Zouzax

Wow ... that Penn State story is amazing. Wish I applied to one or two schools with rolling admissions. Thankfully my semester doesn't end until late January, so just when I'm over finals & starting to get antsy, I'll (hopefully, cross my fingers, knock on wood, plus any other kind of good luck gesture) start hearing about interviews, etc.

I'm in a Master's program, and I teach about 20-24 hours a week. It's definitely a lot of work. When I first started, my advisors suggested that I not work, but it wasn't an option, because I'm not funded, and I have to eat (unfortunately). I agree with the previous poster about trying to work as many weekends as possible, and finding a school-friendly place to work. When I was an undergrad, I worked on campus & it was great. If I need money during my Ph.D, I will definitely look into this option again. Working on campus is great because: a) they are completely understanding if you can't come in due to a big exam, big paper, etc. etc ... and in my experience, if work was slow, they had no problem with me studying during work hours. and usually the pay is really good in terms of the job, because they assume you're spending the money on school-related expenses. The first 3/4 of this semester, I taught every Mon-Thurs and Saturdays, and although the pay was great, I really really regret it. I couldn't take the classes I wanted at university, got no work done on my thesis, let alone my research papers for the classes I was taking, and had no time to attend talks, presentations, or try to get a paper published. I'll never do that again. Now, I'm working all weekend and then just 2 nights a week, and it's much better. Honestly, I think working makes you better at time management, and makes you get things done faster. I work more than any of my colleagues & I finish all my projects earlier than them because I know how precious time is In short, it's doable. Weekend and school-friendly jobs are key. Good luck!

I think you've already made your decision, but you're putting feelers out there to see how it'll be received by others. If you're truly unhappy, leave. As another poster said, life's too short. I did kind of the same thing. i really regret all of the student loans but, in the end, it never would have worked out. On the other hand, if you only have one semester left, just bang it out and get the degree. itll be a miserable 4 months, but it's only 4 months after all....

if i get in for Fall 2011, Ill be 28. Got my bachelors at 21, got a business postbacc at 22, worked full-time for 3 years (not in a relevant field, what a shame), started my Masters at 26... hopefully will be done this summer! i completely agree with other posters who stated they would have NO idea what study if they went for their Ph.D at a young age. When i first entered college, I wanted to be a neuroscientist. Then i switched to psychologist. (left with a psych degree). then i switched to business, & wanted my MBA (even took the GMAT --got a halfway decent score --), then thought about law (studied for the LSAT). Then i was convinced I wanted to be a doctor (didn't last long). Wasn't until my mid-20s that I seriously sat down, thought about what I wanted, did some research & applied for/entered a graduate program. Who knows what kind of Ph.D I'd have right now if I had applied when I was younger!

I agree with everyone that says you need to have an end date (meaning, a day when you'll finally be together for good) in sight. Even if there IS an end date, it's hard. I did an international LDR for 1 year & it was really, really difficult. Thankfully, we had the means to see each other 4 times during that year, but your whole life becomes waiting for that next time. I'm happy to say that, after 4 years, we're still together, but it was a very, very rough ride. Now, he's in the military for 5 months, so we're doing the 'long distance' thing again, even though he's only an hour & a half away, we can't see each other, which maybe in a way makes it worse. What's the key? Communication, communication, communication. See each other as often as possible. Write each other little notes. Text, yahoo messenger, skype. Video chat. After 4 years, I've become a veritable expert in communication techniques, international and domestic. When you're away from each other, take advantage & take care of YOU: school work, gym, errands, etc. This way, when he/she comes, you can devote all of your time to each other. Try not to make your life ALL about them, even though it's easier said than done. If you can succeed at having your own life, it won't be as difficult when they're away. Have your own friends. Join clubs. Get a part-time job, tutor, etc. Make a real plan with each other for the future, so that you have something to look forward to. For example, something like: once you're both done with school, you'll move in together. It also keeps you together, because you have a common goal, and it won't seem so helpless when you're away from each other. If, at times, you feel like giving up, you can think of this date, and I promise it'll keep you going. I know it's difficult, but you can pull through.

I agree. ApplyYourself is great. Used that for Yale & it was by far my "favorite" application to fill out.

