IRdreams
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Posts posted by IRdreams
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I don't know, that sounds kinda weird to me. I thought it was rough waiting 2 weeks for my check let alone several months. Best of luck.
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If NSF is getting a big cut across the board then it's hard for me to really argue. If social sciences are being targeted while others remain safe, however, then I'm very much for this effort (if you recall the idiotic comments of that senator a couple of years ago arguing for NSF social science cuts, with his argument essentially being, "Why do we need political scientists to study electoral behavior when CNN has those fancy election maps?).
They are specifically trying to get rid of, not just cut from the Social Sciences.
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Oh, my dear friend, you made the worst possible mistake: you confused chemistry with chemical physics. I wanted to illustrate that you don't need to have perfect scores to enter the most quantitatively demanding fields.
You'll be fine. If you are not accepted, it won't be due to your GRE scores.
Off topic question, but what is the difference between chemical physics and physical chemistry? One of my 'rents does the later and I've never gotten a straight answer.
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No, there isn't a separate agency. There is one for the sciences (broadly construed), humanities and the arts. As well as health. This is strictly about defunding, not about creating a social science directorate, which would be nice.
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I actually got jokingly yelled at for not calling a Professor by his first name. But then, there is a senior scholar who signs his emails with his initials and he is definitely "Professor _______"...so be careful with the email thing.
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Hi all,
I'm going into my second year of a PhD program in PoliSci. I have 2 courses left to take, which I will be taking in the fall semester. I have been told that I have to sit for my (oral and written ) comprehensive exams (n IR and CP) in April 2012, or otherwise the autumn of 2012 or something like that. I'm thinking the latter would be too late, but I am also stressed about having to do the exam in Apil, since I pretty much won't have the time to start doing the readings/studying until end of December, after I'm done with my courses... Are 3.5 months enough to read/study for the two exams??!?! The university has a CP list that we don't really have to add much to. But we don't have an IR list. We've been told that we have to form our own list...
So I have a few questions about this:
1) Is getting worried and stressed about this at this point, a good or a bad sign? On the one hand, it's good to care about the exam (there are a few students in my cohort who don't even give a damn about it and have said that they won't start reading until January, for the exam in April). On the other hand, it really makes me feel like I don't have it in me to pass this exam... Then again, I've been suffering from impostor syndrome ever since I started the program, so maybe that's part of that.. or maybe not...?
I don't think it is a sign one way or the other. Exams are stressful so people get stressed. This includes people who are prepared and not. Also, you may just be a more anxious person. This says nothing about your professional competency. I definitely had imposter symptoms and was very anxious (I am always anxious though) prior to my exams and in both took the highest mark (my department gives grades rather than just pass/no pass for some sadistic reason). The moral: please don't use your mental and emotional state as a referendum on your worthiness as a future scholar and your ability to pass the exam. The exam is the referendum and more likely than not your course work will make you very well prepared to sit this exam.
2) Did your department give you a list, or did you have to make your own? If the latter, any strategies you used, to make sure you covered enough ground in the literature?
One subfield gave us a list and the field seminars were really taught to that list so studying for it was a no brainer. Take the course, be engaged, and then come exam time review a bit.
For the field that you have to make your own list, I complied my own giant syllabus. I used course syllabi from my program, but also sought ought syllabuses from other universities (particularly top programs). For IR, Trachtenberg might still have a good website compiling syllabuses from various schools. I figured that if it was on more than one syllabus it was probably generally considered an important work in the field and therefore something worth my time consulting.
3) When did you start reading/studying for the comps?
I studied through taking classes, while doing course work, and very intensely during the two weeks up leading to the exam. Your main emphasis in grad school is on research. Honestly, you should take the least time possible passing these exams. Only your program cares about them. Once you pass this hoop, no one cares. What matters to your future is the research you produce. If there is a time trade off between these two, pick research every time. Leave a couple of weeks right before the lead up to refresh though.
