noodles.galaznik

I very strongly disagree with this post. An educator's primary mission is to enable students so that they can achieve goals they define.

So, what? How far would you take that "mission"? It is my duty now to lie in a LOR to enable a substandard, uncommitted student to get into grad school? Or to lie to a student, saying one thing ("i will write you a good letter") and doing another?

I think it's perfectly reasonable and indeed ethical to refuse to write a letter if you know it won't be a good one. And if the work they produced for you indicates that they won't do well in grad school--and, come on, grad school is not for everyone and it's not a holy grail--then i really think it's kind to tell them so. If it's a blip and they're acing their other classes, they can always ask their instructors in those classes to write letters instead.

And it has only been 7 weeks in. I'm struggling with course work right now because I really don't see the point of all this BS. Course work is such a stupid formality, I just hate how I can't get to work in the lab right away because we all know that's what I'm there for anyway. Just learn the science you need as you go along with research, why all the useless coursework that you'll probably never or hardly use again?

Also, sometimes I bother wondering why I went to grad school anyway. The economy sucks, and it will for a LONG time. We're training way too many PhDs for number of positions available in academia (which I plan on staying far away from). All manufacturing jobs and R and D are being shipped over seas. I'll be educated all right when I leave, but I'll still be poor. I don't see the point of blasting my brains out when it is increasingly likely that none of this BS will pay off. The whole system is f$@%ed beyond belief.

In life, one is given much work to do and sometimes (if not most times) it is work that may seem pointless at the time. Even if you don't find it relevant to what you think you need, coursework develops concentration, theoretical thinking, writing skills, and reading skills. There are so many people on this forum bemoaning their lot as grad students. First, it is your fault that you did not research your program before making a commitment. Secondly, just DO IT. Every day I do things I don't want to do- it's part of being a mature, responsible adult. You sound like an overconfident spoiled brat who never learned to work hard and stick to your commitments. I'm not saying that you match the description above, but that is what it sounds like after a cursory reading of your post.

P.S.- You think you've got bad career prospects? I'm getting my PhD in the humanities, and I still find graduate school meaningful and ultimately worth it. Count your blessings.

You really think all that coursework is a stupid formality? You think you're better than everyone else who've done things before you and helped revolutionize your discipline? Even if a seminal paper has little to do with your precise research interest doesn't mean it doesn't hold monumental value over the way you go about conducting research. There's a REASON why these papers become benchmarks in fields and why people today still read and cite them heavily. Having such a narrow view is what causes gaps between related disciplines, and that segmentation only weakens a science.

And I know this is a forum that's supposed to be, more or less, encouraging and all, but why are you even in the program then? If you're going to be this negative and cynical of academia, then get out. No one's forcing you to stay in. If you have to think twice about whether or not this path leads you to what'll make you happiest in the long run, then get out. There are easier ways to make a lot more money than getting a Ph.D.; if you're unhappy with what research leads you to, then there's no point in staying in a doctorate.

OP, you don't make any sense at all. you studied computer science but now you have the urge to go study journalism? do you have any experience in this field at all? also, i am going to be brutally honest and say that your scores are a complete joke. it is obvious you did not spend the minimum time to study for this exam considering you took it a whopping 3 times. your english scores are understandable since you may not be as proficient as other candidates, but there is no excuse for your math score. honestly, the math section is basic algebra and geometry you learn in middle/high school. if you want to get into a decent graduate school, please try to put in some effort to get there. no one is going to give you a free pass especially if you are a below mediocre applicant.

Hi guys,

As you can understand from title, i have low GPA problem, Although My GPA is 2.57, I would like to apply graduate program in Mechanical engineering
Louisiana Tech University
Michigan State University
Michigan Technological University
Polytechnic University of New York
SUNY Binghamton
SUNY Buffalo
SUNY Stony Brook
City University of New York City College
My gre score GRE 1260 (Q-800, V-460) AWA-4.0
I have project experiences during bachelor's degree
I don't have work experience

Could you tell me what is my chance? Is it hopeless situation or do i have chance to get acceptance from one of above universities?
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Hi guys,

As you can understand from title, i have low GPA problem, Although My GPA is 2.57, I would like to apply graduate program in Mechanical engineering
Louisiana Tech University
Michigan State University
Michigan Technological University
Polytechnic University of New York
SUNY Binghamton
SUNY Buffalo
SUNY Stony Brook
City University of New York City College
My gre score GRE 1260 (Q-800, V-460) AWA-4.0
I have project experiences during bachelor's degree
I don't have work experience

Could you tell me what is my chance? Is it hopeless situation or do i have chance to get acceptance from one of above universities?

It might just be the culture at our program (or maybe just business schools in general), but even our most successful students (i.e., the ones being placed at other top schools) seem to be quite social, and they do make time to hang out with other students after class, go out for dinner or a party, etc.

That is a scary thought! The very best of luck to you, though. I hope that you still find time to do some non school related things, and coursework and research don't consume your life! Also, I'm in a sociology MA program, and I haven't started my thesis research yet, so that may be why I still (kinda) have a life.

