Strangefox

May be those who are modest and decent people?

Yes, when you are tenured, you come to him and say: "Professor X, I have always wanted to tell you - you are a snarky person!"

By the way, what does "to snark" exactly mean?? I didn't find it in my dictionary....

Yes, when you are tenured, you come to him and say: "Professor X, I have always wanted to tell you - you are a snarky person!"

By the way, what does "to snark" exactly mean?? I didn't find it in my dictionary....

Q: How long to put up with snarky professors?

A: Until you get tenure.

The department chair was snarking at a lot of faculty who have less power or who are influential but weren't in the room during the snark attack. Example: He says that this Ivy professor is one of his friends then he proceeds to snark about the placement record of that Ivy department (completely false snark since they have a much better placement record than his department) and he snarks about that particular professor's research area. But he says she's his friend....... With friends like this who needs enemies?

He snarks about assistant faculty who don't have tenure, graduate students who are scared to death of him, retired faculty who are dead wood according to him. He snarks about anyone and anything that is powerless, less powerful than him, or likely never to find out about his snark.

A lot of the snark is false and self-serving. Like saying his department has better graduate placement than that Ivy department. But he's department chair and all of the grad students in this class are scared to death of him. I am also in this class.

Can I do anything to call him out? Stop the snark? Stop the lies and deceit within the snark? Can I tell him he's a snarky person?

I am supposed to audit the class of the Ivy professor he snarked about. Can I ask him whether I can relay his snark to her?

This is why Bernard Madoff ripped off so many people, why there was a financial crisis, why there was Enron. It was "smart" to ignore the lies, duplicity, dishonesty, fraud, manipulation, bullying to keep your job. There is so much fraud and dishonesty in these professions because people like you think it's "sophisticated" to keep quiet when you see clear fraud and bullying.

If you don't understand the key term in this hypothetical, then why are you answering my question? Sharing your ignorance is less valuable than you think.

It is sad that students are so pre-professional that when they hear of dishonesty and bullying in academia their response is to look the other way. This is why Enron and the financial crisis happened. The people who knew something was wrong did nothing.

Your scores are good but, you know, scores aren't the most important part when you are applying. On the the most important things is fit. Read about all faculty in the schools you've listed, find out if there is somebody whose research interests fit yours, contact these professors, tell about your research, ask if they would be interested in supervising you and if they are taking grad students next fall. In schools where you get positive replies from professors your chances are high. In schools where there are no profs whose academic interests match yours your chances are low. That's the story

And also don't forget to write a great SOP and choose a good writing sample!

I just got back from a two-day trip to Madison and it was great. I met my future lab, dealt with administrative issues, saw the city and most importantly of all, I found my home!

The reason I was able to do this so quickly is because I did quite a bit of prep work beforehand. I spent way too much time on craigslist (whatever I could do to avoid this thesis it seems) and found places that seemed good. I only inquired about places that already had roommates as this was my preference. I wrote a pretty detailed description of myself to the potential roommates and I tried to make sure I showed my personality. After all, I want to make sure I get along with people I live with.

The ads I replied to varied in their levels of detail. I made sure to ask questions and to get pictures of the place if they were not already included. I facebooked everyone and even skyped with some roommates. This way I was able to narrow my search down to three places. I already had a good idea of where I wanted to move before I went. If I had not visited I would have felt comfortable signing the lease remotely. The key is to have substantial contact with the people.

While there, I made back-to-back appointments and the potential roommates actually offered to give me rides to the next viewings. It was awesome! People in Madison are sooo nice

So what did I think of the areas of the city? Most of my labmates live in the West, Vilas area. It is quiet and overall void of undergrads. But it also seems far away from the action that you will find in the capitol. The 3 places I ended up looking were all on the Isthmus.

First was a place near Monona Bay. I was concerned about undergrad presence but was assured that it was not a problem. There is even a seniors home across the street so it's nice and quiet but blocks from the capitol.

Second was in the heart of Willy Street. The apartment was awesome and the neighborhood was even better. It's no State Street but it is a lively area.

Finally, I made it to the far east of the Isthmus. The place was great (huge kitchen and a roommate that would bake fore me) but it was just too far from campus. In fact, trying to get back to my hotel I had to switch buses and then I got lost and didn't get back until midnight.

All of the potential roommates were really great. I trusted my instincts when doing my search and communicating with them and I was not disappointed. There are a lot of living options in Madison and different areas that will definitely suit your taste. Just make sure you prioritize what features matter to you and if you're not sure, ask the people who posted the ad! And don't respond to ads posted by undergrads (unless that's your style).

I don't know if this was useful for anyone but I hope it was. Lemme know if you have any questions!

