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SarahBethSortino

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  1. Upvote
    SarahBethSortino got a reaction from ProfONE in Any Older (30+) applicants out there   
    Hello
    Thought I would start this thread to see if I could bring together any older applicants. I see a lot of people applying while still in undergrad, or a few years out. I'm 35 with a MSc. in History from University of Edinburgh. Applying exclusively to schools in Massachusetts/Rhode Island. How are the older applicants dealing with the wait? And how are you managing the transition to Grad school in addition to work, families, spouses, etc?
  2. Like
    SarahBethSortino got a reaction from Allbert in Any Older (30+) applicants out there   
    Hello
    Thought I would start this thread to see if I could bring together any older applicants. I see a lot of people applying while still in undergrad, or a few years out. I'm 35 with a MSc. in History from University of Edinburgh. Applying exclusively to schools in Massachusetts/Rhode Island. How are the older applicants dealing with the wait? And how are you managing the transition to Grad school in addition to work, families, spouses, etc?
  3. Upvote
    SarahBethSortino got a reaction from Kismine in How important are friends/social life in grad school?   
    Hey there! 
    I just started classes this week and I can definitely say I've reframed my whole way of thinking. The whole being older thing seems to matter not one bit and I'm taking my boyfriend and daughter to a departmental BBQ this weekend. My cohort is very nice and supportive and we are all commuter students, so it seems that social outings will be well planned but worthwhile. Everyone knows I'm a parent and even though I'm the only one among the group it seems like it's no big deal. I'm very happy with the group I have. Given that we're all commuters I'm actually considering holding some sort of social event at my apartment now to get us all together. Long story short I worried quite a bit more than I should have :-)
  4. Upvote
    SarahBethSortino got a reaction from RageoftheMonkey in How important are friends/social life in grad school?   
    Hey there! 
    I just started classes this week and I can definitely say I've reframed my whole way of thinking. The whole being older thing seems to matter not one bit and I'm taking my boyfriend and daughter to a departmental BBQ this weekend. My cohort is very nice and supportive and we are all commuter students, so it seems that social outings will be well planned but worthwhile. Everyone knows I'm a parent and even though I'm the only one among the group it seems like it's no big deal. I'm very happy with the group I have. Given that we're all commuters I'm actually considering holding some sort of social event at my apartment now to get us all together. Long story short I worried quite a bit more than I should have :-)
  5. Upvote
    SarahBethSortino got a reaction from NotAlice in How important are friends/social life in grad school?   
    Hey there! 
    I just started classes this week and I can definitely say I've reframed my whole way of thinking. The whole being older thing seems to matter not one bit and I'm taking my boyfriend and daughter to a departmental BBQ this weekend. My cohort is very nice and supportive and we are all commuter students, so it seems that social outings will be well planned but worthwhile. Everyone knows I'm a parent and even though I'm the only one among the group it seems like it's no big deal. I'm very happy with the group I have. Given that we're all commuters I'm actually considering holding some sort of social event at my apartment now to get us all together. Long story short I worried quite a bit more than I should have :-)
  6. Upvote
    SarahBethSortino got a reaction from TakeruK in How important are friends/social life in grad school?   
    Hey there! 
    I just started classes this week and I can definitely say I've reframed my whole way of thinking. The whole being older thing seems to matter not one bit and I'm taking my boyfriend and daughter to a departmental BBQ this weekend. My cohort is very nice and supportive and we are all commuter students, so it seems that social outings will be well planned but worthwhile. Everyone knows I'm a parent and even though I'm the only one among the group it seems like it's no big deal. I'm very happy with the group I have. Given that we're all commuters I'm actually considering holding some sort of social event at my apartment now to get us all together. Long story short I worried quite a bit more than I should have :-)
  7. Upvote
    SarahBethSortino got a reaction from nhhistorynut in How important are friends/social life in grad school?   
    Hey there! 
    I just started classes this week and I can definitely say I've reframed my whole way of thinking. The whole being older thing seems to matter not one bit and I'm taking my boyfriend and daughter to a departmental BBQ this weekend. My cohort is very nice and supportive and we are all commuter students, so it seems that social outings will be well planned but worthwhile. Everyone knows I'm a parent and even though I'm the only one among the group it seems like it's no big deal. I'm very happy with the group I have. Given that we're all commuters I'm actually considering holding some sort of social event at my apartment now to get us all together. Long story short I worried quite a bit more than I should have :-)
  8. Upvote
    SarahBethSortino got a reaction from Karou in How important are friends/social life in grad school?   
    Hey there! 
