Canuckonomist

Hate to get you worked up, but that sounds like a good sign. My Grad Assistant did that to me last year with OGS. She left a smiley at the end of her e-mail before. She later followed it up with "I can't tell you what the result is, but I'm sad that I can't be there to see your face when you log in to OGS to find out your good news".

Which department are you in?

Very.

Nice to see you around here, Bill. Waiting on the good SSHRC Dr., I imagine? Hope Dark Lord Sumon treated you all well this year.

$18K for tuition? You must be in a specialized program, then.

You're not actually being screwed over. It's about the amount of TAing available. The standard TAship (140 hours) is $8.5K, and the minimum funding across the board is usually Tuition plus $15K (the 21.5K or so you're used to). That's what I would be getting, but we have the option of undertaking a second TAship (another 140 hours) for another $8.5K. That's what shores us up to $30.5K. If you're not doing any RA work, then your UTF is bigger, and I'm getting screwed. On that note, if we take OGS or SSHRC, things change, but for us it's mostly just the fellowship/tuition grant stuff that changes, unless the new award states you can't work.

It all depends on the breakdown of your funding. At U of T, I usually get $30.5K after first year (this year was a sweet funding package), which is $2800 RA, $16930 TA (420 hours), $7500 Tuition grant, and the rest, $3270, in fellowship. So I never lose all of OGS, just the grant money, which is tuition, and the UTF top-up, that totals about $11K. Same with SSHRC. I found this out after I didn't apply for OGS because a staff member told me it would all get replaced. Next year, if I don't have SSHRC, I will apply again for OGS (I had OGS this year). So, OGS would give me $35K instead of the usual $30.5K. Small SSHRC is the big score, at $40K, and big SSHRC forfeits some of my TA, I think, but I believe I still get $40-45K. I really hope I score one of these awards.

Don't tell me that. I miss Kingston enough as it is (twice a Queen's Alumnus)

Let's just hope we're all celebrating.

Threesomes are so much more fun! I mean, academic threesomes, of course.

Sounds like a J.A Bombardier, but shouldn't that be over 3 years?

We must pass each other all the time. I'm currently turning my Gibson Les Paul Standard (faded) into a '59 Historic. Just a few plastic parts and some caps. It's starting to look sweet. They don't have all the parts though, so I'll have to trek to Capsule music one of these days...

We're neighbours? Awesome! U of T, I assume. What program? And Ossie and Dav, I'm at Ossie and Bloor all the time for the Long and McQuade. I need to head down there tomorrow to grab a few more parts. It's my second home.

Yes. A bowl of masala dal on this end and comps studying. Mail usually comes between 11am-1pm here (Toronto, High Park area). I'm not holding out for results today, but still, I checked at 11:30am. Too early. Need to wait until 12:30pm for better luck. Canuck

I think it's just an American thing. "Nor rain, nor sleet, nor snow" I believe is the saying. The USPS apparently quits for nothing. Canada post quits for a papercut or minor case of the sniffles. Well, ok, that's a terrible exaggeration, but they don't work saturdays in any Province or territory, I believe.

Good to know! RaaR is one of the most impressive people on paper (and in person!), for someone in his first year of a Ph.D. His C.V makes my knees weak.

Thanks, mudlark. I hope you're right, but really, I'm afraid to know the truth, especially given that RaaR had only a 21.1/30. To me, the guy's a superstar.

Well, there are four possible outcomes of you doing so, three of which will put you in serious agony, so it is in your best interest not to. If you e-mail: 1. They say you're successful (yay!) 2. They say you're not (agony) 3. They say they can't tell you and you assume then, since they told RaaR, that they don't want to tell you bad news. (agony) 4. They don't reply (agony) Best, Canuck

I'll vouche for RaaR. He's a good guy, and I've known him personally. He would only tell the truth. He's at Hebrew U in Israel (I'm sure he won't mind me saying that,) and so this is why I think they may have told him by e-mail, as it will take the letter forever and three days to get there. Congrats, good buddy. Hope fortune favours me the same. Oh, and telling us you e-mailed someone is really gonna screw them over if you let us know who, so I recommend you keep that info to yourself, and let us poor souls wait it out. Canuck

I would have ordered the parts all from the same place, but being an economist, I decided to optimize between shipping costs and buying from one or two places. This turned out to be the winner. It doesn't help minimize shipping when these are parts for 6 different guitars, either. But you're right, mail should keep me satiated, but it really doesn't help when the parts arrive in reverse order from when you need them. The two that arrived yesterday are the last to go on one of the builds.

It's a rough week for me mail wise, and a terrible tease. I'm waiting on 11 separate guitar-parts shipments that should all arrive by next wednesday, (2 arrived today), my tax return, and it just so happens my partner's birthday is tomorrow, and mine is next tuesday. So every day the mailbox is stuffed with envelopes and blister-packs of all sizes. Really bad week to start all these projects... (Oh, and did I mention, studying for comps that are the first and second week of June?) Canuck

Sure, RaaR. Play down the good points of my application, why don't you (miss ya, good buddy). Noteworthy is a key word -I doubt my little co-authored theory exercise will garner any attention, so I see your point there. Publications are not all that important, methinks. Isn't it something like 60% research proposal, 40% grades, and the other stuff may be scale tippers @ the Ph.D level? I'm trying to remember which authority told me that. Hearing something like that always shakes me up. I always worry that I am too technical or tangential in my proposals. Learning experiences, all. Best of luck to everyone this week. If Ottawa ships the letters, I'll get mine 2 (maybe 3) days from sending, as it only takes 2 days from Ottawa to southern Ontario via regular mail. The stronghold here may be the first radar signs (or perhaps, those in Ottawa, Montreal or Kingston!) Cheers, Canuck

Sadly, I have two requirements. I have to win SSHRC and pass comps before I get the coin. So, assuming both of those, then a trip somewhere. I have a friend in Belgium over the summer who wants me to come visit. I just might.