Benzene

I just read my feedback from students for my lab instructor position at my MA program and thought it might be helpful to share what I've learned. Feel free to chime in with valuable things you have learned as well! 1. Do not put too much on a Powerpoint - I was advised by my advisor to do no more than 5 lines of text 2. Wait for students to finish writing before verbally expanding on text. Otherwise, they get grumpy 3. Make sure your students know you are available to help. I had most say I was very helpful and easy to get a hold of, and a couple complaints that I helped particular students too much. Really, there are some who ask for help, and some who want help but don't ask. Look out for those who don't ask. 4. Look prepared. Or try to. It's hard the first time around, but it gets better. I think this is more a confidence thing than anything. 5. Make sure students understand the point of the class. I feel some of the feedback I got was due to a misunderstanding of the nature of the course - it was to teach them to write scientifically, not for them (or I!) to be experts on the material 6. When grading, try to find the balance between giving lots of feedback, and getting things back in a timely manner. However, you won't make everyone happy. I was nervous to see the feedback initially, but I am glad I did now. Some of these things I feel I have improved upon already (Powerpoint-related stuff, seeming more confident/prepared) but some of it was unexpected - the perception of unfair helping, grumbling about me not being an expert on the topics they were writing about. As this quarter ends and I gear up for the next, I know ways I can further improve, and it would have been great to have some of the previous instructors around to give me this advice. So now, I will share it with you all! What have you learned that you found useful or interesting?

Smarmie, I'm really sorry to hear about your dog. That is incredibly sad. I would be devastated if that happened to either of mine. *hugs*

Have you had anyone read it over for you yet? I wrote two drafts of mine, then had four friends read it over for me before handing it off to my advisor for the final proof. I am sure that if I had kept it to myself much longer, I would have done the same as you. (In fact, this sounds a lot like what I am doing with my thesis!!) Also, keep an eye out on program websites for an outline of sorts. I had found one from a program that I ultimately did not apply to, but it was very helpful.

I wish! I wonder if all the dept. coordinators make a pleasantly neutral statement and just copy paste it into every inquiry.

I don't see an edit button, so excuse the double post. UCSB: "Our faculty are making their decisions now. We are communicating it to Graduate Division as fast as we can and you should expect to hear within the next few weeks via email." Miami (OH): "Our Social committee has met and reviewed applications. Offers have been made. We do not yet, however, have a full accepted class, so it is possible there could be another round of offers made. It is not uncommon for this to happen. Once our cohort for next year is established, we will send out letters to all applications." U of Arizona: "We have had interview weekend and have made offers to applicants. We are now awaiting acceptance. All applicants will receive notification of either a yes or no by the end of March."

I cracked and emailed the department coordinators at my remaining 4 schools - U of AZ, UCSB, Miami (OH), and Lehigh. I'll let everyone know what I hear back, though I don't know how many here applied to Miami and Lehigh. U of AZ said they have extended acceptances already and are waiting on responses. All acceptances and rejections will be out by the end of March.

I've been rejected from 5 of nine programs. Two of the remaining it's unlikely I will get into. The other two, maybe, but I haven't had any contact whatsoever. Today my class was cancelled and there's no work in the lab, so there's not much to do with myself. Being alone with my thoughts isn't very nice...I've spent the whole day wondering, what if I don't get in anywhere this year? Or the next? When do I give up? What if I'm just not meant to be a professor? Since there are those 4 schools left, I know it's premature to be so down...but I can't help it. With only one quarter left of my MA (two if I don't get accepted anywhere) there's only so much I can do to improve my chances for next year. My undergrad GPA is unchangeable, my graduate one is fantastic, my GREs are good. There are no bigshots to write me letters at this school. My advisor liked my SOP, and doesn't understand my lack of acceptances...I applied to programs ranging from top 20 down to about 150, so it's not like I'm being sad over not getting into a bunch of Ivies or anything. I'm trying to brainstorm ways to improve my application - try to publish, more posters, take the Psychology GRE, maybe even retake the general, but I'm starting to wonder what to do if it's not enough. Anyone else in the same boat? Misery loves company!

I saw in the Results someone got an admittance. I'm going to shoot the department an email if I haven't heard anything by Friday, as well as my other 3 remaining schools. I'd like to just get it all over with, so I can move on...err, and likely, into prep for applying again for next year.

I checked the website today (3/7) and they posted the decision two days early. Rejection..

Ha they're sure taking their time, aren't they? At least, compared to last year. I'm curious to see if anyone knows anything too.

