space-cat

Thank you; your consideration of our program application fee is a great compliment to us.

The key words I'm reading here are "independent study course". I have no real idea what that means, but it's not a master's thesis. It's a course project. Even PhD students don't get hours upon hours of professor time to "work with them" on a course project. If you're having difficulties with this project for a single course, you should take part of the project or a similar project for the independent study course and reserve your current research goals for your thesis.

So, no, it has nothing to do with your MA status. It has everything to do with the fact that you want more effort than your project has value (in terms of the overall scheme of a program). Every semester, I write two or three papers (sometimes four) that have the potential to be published in a journal or presented at a conference in some fashion, providing I can kick out some quality work. With that kind of professional pressure on me, I would want to spend an hour or so a week with relevant professors trying to get my best work, but that's not going to happen. Not to me, not to anyone. I can get help, but the help will be of the set me on the right track and offer a suggestion or two here and there variety, not the kind of guidance that I would have for my dissertation (or had for my master's thesis).

Your first step should be to put away the sense of discrimination. Your second step would be to visit your professor during office hours to find out if he thought you were collaborating with him, or if you were doing an independent project with his oversight. You seem to think that you're working with your professor and he seems to think that you should be working on your own. This clash of understanding is causing your problems, not your status as a master's student. Without really knowing much about the situation, I'm assuming that you want far more from him than someone in an independent study course should want.

You'll have to excuse my taste for petty debates.

But I'm afraid that you cited the dictionary way out of context, which is quite ironic given the current topic of discussion. If you had simply posted the entire definition, it would not have supported your argument, since clearly the definition relies on the 'representation of the author's own' phrase which you cunningly omitted.

Check and mate sir, check and mate.


Meow.

Festivus,
 
I agree that this is not pure literal plagiarism as in stealing someone else's work and claiming it as your own. But the dictionary link you provided says "using .. the language and thoughts of another author ... [and] not crediting the original author". An incorrect citation is indeed not crediting the original author. 
 
In addition, this type of academic dishonesty is generally called "plagiarism" in academia. I agree that academics tend to use the word more loosely than the dictionary meaning, but I think of it as part of the jargon that academics use. But I recall that the OP was not directly accused of plagiarism but will just lose points for making up page numbers. 
 
Anyways, semantics aside, the reason why this is a very serious offense, in my opinion, is that academia survives on proper accreditation. When writing a paper for publication, one of the most important things you do is make sure you do a proper literature review and cite everyone who has contributed ideas related to and important to your own idea. This is important because the main way people can find out about your work is to read a citation of your work in another work and if you don't cite properly, then you are breaking the system (and the referees will probably ask you to cite more papers). Although in this case, it might not be as serious (in my field, we don't include page numbers in our citations), it is not a good habit to develop. In addition, the attitude that using proper references is an annoyance instead of part of our job/duty is the wrong attitude for academics to have! And then there is the arrogance that came with asking people to help them get away with something they know they did wrong!

Well I do not mean to be offensive but M.S. in Engineering grading is not like that of a Masters say in accounting or some type of liberal arts degree. The university that I am attending is in the top 50 in the nation. 

Not trying to be a jerk, either, but as someone who migrated from science to humanities, it really surprises me the number of people who go on and get a PhD in the sciences. I love what I do, but the other half is knowing that my work is useful in understanding and interpreting a world that is more overcrowded and 'complex' by the day. I am sure there are topics in the sciences that are useful, but when these PhD students usually talk to me, it's usually about 'Euclidean vectors' or 'seasonal reproductive success of sandgrouses.' It boggles my mind that funding even exists for these topics in a time when many Americans lack a basic knowledge of their own national history. Sorry, I know this is harsh to some. It just seems like there are way too many going this route. The number of STEM PhDs stuck in an endless loop of post-docs certainly agrees with me. 
 
 
 
Look, I actually have a deep respect for the sciences, but consider how ignorant the above paragraph sounds. I don't attempt to convince STEM people that their research is worthless because I can't immediately understand its significance (you're going to spend your entire life observing the mating rituals of jellyfish? that's cool). Knowledge production in the humanities differs from that in STEM, but we need people devoted to the task of interpreting and challenging our social structures and cultural norms, just as we need people to push the boundaries of our knowledge of the natural world. 

I'm glad you're throwing a temper tantrum on a forum designed to help prospective grad students.  I'm happy for you that you got in where you wanted to go, so did I.  All I did was add some constructive thoughts to your post, so maybe you should take a step back and realize how lucky you are to be in a position to offer advice to other prospective grads.  That attitude won't get you far in life, and considering you will be subordinate to a PI for the next five years, you should change it quick.  Best of luck to you in your graduate studies.

