GreenEyedTrombonist

Ugh, trying to make a decision sucks. So, I only applied to one program for undergrad, only applied to one (the same school) for grad, and now I'm faced with having to make a decision that's going to take me far away from my family for the first time. I'm freaking out about housing, living costs, feeding myself, coursework, and making sure I'll be doing research and TAing from the start. On the plus side, I get to ogle some pretty houses (that I won't be able to afford). x]

@spamhaus ugh. I dreamt twice last night that I was able to get into the system and see my rejection. Just checked, still doesn't recognize I have an app. -__-

That is intense, but many programs that do in-person interviews tend to have this many (or more). For me, I just had an interview today. I found out when it started that it would be with three of the faculty (including department chair) and not just with the PoI who reached out to me. Fun times, haha.

Still need to wait and hear back from a few programs, but I've visited one program, will visit another next month, and had an interview for another school today. I keep looking at places to live (at the programs that have interviewed or accepted me) and planning my move to each of these places, but I don't have a clear idea yet of where I'd prefer to go. And then I have at least two schools left to hear from (another two others have been admitted, but I haven't heard anything). I just want all their decisions in my lap so I can sit down and actually figure out where I'll be spending the next 4+ years of my life...

So everyone else has received an acceptance (or in one case, rejection) from Davis but I've heard nothing. They never even sent me an ID number. So, today I messaged them and managed to get my ID and sign up for an account to check my admissions status. It has yet to recognize that I have an app, so I'm still in the dark. I don't even think I want to go here anymore (especially after this fiasco), but I want to know my status. -__-

Congrats though @Dan_Xu ! I'll be visiting the campus in March and investing in some quality lotion/moisturizer this month (my skin is still dry from CT).

Nice @deshypothequiez ! I really liked my sis's wedding. She made it semi-destination (Oregon from California) so that they could keep it small (under 40, including the wedding party). My Dad was the minister, we did it all on an estate called Moonstruck Manor (absolutely gorgeous-ceremony by a creek and parking by a barn) and the wedding party and family all stayed in the main house. Their reception was good food and, instead of dancing, game and chill time. They brought a bunch of tabletop games and the estate had things like an air hockey table (great pic of my sis and her husband playing air hockey in their wedding clothes). Overall, something that super fit them and everyone loved. Although my parents didn't pay for my wedding, my mother was an event planner so some things she ended up paying for so they would be "right". Like, I didn't see a need to get the expensive appetizers, but she did so she bought them. I didn't see the need for an aisle runner so she bought one (and is still pissed people forgot to put it out), etc. I'll probably never get married again (seriously, divorce is a process and relationships tend to make me exhausted), but if I did, I'd probably do something similar to my sis in that I'll escape to a place in the middle of nowhere and bring tabletop games. I'd have dancing though. I really enjoy dancing.

@surprise_quiche I had a wedding, it was a ton of fun, except for the groom. Divorce was a process, but much happier at the end of it.

Consider funding for conferences, if they're set up so you do multiple smaller research projects with the opportunity for publication before starting your dissertation, if they have any job skills events (training for interviews, networking events, CV writing, etc). Also consider your advisor's style and if it matches with what you need (communication frequency, are they nice or blunt in their delivery of advice, etc), talk to students to see what the expectations are (are they in the lab 12+ hours a day, do they seem stressed, do they have any sort of outside life, etc), and, if you want to go into academia, really pay attention to the TAships and training your receive there. As a TA, will you be a grader, lecturer, instructor of record, have the opportunity to help or individually develop and teach a course, or take other opportunities that will prepare you to succeed in the field? If you're going into industry, are there networking and socialization events with industry professionals? Any opportunities within the program to give you a leg up when going out on the job market? Just a few things you might want to discover before saying yes.

@FLSLP2018 If you are in grad school, no matter how much help your parents give you, you are considered independent by FAFSA standards. This means, if your parents make good money but you don't make any money, you get to only file what you make, helping you get more aid. For me, I was able to get federal grants from FAFSA, but I still lived at home with my parents and didn't have any major expenses (like rent or groceries).

@whitmanifestoI'll be moving to another state and far away from my family so definitely a worry in the back of my mind. :/

@deshypothequiezyeah, I just got a new salaried position that lets me stay at home (I live in a really expensive city, but parents let me stay rent-free until they move) so I don't have a ton of expenses. I definitely owe my family big time @whitmanifesto . Parents don't believe in buying a new car or paying for their kids' weddings, but they strongly believe in the value of education so they paid for my undergrad and have been super encouraging about my MA and this whole PhD process.

I know I lucked out on the debt side (only had to get loans for my MA and went to an affordable school, got a researcher position my first year and a TAship my second) so I have about 7500 left to pay off. I've decided to pay that off with my first 3 months of paychecks (depending on how much is withheld for taxes) so that I'm debt-free starting my PhD. I'm sure I'll go into more debt later... x]

me too @deshypothequiez . Right now I'm debating whether I should pay it off with my first two months of work at my new job, or pay off a little at a time so I can save more money to move for grad school :/

Agreed @surprise_quiche . I only applied to one program that doesn't offer funding with tuition waiver to all first year admits. Luckily, I like being a TA and want to teach, so TAship are pretty perfect for me.

If it's the right program for me and I get in, it doesn't matter what choice I was. I have been accepted to a school that I feel will be the best choice for me and my goals. That's what matters.

@whitmanifesto It can be seriously depressing. I'm still waiting to hear back about some funding that, if granted, could honestly make my decision for me. :/

@E-P I plan on submitting so, if I get accepted, I'll have to go. I want to go anyways because it'll be my first comm conference. A few of my programs offer travel funds for national and international conferences, so there's a good chance it'll be paid for. That's one of the things I'm considering when it's time to choose a program.

Nice @surprise_quiche !

Congrats @Matt Minich!

Instead of focusing on rank as much (although it can be important in anthro), focus on the opportunities the school gives you and placement of recent grads. Do recent grads land more teaching or industry positions? They should also list their percentages (grads with jobs in the field, grads with jobs overall, etc). Does the program pay for you to attend national or international conferences? Are they set up so that you can get multiple publications out while attending? Do they invite visiting scholars and arrange some kind of time for students to mingle with these scholars? Do they have you TA? Are TAs mainly graders or could you become an Instructor of Record after a year or two? Networking is an important aspect of landing a job in the future (as are publications, conference presentations, and other things to beef up your CV) so programs that incorporate these opportunities may be better for your career interests (which you can then back up with their job placement data).

Yes @aewers94 ! I actually spoke with a professor in the Game Studies Division (about whether my paper is a better fit for them or Performance Studies) and they suggested it's a great fit for Game Studies so that's what I'm going with. That sucks @E-P :/ I'm glad this year's theme is better. Do you think you'll make it out this year?

That's awesome @aewers94 ! I saw the theme this year so, even though I'm transitioning to Comm and not starting my PhD until the Fall, I needed to submit. My MA research was all about Twitch and online gaming/geek communities so it really is a perfect fit.

Hello All! I'll be submitting to NCA this year and, since it's my first time, I thought I'd make a place for all of us to discuss the conference, any tips we might have for newbies (aka me), and just as a general place to let off some steam as we prepare our papers and/or presentations. Who has presented at NCA before? Anyone excited for Salt Lake this year? How long are presentations? Just how crazy is it really? Share anything about the NCA or your process you'd like! For me, I'm currently making the switch from Chicago Manual to APA format and writing my paper (it's outlined and all the research is done). How about you?

Thanks @rising_star !