4) Did you take notes while reading? I find that very difficult to do, because I find that it kills my concentration.. Once I get distracted with note-taking, it takes a while for me to go back to reading... Any strategies that you've found helpful?
So I take notes while reading usually. However, an option for you might be to take notes immediately following reading an article or a chapter. Use the structure of the work as a determinant of when it is a good place to take a break and note down your thoughts on the work as well as the work's central point, evidence and findings. Keohane has a good form for how to evaluate social science research which I will give out to grad students when I have my own. Some one in your faculty may have something similar as a guide for what to take note specifically on.
5) For IR, in general, did you have to read books in their entirety, or the most important chapters of books? (maybe just skimming or skipping over case study chapters, for example?)
Focus on important chapters. Rarely is it that the whole book made a revolutionary contribution. Syllabuses are again a good guide to which chapters are key. There is not a general rule about what to skip. In some book, it is case studies, in others it is the theory chapter. Use seniors people in your field as a judge which is why I employ syllabuses in so much of my advice and own test taking.
6) I did not take notes in any of my classes (IR or CP). I also did not take notes when doing the required readings for those classes... I just didn't have the time to read AND take notes -- barely had time to actually get the readings done. Is this generally the case? If I had taken notes on those readings, I could've saved a lot of time, because a lot of them are on my CP list (and most will probably end up being on my IR list)... Now there's no way I can remember all that I've read for those courses (especially that my brain was so overloaded during the semester), so I have to go back and re-read most if not all of them... Did that happen to any of you, or am I the only one in this boat??
This is concerning to me. You might be able to find notes collectives online. I know Harvard has one to help fill in some of your gaps, but you should at the very least take your course syllabuses and annotate them. On the bright side, I regularly reread things for exams. This is inefficient, but if you commit to speed reading and recognizing that this is not the best form of learning some triage might be doable.
Well, that's all for now... also, any other tips and strategies for studying for the comps, are welcome.
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Congress is debating cutting NSF funding for the Social Sciences completely. If you think Economics, Sociology, Political Science, Psychology and a host of other fields provide meaningful knowledge please take a few moments to contact your representative. Since we're all political scientists or future political scientists, hopefully this includes you. This link provides an easy form.
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So I recieved the NSF GRFP this year. My school generally covers tuition, health insurance and a stipend. Reading through the NSF materials, it looked like the school is not supposed to charge you for benefits one generally receives through the schools normal package, which in my case would include health insurance. However, I just received a bill for student health insurance. Does anyone know how this is supposed to work? Especially, someone from a school that generally covers the cost of health insurance through their normal funding plans.
I know the standard piece of advice is to contact the NSF coordinator at my school, however, I want to know what I am entitled to before beginning this conversation as the coordinator has the interests of the university first and foremost on their mind.
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Don't forget to bring a towel.
On a more serious note, planning a filing system and a "to get" list before heading into the field can be one of the most beneficial pre-expedition things to do.
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I didn't do this when I had applied but I think it is probably a fine idea.
One caveat though: I noticed that the schools which were upfront in their promotional materials about funding were also the ones who on average gave more generous funding. Thus evasion may be tactical on the school's part. That being said, I find this tactic dodgy, especially in light of how costly applying for graduate school can be.
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I'm sure they'll bring back the Fulbright-Hays as soon as the economy gets better in a few years.
I actually doubt it. They seem to be shifting the burden to the Borens and other sources of funding for "strategic regions." Which seems a bit shortsighted since what is a strategic region evolves rather quickly and somewhat unexpectedly.
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My source is a colleague email and it is possible he may be incorrect. The relevant info I received:
“For FY 2011, there is no (as in zero) federal funding for Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Awards; this saves US tax payers 5.8 million dollars. There is also no funding for Fulbright-Hays Faculty Research Abroad Awards; this reduces the deficit by 1.7 million dollars. There’s more. Funding for all American Overseas Research Centers (AORC) for fiscal year 2011 has been slashed, the competition for 2011 awards cancelled. These centers provide critical support to scholars and students studying 16 countries/regions including many of the countries Obama highlighted in his major speech at the State Department on May 19—Egypt, Iran, Iraq, North Africa, Palestine, Pakistan, and Yemen. The 2010 budget for all those centers combined was 1.197 million.” Quote from: http://www.jadaliyya.com/pages/index/1685/running-on-empty_international-education-funding-g
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You should be aware if planning for future fulbright application that the program has been eviscerated in future years due to the depression.
