Bonkers
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Posts posted by Bonkers
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I use a backpack because I am getting old. The uneven weight distribution of messenger bags hurts me. I strategically picked a red backpack (going to pick up some reflectors this week) so I am more visible when crossing the street---I would hate to get hit by a car before finishing my degree.
- go3187 and Langoustine
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To Question 1: Funding is not necessarily more abundant in private than public schools, so I don't suggest you cancel out public schools in your application process. It varies by department, so you should think about which schools are good fits for you and then figure out what their funding packages are--the best place to actually look this up is on the grad cafe "results" page to see trends.
To Questions 2: I am guessing your question asks if the US News and World Report ranking of graduate schools for sociology is valid? Well, it's sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy... how the schools are ranked is--and don't take my word 100%, I remember reading this about a year ago but my memory sucks--by professors' opinions on each school's reputation. Reputation of course has the ability to reproduce itself in very real ways. Top rank schools definitely offer better funding and top-of-the-field faculty, but I think it is more important to find a school with a faculty group that has strengths in your field of interest.
Hope this was helpful in some way.
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Hm, does said sweater look something like this?
hahahaha
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I think your intro (the first four paragraph) should be reduced to one. In addition, I would stay away from discussing your father's accomplishment and directly state what you are interested in and briefly why.
Move the paragraph about your past experience up so that it comes after your intro.
Elaborate a bit more on your research intentions during graduate school---contextualize the matter and elaborate. Why are you the best person to carry out this work? What gaps are there in currents works in this sub-field? How are you going to go about executing this project?
The bit on how you want to become a college prof should be pushed up and made clear in the first paragraph.
Hope this was helpful. Good luck in the upcoming application year!
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While it might have been one of my last considerations during the application and matriculation process, as I am getting ready to move away, I worry about what is to happen with my relationship. My S.O. of two years is also an academic and will be finishing his PhD in the next year. Seeing as how many of his newly graduated colleagues are doing post-docs in Germany (where science funding still exists), I am becoming pessimistic. Every time someone asks about us, I say, "we will worry when the problem presents itself," which is my usual response for anything having to do with the unforeseeable future. However, after all these years of worrying about what I want and taking care of my own ambitions, I am feeling stupid for getting all emotional and crap about being geographically distant from my S.O. I feel really stupid and lame. I was so excited about graduate school--and of course, I still am--but suddenly now, I am getting nervous and sad. I feel very stupid for not being as excited as I was a couple of months ago. I am nervous about living alone again and not having both my S.O. and the cats with me.
Will it ever feel not lame to try to coordinate things in your life so you can be closer to someone?
Similar stories out there?
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I have known plenty of people accepted into sociology doctorate programs without a previous degree in the field (but usually in another social science, though I used to be in a class with a woman who came from a hard science and she adjusted very well), so no worries there.
First, I am a bit curious as to why you would want to go into sociology if you have not read many sociological works. Or maybe I misunderstood and you did, but in very specific sub-fields?
Well, for the application I would suggest that you read up on sociologists that have done work in your area of interest, just so that you have a background for your proposed research project. Worry about reading the basics after.
Then, before the school year starts I would read up on the fundamental books/articles that are covered in all undergraduate soc courses: (1) Marx and Engels Reader --not the whole thing, German Ideology and Manifesto should be fine-- (2) Protestant Ethic and Capitalism by Weber (2) Suicide, Durkheim (3) Origins of Religion, Durkheim (4) Asylums, Goffman (5) Heat Wave by Klinenberg. In addition to the classics, I would also suggest looking into recent works--diversify with articles in networking, epidemics, qualitative and quantitative methods, etc. etc. etc.
Okay, good luck!
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Good luck on your next exam!
Wish I could say otherwise, but even if all else is relatively solid, a GRE score below 1000 will hurt. I did not do well the first time on my GREs either, but after months and months of studying, I did eventually improve. At this point, keep up your awesome GPA in this last school year, secure LORs from professor who you are certain will say outstanding things about your work, think about which writing sample you want to use and edit it, and write a kick-ass mission statement.
