psychdork

I wouldn't mention it. Like you said, you don't know if you will get into grad school this year. And if you do get in, you won't know this for a few months anyway. Besides, even if you were intending on working at this job for several years, that doesn't mean that you wouldn't leave in a few months if a better job came your way.

It's completely normal. I've found that dealing with this is like being on an emotional rollercoaster. One minute I feel like I could get acceptances to most - if not all - of my programs. The next minute it's another round of flat out rejections.

The best advice I can give you (besides not looking at your submitted applications) is to do your best to distract yourself from this. Take up a hobby, take an exercise/dance class, play video games, whatever works for you. It's hard, believe me I know. But most programs won't even begin contacting applicants for interviews until January, so we basically have a month to wait before we will hear anything. I'm telling myself I can't even start wondering/worrying about this until the winter semester starts at my university. I don't want to be obsessing about this over break when I can be doing something fun and relaxing. I'll start once I'm busy with the new semester. Now that's not to say I won't think about this, because believe me I will, but I won't let myself obsess about the what-ifs.

If you can't figure out a distraction, one thing I did last year was to confront my fear and figure out what I would do if the worst case scenario (flat out rejections) happened. If you have a plan, then it isn't as scary. And to be perfectly honest, not getting in anywhere sucks, but it isn't the end. If you want to talk about it PM me.

It's completely normal. I've found that dealing with this is like being on an emotional rollercoaster. One minute I feel like I could get acceptances to most - if not all - of my programs. The next minute it's another round of flat out rejections.

The best advice I can give you (besides not looking at your submitted applications) is to do your best to distract yourself from this. Take up a hobby, take an exercise/dance class, play video games, whatever works for you. It's hard, believe me I know. But most programs won't even begin contacting applicants for interviews until January, so we basically have a month to wait before we will hear anything. I'm telling myself I can't even start wondering/worrying about this until the winter semester starts at my university. I don't want to be obsessing about this over break when I can be doing something fun and relaxing. I'll start once I'm busy with the new semester. Now that's not to say I won't think about this, because believe me I will, but I won't let myself obsess about the what-ifs.

If you can't figure out a distraction, one thing I did last year was to confront my fear and figure out what I would do if the worst case scenario (flat out rejections) happened. If you have a plan, then it isn't as scary. And to be perfectly honest, not getting in anywhere sucks, but it isn't the end. If you want to talk about it PM me.

A few weeks after I told my Mom I wanted to go to grad school, I was watching reruns of an old tv show.

Mom: "Are you getting your PhD because <character on tv show> got her PhD?"
Me: (in my head) Yes, Mom, I've decided to spend 5+ years of my life in grad school because she did. Obviously I couldn't have made this decision for any other reason...

I agree with watson. I didn't get in anywhere last year and I'm applying to work with some of the same POIs this year (I was waitlisted at these schools last year). When I emailed my POIs, I never mentioned that I'm reapplying, I just stated that I was interested in their work on "blah blah blah" and asked if they were planning on taking students. Like watson said, I didn't want the knowledge that I had applied there in the past to potentially bias my current application (not to mention that it would have been awkward to write).

As far as mentioning that you are taking master's classes, if you are only taking classes and don't intend to get the degree, then I wouldn't mention it in your email. You can mention it in your SOP later on, but in your email I would just keep it simple and to the point. However, if you do almost have your degree, you could mention it very quickly. I basically said, "hi my name is psychdork, I'm currently finishing my master's degree in psych and am interested in your work...". I don't know what other people think but my reasoning is if you are just taking classes then that might come across as indecisive...which you can explain in your SOP but would take up too much room in your email.

Unfortunately, it really depends on the school. Some schools discard application information after an application season and for those schools you will need to resend your scores. Other schools keep app information for a year or two, and in this case you will not have to resend your scores. For what it's worth, most of my schools require that I resend my scores. If you are not sure, email the school and ask.

I took the GRE the other day and scored in the mid-700s (old scoring version). All of the polynomials I was given I was able to solve simply by factoring them, so as long as you can do that, then I wouldn't worry about memorizing the quadratic formula. I'm pretty sure the GRE quant books I skimmed never went into using the quadratic formula.

I'll have to think about what formulas came in handy but off the top of my head definitely make sure you know:
-area & perimeter of a square and rectangle
-area of a triangle (including how to solve for 45-45-90 and 30-60-90 triangles
-area and circumference of a circle

Look where profs (esp. assistant profs) earned their terminal degree.

Just wanted to say thanks for everyone's responses to the question I posted above. I'll post a link to my blog once I get everything set up.

I find this very disrespectful and completely unnecessary. It's unrelated to your topic and original post, and completely disregards the advice / comments the community has made to help you with this issue. If you approached the professor with this same attitude and sense of entitlement, I can see why they wouldn't want to help you.

In regard to the original topic.

1) Teaching is often only a small portion of tasks/duties professors have to complete. There is absolutely no reason why, during lab time when students are to complete an assignment and/or group work, the prof cannot be doing their own work. If they are there, and will assist you if you need help, then there's no harm. They should not be expected to sit, awaiting your call.