It might be a good idea to check out if you school has resources to help you find housing.

I used Craigslist and found success. I found a great place with roommates that had already been living there. I spoke with them on Skype and also Facebook stalked them. That way I was able to figure out if I would get along with them. I was fortunate enough to be able to visit but if I had not, I think I would have signed the lease anyway.

To send my deposit, I obtained a USD bank draft and mailed it with registered mail. The bank draft cost $7.50 CAD and the registered mail was around $13 CAD, but I think that's the best way to send money internationally. If you can't visit, just try to communicate with the people as much as possible and make sure you ask detailed questions and get detailed pictures. Don't be shy about the types of questions you ask! I made a pretty detailed post about my home search so I will include that link:

Good luck. And let me know if you have any other questions regarding Craigslist!

I might be able to offer some personal advice that might be helpful. But, I've heard I was a special case from some other students, so you might want to take it with a grain of salt.

After applying to ten schools, I had five offers from programs with far different reputation--some top-5, and some top-10/15. Eventually, I accepted an offer from a top-15 program, because they also were willing to make some accommodations for my fiance, whose also applied to the same school, but different program.

I began to have doubts right away (and even searched this forum for some recommendations or advice), but I thought I was locked in. Then, after the first week of classes, I emailed a prof. at one of the top-5 schools I was originally accepted to about the prospects of transferring next fall. He responded immediately, saying I could enroll this year (with my original funding offer) if I wished. I only needed a release from the institution I was enrolled in at the time. Luckily, the top-5 school began classes a little later in the year, so I could move down without missing classes. Plus, the top-15 program wasn't really interested if I was enrolled or not (attrition was pretty common there), and my faculty advisors was in full support of me transferring: there were just too many reasons not to stay, like job prospects, research resources, and becoming apart of a cohort. So, we packed up and left.

Generally, I think it all depends on the insitution, program, and what kind of work you've done in the past. I think the school I "transferred" to has taken on plenty of transfer students from other universities in the past. For example, there were a surprising number of transfers attending the recruitment trip and at least four in my cohort. However, I'm not sure if I could point to any charateristics about this program that would lend it to be more disposed to accepting transfer students. If I could venture a guess, it would stem from its status as a large R-1 university, where my program stands as one of the flagship programs here, giving them a larger budget in respect to other programs at other universities. But, that's just a guess.

I DO know of a few transfers students at other schools as well. They usually came from less well-known programs and had fairly strong academic credentials, suggesting that if you do well this semester and apply again it's possible to get into one of the programs you applied to the first time or another program all together.

Judging from my personal experiences, I don't think it would hurt to re-contact the director of graduate studies or particular faculty member (or both) at one of the schools you were accepted to earlier this year. But, I would suggest that you do it sooner, rather than later. As for being blacklisted, I think it's a realistic possibility, but, ultimately, it's up to you. If your work is good and academic record strong, that's going to say far more about you as a professional than an episode like this.

I hope this helps. Feel free to PM me if you would like more details.

bests,

J.

I agree about the importance of good chairs. I started this year with a $20 "task chair" from Target, which I used in front of my computer. My attempt to save money by getting a cheap chair COMPLETELY backfired, because after working on a paper for a while, I'd feel like my entire body was screaming out in pain, and I'd ache for days. In fact I stopped using my nice, big desktop computer because I couldn't bear the task chair any more -- instead I'd curl up in bed with my tiny netbook.

A few months ago I invested in a higher quality, ergonomic desk chair. It cost $300, but I feel like I'm sitting on a cloud. It gives me more stamina and energy for academic work.

In short, don't skimp on the chair!

(And by the way, just because a chair looks big and leathery doesn't mean it will be comfortable after 5 hours. Look for a chair that's recommended for all-day work, not one that just has an "executive" appearance. Here's my chair: http://www.officedep..._cat=2000000361)

May be those who are modest and decent people?

I like how this turned into me not ever reading or listening to the news. You're right I don't generally pay that much attention to what celebrities are doing unless I particularly respect them for some reason and I'm interested. But if I feel inundated with something that I don't care about or I find irritating then I switch channels, which I'm sure you know is an option at anytime. There's so much media out there other than NPR and NY Times, seriously not all of them are reporting extensively on Franco. For example maybe if you read The Economist instead you would have a more pleasant experience catching up on world affairs. But to each his own.

I'm fine with him carrying on multiple degrees...basically all I'm saying is that whether or not he's performing up to the standards is not my claim to make..or anyone's for that matter...unless...you're his classmate, professor, or adviser. And I'm about 98% sure that no one who posts in this thread is one of those.

