applications are closed, now. MA programs might still be open, though!