Of course a person like you who got rejected and waitlisted from 3rd tier schools are more knowledgable than me. LMAO

As if I care what you think I got into harvard, yale, stanford .etc. so save it.

You want us to help you lie to your teacher to cover up for your laziness? That's not what we do here.
 
I suggest you come clean and explain exactly what you wrote here: that you did things at the last minute and so you just added references you used to your paper without paying attention to what you cited where. You realize it was a mistake and you will fix it (by redoing all of the citations and attributing the correct citations to the correct people). You've already been caught, lying will only make it worse. Own up to your mistake, and fix it. 

This just happened to a (ridiculously qualified) friend of mine earlier today. I went with "That doesn't make a damn bit of sense" and "I have bourbon in my desk."

I honestly don't know what I'd want to hear if/when this happens to me. I'm a talker, so I'd probably just want someone to nod sympathetically while I whine and cry for an hour.

And yeah, I hate all that "that just means it wasn't meant to happen" bullshit, too. Uh, thanks. Mind telling me what is meant to happen?

This just happened to a (ridiculously qualified) friend of mine earlier today. I went with "That doesn't make a damn bit of sense" and "I have bourbon in my desk."

I honestly don't know what I'd want to hear if/when this happens to me. I'm a talker, so I'd probably just want someone to nod sympathetically while I whine and cry for an hour.

And yeah, I hate all that "that just means it wasn't meant to happen" bullshit, too. Uh, thanks. Mind telling me what is meant to happen?

My first acceptance was a phone call from my professor of interest. She also happens to be someone whose work I've admired since undergrad. So, the first 20 seconds of that phone call was me trying desperately to avoid going all fangirl on her. (I very nearly interrupted her introduction to yell I KNOW WHO YOU ARE! I swear I'm normally very well spoken.) I was rejected or consolation prize-d across the board last year, so hearing high praise from her was the best possible way to kick off admission response season. I was halfway through my workday at the time, and had to go run around/happy dance outside until I calmed down enough to hold it together for the next five hours

Second acceptance was also a phone call, and I was much more composed this time around. On the other hand, I did stare at the phone in disbelief for 4-5 rings before picking up. I remember just watching the little Android animation and thinking, "I don't know that number" (pause) "Wait...is that Awesome U?" (pause, check cheat sheet with contact info for all my schools) "Oh my god, it's Awesome U" (pause, fidget in chair, pause) "I should answer that" (suddenly feel paranoid) "OH NO IT'S BEEN RINGING FOR FOREVER THEY'LL THINK I'M CRAZY" (answer). Fortunately, this call was at the end of the business day, so I could go be crazy at home.

This just happened to a (ridiculously qualified) friend of mine earlier today. I went with "That doesn't make a damn bit of sense" and "I have bourbon in my desk."

I honestly don't know what I'd want to hear if/when this happens to me. I'm a talker, so I'd probably just want someone to nod sympathetically while I whine and cry for an hour.

And yeah, I hate all that "that just means it wasn't meant to happen" bullshit, too. Uh, thanks. Mind telling me what is meant to happen?

I think it's sad that so many people here have offered you support and advice, to which you continuously reply, "It won't work." Stop using this board as your personal therapy session and DO SOMETHING! Yes, your options suck. Trying to hide your money from you mom while living with her stinks. Going to a shelter would certainly be stressful. Taking a minimum wage job that you dislike with a boss who's a jerk is awful. I hear that, I really do. But so is your situation now. So do SOMETHING to start you on your way to happiness. Once you make a single decision to move your situation forward, every step after that will be easier. But talking about it endlessly won't help.

there's no way for her to not know how much money I bring in from any job.

Yes, there is. You are over 18. Get a bank account in your name, and when you get paid deposit your check in there or get direct deposit, and then don't share the account number or the balance with anyone. Don't even leave a copy of the account number at home where she can find it. And if she asks, refuse to tell her. There is literally no way that she can find out what the account number is or what your balance is unless she does something illegal like misrepresents herself as you at the bank...or unless you tell her.

She doesn't give me money, but I do live with her. I guess that means she can decide where I go to school since I'm not contributing to the rent (I can't with no job anyway).

It does not. No one has the right to force you to do anything you don't want to do - go to grad school, hold a specific job, etc. I know it's hard to realize when you are in the midst of such abuse. But NO ONE can decide where you go to school, or whether. If you stopped going to school today and just dropped out, what could she do? Nothing. Maybe kick you out of the house, but that might be a positive thing!