I just got this email today. Nothing available yet, sadly. I will keep checking in case it goes up early. I'm 99.999% positive it's a rejection so I'd like to get it out of the way and remove that .001% of false hope.

Just got my reject from ASU...expected, as I didn't interview, but still a bummer.

I did inadvertently insult the state the school is in..ha! It just came out wrong, and I was too nervous to correct myself. So don't do that. I was hoping the POI would chalk that up to nerves, or honesty - it's not a well known program. I did follow it with how great him and his program was, but eh. But aside from that, honestly, I searched questions on here, picked good, typical ones, and just asked them. My advisor and I are thinking perhaps I asked too directly, or, I think perhaps I asked too many in a short amount of time. The only other thing I could think of is that perhaps he or his students overheard me telling my friends how well I thought it went, which was more an attempt to convince myself than anything, but I could see how it could come across as cocky. Mojingly, I was dying of nervousness! The entire process of meeting up with the POI was a ridiculous comedy of errors and I was convinced I blew it based on my inability to get to the right place at the right time multiple times...However, I *love* the idea of owning my 'cocky interviewee' label. I am slightly impressed with myself that I can even come across that way!

POI told my advisor what I'd said above, so that we would be aware and I could avoid doing so in the future.

This is more a vent than anything. My advisor inquired about my status with a school, and I made a bad impression during the interview/email process. I came across as entitled and cocky, apparently. I would really describe myself as, well, awkward, so it's a bit of a shock that I came across that way. While I can think of a couple things I said in person that may have been taken the wrong way, it is such a strange thing to hear!! So now I'm mentally combing through the very short meeting I had, and re-reading emails...But mostly, I just asked questions, and totally normal grad applicant questions at that... Long story short, I suppose, watch your wording!

I wasn't all that surprised or disappointed by my first rejection (and first notification from anywhere). I just deleted it, then deleted all their other emails, and deleted it off my waiting list. Found some friends, ranted about how it was too expensive to live there anyways, and then checked Grad Cafe to feel comforted by the sight of everyone else who was also rejected, haha. I imagine for about half of the remaining 8 schools, I may actually be sad.

The fun part is when they don't understand my pessimistic realism. I talk about my plan B and they're like, "You don't need a plan B!" Yes, yes, I do. I am lucky at least that I managed to explain the whole process to family well enough that they understand it's a crapshoot and refrain from asking me every day if I've heard anything.

First rejection today from UCSC. I am feeling oddly relieved. It's news!! (And I wasn't terribly stoked about the school anyways...)

I had a dream last night that I got accepted to a school I kinda interviewed with. (It was a crazy dream, involving moving there, going to a bar, and being unable to buy a drink because the bar tender was too busy - ha!) Now, though, I am really anxious that maybe it's a sign I will hear something soon, like today. Stupid dreams. This is the second acceptance dream I've had so far. I'm hoping they are good omens, and not just my subconscious trying to look on the bright side.

I sent reminder emails, and noted in the email that I would resend the link from the application. However - my advisor was very casual about the whole letter process. She saw me freaking out when I didn't have her letter and another in on the due date, and kept telling me that it really doesn't matter if your letters are in on time, because they expect professors to be busy and run late. So, even with multiple reminders, phone calls, etc. I did not get the majority of my letters in until on the due date for nearly all my applications. If you must have the letters in to submit the application yourself, tell them, as that changes the game a little bit.

Assuming I get in somewhere, I will be slacking off, spending the money I will have saved just for summer, and being incredibly lazy. I am thinking of buying a rail pass and traveling California by train for a week or so. I also may take a summer course or two, an art class or auto shop. It would be nice to study something fun and not psychology related!

Thanks for responding! That adds another school to mentally cross off the list...I really just wish *any* of them would give me any sort of news!! I'd even take a rejection right now.

Shoutout to random submission in Results: Person who heard from U of AZ - how did you hear? (To clarify, did you initiate the email or did they?)

I am really happy to see that I am not the only one checking websites for application updates before I've been told that there is one! I am not alone! <3 My email program checks every 3 minutes for new messages. Every time I see a new message, I spazz out. But it is always something from the current university I am at. I never realized how many emails I get from student leadership until now. The first thing I do when I wake up is check for new emails and voicemails, in case a school east of Cali called while I was sleeping. I had a mini-heart attack last week because I had a voicemail from a graduate studies department...turned out to just be my current school telling me I wasn't eligible for a grant I'd applied for. I also refuse to answer numbers I don't know, and google them to see where they are from. Of course, it's always telemarketers or a bill I was late paying...