As far as Columbia MAs being for sale to the highest bidder...wow, I didn't know Columbia was so easy, should have applied there, it could have been my back up just in case my top choice 3rd tier school didn't pan out, in fact every user in the forum who didn't get accepted to any schools they applied to should have considered Columbia as their last resort so at least they'd have somewhere to go this Fall, I guess Columbia's better than absolutely nothing. But in all seriousness I'd be a tad insulted by that statement if I were going there for my Master's...just sayin'.

But anyway, I think that like you, I've had enough of this particular aspect of James Franco's life.

How would I suggest it could be done differently? For example, this way.

Shakira is interested in world history and frequently studies the history and languages of the countries she visits. After her Oral Fixation tour ended in summer 2007, Shakira attended a class in Los Angeles at UCLA, on the History of Western Civilization. She used her middle and last names, Isabel Mebarak, and told the professor she was visiting from Colombia so as to avoid being recognized as a celebrity.

Another link:

The class began Aug. 6 and ended Thursday, though Shakira didn't attended the last few classes, according to course lecturer Robert Cleve. Cleve said he hadn't known she was a celebrity during the course and was astonished to learn she was a pop star.

See, other celebrities can do it!

In your theoretical situation involving yourself, you mentioned visiting only one school, right? ("For example, if I were a legacy at some Ivy league school and could just get in because my grandfather funded a building, you bet your butt I'd go, even if I'd feel a twinge of guilt for taking a more qualified student's place.") This is not so bad.

Bad is that Franco "studies" in several school basically simultaneously, which is very hard to believe. And he enrolls with the purpose to get the degree.
Now, look at Shakira. I think this is a wonderful example of how a modest and decent person would act. She is not advertising that she is a celebrity. She just sits there humbly and learns. Yes, she may visit different courses at different schools, but she does not enter the program with the intention to do all courses and get the degree. And that looks very realistic.

People here say: Franco has lots of money, he can afford that. He can fly from one city to another to study in different programs because he can afford it. But what about TIME??? Celebrities have no time for studying! Look at other stories of celebrities (I don't remember names, but there are many) who had to finish their school or colledge or whatever earlier because they became famous and had a lot of contracts, shootings, concerts, etc. If a celebrity visits some courses from time to time, I say - that is realistic and that is great. But if a celebrity enrolls in programs one by one - or even in two or more at once!! - saying that he/she visits all courses and gets excellent marks and will get the degree in the end - I don't believe that, I am sorry. And yes, it looks like mockery.

If your gradnfather had donated money to a school and you would have an opportunity to go to this school without paying for it from your own pocket - that would be totally fine. Because we are speaking about one program here. And James Franco is enrolled in many.
On the other hand, if a person used his/her grandfather's donation as an excuse not to go through the same process as everybody else, if he/she wanted a school to let them in just for the money their relative had brought in - I would not say that is fine. Ok, such a person could study, why not, but they just would not be on the same level as other students because the latter worked hard to be selected and the former basically did nothing - their grandfather did.

May be those who are modest and decent people?

May be those who are modest and decent people?

May be those who are modest and decent people?

May be those who are modest and decent people?

Just read the Carreira letter, I was running for the door after reading it. I have to have people talk me out of dropping out of Grad School because I feared the rest of my life would be spent trapped in a lab 24/7. I still freak out about it on a daily basis.

...I don't wanna ...I don't wanna ...I don't wanna

Definitely stopping at my Masters degree.

My advice to first year Graduate Students: Change your mind and turn around. Don't go to grad school!

I really have to agree with the competition advice concerning your cohort. As a direct from undergrad, my first year was fairly difficult because I placed a bunch of added stress on my self when I thought about students who had masters or life experience. The former I even took to calling "false first years." A lot of grad school in the first year is learning how to play the game which experienced grad students will simply be better at. This does not reflect poorly on your aptitude if you are playing catch up in this arena...3 years on there is rarely substantial differences between undergrad admits and others.

Taking criticism also resonated with me. It is hard. For many people, grades have been a source of self validation. In grad school, they suddenly become fairly meaningless in a lot of programs. At the same time, the actual critical reflection of your work goes substantially up. I still have to remind my self not be defensive during q/a during a presentation. My advice here is probably of a narrow focus, but I think if you are an externally motivated individual (ie gauge your self worth by the views of others) grad school will be an important place do develop more of an internal focus and it will also be a place of a lot of hard knocks...but they might be good for the soul.

Department politics: I'm still bad at this. My first year I didn't think there was a lot of distention in the department. My second year: I see it everywhere. Be very mindful when Professors ask you about their peers as it is hard to be certain of their motives especially if you do not fully grasp your department's politics.