@strangefox, @bukharan: thanks guys!! after I wrote it, I almost didn't post it ... thought it was too much for this forum. thanks for the positive responses

just got an email from the linguistics department at Stanford, they confirmed that my application is complete and say a decision will be made by mid-march 2011. long wait

I'm in the middle of my Master's thesis, too. Thankfully, I worked really hard this summer & did the bulk of my research, met with my advisor & hashed out the structure of my thesis, because this semester I've done NOTHING. Honestly, I worked way too many hours & barely had time to keep up with the classes I'm taking, let alone sit down & work on my thesis. I'm trying to reduce my hours at work but they're not having it. Anyway, I'm writing a thesis on psycholinguistic aspects of translation - for example, how word choice, grammar, structure, form, etc. affect readers from a psycholinguistic standpoint. I may or may not include neurolinguistic aspects as well. I'll know more once I start writing , which will start JANUARY 16th. No excuses (my finals are over January 15th). I'm trying to finish everything by June (but since my thesis has to be somewhere around 100-200 pages, cant be sure how realistic this is). Wish me luck

Stanford required one as well ... interesting, I'm starting to realize that ALL the california schools, whether they're UCs or not, seem to have similar applications .. I basically wrote mine on the fly. I wasn't prepared for it either. I wrote about being a minority, having lived in europe, my experience with languages, and some other life experiences ive had that make me diverse. it was only 700 words so it had to be short. in terms of how important it is, i dont see professors looking at our applications, being prepared to throw them into the REJECT pile, then saying, "Oh wait!!! But look at this fabulous diversity statement!!! Let's completely change our minds!!" For that reason, I just made sure it was grammatically correct & said some relevant things, then I sent it on its way. Btw, I applied to MIT too! Good luck I'm thinking my chances aren't too good, I got a neutral response from one of the professors when I explained my experience & research so... yeah. But of course it's my top choice (I love being disappointed).

When I was little, I was obsessed with numbers. I used to read the phone book, literally. My favorite part was the section in the back that listed all the zipcodes in New York State. I would write them down in a little marble notebook & try to memorize them. I also taught myself high school math, because my big sister was learning it & I thought she might want a tutor. I still remember trying to learn the rules of algebra. I loved that textbook. I taught myself French at this age, too. Not because I was curious about language, but because I was planning to run away from my family, and figured that Paris was the best place to do that. My dad thought it was cute & would drive me to the local teacher's supply store so that I could buy workbooks. I still know French to this day. I graduated college a year early because I thought I wanted a huge life change. I got a business degree, moved to New York & started working for two of the biggest luxury fashion companies in the world (I can be VERY convincing). Three years later, I realized I was living a nightmare. It was 'The Devil Wears Prada", before the movie came out. I left my job on February 14, 2007. I left for lunch & never came back. It was a blizzard that day. I decided to do some much needed work on my psychological & emotional health before making anymore life decisions. I had serious problems since high school, including clinical depression, obsessive disorder, and sometimes delusions (I used to think people could hear my thoughts). My family never got me help, because in my culture, seeking help for mental issues is taboo. I had to grow up & make the decision on my own. During this path of self-discovery, I thought I wanted to be a doctor. I volunteered at a local hospital & started taking science classes at a local college. It was nothing I expected it to be. It was absolutely depressing. I knew my life would never involve working in a hospital. I soon found linguistics, and realized my love of languages. I remembered that since I was young (see above), I've always wanted to live in Europe. I knew this was my chance. I also knew my family wouldn't support it. So, I bought my plane ticket 4 days before my flight. Everyone was shocked, including me. I came to Turkey with 6 suitcases, a cat, and nowhere to live. I went to a hotel that was in the center of the city. I remember that first night in the hotel. My cat was looking at me, her stare full of anger & questioning. I stared out the window, saw the lights of the Bosphorous & the mosques and the houses all on top of each other, and I thought to myself "What the hell did I just do?" The next 2 years are a book in itself. Ive learned more about myself & others than I ever wouldve learned if I didnt take the leap. I think by now my cat has forgiven me, too. Sometimes I think things happen for a reason. Maybe there's a reason that the catalyst for everything didn't happen until I was 24. I can now happily say I'm a (semi) normal individual, and I truly know I'm on the right path. If any of you aren't sure what you're doing with your life, feel like you're not normal, think you're too old & need to have a direction --- Ive been there!!!! And I think I've been through all of this just so I can let everyone know, it WILL be alright, and one day, you WILL find your way .

