Zouzax
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Posts posted by Zouzax
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one thing that's calmed my anxiety about letting my family down if I dont get accepted, is that I make it clear how normal it is for applicants to not be accepted their first round, that I'm ok with it, and that I'm formulating a plan B in case this happens. For those people from high-pressure families, making sure they understand this fact really takes the weight off your shoulders.
The funny thing is, my parents (let alone my relatives) didn't even know what a Ph.D was until I announced I was going to apply for such a program. It took months of explaining to make my parents realize that no, I was not going to work in a hospital ... no, I will not be able to fix their knees "finally", nor figure out what's wrong with them mentally "finally" ... that I'd be located at a UNIVERSITY ... and now suddenly they're really into my getting accepted.
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this is exactly why I refuse to look at my submitted applications ...
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Love this subject .. because this is what haunts me at night!
I also regret not applying for outside funding. I was planning to apply for the Ford Fellowship, but one of my profs didnt send me his LOR until wayyy past the deadline (mid-December), even though I had requested it in September. But it's also my fault, as I could have been more proactive in finding others.
I regret not adding a few extra things on my application - not adding my language blog, and not mentioning some relevant courses I took (completely forgot about these until I had sent everything in and was obsessively going over the applications in my head, of course)
I regret not explaining things more/ better - for example, why I chose the Master's program I did, exactly what this program is all about, what my thesis is about, and why I'm perfect for the programs to which I applied (I had great ideas in my head, but once I try to write them down on paper, meanings get lost .... especially for my dream school, I wish I had knocked it out of the ballpark with that app)
Anyway, if I end up being accepted to anything, I'm sure my regrets will change .. maybe Ill take them all back
But this is what's on my mind as of now .... -
I wonder, why so many people, including me, are afraid of spiders?? I mean, they are so tiny, they have much more reasons to be afraid of us then we - of them!!
There must be some phsycological explanation!!!
I'm not afraid of the tiny ones, I'm afraid of the GIANT ones like the one above!! Do you see what I mean, how they just APPEAR without warning???? Now I can't check this thread anymore, so if you write a response I won't see it, I'm afraid....
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When googling my name, you mostly get a bunch of college/HS awards of mine, fortunately. The worst thing that comes up is ONE link to a facebook group about chicken sandwiches.
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In my opinion, I'd much rather sit around waiting for application responses than teach. I don't even teach at the university level; I work at a private school. Let me tell you - trying to write a fun syllabus so that 10 or more people can be entertained for 3 hours is nerve-wracking. Then standing in front of the class, waving your arms around and trying to keep them from falling asleep at their desks is a whole other battle. I wish I could sit at my computer, constantly refreshing my inbox and praying for a response! It's what I do during my off hours, anyway.
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I actually went to Northeastern as an undergrad and I really enjoyed the co-op program (I ended up only doing it once, though - I decided to graduate early). Most of the people I knew had found really great jobs out of it, and came out of college with a clear idea of what they wanted to do because they had so much work experience. Not to mention, it looks great on your resume. If you like everything else about NU, Id say go for it.
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I applied to 6 schools ....
application fees: about 625$
sending GRE scores: 115 $
grad school transcripts: 20 $
sending grad school transcripts: 100 $
Total: 860$
I had 800$ put away just for grad school applications. I foolishly imagined that it would be plenty enough to apply to a bunch of schools. silly me!
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I was on the fence about this one, too. I had contacted a few profs before sending in my applications, and 2 gave me really nice responses, one gave a decent one, and the other 2 were so-so. I was thinking to update the 2 positive responses once I mailed in the app but I decided against it, thinking it'd look a bit weird/desperate. I'm banking on the fact that they'll all remember me from when I contacted them in October ...
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Btw, technically, I'm in a one-year MA program. We've been recently informed, though, that - while the program officially lasts a year - we'll have another year to complete our theses.
haha welcome to international programs, right? I was told that my MA program was only 1 year, too when I accepted the offer of admission ... well, once I started I quickly found out that most people take 3 years, and some even FOUR years to complete their thesis! Im in the middle of my second year and I'm cramming to finish everything in 2 years, it's quite obvious that I could easily take another year to finish everything.
In terms of your lack of formal semantics training, I think a lot of us are in the same boat. In school I've done some syntax, pragmatics, cognitive linguistics, and psycho/neurolinguistics (and that's only because it's my thesis topic), but a lot of historical, syntax, phonology, Chomsky-an linguistics I've had to learn on my own. I always try to read textbooks and articles to keep on top of the current research. But I'm thinking, if so many of us on here are in the same situation, it must not be an uncommon thing
Let's see how the admissions results are .... -
I like GoodReader as well, but I sometimes use Quick Office, which allows you to view .doc, .pdf., .xls and .ppt files (I think the excel and powerpoint options are a little lacking, however). I also really like the Things application. If you're into making crazy To Do lists like I am , you'd love this .. I use it all the time. I also use CourseNotes (I wasnt too into the handwriting option) - this one you type your notes, but you can organize them according to subject, etc.