Definately discipline specific. In chem, our first year is the busiest too... You have to combine research, coursework and teaching. The second year, you're usually dine witn most classes, and are mostly settled in to your lab/research.

I would add that you should do your best to reach out to other students.. Get to know your cohort. If you can bond witn them, they'll be the best support system available to you for the rest of your PhD. Reach out to older students as well... Don't be afraid to ask for help with coursework or research. It's worse to not ask and miss out on a good source of information tha. To look stupid because you didn't know something.

Also realize that everyone in your cohort will have differernt strengths, since you're all coming from different backgrounds. Use that to your advantage! Swap help in one class for help in another.

Keep in mind that grad school is as much about endurance as anything else. Pace yourself! Take time off, take time to go out and make friends/make time for friends. Don't work every evening and every weekend, you'll burn out fast. Grad school is where you start to develop habits that will last for the rest of your academic career... It's closer to life as a professor than undergrad by far, and you need to start looking for a balance that you will maintain for the rest of your life (assuming you want to stay in academics).

1. I wish I would have fully grasped how busy I would become. It is so much more work than undergrad.

2. In that vein, I wish I would have done more prep work, gotten more freezer meals cooked and frozen before school started.

3. I got excellent advice from a friend: Set a time limit and don't go over it. Let's say it is 40 hours or 50 hours or whatever. When you reach it, STOP! Even if you haven't finished the reading. There are times when you have no choice and will have to break it, but try your best to stick to it.

4. Find a place you love and when it gets too much, go there and stay there until you have gained perspective. It could be the ocean, the forest, or our back yard.

5. EXERCISE! I have stayed sane by walking to school most days and taking walks with my husband at night. It gives us a chance to reconnect and let's me look away from the screen.

6. Learn to focus and cut out distractions. I installed Rescue Robot and it lets me know how long I have spent on each site and how productive I am. It is a free app and you can put it on multiple computers. I find it wonderful because so much of my time is spent on the computer or at home reading, so it is very easy to get sucked down rabbit holes. I have canceled my social media accounts as well, to cut down on mindless surfing.

7. Try to move to your new place early if you can. Having a couple weeks to settle, unpack, and get your bearings before you are hit with school is wonderful.

8. You will no longer be the smartest person in your class. Get over it. Also, don't be intimidated by other students. Remember they have had different training and preparation. One of the hardest things as a first year was to be thrown in a class with students who already have their master's and are studying for their qualifying exams. The only way I survived was that one of my classmates pointed it out to me and said to keep reminding myself of it.

9. One of my biggest breakthroughs this year has been learning to take criticism without automatically assuming it means I am stupid. Important lesson!

10. Have fun and remember you are in an incredibly privileged position. I think 5% of Americans have an advanced degree.

1. I wish I had known the first few months were going to be so expensive-- finishing up with moving costs, establishing the new place, the new computer, textbooks and school supplies, some new clothes, socializing with the cohort (bar costs!) and Christmas/holiday travel and gifts. Starting a budget earlier would have eased some of that post-Christmas money panic where I wasn't sure if my remaining income/stipend would yield enough savings for summer. Adding excess money worries to the already stressful life changes was unfortunate, so I recommend being honest with yourself, your income, and your expenses as they might play out over a long period of time (and not just month to month).

2. Time budgeting can be just as important as money budgeting. I was great about reading for the first four or five weeks, and then I slipped into the (very common) habit of only doing about half of the reading for any given class. It hasn't hurt my grades, but my choice to socialize or just take a lot of relaxation time at home has probably eroded some of the educational benefits of discussion and reading outside of my research for seminar papers.

3. Speaking of seminar papers and term projects: Start earlier than you ever have before. If you ever procrastinated on your big assignments in the past, this new time at school is the opportunity to break the habit and start treating these assignments like what they are: part of your job, and a stepping stone to your career. Waiting until the last week to research, or the last day to write, is something I see a lot of grad students still doing. Sure, plenty of them are doing okay in terms of grades, but they aren't doing their best work and-- let's face it-- we're getting too old for those late-night shenanigans.

4. Everyone knows you will be busy, so they might not say anything, but try not to lose contact with your friends and family from home. There will be plenty of new friends to be had, and starting fresh relationships can be liberating, but they likely won't be able to replace the deeper roots you've established elsewhere. Don't forget to call or write or facebook with the people who know you best.

I made some Grad School Resolutions last summer (the thread is still kicking around somewhere) about saying yes to invitations and being more positive, and I think that I held to them and they yielded some nice results. There are definitely some other things I might add later, but these are the first that come to mind.