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Hopelessly_Neurotic

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Everything posted by Hopelessly_Neurotic

  1. I think this is an overestimate of the tax you will have to pay. I will be at the U of M as well and am trying to figure out how much I will have to pay and I found out a few things. First, I think there is a standard deduction that you can apply to your income to reduce the amount of income on which you have to pay tax. Second, if you are filing as a single individual, you pay 10% federal tax on the first $8350 and 15% on the rest. If you find out more, please post the info here. I have contacted my grad coordinator as well as payroll and I hope to get some more info. They really should make this clearer for those of us who want to budget effectively!
  2. You have a great sense of humor. Your wit indicates that you are more intelligent than your GPA would lead us to believe... One should not lose hope if their GPA is less than impressive. If you know that you are capable of doing better but for whatever reason, did not perform consistently throughout undergrad, then consider taking a year to take more undergrad courses and demonstrate that you are capable of outstanding academic achievement (as measured by grades). My GPA wasn't abysmal, but it was not impressive either. I took many more undergrad courses at a better university than where I got my undergrad. My motivation was to broaden my background, further explore my interests, and demonstrate my potential. I achieved all these goals and have been admitted to a competitive program in my field. They apparently did not mind that my earlier GPA was not great because my subsequent grades put to rest any doubts they may have had about my abilities.
  3. Thanks, guys!! These recos should keep me busy for a while...
  4. I think it's possible that you made the right choice but because you no longer have a choice you are feeling doubt/panic/worry. Ask yourself, if the school you turned down actually gave you a second chance, are you 100% sure you would take the offer? If yes, then ask them. If they say no, learn to embrace the choice you made and make the most of it. Perhaps this is a sign that you aren't ready to commit to grad school at this time.
  5. Hi all, I'm headed to grad school for developmental psych in the fall, but in the meantime I have time to kill. I want to learn about subjects that have always interested me but I never got a chance to study. I'll also be broadening my knowledge base, which could help when it comes to deciding on research topics. I am interested in linguistics and am looking for some good recommendations where I could get up to speed on the fundamental ideas /concepts in the field and the latest developments? Any suggestions? Is it worth it to check out Chomsky's original tract on language and mind? I have some background in phil of mind, phil of lang, and cognitive psych. Thanks!
  6. Very interesting. I just wonder how much it varies by subfield in psychology. But I'm not really averse to doing postdoc. It seems like a nice way to transition from grad work to the responsibilities of being a professor.
  7. Excellent advice. I hadn't thought about it this way. I wonder if I will need to do a post doc though. Are they common in neuropsych? My program is developmental and I'm in a decent department. I have fantasized about being able to get a job straight out of my PhD program.
  8. You're funny. Sometimes that's what people need (i.e., a decision monkey, as you put it). I went to a visit weekend and this girl was agonizing about a decision that was not yet hers to make (hadn't been offered a spot at either school yet): "Oh my god...how will I decide between [good school but not ranked for subfield] and [very high ranked school for subfield and overarching field]?" I was like, "Whatever! Like there is any contest between these schools. If you get in to [the latter school] that's where you are going, don't be silly." I don't think she appreciated my matter-of-fact approach to her pseudo-problem, probably because she wanted her audience to indulge her and give her well-thought-out responses...
  9. I wonder if this book would be suitable for someone entering a Psych PhD program? Do you think some of the advice is applicable to other fields? I think the one about going to "grown up" conferences instead of local grad ones applies to my field (although I'm not sure that there are grad conferences in Psych?). Also, I've never really thought much about signing up for committee work....is this an important part of one's CV?
  10. Hey, no worries, I didn't interpret your response as snarky. I like honesty!! And humor... The stuff you say makes sense. I expect that my program will be demanding, but I won't know just how demanding it will be on me until I'm there. I would like to have some semblance of a life while I'm in grad school, especially since I am a little older and the idea of sacrificing today for tomorrow is not as appealing as it used to be... In response to the last poster, that sounds like good advice you received; however, as I mentioned before, one could do the PhD in four years, followed by a post doc...that way you still have time to get papers out, etc. before entering the job market. If one is planning on doing a post doc either way, then it would seem sensible to get through the PhD faster. But if not, then yeah, five years is probably the way to go.
  11. That makes sense...although one could also aim to finish the PhD in 4-4.5 years and do a post doc. I just worry that it's not really necessary in some programs to hang around for five years, i.e., that one could be doing other things...
  12. Thanks for your point of view. See, it's not that I am super ambitious or anything -- I'm motivated of course, but the reason I posted this question is because I'm just curious to know if it's doable...i.e., if it's possible that people who complete a PhD in five years actually could do it faster but, for whatever reason, don't take the opportunity to do so. You seem to be suggesting that this is not the case and that to complete the degree in four years might be possible but you would basically burn out in the process. I'm not really interested in killing myself to get it done faster, but work hard? Yes. Be super efficient? Yes, definitely.
  13. I think you are right. I guess the best approach would be to just work really hard and see what happens!
  14. Interesting... I'm not sure I buy it that it is better to go through a program slowly. Did your profs tell you why they think it's better? I do think it's important to get the most you can out of your PhD experience, but if you can get through fast with the same quality of experience...why not? In my field (developmental psychology), completing a post doc is also an option and is sometimes recommended. If I shave off a year of my PhD then I would feel better about pursuing a post doc. I'm an older student and so I don't really wanna muck around for an extra year if I don't absolutely have to. I also have a lot of practical research experience already and so I an optimistic that this will help me fast track through the data collection process, which often slows people down in my field. I could see how having an MA could help you get through faster if it means you don't have to complete as many courses... Anyone else have any insight as to whether this is doable? Advisable?
