DrOrpheus
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Posts posted by DrOrpheus
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I study Classical Greece, particularly warfare, technology, and democracy. My UG thesis was on the foundation and evolution of the Macedonian navy from Philip II to Alexander the Great. Not much has been done in terms of excavating the site that I argue for; I'd love to go over and do some underwater archaeology to see if evidence of an ancient harbor (and perhaps ship types) could be found but I believe the location has silted in considerably over the centuries.
I know, I know..."Get thee to the Classics board, nerd!" I've applied to a Classics program as well, but my heart is in history and archaeology.
FWIW, If I had to pick an alternate, I'd choose to study the history of atomic energy & weaponry. I just like technology in conjunction with things that go BOOM, I guess.
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Wow. I'm really on top of it. I should have mentioned I'm applying to History and Classics MA programs. In the interest of saving time, I'm going to post my SOP here. This is my 3rd draft.
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Writing my undergraduate thesis, “The Evolution of the Macedonian Navy and Naval Siege Warfare Under Philip II and Alexander III”, was my first experience with extended historical scholarship. I reached a deeper understanding of Classical Greece and found the confidence to not only boldly assert my own views, but also to challenge the scholarship of other historians. I still have an active interest in the topic and propose that I use my thesis as a starting point for graduate research. I am eager to expand and enrich other areas within the paper, such as the politics and technology of the period, which will provide excellent avenues for further study. For example, the influence of orators on the Athenians’ actions against Philip and his motivation for the development and implementation of military technology are two topics which intrigue me.
Beyond the insights and confidence gained, composing a thesis allowed me to acquire the critical historiographical skills necessary for graduate study. I experienced the frustration of incomplete, often problematic primary sources and navigating through modern scholarship in its various languages. To combat these challenges, I developed the ability to analyze multiple sources and extrapolate the most useful information. I enrolled in a reading-specific German course, which has proven to be invaluable in my current research assistantship. In addition, I have concentrated my recent coursework in building Classical language skills so that I may conduct research more effectively.
As proud as I am of my thesis, I feel I should emphasize that my broader area of interest is in Classical Greece, with warfare, politics, and legal systems as particular foci. To prepare for advanced study of the Classical world, I have taken coursework in history, literature, mythology, and archaeology. Outside of the classroom, I performed fieldwork in Virginia in preparation for future excavation work abroad and have been assisting Dr. Super on her Big Project. In addition, I have presented one paper, and expect to present three more before I graduate in May 2011. Extracurricular activity in several national and student organizations has allowed me to share my enthusiasm for the Classical world with others. However, I must address my poor early academic performance. I entered college straight from high school but was not prepared for such a major transition, and I took time off before returning in 1999. I became the victim of an on-campus crime shortly thereafter, and the fallout from that resulted in the failure of several classes. I have worked diligently to earn high marks since returning full-time in 2006.
I intend to continue studying the Classical world for the rest of my life, and it is my goal to augment this by continuing the tradition of disseminating the rich cultural heritage of ancient Greece to subsequent generations. In order to do so at the collegiate level, I am pursuing an M.A. degree with the expectation of moving forward into a Ph.D. program afterwards.
Choose Your Adventure!
1. I am attracted to the University of Greatness for its prestigious reputation, and to the Philology and Classical Studies M.A. program for its interdisciplinary approach. I also appreciate the program’s number of faculty members and their range of interests, particularly Professors A, B, and C. Their work in the fields of Athenian law, politics, art, and archaeology appeal to my own research interests.
2. I am attracted to the University of Perfection not only because of my familiarity with the campus, but also because of its growing reputation as a research university. The University’s History department is one of the few that offers an Ancient History specialization while still meeting my other criteria. Professor Amazing has influenced my undergraduate work greatly, and I welcome the opportunity to work with him in an advanced capacity. His expertise in the areas of Classical Greece, ancient warfare, and Alexander the Great prove to be the best fit with my own foci. In addition, the archaeological expertise provided by both him and Professor Fabulous satisfy my desire to continue my education in an interdisciplinary fashion. The University of Perfection's Classics department will also enhance my knowledge of the ancient world with its coursework in philology and cultural affairs.
