sputnik

I am a TA for an intro class, which accounts for about 20 hours of my week. I also work a part time job which accounts for 24 hours of my week.
Then, when I'm done with all that stuff, I get to actually do my own school work.
The good thing is, I enjoy doing my research, so it's like a reward!
The point is, it can be done. I work a good 60-70 hours a week when you add it all up. But, I used to work a day job 40 hours/week, and I was miserable then. I am much happier now. It's not that my life is easier. Just a lot more rewarding.

This is less a mistake than a piece of advice. I have a period in my academic career that includes a couple of F's. I talked to my advisor about how to handle the situation and he told me that since I have such limited space in my SOP to not even touch it. He said letter writers have unlimited space, and that he would address the issue there. Granted, I am putting a lot of faith in my advisor, but the SOP I have now seems much stronger in that it focuses on my research and what I plan to do, instead of wasting valuable characters on the past.

Just thought I'd throw that out there since a lot of people seem to ask about how to handle past poor performance.

1. Chuck Norris doesn't apply to schools. Schools apply to Chuck Norris.

2. Chuck Norris only needed 1 LOR. It was written by Chuck Norris.

3. Chuck Norris' GRE scores: Verbal - No. Quantitative: Unquantifiable

4. Chuck Norris' Grade Point Average: Nothing is average about Chuck Norris.

5. In lieu of a statement of purpose, Chuck Norris sent photocopies of his fists.

6. When asked about financial support, Chuck Norris replied: How much do you need?

7. Chuck Norris isn't wait listed. Chuck Norris waits for nothing.

Ok...that's all I got. Good fun!

1. Chuck Norris doesn't apply to schools. Schools apply to Chuck Norris.

2. Chuck Norris only needed 1 LOR. It was written by Chuck Norris.

3. Chuck Norris' GRE scores: Verbal - No. Quantitative: Unquantifiable

4. Chuck Norris' Grade Point Average: Nothing is average about Chuck Norris.

5. In lieu of a statement of purpose, Chuck Norris sent photocopies of his fists.

6. When asked about financial support, Chuck Norris replied: How much do you need?

7. Chuck Norris isn't wait listed. Chuck Norris waits for nothing.

Ok...that's all I got. Good fun!

This is less a mistake than a piece of advice. I have a period in my academic career that includes a couple of F's. I talked to my advisor about how to handle the situation and he told me that since I have such limited space in my SOP to not even touch it. He said letter writers have unlimited space, and that he would address the issue there. Granted, I am putting a lot of faith in my advisor, but the SOP I have now seems much stronger in that it focuses on my research and what I plan to do, instead of wasting valuable characters on the past.

Just thought I'd throw that out there since a lot of people seem to ask about how to handle past poor performance.

1. Chuck Norris doesn't apply to schools. Schools apply to Chuck Norris.

2. Chuck Norris only needed 1 LOR. It was written by Chuck Norris.

3. Chuck Norris' GRE scores: Verbal - No. Quantitative: Unquantifiable

4. Chuck Norris' Grade Point Average: Nothing is average about Chuck Norris.

5. In lieu of a statement of purpose, Chuck Norris sent photocopies of his fists.

6. When asked about financial support, Chuck Norris replied: How much do you need?

7. Chuck Norris isn't wait listed. Chuck Norris waits for nothing.

Ok...that's all I got. Good fun!

...who blew off writing your thesis and now have to scramble to get it done before you start your PhD program in a few weeks? Or is it just me?

...who blew off writing your thesis and now have to scramble to get it done before you start your PhD program in a few weeks? Or is it just me?

As a second year, I started a wiki for everyone in our Master's program (1st and 2nd years) that has answers to basic questions that I asked when I first started: Where's paper for the printer? TA tips, good restaurants in the area, how to use our stupid computer system for grading, etc. I wish I had started it in my first year. I actually learned a lot from other people that posted. And I like to think I helped some first years not feel like idiots when trying to print or find basic supplies. Our department does a crappy job of explaining this stuff, so the wiki has been helpful.