    I just started classes this week and I can definitely say I've reframed my whole way of thinking. The whole being older thing seems to matter not one bit and I'm taking my boyfriend and daughter to a departmental BBQ this weekend. My cohort is very nice and supportive and we are all commuter students, so it seems that social outings will be well planned but worthwhile. Everyone knows I'm a parent and even though I'm the only one among the group it seems like it's no big deal. I'm very happy with the group I have. Given that we're all commuters I'm actually considering holding some sort of social event at my apartment now to get us all together. Long story short I worried quite a bit more than I should have :-)
  9. Upvote
    SarahBethSortino got a reaction from Eigen in How important are friends/social life in grad school?   
    Hey there! 
    I just started classes this week and I can definitely say I've reframed my whole way of thinking. The whole being older thing seems to matter not one bit and I'm taking my boyfriend and daughter to a departmental BBQ this weekend. My cohort is very nice and supportive and we are all commuter students, so it seems that social outings will be well planned but worthwhile. Everyone knows I'm a parent and even though I'm the only one among the group it seems like it's no big deal. I'm very happy with the group I have. Given that we're all commuters I'm actually considering holding some sort of social event at my apartment now to get us all together. Long story short I worried quite a bit more than I should have :-)
  10. Upvote
    SarahBethSortino got a reaction from OHSP in How important are friends/social life in grad school?   
    Hey there! 
    I just started classes this week and I can definitely say I've reframed my whole way of thinking. The whole being older thing seems to matter not one bit and I'm taking my boyfriend and daughter to a departmental BBQ this weekend. My cohort is very nice and supportive and we are all commuter students, so it seems that social outings will be well planned but worthwhile. Everyone knows I'm a parent and even though I'm the only one among the group it seems like it's no big deal. I'm very happy with the group I have. Given that we're all commuters I'm actually considering holding some sort of social event at my apartment now to get us all together. Long story short I worried quite a bit more than I should have :-)
  11. Upvote
    SarahBethSortino got a reaction from Septerra in Fall 2017 applicants   
    Goin to Brandeis. It's a dream program, dream offer. With 5 rejections it was still the best case scenario. I loved it from the moment I started researching schools and I can't believe THIS is the school that accepted me.
  12. Downvote
    SarahBethSortino got a reaction from Assotto in Summer before Graduate School   
    I've traveled a lot, lived abroad, gone backpacking in Europe. I'm 36. I've had plenty of time to do that. This is preparation for a job. I've been working for 10 years in various industries, have done a Masters, had a kid, probably need a break, but in the end there is not a lot more important to me than coming into a PhD program completely prepared. It's not a personal insult to your trip, I just think that in the limited time before the start of school, it is best to get into the routine of intense study as soon as possible. That's how I'm approaching it.
  13. Downvote
    SarahBethSortino got a reaction from Assotto in Summer before Graduate School   
    I would also say that I would strongly advise against wasting the summer traveling, hanging out with friends, or just hanging out. Unless you need to work full time up until the point you start, which is totally valid, you should not waste the opportunity to get as prepared for the semester as you possibly can. When I did my Masters, I tried to know exactly what was going to be expected of me. I spent the entire summer reading through all the materials for the classes I would be taking. It made the first semester much easier than it would have been had I not done so, because when time was tight and I had deadlines in one class that took a priority over another, I could refer to the notes from my readings. This is likely the last time for several years you will have to get ahead, because you will probably feel like you are perpetually behind for the rest of your graduate school career.
  14. Upvote
    SarahBethSortino reacted to nevermind in How important are friends/social life in grad school?   
    I consider the PhD program as my workplace. I show up to class, am (hopefully) collegial to my colleagues, but I leave campus and go home...I'm not really involved in departmental drama (sometimes people fill me in, but I honestly don't know much). I focus on my work and keep it at that. I have a boyfriend who moved with me across the country and a dog...so when I'm not working, I spend time with them. I have a "social life" with them, but not really with my department. My colleagues know me in class and in a professional setting and I keep it that way. I'm 35 and, at the end of the day, I have different priorities than someone in their late 20's (e.g. finishing by the time I'm 40!).
  15. Upvote
    SarahBethSortino got a reaction from cowgirlsdontcry in How important are friends/social life in grad school?   
    This may seem like a strange comment, but I've been reading a lot of generic "tips on how to succeed in a PhD program" articles on the internet lately and the theme that keeps coming up is the importance of making friends within your cohort, participating in the social life, going out with people to bars, etc. For me, I'm honestly not going into this with the expectation of wanting to make friends, go to bars, participate in the social life. Not to say I won't be friendly, but I am older, have a lot of friends in the state I am moving to, and don't particularly see myself as having the time to spend bar hopping. I know that from my Masters, interacting with my fellow students brought a lot of opportunities to bounce ideas off of peers, but if need be that can be done on campus. I don't see it as the major priority some of these articles are saying it is. So my question: do people in this board thing the "social aspect" of a PhD is particularly important, or a waste of the little time we have to get stuff done?