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I'm feeling this 3rd draft pretty well. It's within the limits for my prospective programs. The only thing I'm waffling on is the ending, which seems abrupt to me. I've gotten some feedback on LJ but only a couple of people really provided any meaningful insight. I'm hoping to get a few other opinions. I'm concerned with the lack of a "hook" intro, but I like how it currently just gets right to it. I am also never sure about the proper capitalization of descriptors such as Ancient (history), Classical (world), etc. Thanks!
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I have ADD induced by bipolar disorder, plus a bit of a panic disorder as a tasty side dish. There are 4 professors at my u/g who know what is up, because I have had many classes with them and the long period of medication tweaking impacted my performance to a degree, necessitating disclosure to avoid the "slacker" label. I'm under control and registered with my u/g's disability services now, and I've been lucky in that the professors I've told have been discreet and supportive.
I totally agree with warpspeed in regards to the "getting shit together" concern. I have struggled with these conditions for years but was too damn stubborn to seek help. I was 29 and suffered a nervous breakdown before I started treatment. So now I have 29 years of nothing, then WHAM! multiple diagnoses, constant medication tweaks, frequent doctor visits, etc. starting halfway through my junior year. It looks shady to ME, and I'm the one experiencing it. I also agree on the level of disclosure; I personally intend to avoid talking about the bipolar completely and will refer to it as a "medical condition" (which it is) that causes ADD-like symptoms (which it does) even after admission. As for past failures affecting future performance, as long as your last 60 hours (or jr/sr years) shows generally high marks, I don't think you have much to be concerned about.
That said, one of the programs I'm applying to is here at my u/g. Even though 4 of the profs that will I would be working with here know about my condition, I'm still not going to actively disclose it to this or any other program during the application process. While it's true that ADA protects me from discrimination and rejection based solely on my conditions, I know that there will be at least some degree of personal biases toward the mentally impaired that will leach into the process and that might cause adcoms to look for other minor flaws to justify a rejection. As much as attitudes toward the mentally impaired have changed in the last few decades, there is still a long way to go in educating others and debunking some of the stigma that mental conditions carry.
I know this doesn't exactly answer your question, but I just wanted to lend support to a fellow sufferer and share how I'm handling it as I apply. Best of luck and Happy New Year!
- Alyanumbers and repatriate
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I need help. Lots of it, and not necessarily of the SOP-writing variety, but that's not important right now. If someone would be so kind as to PM me to look at mine or do a switch, I'd appreciate it. I did just post on Livejournal so those of you who are members of the applyingtograd comm there please disregard.
Apps are due Jan 14 and 15.
Thanks, and good luck to all!
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No, it really can't.
Conference presentations, publications, solid recommendations, a good writing sample, research experience -- those are all SO MUCH MORE important than your scores.
And, as far as scores go, you GRE scores are not high but are not terribly low, and they are offset by your high GPA.
You are not the first to get an almost insultingly low score on the AW section. Search for outraged threads from previous years.. The first thing you'll learn from reading those threads is that the AW score is the least important of all the GRE sections, because your application will have direct evidence of your writing abilities (SOP, WS). Many people (myself included) have been very successful in previous years with low AW scores. As for getting a total review, re-score, etc - those all feel like overkill to me. I think my suggestion to you would be to prepare for this Verbal retake as if it is the real thing and aim for a +700, which from reading your post sound to me like a reasonable expectation. In that case, your total score will be high enough to get you past any cutoffs. Before you worry about the GRE scores being used for funding purposes, maybe you could try to ask around to find out how funding really works in your field? I can tell you that all of the departments I applied to offered equal funding to all accepted applicants regardless of any scores.
Aiming for a late-September test date sounds reasonable. If you then feel you want to take the whole test again, you could do that in late October and still have the scores in time for early December deadlines [though the universities will still see your older scores, so you had better be sure you'll do significantly better the third time around]. But honestly, the GRE is not nearly the most important part of the application. I'd urge you to spend your time on your SOP and WS, not on the GRE.
Oh man, that makes me feel so much better!
I was on another board (not gradcafe) where I was explicitly told that I didn't have a shot in hell at getting in with such bad scores, hence the panic attack. I'm going to take your advice and contact the 4 schools I'm applying to in order to get a feel for the funding situation. If they don't use the GRE as a determining factor, then I don't think I'll waste my time/money taking it again. I have CLEP tests in math to take so I can graduate on time (stupid noncountable transfer credits) and I'd much rather work solely on those. If I do decide to take the GRE again it will be after the CLEP tests so I assume my Q will go up significantly. I think, at the end of the day, my GRE scores are going to look really strange and I'll probably have some explaining to do!Thanks again, I needed a bit of reassurance.