I know, at first I only had a set amount of money, like 750$ or something, which meant I could apply to 6 schools, plus send my GREs, and mail a few transcripts overseas (which costs 100$ by itself). After sending everything, I realized I had a little more money than I thought, which meant I could try my chances at one more school haha. I wanted to apply to Stanford so I went for it. Maybe it was fate?? Thats what I'm telling myself at least

whenever i say "linguistics", I ALWAYS get the blank stare. Then, when I try to explain what it is, I always get the inevitable, 'So, how many languages do you know?" THEN, I'm left explaining the fact that I've studied many languages, but some of them I can just read, while some I actually speak. Watch as their eyes glaze over during this..... or, if their eyes don't glaze over after this question, I always get the inevitable next question ... "Soo... what are you planning to do with this degree?". Once i explain THAT, anyone who was sticking with the conversation falls off.

totally agree with you about Heroes. I was so into it the first season. The second season really fell off, then during the TV workers strike (remember that??? when we had no new TV shows for like 3 months???? I still have nightmares about that) they came out with a press release, saying they were thankful for the strike because they reworked the entire season. I was super excited, but they didnt come through. Stopped watching it mid-season 3.

TV Shows: Mad Men (the. best.) Dexter (I put this right next to Mad Men. a good guy serial killer. my dream show.) Curb Your Enthusiasm (Larry is so neurotic & dysfunctional. But i KNOW everyone identifies with him) Nip/Tuck (absolutely insane. Youll find that you can't even explain what's going on in the show to your friends, even though you really really want to) 30 Rock (hilarious) Better Off Ted (think Arrested Development, but in an office) Fringe (great. scary. im really liking this current season) Bones (love the science, gets a little cheesy but definitely worth it) Two & A Half Men (even though it's incredibly sexist, there's 8 seasons & you can realllly kill time watching it. Pretty funny too. And mindless) Other shows I enjoyed/am enjoying: The Sopranos (especially the first 3 seasons), The Office, Sex & the City, Nikita (it's growing on me), Scrubs (I rented the DVDs of each season one winter break & watched them back to back. It seriously almost made me want to be a doctor. But lets keep that between you & me.)

lol you're right ... I finished my applications in the beginning of November sooo I've been obsessing on this forum ever since ... thanks for the explanation good luck with your apps!!!!

i know what you mean, I wish they'd just send the letter & take me out of my misery! I miss the efficiency of the european university system. When I applied for my Masters, I gave in my application on July 30th, took the entrance exam on September 4th, received an interview invitation on the 5th, had an interview on the 7th and found out I was admitted the following week who can beat that???

hey! where is everybody? echo... echo.. echo....

thanks for the helpful response. actually, the deadline was December 7th ... so I'm thinking I shouldn't try to contact the professor. Even though, I was thinking that the semester is probably over/nearly over & they won't be looking at apps until the spring session starts -- but that's all conjecture I suppose

so, is the consensus that it's OK to contact professors after submitting the application? I haven't contacted anyone at one of the schools I applied to, & now I'm thinking I would like to contact one of the professors I'm interested in working with, saying that I applied to the program & am interested in working with him, will he be taking any new students this year, etc. If I havent contacted anyone before applying, should I contact them now? Or would this seem strange?

SVN, if you dont mind my asking, are you located in Turkey? I saw the characters in your post & i could recognize those "ı"s anywhere If so, Im teaching English here, too, in Istanbul. If you need help, etc. please feel free to write.

I agree! I was an exchange student there when I was high school & I absolutely fell in love with it, I always swore I'd go back one day ... I'm applying to a Ph.D program, thankfully they offer funding or Id never be able to apply ... but then again, its barely enough money to live on...

thanks for the advice, guys. I'm a little bummed I didn't think of this beforehand, but I havent kept up with it this semester so it never even crossed my mind until now ... If the general consensus is that contacting professors after sending in an application is a big mistake, I won't do it. I AM considering sending a revised resume with the web address on it to the department secretary, however. Maybe I'll think about it a few more weeks before making my decision. Interviews aren't requested in my department until late January anyway, from what I could gather ...