I have a LinkedIn account with my work posted...never once have I gotten anything from there.

Most people don't get job offers through LinkedIN...they don't just show up. You may make contacts on LinkedIn that can help you when you apply for a job, but jobs don't fall into people's laps like that unless they are quite privileged.

At the very least, I believe some of my private loans will get forgiven when my mother dies since she's my co-signer.

That's not the way co-signing works. As a co-signer, your mom agrees to pay the loan only if you default. She's like a guarantor. If she dies, you are still the primary debtor and you will still be responsible for paying the loans. She's just a little extra guarantee for them.

if you've decided that you don't want help, then why post all of this?

the problem is not how you can learn to love your situation. it's how you can get out of it. but this is like talking to a brick wall. it's not your fault. it's full-on stockholm syndrome. but when everyone is telling you that you need to leave, and you say you can't, there's not much anyone can do. i hope you decide, at some point, that you actually want the help you need.

^^This.

Kept me sane for the last semester.

when you're apart, have an open relationship.







just kidding.







not really kidding.

You're screwed! I have heard that in Grad school, an A- is an F, which is a load of crap if you ask me. When did grade inflation get this stupid!?!?!?

I finally get to post on this forum! First admit.

I was at work and doing something so inconsequential I can't even remember it -- probably filing my latest expense report. I saw my blackberry blinking and the source of the email was "artsgrad" and then I looked at the subject line: "OFFER OF ADMISSION." It happened so fast I didn't even have time of process it, I just opened the email automatically and saw the best word ever..."CONGRATULATIONS!".

I celebrated by getting hives and throwing up in the bathroom. I'm not kidding. I had five twizzlers, an apple at lunch and two bottles of water throughout the day and throwing that up was horrifying, but I had a smile on my face the entire time...

Jesus! I've been waiting for more than 5 MONTHS! Will it take forever?! Has any received admission decision from BU EE Dept (PHD, specifically)? I am freaking out!

Jesus! I've been waiting for more than 5 MONTHS! Will it take forever?! Has any received admission decision from BU EE Dept (PHD, specifically)? I am freaking out!

What a horrible time for a graduate admissions coordinator to be on vacation! That's like the Easter bunny taking a vacation on Easter. Dude, it's your SEASON.

Thank you! I thought the same thing, hence expressing myself here.

@ HandsomeNerd: And just to reiterate for the last time, like I said in some form or the other in every post thus far, I got over it quickly and I wasn't outraged or "lashing out" in anyway shape or form, I was mildly irked and slightly resentful. And yes, anger was something I started to feel toward the end of the waiting process and through registering the rejection. Just like EVERYONE else who has posted in this here thread dedicated to "Anger." And through these posts on the subject I feel I have explained myself thoroughly enough. So yet again, "I was in the PC, gimmee gimmee" is NOT how I meant to come off. Again, like I said at least twice already, of course I did not know exactly how it all went down inside the admissions committee's room, I never said that I did. But based off of all the chatter and theorizing going on in the "American SIS" thread that's what it felt like...I did NOT just dream this up in order to mask my own rejection. This should have been clear based on the fact that I used phrases such as "it seemed, it felt like, and I perceived..." If it wasn't how it actually was, and I acknowledge that there is a real good chance that it wasn't, I'm fine with it...now. In my original post I used the past tense to describe how I felt about it and the "I got over it" at the end should have been a good clue that I no longer have any feelings about it or anything close to entitlement.

There was nothing in my original post to indicate that I felt "Tragically wronged." That is over the top, as is the idea that I'm lashing out, the fact that I expressed my dissatisfaction, like so many others have done here, is a far cry from lashing outward. That would be over dramatizing what I've said. I'm also well aware of the flaws in my application, no reminders necessary. And at first I was peeved that you'd suggest I need to "look inward," but now I've decided it's really just comical that you feel I should reassess my own personal feelings on something that happened to me...OK, if I'm being honest I'm still peeved, I have never even thought of telling anyone in this forum to do such a thing...we're all here to rant, vent, and purge our frustrations as well as share experiences in order to inform each other. In a thread called "Anger, anyone?" I don't feel it's anyone's place to judge how others experience any part of this process, especially after several posts have gone by dedicated to clarifying what I meant and what I didn't mean. If you consider me defending, clarifying and justifying my expressions based on my experience in response to being judged as lashing outward, then perhaps you ought not cast reproachments such as the one you cast at me at the end of your post because it came off as rather smug and self-righteous.