  15. Just wondering if anyone has any insight into whether this is a realistic goal -- I'd love to hear from ambitious people who are already in a PhD program rather than pure speculation from those who aren't there yet. My grad school has a posted timetable that is four years, but I've inquired a little and students so far say that rarely does anyone complete it in four years. If I could finish in four years I would be happy. I am very proactive and organized, so if that is what it takes then I think it's something I could do. The first two years at my program are course heavy, and after that there is a teaching apprenticeship. Throughout, if one is not on a scholarship then they have TA/RA responsibilities. I hope to secure external funding along the way in order to minimize my TA/RA obligations so that I can focus on my research.
  16. Hi again! I replied to you a while back on another thread. I'm sorry to hear that things haven't gotten better. I'm not going to tell you what you should do, but if it were me.....I would find a way to get out of there and into a better environment. What you describe sounds like torture. I think students spend a lot of time ruminating about burning bridges, etc., etc... I really don't think it would hurt you to leave the school and go elsewhere. There is no way to make this a "good" situation -- it is what it is -- however, I think your chances of being successful and happy will be much greater if you are in a more positive, supportive environment, working with a prof you respect and who respects you. I wish you luck and the strength to make the right decision!!
  17. Having a solid research background is great preparation in this day and age for clinical work, and you can always do a post doc in an area that is more directly related to your interests. Re: you desire to have a broader impact on the field, that's great...but you have PLENTY of time to figure out how exactly you want to do that. I wouldn't think much about that now. Those ideas have to germinate over time. I'm thinking that perhaps the personality mismatch with the prof is what has you down, and this is making you feel negatively about the program and your future. That's just a guess. I would suggest you acknowledge your doubts but set a date for when you want to reevaluate the situation, instead of allowing yourself to ruminate about it continuously. That way you can make a good faith effort to make it work and then come back to the problem and see what you think. Easier said than done, I know, but I think it's worth a shot. Usually these programs don't want to grant a terminal Master's but they will if a student has changed their mind about the program. So maybe you could set a deadline for yourself that would coincide with when you would have to let the school know about your plans. Or maybe give yourself until the end of the summer and if you are still not feeling the program/the prof, then plan to apply to different programs in the fall. I don't think that you will be able to pretend that those feelings/thoughts aren't there, or that you should deny them or blame yourself for not being able to be happy with your situation, but I do think you can deal with those feelings more effectively by trying to put them aside for now and setting a future date for making a decision. That way you can make a real effort at integrating into the program and trying to work effectively with your supervisor despite your differences and seeing where that leads. If you keep trying to make a decision about it now, you will just become frustrated. Good luck!!!
  18. I'm sorry to hear that you're not liking your program. Hmmm, I would think that if at this point in the term you haven't shaken your negative feelings, then maybe your doubts aren't going to go away, and I wonder about whether you will be able to perform at your best under such circumstances. So are you thinking that you would finish the year and apply to a different program next year? Or perhaps complete your Master's and then switch? The latter would probably make more sense, if you could swing it. You could always come up with a good explanation for switching (such as saying that during the course of your studies you evolved new research/clinical interests, etc). I'm sure it's not easy, but it has been done. Do you feel that there are pros to staying in the program that outweigh the negatives? Applying to go to a different program would require a lot of work, so I would only do it if the situation between you and your advisor was really bad and beyond resolution. You have to be honest with yourself: is this person horrible or is she not living up to some ideal that you imagined? My boss (a clinical psychologist/research scientist has said to me that you don't have to like your advisor, but you have to be able to respect him/her. Does she provide an adequate amount of guidance/mentorship? Another thing you might consider is staying in your program but switching advisors. You could try to do that this year or wait until after your Master's. I'm not sure how that would work out, but I would probably try this option before dropping out of the program. You might want to talk to the graduate program advisor or director (not sure which is more appropriate) about some options if you are really serious about moving on. Lastly, you might consider talking to her. I know this might be difficult, but if your other option is to leave the program, then I think it wouldn't hurt to at least talk to her about what's bothering you and seeing if she's open to doing things differently. I'm not sure what to say about the focus of the program you are in and your future internship. You just need to ask yourself if this is really something worth switching programs over, aside from the issues you are having with fit. Anyway, I hope it works out. Good luck!
  19. Give me a break. Contractual requirement?? If a prof feels that you are deserving of a letter of recommendation then they will write you one, no need to force them!! This person probably didn't want to write you a letter because she didn't feel she could write something positive and didn't want to hurt your application. Too bad she wasn't more frank. I can't imagine someone saying no because they don't have time -- unless you asked the day before!! You have to give adequate notice. It takes a lot of work for a student to build the relationships with faculty that they need in order to secure decent LORs, and I can't imagine any reasonable person refusing to write a letter for a student who had demonstrated that they were worthy of recommendation. Furthermore, your reasoning that if all profs took the position of this prof then no student would be able to go to grad school is just plain silly. That is a huge IF that will never materialize because most if not all professors want the students they view as capable to succeed in their endeavors.
  20. To be perfectly honest and a bit blunt, I cannot fathom why you would have reminded her so many times. Did she ask you to do this or was it your own idea? When I applied, I asked my recommenders if they wanted me to remind them at all. Some said yes, while others said no. If you thought she was that unreliable, then why did you ask her at all? Twice a day for the last week??? How do you think she would feel about you during/after that? It suggests you have no respect for her time and also that you don't have much faith in her. And don't get me started on the mom thing... The fact that your prof in the end suggested you seek another recommender speaks volumes about how she feels about you now. I'm sorry that things don't seem to be working out for you. I think your only real option is to seek additional references to support your application and try to offset any negative comments made by the recommender in question. I wouldn't ask to have a recommender removed. That will definitely tip them off that there is something negative in the letter and OF COURSE they will read it.
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