Zouzax

does anyone else watch the clock and email the entire day, then breathe a sign of relief once the clock hits 5 pm? Like ahh -- now I can be free from excessive email watching and nail biting ... until tomorrow, that is .... maybe its just me

Thanks for this MoJingly -- its actually great advice

you know what, maybe I got the name subconsciously from the movie & never realized it! there goes my originality

haha this is great. I constantly go back and forth between linguistics and neuroscience. And in Linguistics, just like you, I want to study EVERYTHING. Unfortunately, you need a more focused answer than 'everything' when they ask you what you plan to research for your Ph.D. But seriously, if I could, I wouldve written just that. In fact, now that I think about it, my answer to the research goals question probably wasn't too focused, because how do you narrow down 'everything' effectively? In terms of your problem, I think time will tell. Youll start to realize which of these fields are just hobbies and which ones you think you could seriously pursue as a career. I would research an example Ph.D program for each field, see what classes are required, what research is being conducted, what job opportunities there are, etc. Maybe that'll help you narrow down your list a little bit.

I know, I was discouraged after that conversation, to say the least. It made me think that a lot of the other schools I applied to are going to think the same thing. Which is why I have these huge moments of doubt now and then. Funny you mentioned NYU and Brown, I applied to those two as well for Psycholinguistics! I'm really interested in the work Pylkkanen is doing, but she, too seems to want students from a traditional Linguistics background. Damn this Translation Theory degree ...

@Typoglaster - Yes, I saw this on the website as well. I applied to MIT, too based on their 5th-year specialization program in Psycholinguistics. But I'm being realistic and realizing that my chances of being accepted are pretty small. I'm not sure how great my honors thesis was; back when I submitted it, my professor was urging me to send it to a journal but being the youngster that I was, I never got around to it. Man do I regret not doing that now! So maybe it is pretty good, and I'm just being hard on myself. Only time will tell. I actually had a (very) brief conversation with a Linguistics professor at MIT, and he had informed me that they're really looking for students that are knowledgeable in Chomsky-an linguistics. He didn't seem too excited about my background, but I sent my application in anyway because I love MIT's Linguistics program. It's basically everything I'm looking for in a Ph.D program. So anyway, we'll see, but I'm not holding my breath.

mine is a picture of the Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul. my screen name .... when I was in high school, I thought that ZouZax would be a cool name for a character in the Lion King or the Jungle Book. To me, it sounded like it could be a friend of Simba or Mowgli. I don't know. the name stuck.

same here! glad to hear we're all in the same boat.

Great to hear, SVN! Bir nedenden dolayı herşey olur

ahh finally some proof that i DO spend too much time on here

I didn't submit a thesis, either, which is actually one of the things I'm really worried about. I'm working on a psycholinguistics-based topic for my Master's, but let's just say my thesis wasn't ready come application submission time (as in -- I did basically all of the research and have an outline, but still haven't done any REAL writing yet -- unless you count the 1/2 page introduction I've done so far). I ended up sending a 20 page thesis from my undergraduate honors program (different major), and a bibliography of my current thesis, so they can see what I'm working on. Prettttyyy sure this isn't going to be convincing enough. I, too, go through feelings of complete positivity ("ONE of them will believe in my potential, for sure!!!!") and extreme negativity ("who am I fooling? you wasted your time!!!"). Very nerve-wracking. I almost had a heart attack when I woke up this morning and saw an email from one of my potential schools, even though I knew it was just going to be an admissions process update. argh.

so guys, this is it! in 3 weeks or so we should start hearing from the schools. Ahh!

Seriously, I feel like you just wrote down my situation exactly ...

I have nightmares about the following: 1. that I won't be accepted to any schools. In fact, that they'll laugh when they see my application and reject me immediately 2. that I WILL be accepted by one or two, but I wont finish my Master's thesis on time, thus making it impossible for me to graduate and thus not able to go on to Ph.D 3. that I WILL be accepted, will finish my thesis on time, then enter the program just to find out that I'm not prepared for it at ALL, thus having to drop out and ruin all my dreams of obtaining a Ph.D. As you can see, the stress is never-ending.

how many times did you have to say: "Not until March" this holiday season? I've been keeping track, my number is up to 6. And 2 of those were to the same person, on different occassions.

haha SO true about that decent GPA -- my parents are CONVINCED that just because I did well in undergrad and know a few languages, thats going to lead to an automatic acceptance. Wouldnt that be wonderful, if it were true?

Im not joking ... I would move immediately. And by 'move', I mean change apartments.

this is so funny, im terribly afraid of fish, too!! i will NOT go in the ocean, lake, or any other natural body of water they may contain fish, or in my opinion, *sharks* - even though I'm assured that sharks cannot possibly live in a lake, that water is too clear & calm for there to be no shark activity. I don't take any chances. @strangefox -- don't even get me started with fear of spiders. just writing that word makes the hair on my arms stand up. i am so afraid of them, im afraid of the very thought of seeing them, and avoid channels/shows/movies that I believe hold a high probability of just POPPING one out at me with no warning. (ex. Salt, the Discovery Channel, National Geographic, Fear Factor, and some reality talent shows, especially German ones). The worst is how they're always just SURPRISING you with them, they should most certainly have a disclaimer before showing such a thing on television.

I'm so happy I saw this post. I am very, very secretive about where I'm applying to, to my family & friends. My family puts a little of pressure on me to succeed in whatever I do, and if I told them where I'm applying, that'd be it. They would get in their minds the one school they want me to be accepted to, and if I'm not accepted the disappointment would be all over their faces (talk about pressure haha) Also, I'm constantly asked if I know an answer yet. I dont know how many times I've said February/March. But I also try to reiterate that it's not a matter of WHEN it's a matter of IF.

now that i look at my post, it might have been confusing, so let me clarify: i said I'm teaching 20-25 hours a week, but its not a TA position. I teach at a school that's about an hour away from my university. I also live an hour away from both work and my university. This is why I say I have no time to do anything. Im sure working on campus this many hours would be a (bit) easier.

actually I'm in my second year of a 2 to 3 year program (that I'm trying to finish in 2). In terms of an assistantship, I'm in a different situation because I'm an international student at my school, and at my school that means I can't do an assistantship. It's fine, only 2 students in the whole department do it & theyve been in the position for at least 2 years. Most people find relevant jobs in the field, or should I say in the 'real world', which is why I started teaching (hoping it'll be good experience for TAing as a Ph.D student).

Yes, they probably say mid-March so that students don't start harrassing them for decision news in February lol. Btw, just got an email from MIT, saying my application is complete, on file for consideration, and the review process will begin after January 2nd. I know its just a confirmation email but I swear I almost threw up in my mouth. Of course my biggest 'reach' school is also the school I want to attend the most.