One of my professors had offered to write in my defense, saying my GREs are not reflective of my academic work. While I did not take her up on her offer, that is an option--to discuss with your adviser(s) your concerns about the GRE.
Again, the best of luck to you!
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medicine ball
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medicine ball
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First, I checked craigslist and then became really depressed. Then, I contacted a few brokers, gave them my requirements, and arranged viewings all for the same weekend. Fortunately, I have friends in the area that I am about to move to, so I stayed with them during my incredibly hectic 3-day apartment hunting mad-dash. During the viewing weekend, all of my brokers failed me miserably. Two hours before my bus ride back home, my friend found a posting on craigslist that met my needs. I contacted the apartment's broker and rushed over to view. It was an acceptable studio, so I immediately signed and rushed to the bus station. I missed my bus... actually, because of technical difficulties, the system said that I had missed my bus by an entire two days... but I caught the next bus and bought a happy meal.
There really isn't anything helpful about this post... but I guess if I were to do it all over again... I would have taken an entire week to view as many places as possible instead trying to get it all done in three days.
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One minor detail of graduate school that I am looking forward to is slumming it---clothes-wise. Unless you are giving a presentation or attending anything that would require professional attire, slumming it with sweat pants in class and around campus is fine. I have this UFO/pyramid/camel knitted sweater that I have been wanting to wear out in public. When I had a job, this would have been frowned upon. With the advent of grad school, I am going to get it washed and ready because come fall I will wear this mad crazy UFO sweater all of the time always forever all the time everyday.
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I flippin' love television. I definitely spend more time watching "TV" (Netflix and Hulu) than reading for leisure. 30 Rock, Office, Parks and Recreation, Community, 30 Rock reruns on Netflix, Modern Family, Hoarders, Mad Men, Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother (even though it's not that good anymore), Family Guy... While it takes me weeks to finish a single novel, it only takes 8 hours to watch an entire season of Family Ties reruns. It is amazing how much TV I can watch and still keep my life in order. There is a way to consume massive quantities of TV without guilt: always pair television with mindless chores. I like to watch TV when I am getting ready in the morning, showering (fold down the toilet seat and set down laptop), doing the dishes, folding laundry, heating up a can of Annie's star pasta and tomato sauce for dinner, eating dinner, clipping nails, and so on. Would I say I have a problem? No, because I know when to stop--and you should always stop when your eyes start to burn. I suspect that when I return to school I will be able to manage both my academic life and my habit. If I continue to get dressed in the morning and do my laundry every other week, I should be able to watch all the television there is to watch.
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I have two cats---granted, one is useless in the field of hunting. However, the cat that is not afraid of bugs does a great job. I have never ever seen a cockroach or mouse in our apartment--and I am in nyc, which is the capital of pests. Cats!
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Glad I am not alone! I always feel like a slow reader compared to my peers. Often times when I am parallel reading with someone, I feel anxious to see how much further my study partner is along. I read every single word and annotate. I think reading the abstract and conclusion before reading the entire article helps.
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Here was how I did it:
(P1) General statement of what I am interested in and where the interest came from. General statement about the education that has prepared me to be a competitive applicant (most recent school and what I got out of it). General statement about my research interest and why I want to go to grad school.
(P2) Described the rigorous academic training that I have received and pursued myself outside of coursework (so, research, teaching, conferences etc.). The academic work that is related to research interest...
(P3) THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL: What is it? Why is it important? Other similar research--what others have done (how does the proposed research fit with similar works--contextualize research interest), and more importantly, what others have NOT done that I am going to do with the experience and knowledge that I have already cultivated. Why am I the best person to conduct this research?
(P4) Conclusion. Why this school is right for me. Who I want to work with and why.
Bibliography
Done.
I hope this was helpful.
- noodles.galaznik and daphneshi
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I'm tired of working like a common person... so... September needs to hurry up.
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Mom: "Where are you going? What? Where? Spell that. So, you are going to be in school until you're old..."