1. Chuck Norris doesn't apply to schools. Schools apply to Chuck Norris.

2. Chuck Norris only needed 1 LOR. It was written by Chuck Norris.

3. Chuck Norris' GRE scores: Verbal - No. Quantitative: Unquantifiable

4. Chuck Norris' Grade Point Average: Nothing is average about Chuck Norris.

5. In lieu of a statement of purpose, Chuck Norris sent photocopies of his fists.

6. When asked about financial support, Chuck Norris replied: How much do you need?

7. Chuck Norris isn't wait listed. Chuck Norris waits for nothing.

Ok...that's all I got. Good fun!

So you do have cancer? Or you think you might have cancer?

Here's the deal with this nasty little buggar: What kind you have and how far it's progressed are going to really set the stage for the kind of treatment that is planned and how much that will affect someone's studies. The thing with cancer is, "fighting" it is really mostly just waiting. Waiting to have a test, waiting for results, waiting for treatment, waiting for more tests, etc.

The point is, with all that waiting going on, the hardest part is to not let your imagination get the best of you. Because it can eat you alive.

So, try to wait until you know what, exactly, you're dealing with before you let it own you. I know exactly what you're going through, and that's the best advice I can give.

So you do have cancer? Or you think you might have cancer?

Here's the deal with this nasty little buggar: What kind you have and how far it's progressed are going to really set the stage for the kind of treatment that is planned and how much that will affect someone's studies. The thing with cancer is, "fighting" it is really mostly just waiting. Waiting to have a test, waiting for results, waiting for treatment, waiting for more tests, etc.

The point is, with all that waiting going on, the hardest part is to not let your imagination get the best of you. Because it can eat you alive.

So, try to wait until you know what, exactly, you're dealing with before you let it own you. I know exactly what you're going through, and that's the best advice I can give.

First of all, I hope your diagnosis is negative.

I know someone who was diagnosed with cancer whilst finishing her PhD. It pushed her graduation back one year, but, she finished her PhD quite successfully. She was able to snatch a prestigious, merit-based, fellowship during the treatment. It did not hold her back, it actually pushed her to strive. What I can remember about her is that she did not lament over cancer. She fought it while working ***hard*** on her PhD. I think working on PhD helped to take her mind of the cancer.

On top of that, she has a kid and a husband to look after to. ...stong woman.
I think she's cancer free now

I wish I had a cool story for my username/avatar. I am not Russian. My research has nothing to do with space or astronomy or anything even close to that. I was trying to come up with a username, and I had a radio on. For some reason, they were talking about sputnik, and thus my username was created.

For the avatar, I just looked for cool pictures of sputnik. Since I love dogs, I picked this one, on account of the dog.

LoL Pretty weak, all around.

1. Chuck Norris doesn't apply to schools. Schools apply to Chuck Norris.

2. Chuck Norris only needed 1 LOR. It was written by Chuck Norris.

3. Chuck Norris' GRE scores: Verbal - No. Quantitative: Unquantifiable

4. Chuck Norris' Grade Point Average: Nothing is average about Chuck Norris.

5. In lieu of a statement of purpose, Chuck Norris sent photocopies of his fists.

6. When asked about financial support, Chuck Norris replied: How much do you need?

7. Chuck Norris isn't wait listed. Chuck Norris waits for nothing.

Ok...that's all I got. Good fun!

1. Chuck Norris doesn't apply to schools. Schools apply to Chuck Norris.

2. Chuck Norris only needed 1 LOR. It was written by Chuck Norris.

3. Chuck Norris' GRE scores: Verbal - No. Quantitative: Unquantifiable

4. Chuck Norris' Grade Point Average: Nothing is average about Chuck Norris.

5. In lieu of a statement of purpose, Chuck Norris sent photocopies of his fists.

6. When asked about financial support, Chuck Norris replied: How much do you need?

7. Chuck Norris isn't wait listed. Chuck Norris waits for nothing.

Ok...that's all I got. Good fun!

