DEClarke85
-
Posts
68 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Posts posted by DEClarke85
-
-
I grew up in a small friendly Midwestern town (I know, still worlds away from "Southern hospitality"!), and New Yorkers constantly surprise me with their friendliness and random kindness.
I have found that on my many visits to the city as well, especially when my wife fell while crossing the street in SoHo. random lady asked if she could run to the phramacy a block away and buy some bandages and hydrogen peroxide. My wife negelected the offer, but it was suprising none-the-less.
However, on my very first visit, I said "excuse me" and "thank you" a lot as I made my way through crowded sidewalks. I often got weird looks and guffaws from people. I quickly learned to just be silent in those situations.
People in New York seem to not want to be bothered, but it is not that at all. In fact, I find natives of the city extremely helpful in giving directions/helping you out as long as you are willing to keep pace with them and not distract them from where they are going.
I love the city. I love its atmosphere, but it is definitely different than what you will find in towns like College Station, TX. More or less, people in NYC just do not have the time to greet every person (even if they are strangers) as they walk down a street. There are no, "Howdey, how'd ya do?" or "Hello, how are you?" passed between random/passing strangers. This is not to say that NYC is impolite, even if it gets that reputation in the South. I find hospitality exists in a different way in NYC.
-
The GRE measures nothing. Just like the SAT, you can study and learn how to take the test and earn a perfect score. It does not measure ability, intelligence, or anything. It's a complete waste.
-
I'm from Texas. Undergrad at Texas A&M.
Has anyone moved from Texas to New York. I've never been to New York, so any comments would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks
*edited - just found the post below about New York, but I would still love to hear from native Texans(or southerns) who have lived/live in New York.
I am from the Houston area, going to school in Huntsville, TX. My friends who have moved to NYC have loved it. A few things that you need to know right off though:
1.) Southern Hospitality does not exist in the city... people will look at you weird when you randomly greet them on the street, say things like "excuse me" as you try to walk between people on sidewalks, etc.
2.) Manhattan can be a VERY expensive place to live... however, places in Brooklyn can be just as nice (and cheaper). This is not always the case; for example, Park Slope in Brooklyn is a beautiful and wonderful community, but i can be very expensive.
3.) Public transportation rocks! USE IT! Get a Metro Card.
4.) A note on public transportation: It is normally very safe. Just be aware of your surroundings. If it seems someone is following you, mention it out loud. They'll stop (I've actually had this happen to me while visiting). Likewise, never sit on a train car where you are completely alone. In fact, only sit on a train car that has at least 4 maybe 10+ people in it.
5.) Another note on public transportation: Before getting on an express train, make sure it does not pass where you intend to get off.
I have always felt a little out of place amongst the stereotypical Southerners/Texans, but I felt right at home in NYC. I love the city and really hope that you enjoy your time there.
-
My friends lived in an apartment complex called Walden Pond, and they liked it there.
-
I think the first week of March will be when things begin to really heat up.
That is the hope, but it sucks that that this is the truth, despite some programs having their visitation weekends as early as March 6-8.
-
We can all try to persuade Fall 2010 or 2011 entrants to hold off on grad school for a year and skip the GRE. The lack of income will force ETS to declare bankruptcy and shut down. No more GRE
As great as that sounds, ETS would still make more than enough money of the TOEFL, SAT, and more. :roll:
-
I am very tired of waiting too! I only have three schools to hear back from... but the suspense is killing me, especially since all I've gotten is rejections.
-
Like I said... give me the option of paying less, even if it means I will not get a copy of my score report. For instance, I applied to 7 schools, I do not need 7 extra copies of my score report. Let me pay $10 and you can e-mail me an electronic receipt.
-
I'm curious as to what everyone feels about film, plays, novels, etc. that deal with professors. What are your favorites? Which are your least favorites?
For me, I love:
Smart People (film)
Butley (play, saw it on Broadway w/ Nathan Lane in the titular role)
The History Boys (play & film)
I'm interested in reading/seeing:
Master Harold and the Boys (play)
-
ETS is just one money-grubbing system. I do not really need to pay $20 for EVERY score report sent out. I would be willing to pay less and NOT have my score reports sent to me. Do I really need one for every school that got one?
-
Yes, but the department can PAY your tuition for you. This is different than a waiver, and I'm all but certain that Texas does this for candidates they want to fund.
I hear that TTU's English deapertment will pay around 1/2 (or less) of your tuition. I have no idea what UT-Austin or TAMU may cover, but if your top choice is a school in the Texas State University (TSU) System (i.e. UNT, SHSU [the flagship school], TSU-San Marcos, SFA, etc), then do not expect much, if any, payment of tuition. The same may apply to schools in the UT and A&M systems that are not the main campus (I.e. UT-Dallas, TX A&M Commerce, etc).
Good luck!