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I have a bit of a conundrum. Here's my background: History major/Classics minor, 3.78 overall & 4.0 major GPA's, I've presented at conferences and one of my professors is incorporating my senior thesis into his forthcoming book. I've done archaeological excavations, and I'm also a participant in a research program that's getting a lot of international attention right now. I think I'm a pretty solid candidate, but I know the GRE can make or break me. Right now, it's busting my (proverbial) balls.
Because I'm an idiot outside of the academic world, I've taken the GRE twice in the span of a month; 6/30 and 7/16. That was my second mistake. The first was that I didn't study for the first go-round because I wanted to shake off the jitters and get a baseline score to work from -- 620V, 570Q, 4.0AW. After studying hardcore, I got annihilated with the very first question on both verbal and quantitative, and ended up with a 600V, 580Q on the second test. I just got the AW score today, and despite my studying and reviewing tips I've found here, I only managed a 4.5. On practice tests, I'm managing mid-600's for both Verbal and Quantitative, with a final score of about 1280-1330, which I'd be thrilled with if I actually got that on the test itself.
Here's where it gets interesting: the day after I sat for the 2nd attempt, I got both my official score report plus a free-retake-'cuz-our-software-sucks letter...for verbal on the first test. I've done the free GRE diagnostic for my first test and looked at the difficulty shifts, and it simply does not make sense that they're offering the retake on the verbal. What I'm seeing on the verbal, the difficulty shifts are mostly in line with how I answered. On the quantitative though, I got a difficulty 2 for the first question, 5 for the second, and never dipped below a 3 after that, with the remainder being mostly 4's and 5's. I barely got half the questions right, and didn't even FINISH (I left 3 questions unanswered). In short, I feel blessed to have gotten a 570. If this is really a computer adaptive test, this doesn't make sense to stay at a sustained high difficulty despite multiple wrong answers in a row at that level. I really feel like any retake for that test should be on the quantitative.
Obviously, I'm going to have to retake it again, and give myself a bit more study time. I've met the minimums for the programs applying to, but I want to be competitive for funding. Plus, I'm totally embarrassed by these scores. I'm planning on a Hail-Mary final attempt in late September/early October (UNC's my earliest deadline, Dec. 1 for funding consideration).
I have a few concerns that I need to address before this final attempt, though. Should I use that free retake as additional practice for verbal, or let it go and concentrate on one last shot in about 6-8 weeks? Also, I feel my second AW score is very, very low for what I submitted, and this isn't just an ego thing. I think it's total BS that ETS has gone to one human-one computer scoring system. I'm seriously considering requesting a re-score, but would it be worth the money and risk? Finally, I'm considering paying for a total review (where they explain what you did wrong) of all sections, because I really would like to know what happened on that second attempt, other than getting shafted on the very first questions. Has anybody done that, gotten useful info, and improved their score on a retake?
Any advice would be fantastic! Sorry for the rambling rant, but nobody IRL really gets how frustrated and worried I am about this situation.
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Slee,
I LOVE your attitude, and all the inspirational quotes in your siggy line. I think your attitude will more than make up for any shortcomings you have in your apps due to GRE score issues.
I have bipolar I, ADD, and a panic disorder, all of which were only diagnosed in the past two years, but I've struggled with it for most of my life. I'm nuttier than a squirrel turd. It's been a nightmare for my GRE prep as well as testing, period. I have test issues, especially with timed tests, like you. I've struggled with finding what works for me so that I can take a test with relative confidence.
Now, what I'm about to say is not intended to tell you what to do or take, or modify whatever medication regimen you're currently on (if any). It's simply something that my doctor and I have found works for me. I'm assuming that you're under the care of a physician for your ADD. I encourage you to speak with your doctor regarding your personal situation and medications. If you feel like this might be a viable option to help you with timed tests, by all means ask your doctor if you can do something similar with your medications. That said, I take Adderall for the ADD and Ativan for the panic disorder. I've found that taking a regular dose of Adderall, plus a half dose of the Ativan (to take the edge off of the anxiety without dulling the effect of the Adderall), helps me tremendously. I went from C's to A's because I could finally think clearly. Again, that's what works for me -- in a testing situation, my anxiety tends to override the effect of the Adderall.