2) Graduate school is much more than being taught. Essentially at this level, it is expected that the profs will give you the information and then you take that information and learn it, synthesize it, and teach yourself through reading, discussion, peer work, and the knowledge of the prof/feedback from prof. In my experience, graduate school is not like undergrad where you are given a lecture (based on a textbook) for the entire time and then tested on it. In graduate school, you are simply given the tools and opportunity to gather the knowledge to learn from.

3) You are not paying the teacher to teach you. This is a horrible misconception. It is my understanding that a professors salary is based on a multitude of things, and teaching contributes only a small portion of that.

4) Sometimes teachers a not good at what they do. Yes. BUT they are human and humans have flaws. If you are having trouble understanding what their asking you to do, then it is your responsibility to respectfully approach them and ask them to explain further. Perhaps they have never received negative feedback on their teaching and/or assignment structure. In order for people to improve, they have to hear the feedback.

5) If you have never taught before, then you really do not understand the work that goes into course construction. Sometimes things happen, and you have to change it 30 minutes before class. You really cannot know what has happened prior to the lecture or assignment. Sometimes things happen and you can go with your original plan and you have to revise on the spot. It's a hard task to complete.

In the end, it's was the first class- you can't always judge a prof by the first class. If you don't end up liking their teaching style, then I would drop the course. Simple solution.

Same as Eigen.

I wear different hats so to speak (grad student, tutor, lab manager), so I tend to customize my signature to the situation, that is if I'm emailing a potential lab assistant, or a student asking for tutoring, etc. Otherwise, I either sign off with just my first name, or my full name.

As it sounds like you will know about the PhD program very soon, I would wait until then (assuming you don't need to let the masters program know before then) and see what happens. If you don't get in, then go for the masters program and if you do get in, well you will have a decision to make. It's no use trying to make a decision that you might not have to make (though with that being said I am hopeful that you will get accepted). It sounds like to me this is just cold feet (I've been there) and really it is only 4 years. Don't focus on the 4 years of misery (and from my experience, grad school isn't all misery) but focus on what's after grad school.

Here's a different way of thinking about this...let's say you do get accepted to the PhD program and you turn it down, do you see your future self regretting this decision? No matter how frustrated I get, and how many times I want to quit my masters program and just forget about a PhD program, I know that if I give up on this I will regret it.

OK, I cannot believe I'm actually going to ask, but I really want to know what the GradCafe community thinks, so here goes... what do women think about dating younger men? And, what do men think about dating older women?

Now, I don't mean cougars chasing after 20-somethings.

Here's the situation: When I went on my campus visit, I met several current students. One of them was a very cute first-year doctoral student. We had a great hour long conversation--the kind that you wish would never stop. Afterwards, a few minutes of web searching revealed that he graduated three years after I did. So, assuming, he graduated when he was 22, that would make him at least three years younger than me (I'm 33). I completely forgot to check his ring finger (and some married men don't wear rings anyway), and I have no idea if he has a girlfriend or is engaged. But, if he isn't, I plan on strategically bumping into him in the building.

I've never considered dating younger men. I always thought (for whatever deluded reason) that the "perfect" age would be two years older than me--well, my ex was two years older than me, so that didn't quite work out. But, now that I'm in my early thirties, things are different. Younger men (i.e., late twenties) aren't all necessarily immature and selfish.

Anyway, thoughts on this? First-hand experience? Thanks for commenting.

Totally -- great minds must think alike!

Even if you're a good candidate for admission, have good credentials and experience, know what you want to study, you still might get rejected. It's not uncommon to have to apply multiple times to secure a spot. So don't get discouraged if you're rejected your first time applying. Many have to try again a second (or sometimes third) year. If you really want to go to grad school, it will be worth waiting an additional year.

ha, GRAPEFRUITS: I can always count on you to start sh*t on the forums. Actually, just seeing your username cues me in that drama will soon follow! well done!

For support and a sense of community. Why do some posts smack of judgment and condescension?

Why do some people continue to post on this forum, for what in some cases seems to be years, after the grad admission process? Do they not access to other graduate students / advisors to talk to in real life about their graduate school issues? It just seems a bit pathetic to me.

It probably varies from school to school and your best bet is to look at the statistics for individual schools. I don't even think Princeton Review or US News & World Reports has the statistic that encompasses all schools.

I'm waiting to hear from 4 schools, 3 of which are waitlists. I know being waitlisted is technically a good thing, but from my current viewpoint, it just sucks. Two weeks until April 15th*. We can do this!

*Yes, I am well aware we could find out after April 15th, but right now I can only deal with now to April 15th...denial is a nice place sometimes. :-)

angry birds!

1 acceptance! Hell I'll be honest, first acceptance! Still awesome, they want me they really want me!

red wine

Hey I was the same for a very long long time. My friends were all sick of me bitching bout grad school rejections!!! I just got off the waitlist 2 hours ago, and I am fucking excited. There is always hope! I never believe it when people kept telling me it will be fine, but it will actually be fine!!!! I hope your luck will turn soon!!!