1. Chuck Norris doesn't apply to schools. Schools apply to Chuck Norris.

2. Chuck Norris only needed 1 LOR. It was written by Chuck Norris.

3. Chuck Norris' GRE scores: Verbal - No. Quantitative: Unquantifiable

4. Chuck Norris' Grade Point Average: Nothing is average about Chuck Norris.

5. In lieu of a statement of purpose, Chuck Norris sent photocopies of his fists.

6. When asked about financial support, Chuck Norris replied: How much do you need?

7. Chuck Norris isn't wait listed. Chuck Norris waits for nothing.

Ok...that's all I got. Good fun!

Oh yeah, here is an awesome list of scholarship websites that's been compiled by Northwestern.

http://www.northwestern.edu/fellowships/info/external.htm

I hear they sell plan B's at the pharmacy, for ten bucks. Over-the-counter.

1. Chuck Norris doesn't apply to schools. Schools apply to Chuck Norris.

2. Chuck Norris only needed 1 LOR. It was written by Chuck Norris.

3. Chuck Norris' GRE scores: Verbal - No. Quantitative: Unquantifiable

4. Chuck Norris' Grade Point Average: Nothing is average about Chuck Norris.

5. In lieu of a statement of purpose, Chuck Norris sent photocopies of his fists.

6. When asked about financial support, Chuck Norris replied: How much do you need?

7. Chuck Norris isn't wait listed. Chuck Norris waits for nothing.

Ok...that's all I got. Good fun!

1. Chuck Norris doesn't apply to schools. Schools apply to Chuck Norris.

2. Chuck Norris only needed 1 LOR. It was written by Chuck Norris.

3. Chuck Norris' GRE scores: Verbal - No. Quantitative: Unquantifiable

4. Chuck Norris' Grade Point Average: Nothing is average about Chuck Norris.

5. In lieu of a statement of purpose, Chuck Norris sent photocopies of his fists.

6. When asked about financial support, Chuck Norris replied: How much do you need?

7. Chuck Norris isn't wait listed. Chuck Norris waits for nothing.

Ok...that's all I got. Good fun!

1. Chuck Norris doesn't apply to schools. Schools apply to Chuck Norris.

2. Chuck Norris only needed 1 LOR. It was written by Chuck Norris.

3. Chuck Norris' GRE scores: Verbal - No. Quantitative: Unquantifiable

4. Chuck Norris' Grade Point Average: Nothing is average about Chuck Norris.

5. In lieu of a statement of purpose, Chuck Norris sent photocopies of his fists.

6. When asked about financial support, Chuck Norris replied: How much do you need?

7. Chuck Norris isn't wait listed. Chuck Norris waits for nothing.

Ok...that's all I got. Good fun!

1. Chuck Norris doesn't apply to schools. Schools apply to Chuck Norris.

2. Chuck Norris only needed 1 LOR. It was written by Chuck Norris.

3. Chuck Norris' GRE scores: Verbal - No. Quantitative: Unquantifiable

4. Chuck Norris' Grade Point Average: Nothing is average about Chuck Norris.

5. In lieu of a statement of purpose, Chuck Norris sent photocopies of his fists.

6. When asked about financial support, Chuck Norris replied: How much do you need?

7. Chuck Norris isn't wait listed. Chuck Norris waits for nothing.

Ok...that's all I got. Good fun!

i just called my cousin a "socially inept a**hole" so ...... you tell me if I'm "increasingly moody"

Yeah. My moodiness is reaching all time highs now. People from my program at school are starting to get acceptances. Granted, I didn't apply to any of the schools they have, but it's pissing me off. I have yet to hear a damn thing from anyone. I'd almost take a rejection just to hear something!

Plus, I'm getting sick of reading posts on the board that go something like, "Hi Everyone! I am perfect in every way! I have a perfect GPA and a perfect GRE and the perfect professor at the perfect uni is perfectly in love with me! And even though I'm so perfectly perfect, I'm apparently not smart enough to know my chances, so I'll ask you all, 'What are my chances?'"

Sod off! Those are your chances! Now stop reminding the rest of us how mediocre we are you perfect ass!

(That's why I posted this is the moody thread). I've gotten worse.