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Tickets for $300? Do those even exist? I've never heard of tickets that cheap! LOL Maybe you're right, maybe you have to live near a major airport (which I don't).
My roomate regularly flies to visit her girlfriend from a small airport to another small airport several states away for less than $200. Book way in advance and it is super cheap.
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Anyone want to share comps stories? The good, the bad, the ugly, but preferable the funny accepted. I'll share first. The very eminent professor proctoring our exam today gave the "best" motivation speech. "Everyone passes. Well...the faculty couldn't pass these...but...So shall we begin." I'd be anxious if it wasn't so priceless. Other anecdotes or commiseration for this ritual of graduate life?
A related anecdote. One our younger faculty started his exam period with this priceless gem: "The proctologist is here. The exam can begin." I swear if I ever have grad students and they are taking a high states test, I'm just going to hand out the sheet and wish them luck.
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they don't use GRE scores anymore, so it's probably not really a matter of having specific stats across all programs- but I do wonder about average GPA, number of pulications, how many traveled abroad/tutored minority students, etc for each field of study. I doubt that kind of data is available.
All of these things vary substantially be field and thus specific comment is difficult. The best advice for gauging chances is to talk to faculty in your area. They've seen a lot of students go through their programs and will know what to do maximize your chances plus what the usual "profile" of a successful applicant looks like from their field.
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Probably it attracts some of the best of the best, but it is a significant effort and tends to weed out procrastinators. So good students plus those who start early on things are most likely to enter the competition from what I've gathered. It is not really surprising tho since if you thought you had a particularly low probability of winning (ie knew you were not a top quality candidate for a fact and knew that you couldn't obscure that fact) why would you spend all the time and effort on an application?
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I'm pretty sure that is not the way it works in grad school since it is a waiver and not consider part of pay benefits in gradschool. The logical corrolary is that if your college decided to charge 5,000 less and you had a waiver that wouldn't be shunted to your stipend, they would just be paying themselves less.
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I think it depends on how you do it. The school certainly won't drop you as a previous poster suggested.
But I think a threat logic will be frowned upon at this time. The likelihood of them changing your package even when you have the credible threat of nonattendence is pretty low since they can fill their classes with competent applicants easily.
Instead, suggesting that there is some opportunity cost for you attending their institution and that they might be able to ease some of it could be appropriate. I don't know what the odds of that strategy working, but I don't think it would necessarily burn bridges and it can't be substantially less likely to succeed than hardball bargaining which doesn't have too great a success ratio anyways.
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Schools also often keep binders of successful application in their fellowship or career office and these can be a useful guide since online examples are rare, though the ones on the earlier proposed website of high caliber even within a pool of successful applicants.
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I found it helpful to read sample essays. There's a great collection here from Rachel Smith; most of them are ecology, actually, and many have ratings sheets. If you Google around a bit, you'll find more essays on people's personal websites.
That website is brilliant. As to whether to include poster presentations, if you are limited for space in the presentation section I wouldn't. However, if this is the most you have it is worse to leave that section blank and the poster presentation can only look better than the alternative of nothing.
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outer limits
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due diligence
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Everyone in my family (except the black sheep political scientist) went from academic physical sciences into engineering. So I don't think the reverse transition is that difficult. Fields the emphasize technical skills often have substantial overlap.
Fulbright-Hays DDRA 2010-2011
in The Bank
Posted
I'm not an applicant so this thing doesn't really affect me (plus I'm poli sci). However, it does seem that Mellon has attempted to do grad students a solid within their funding mandate. I think an editorial outlining their generosity and willingness to step up in this tough financial time is an excellent idea.