  16. Upvote
    SarahBethSortino got a reaction from AP in Fall 2017 applicants   
    Hey so how is everyone feeling now that it's over? I for one am feeling amazing! Is everyoje starting to think about how they will spend their summer? Reading and researching like crazy or just relaxing?
  17. Downvote
    SarahBethSortino got a reaction from lmb123 in Summer before Graduate School   
    I would also say that I would strongly advise against wasting the summer traveling, hanging out with friends, or just hanging out. Unless you need to work full time up until the point you start, which is totally valid, you should not waste the opportunity to get as prepared for the semester as you possibly can. When I did my Masters, I tried to know exactly what was going to be expected of me. I spent the entire summer reading through all the materials for the classes I would be taking. It made the first semester much easier than it would have been had I not done so, because when time was tight and I had deadlines in one class that took a priority over another, I could refer to the notes from my readings. This is likely the last time for several years you will have to get ahead, because you will probably feel like you are perpetually behind for the rest of your graduate school career.
  18. Downvote
    SarahBethSortino got a reaction from superlative_high in Summer before Graduate School   
    I would also say that I would strongly advise against wasting the summer traveling, hanging out with friends, or just hanging out. Unless you need to work full time up until the point you start, which is totally valid, you should not waste the opportunity to get as prepared for the semester as you possibly can. When I did my Masters, I tried to know exactly what was going to be expected of me. I spent the entire summer reading through all the materials for the classes I would be taking. It made the first semester much easier than it would have been had I not done so, because when time was tight and I had deadlines in one class that took a priority over another, I could refer to the notes from my readings. This is likely the last time for several years you will have to get ahead, because you will probably feel like you are perpetually behind for the rest of your graduate school career.
  19. Upvote
    SarahBethSortino got a reaction from Reaglejuice89 in Fall 2017 applicants   
    It feels amazing to come out of this planning for next year! I've been deliriously happy for the past two weeks!
  20. Upvote
    SarahBethSortino got a reaction from cannonfodder in Anyone else feeling hopeless?   
    Honestly im feeling pretty hopeless right now. I am on two waitlists and go back and forth between checking my email every five seconds and not caring about anything. I'm not sleeping, I'm not eating... I have no confidence in myself at the moment. I've pretty much given up in the whole idea of getting a positive response. I honestly feel like I am just existing until sometime around April 15th when someone will put me out of my misery and I can just move on and forget about this whole horrible experience. I came into this process with a lot of positivity and high hopes, but right now I wonder if it was all a giant waste of time. And worst, there is not a single person in my life who really understands how awful this feels.
  21. Upvote
    SarahBethSortino got a reaction from L13 in Fall 2017 applicants   
    Goin to Brandeis. It's a dream program, dream offer. With 5 rejections it was still the best case scenario. I loved it from the moment I started researching schools and I can't believe THIS is the school that accepted me.
  22. Upvote
    SarahBethSortino got a reaction from L13 in Fall 2017 applicants   
    FINALLY! Just got an email from the director of Graduate Studies at Brandeis. Off the wait list and I have a real actual official offer in hand.
  23. Upvote
    SarahBethSortino got a reaction from feyfatale in Anyone else feeling hopeless?   
    Honestly im feeling pretty hopeless right now. I am on two waitlists and go back and forth between checking my email every five seconds and not caring about anything. I'm not sleeping, I'm not eating... I have no confidence in myself at the moment. I've pretty much given up in the whole idea of getting a positive response. I honestly feel like I am just existing until sometime around April 15th when someone will put me out of my misery and I can just move on and forget about this whole horrible experience. I came into this process with a lot of positivity and high hopes, but right now I wonder if it was all a giant waste of time. And worst, there is not a single person in my life who really understands how awful this feels.
  24. Upvote
    SarahBethSortino got a reaction from thekatieladybird in Fall 2017 applicants   
    Goin to Brandeis. It's a dream program, dream offer. With 5 rejections it was still the best case scenario. I loved it from the moment I started researching schools and I can't believe THIS is the school that accepted me.
  25. Upvote
    SarahBethSortino got a reaction from ClassicalEducator in Fall 2017 applicants   
    Thanks. It's been rough. And we had to put my dog down today today. Talk about piling on. I'm looking forward to this period of my life being over one way or another.
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