I hope I'm not overstepping my bounds. I just know how frustrating it is to know you know your stuff, but not be able to properly demonstrate it in certain situations. I want to help you if I can. I sincerely wish you the best of luck!
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I'm a chick. I used to work at a department store, in the men's suiting section. Let me help you dress. LOL
1) Two words: Outlet. Mall. I have picked up $75 Ralph Lauren shirts for $12. I bought 3 BIG bags of dress shirts, pants, etc. for my husband for less than $200. Name brand -- Kenneth Cole, Oscar de la Renta, and the like. You don't have to go name brand, but the quality is nice to have.
2) The term 'neutral' is very broad. Most people think only of khaki, brown, black, white, gray. Believe it or not, navy and olive green can also be treated like neutrals.
3) I agree -- 3 button-downs, minimum. White, a crisp blue (I personally like French blue, it's bolder), and another color that looks good with your skintone...even if it's pink.
4) NO PLEATS.
5) Your look will be BUSTED if you wear shabby shoes. You don't have to get a pair that's expensive, but do make sure they're not scuffed, ratty, etc.
6) No matter how cheap your clothes are, you can make them look more upscale by making sure they fit. Go to a department store and get fitted. You don't have to buy anything, just make sure you know your true measurements. If you score a great blazer at a thrift store, take it to a tailor. For an extra $5-$15, they can make it fit you perfectly. That's the key to looking put together.
Now, this new dress code doesn't mean you can't have fun. You can get ties with really cool patterns on them now. My hubby's a doctor, so I got him a tie with the influenza virus as a pattern. You can also do the layered thing and put a fun t-shirt under your button-down...for example, you can wear your Metallica (or whatever) shirt under a button-down, and throw a blazer over it. The more of your personality you can mix in, the happier and more confident you'll be. This is all just basic stuff, if you have any other questions, let me know. I'm glad to help.
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My preference is for things like working on the house: reroofing, painting, etc. Also, I have to be very careful about what sort of music I listen to, has to be "happy"--got into serious trouble one time by listening to Pergolesi's "Stabat Mater" while depressed. [in case you're not familiar with classical/religious music, 'Stabat Mater' is about Mary watching Jesus die on the cross. Pergolesi's is beautiful, but also very weep-worthy.]
I'd much rather be puttering around fixing stuff, or even mowing the lawn. If I had the facilities, I'd have an old muscle car to fix up. Alas, I live in a townhouse that's not mine and has contracted maintenance, so I taught myself to sew!
Music doesn't usually affect my mood much, unless it's a very specific song that I have connected to a very sad event. I used to be a music performance major WAY back in the day, so when I listen to music I usually get too wrapped up in the intricasies of it to be impacted mood-wise. What genres do you listen to mostly?
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Oh yea, depression and a mood disorder over here. It really got to me this past year between finishing up school, applying/dealing with grad schools, and family issues. There was a lot of huddling in the fetal position instead of getting stuff done :/ But I got through it and I'm sure you will too!
Put together a list of coping mechanisms if you can. I have lots of things to turn to: listening to music, talking to my friends, sometimes I just need to take a nap or let myself cry and the funk blows over. I've also noticed that regular exercise keeps my mood up. And if unfortunately my depression lasts too long or gets too serious, I'm not above reaching out for professional help; I've already had to do so once in my college career. I'm already thinking of how to keep my emotions under control in school, and I feel confident I'll be able to pull it off. As a side note, you can't be denied admission because of this, but I personally wouldn't bring it up unless necessary. I just don't feel it's anyone's business.
As to my personal info, I'm 22, just graduated with a BS in marine science/biology and I'm starting my MS in marine biology next month.
Curling up in the fetal position...yes...I'm very familiar with that one! I've found exercise really helps, as does music and doing something with my hands like sewing. Ditto on the nobody's business, too, but if it has to come up, it will.
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Hey all --
I'm starting the app process for Fall 2011 entrance. I'm hoping there are others who are like me, dealing with a mental health disorder (or 3) whilst applying to or enrolled in graduate programs, that I can talk to. I'm interested in your experiences in undergrad, the application process, and in graduate school. Kind of like a support group, I guess, because sometimes the stresses of academia can be triggering, and we need to stick together!