I also would NOT recommend Sally's Salon or Sally's Spa if you value your time .... or Diner Dash.
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Man, I thought I was coping pretty well with the tension of waiting to find out, then I stumble back onto these forums and I'm all nervous again! Here's to hoping that the next few weeks are fruitful and satisfying for us all
I've been running every day to try and keep the heebie jeebies at bay. I have another friend who is putting in desperate hours on her honors thesis to try and compensate for her nerves. What distraction/obsession is working for all of you?A couple of you mentioned that you received an update about the process from one of your schools. I'm curious, since I haven't received any updates yet. What schools were those and when did you hear? Anything of import? Let's pool our info and keep each other informed.
I'm applying straight out of undergrad, so like Zouzax and LostLittlePearlPiano, I am a bit concerned about having enough background...My university didn't offer a single course in Semantics while I was an upperclassman, so I am studying some set theory and logic just in case. At this point, I guess there is little to do but fret!
In terms of distraction, I'm a little lucky because I'm in finals until February 1st ... so right now I'm insanely busy. Between writing papers and working almost full-time, I don't have THAT much time to sit and obsess over my emails (but somehow, I still manage to squeeze in an hour or so of obsessing daily).
In terms of updates, I haven't received anything important. Just an general email from the Dean at Brown University saying the review process is beginning, and that any offers of admission must be responded to by April 15. Haven't heard anything from any other school.
Yes, my background is a big worry for me. My undergrad didn't offer any linguistics classes, and when it came time for me to apply to a Master's program, I could've chosen Linguistics but I went for Translation Theory instead. The only reason was because I really, really wanted to learn and study in Turkish, and the Linguistics program was entirely in English. In addition, I wasn't sure if I wanted to go for my Ph.D at that time. Of course, now I regret it slightly, because I probably would've been more competitive now. But in the end, I really liked my program, and it offered me the chance to learn the language fluently. I'm just crossing my fingers that at least one adcom will appreciate the decision ...
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I actually did the opposite- I stayed somewhere because I was in a long-term relationship. About 7 years ago, I received an offer to study in Paris for a year. At the time, I was in a long-term relationship with my then-boyfriend. I decided to turn down the offer and stay with him. We have since broken up. Can I tell you, I STILL regret the decision I made not to go. If a relationship is worth it, and if it's meant to be, it'll work out in the end .... trust me.
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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
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Piet Hein says it's good in a situation like this to toss a coin.
A PSYCHOLOGICAL TIP
Whenever you're called on to make up your mind,
and you're hampered by not having any,
the best way to solve the dilemma, you'll find,
is simply by spinning a penny.
No -- not so that chance shall decide the affair
while you're passively standing there moping;
but the moment the penny is up in the air,
you suddenly know what you're hoping.
Thanks for this MoJingly -- its actually great advice
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Oh man, I kept thinking you actually borrowed the name from the Lion King! I confused it with the bird's name (Zazu!).
Also, kind of random: one time I went to a talk about the nutrient dynamics in the Black Sea. They kept saying Bosphorus and phosphorus, and I was so confused for the first half of the talk.
you know what, maybe I got the name subconsciously from the movie & never realized it! there goes my originality
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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.
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Geez, those professors really want specialized students. Nevertheless, NYU and Brown are probably both great for psycholinguistics (well, I know Brown at least is... I don't know that much about NYU except for the fact that they have Dougherty and Pylkkanen).
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 ...
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@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.
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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.
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Agreed!! I either feel super confident or feel I will not get accepted at all...It changes frequently.
same here! glad to hear we're all in the same boat.
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For those of you wondering, I have decided to stay for the rest of the year! For future readers or others contemplating the heave-ho: I have been reassured by professors and friends that leaving early wouldn't be a catastrophe, and most professors or employers would have no idea about the actual length of stay.
Best of luck to you all!
Great to hear, SVN! Bir nedenden dolayı herşey olur
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ahh finally some proof that i DO spend too much time on here
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Yeah, freeky. I wonder how many of those who submitted to these schools (on average about 130) actually submitted theses (that concern theoretical linguistics or a related field). As expected, sometimes I feel sure that I'm going to get into somewhere, and at other times I feel less optimistic. Oh well, may the Great Waiting Period begin. :-\
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.
Fall 2011
in Linguistics Forum
Posted
wow congratulations!!! i didnt apply to UCSD, and I havent heard anything from my schools ... maybe thats a sign things will start rolling in a little earlier this year !!