A Surprisingly large number of friends from back home: "Didn't you start your PhD, like, two years ago?"
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Grad school apps total:
(1) Approx. $100 X 15= 1500 (yep, 15 schools is overkill)
(2) Undergrad transcripts $6 X 13= $78
(3) GRE scores $25(?) X 11= $275
=$1853
Yikes.
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Just Me, I am so sorry to hear about your situation. It is definitely not easy to disappoint your parent(s). Growing up, my mother told me I had three career options: doctor, lawyer, pharmacist (eh, I'm Asian, these expectations are not uncommon). Of course, it came to a point in which I had to let her down. It was hard, but now I am studying what I want to study. Disappointment comes and goes. You need to draw the line at some point and it is going to suck ass when you do, but it is your life and if you have an idea of what you want to do then you should do it. My mother is still pissed I am going into sociology, but at the same time, she has learned to be supportive... pissed but supportive. Honestly, I just think she is waiting for me to marry a doctor or banker. If you are living your life for your mother, then I say, screw it, suck it up and get that damn MFA. However, you sound miserable, so stop it. You are digging yourself into debt to do something you don't want to do.
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Prof B! PROF B! PROF B!
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Anyone here entering the sociology program?
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I think the only good reason to hold out would be looking at funding offers. If your top-choice is the perfect research match for you, you love the department and you enjoyed your time there and the location is good - I would decline/withdraw right now while it's still early enough in the season. The only reason I wouldn't would be 1) if the funding is less than satisfactory or if 2) you are curious to see whether you would prefer the atmospheres of the other schools.
If you are still waiting for Harvard and NYU then you are not 100% sure they rejected you, lol. Would you choose NYU or Harvard over this school? If you say yes to one or either of them I would hold on to them. It seems you are waiting on 5 programs. What I personally would do is decline the programs that are not good research matches for me and/or I know I wouldn't like the location as much as Perfect School. You seemed to indicate that Amherst doesn't really fit well, so I might drop them, for example. I might also drop Indiana because you have been waitlisted there - it's not like you are waiting on an actual decision, so better to bump someone else up on the waitlist assuming there is someone beneath you. I would be left with NYU (which I would retain), Harvard (which I might retain) and Johns Hopkins (which would be a toss-up depending on how close the research match is and depending on how much I was interested in living in Baltimore compared to my other choice).
THANK YOU!
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I recently made a visit to one of the programs I was accepted into and LOVED IT. It is PERFECT. It is a perfect fit: I love the faculty, students, current research, location... even the tiny department building itself. I LOVE IT. I am ready to say, "yes! yes! I do! I do!" And this is a lot coming from someone who does not want to leave NY and has a grad school option to allow her to stay. Tomorrow, I will contact CUNY and let them know that I will not be attending so they can give my funding to someone else. However, I was advised by my partner not to give my perfect program an official acceptance yet because I have not heard back from a few programs. I am 100% sure Harvard and NYU gave me the boot. However, there is still a chance that I might get into Indiana (WL), Amherst, and Johns Hopkins. Indiana and Johns Hopkins do fit with my research interests, not as well as my perfect school, but compatible enough. I am just SO READY to say YES to the perfect school? But should I wait? Am I just high off of my excitement? Wouldn't it be better to remove oneself off the list so others could bump up in the case that there is an unsaid wait-list?
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Any news from Brandeis? There was one acceptance in the beginning of february and since then it's been all quiet.
I know they do not have a waiting list, but I am not sure whether or not all acceptances have been notified. For every declined acceptance, they will accept a new candidate.
Mentioning disability in SOP?
in Statement of Purpose, Personal History, Diversity
Posted
I think it is fine to mention it but only within the frame of how being afflicted with ADHD has influenced your current research interests. I would avoid content along the lines of: "and how I used to be embarrassed about it but am now grateful that it's lead me to my academic interests and made me work very hard to be successful and live up to the high standards I set for myself." This is too sentimental and froofy. Relate it to your work. Avoid borderline self-helpish comments. Good luck!