I'll go first...My name's ProfessorOrpheus, I'm 31, married, and will graduate in May with a BA in History, minor in Classics. I was diagnosed with Bipolar I, ADD, and anxiety disorder about two years ago. I hate that mental illness carries such a stigma...my family doesn't even know because I'm afraid of what they'll say. I'm terrified that said stigma will keep me from getting into a graduate program, but I think if I can talk with others who are in a similar boat, I'll relax.
Anyway, enough about me, what about you?
(Mods, if there is a topic similar to this one, I apologize because I didn't find it in a search.)
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You'll want to spend some time in your SOP discussing your complicated academic history. By some time, however, I'm talking about a few sentences. Certainly don't dwell on it or make it the focus of your SOP, as that should be reserved for your research interests and how you hope to contribute to your sub-field. Fortunately, getting into grad school is a group effort. More so than your CV, those writing letters of recommendation for you are in a great position to speak for you about the reasons why it took you so long to get your BA and why those reasons don't figure in terms of how you'll be a great graduate student. When asking them to write letters for you, you should feel comfortable telling them that this is a concern of yours and that hopefully their letters will speak for you in that regard.
Generally speaking, though not from personal experience, I've found academia to be pretty responsive to and accommodating of mental health issues as long you are "a great student who studies and researches this and that and also happens to have a mental illness" rather than being "that student with a mental health issue that's trying to study and research this and that."
But yeah, send your CV anyway.
Thanks, ChibaCityBlues, that gives me some hope. I've always thought of myself as a great student that just happens to have a couple of skeletons in the closet, so to speak. I've found my professors here don't shy away from giving me difficult tasks now that they know, so I believe they'll handle the issue tactfully in my LOR's. My intent is to not say what actually happened, but explain that even though the initial fallout was bad, I've consistently improved and show that I'm damn good at what I do. So to speak.
I think I might start a whole new topic for grads and mental illness, instead of threadjacking this one...I couldn't find one through search other than anxiety over the process.
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I will finally receive my BA in May after 14 years of on/off study, and hoping to get into one of my MA programs in the fall. I'm retaking the GRE on Friday (what am I doing on here??) after my first attempt resulted in a totally disappointing 1190 (620V, 570Q, still don't have the AW score). Didn't study for it, just took it to get the jitters out of the way, but still...thought I absorbed more than that during undergrad.
I'm looking over the app requirements for my three schools, and see nothing regarding CV's. I would like to include it, as I have conference presentations, departmental honors, directed research, fieldwork, and activities in several honor societies. Is it OK to send it anyway, even if it's not required? I do have some transcript issues and I think I need to do whatever it takes to overcome these. I don't want to get into it, but a personal catastrophe caused me to flunk an entire semester. I've worked hard, and now I have a 3.78 overall/4.0 major GPA. I've obviously recovered nicely, but along the way I had several W's as I have struggled with PTSD and having bipolar disorder. I was only diagnosed within the last 18 months, and just now am getting it under control. I know W's are bad, and having a mental health disorder is bad, and I am unsure of how to address any of this in my SOP without it coming off as a pity party, so I thought that my CV could do some talking.
BTW, if anyone is in my boat regarding mental health issues, I would love to hear from you, especially if you got into a program already. Does anybody know how selective Mizzou is, and what their funding might be like?
Thanks for reading my ramble.
Classics 2011
in Classics
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Greetings!
It's that time of year, most deadlines have come and gone and the nail-biting has commenced. Since there's been a general trend of doing one big yearly thread I thought I'd start it since results should start coming in within the next few weeks.
Soooo...any reflections on the process? For those of us still in UG, how much has the stress of compiling applications packages drained your ability to concentrate on your remaining classes?
I'll start. I found the process to be relatively smooth once I got over the nervous procrastination bit, but it had been a huge distraction for all of Fall semester. I am a bit disappointed though because I had planned to apply to many more schools but with my husband having a great job and not wanting to leave it, I had to slash my list down to the 2 schools that are closest. Fortunately, they're also my favorite programs. It is KILLING me to know that with only two apps out there my chances of getting in are very small, but I guess I'd rather apply to two schools that are a great fit than applying to over a dozen schools where my fit would be dubious at best.