-
I just hope my Ph.D. program will fund me better than my MA. My MA has been great, but I only get about $9,100 before taxes from my stipends a year. The stipend pays our every 1st and 15th from September 1 to May 15. This would actually be extremely livable in the area that my school is in, except that Texas state law doesn't allow schools to waive tuition or offer tuition cuts, so we have to pay full tuition and fees.
-
Thank you poiuyt! I got a little worried. I guess it's the whole paranoia of acceptance/rejection thing. I spent a lot of time on my SOP and WS too. Good luck with you admissions!
-
Additionally, if you attend a school in the Minneapolis area, you can use FARGO (the movie) as a tour guide. I, for one, would love to see the Pal Bunyan statue at Bathgate, ND in person!
-
A coworker of mine used to review graduate applications and he said this is normally the case - that up to 50% of apps. are total crap, and that if there are a lot of last minute applicants, their apps. will likely be weak as well.
That's a miserable way to look at applications. Some of us struggle to live paycheck to paycheck while a student and cannot afford to actually submit our applications until about two weeks (or less) before they are due. Hopefully, programs look at these "last minute" applications with the same eye as those who can submit earlier. I would hate to think that my applications were barely looked at because they were "last minute" and "crap."
-
Have you still not heard from Texas Tech? Their recruitment weekend is March 6-8, so if you don't hear soon, it might not be good news. If your interests are in American Studies, it is probably not the best place for you anyway. The department is really heavy on British--18th C and Victorian.
If I got into Tech I would go look at Postcolonial literature. They have a new/forming group in that. My officemate was accepted to Tech almost a month ago and was told that the recruitment weekend in early March was just for their strong/best applicants, not all of their Ph.D. acceptances. So... only time will tell.
-
That's not as cruel as what happened to one of my friend's yesterday.
She received a rejection letter from the department she applied to a U Kansas (a school she very interested in) about a week or two ago. Yesterday, she received a two sentence letter from Graduate Studies at U Kansas that curt and biting in tone, telling her she had been rejected. It was like insult to injury!
-
UC was a high reach goal for me. I'm coming from a no name school in Texas, but I wouldn't give up hope yet. If they took 11, I've only seen about 3 people post they got in, so it seems less than half of the new cohort is talking about it at all (kind of weird). However, I feel that since neither of us has heard anything from them, we are probably waitlisted.
According to the Department secretary, no official mailing have left yet. She told me that they wouldn't be mailed out until March 6, and that we should definitely know our decision no later than March 16.
-
As a Kid I Loved (not all are cartoons):
Hey Dude!
You Can't Do That On TV
A Pup Named Scooby-Doo
Are You Afraid of the Dark
Salute Your Shorts
Dexter's Lab
Johnny Bravo
Animaniacs
Dark Wing Duck
Tiny Toons
The Adventures of Ali Mack
Clarissa Explains it All
Rugrats
Doug
Family Double Dare
Legends of the Hidden Temple
GUTS
...and more...
Quick Note: I watched WAY too much TV as a kid. Sadly, I just realized this...
-
In the rejection letter I got from University of Maryland's American Studies program, they said that the cuts in funding due to the economy forced them to only accept 7 students this year. They typically take 10 to 14 (I think).
-
I only applied to 6. Because of the economy that was all I could afford. I would have loved to apply to more, but my family couldn't help me. So, I could only apply to as many as the economy would allow. It's hard to drop $50-$70 an application on the fee and then another $20 for GRE score reports per school, then $5-$17 per transcript (depending on if it was sent regular or priority), and then any postage charges if the school did not take electronic submissions. The cost of applying to Ph.D. programs is more ridiculous than this waiting game.
-
It's a heavy burden to weigh, but it's Cambridge. When I think of the best schools in the world Cambridge and Oxford are the two i think of the most.
Duke is great and by no means small potatoes, but it's not Cambridge.
Honestly, all things aside, I think you really need to examine the faculty. Who would you want to work with the most. Who do you see yourself being mentored by and shaping you into the best professional you can be. If it turns out that Duke has better faculty to mentor you, then live in North Carolina. Duke is in a beautiful area of the state, and the weather is not horrendous there (like it is in Texas where I'm from).
Everything aside, I think the faculty matters more than the name recognition of the school. Also, you should consider what school could/may give you more individual attention. They are both big schools with big programs, but I'm sure you would be a better fit at one over the other and be able to earn some more one-on-one time. What school will give that to you?
Good luck! I really wish I had a tough decision like yours to think about. Maybe I will... I still have three schools to hear back from.
-
I'm in a similar situation, except I have yet to get an acceptance. However, hearing your good news made me so happy. I always love stories with a great ending.
I've got three more to hear back from, and hope is all I've got...
-
I would think you could withdraw. After all you accepted informally and April 15th is still a ways off. I feel that the school could fill your spot easily.
Best of luck in figuring out what to do.
Challenging the Grad Cafe: The Six Word Memoir
in The Lobby
Posted
I have a few:
April 15th is too far off!
It is March yet? No! Hmmmphh...
Waiting is killing me and you.
My third thesis chapter is waiting...
Three rejections, three silent, where's luck?