Hi,

1) Congrats on those scores- they're pretty good. Schools vary in terms of their cut-off scores, and many schools don't have official cut-offs. One way to get an idea of how your scores measure up is to check the websites of schools you're interested in applying to. I remember, for instance, that the University of Texas at Austin anthro program had average combined scores of around 1300.

2) I can't help you here- I only applied to US programs.

3) I hear you on funding! That's a concern for most applicants, of course. As you'll hear many times on this forum, your "fit" with the department that you're applying to is the #1 factor that determines whether you get in, and whether it's a "good" school for you in the long run. So, I can't really offer any advice without knowing what's you're interested in studying and what you're looking for in a department.

I interviewed with a professor and just wore jeans and a polo shirt. I dont think they really care.

obviously. More applicants, less funding for state schools.

I do my best to treat grad school like a job, which means I'm either doing schoolwork or attending class from 9-5 Monday-Thursday, and Fridays are reserved for colloquium and various meetings. I've found that I've been able to keep up nicely with my coursework, while not working myself to death. By taking care of things during the day, I have time in the evenings and weekends to relax, workout, and do other non-school related things.

Also, I agree that you shouldn't postpone marriage because of grad school! I got married a few months before I started, and while school has cut a little bit into the amount of time we spend together, having my husband here has been a tremendous source of strength- he takes care of things when I don't have time, and he really lets me relax and vent when I need it most.

I do my best to treat grad school like a job, which means I'm either doing schoolwork or attending class from 9-5 Monday-Thursday, and Fridays are reserved for colloquium and various meetings. I've found that I've been able to keep up nicely with my coursework, while not working myself to death. By taking care of things during the day, I have time in the evenings and weekends to relax, workout, and do other non-school related things.

Also, I agree that you shouldn't postpone marriage because of grad school! I got married a few months before I started, and while school has cut a little bit into the amount of time we spend together, having my husband here has been a tremendous source of strength- he takes care of things when I don't have time, and he really lets me relax and vent when I need it most.

I do my best to treat grad school like a job, which means I'm either doing schoolwork or attending class from 9-5 Monday-Thursday, and Fridays are reserved for colloquium and various meetings. I've found that I've been able to keep up nicely with my coursework, while not working myself to death. By taking care of things during the day, I have time in the evenings and weekends to relax, workout, and do other non-school related things.

Also, I agree that you shouldn't postpone marriage because of grad school! I got married a few months before I started, and while school has cut a little bit into the amount of time we spend together, having my husband here has been a tremendous source of strength- he takes care of things when I don't have time, and he really lets me relax and vent when I need it most.

I'm not really sure what it is you want besides what's in those older threads, but a lot of this will depend on the individual program and the person.It;s rough, especially at first when you are just getting started. Your first inclination is to spend all of your time on graduate work. But you will quickly get sick of that, and then you will start setting boundaries. The kinds of boundaries you set are going to be based on your relationships (whether you are already in one or not, and what the nature of that is - living together? Long distance?) and your personal preferences, but you will set boundaries.

For example, I give myself a day off each week. That day off is Saturday, and that's my day to kick back, relax, and hang out with my fiance. Sometimes I switch it to Friday depending on his schedule (like he works Saturdays now, so it's Friday). Those are good days because nothing is due on Saturday or Sunday. Some people do it in the middle of the week because they like to work on the weekends. Whatever works for you.

I'm long-distance with my fiance - he comes up almost every weekend (but that "weekend" is now coming up Wednesday morning and leaving Friday night or Saturday morning, since he works nights and he's off Wednesday through Friday) - so I also try to finish the majority of my work before the weekend hits so that I only have a little to do, and then I do it in the evenings while he plays a video game or something.

I don't think you should have to postpone getting married while in graduate school. It's like most other jobs where there's a heavy time commitment - you have to learn how to balance. I'm getting married next year, towards the beginning of my 5th year in graduate school (and hopefully, my last).

who voted this post down? seriously?

This is not quite an answer on an exam or an assignment but I think it still qualifies: on a teaching evaluation under general comments and suggestions for improvement I once got the comment "The TA is too short, can't reach the top of the blackboard".

Not all students try their best at writing, though. I think there is a glaringly obvious difference between the writing produced by a student who tries hard and makes unintended errors, versus a student who just writes to reach the required page length, failing to proofread and give any real consideration to the words written.

I personally view the site I linked to as relatively benign because 1) it's anonymous and 2) outside of a silly title, there are no further musings about the writing - no name calling, no derogatory statements, etc; it's just the students' own words. The reader is left to make their own criticisms and, for me, that largely translates to a simple feeling of "wow, I can't believe someone actually wrote/shared that."

Melting fish!! That just made my morning.


Here is one:


Q: If we keep clear-cutting rainforest, why is it difficult for plants to re-establish themselves?

A: It will harder for them to find their pray and with everything going on they could get scared.


...another display of the lack of understanding about basic ecological concepts (like...photosynthesis).

This. Forensic anthropology is a really, really competitive field, and there really are not a lot of jobs strictly in forensics. I think about half of the people I graduated with are trying to get into forensic anthro. If you want to work in forensics really bad, consider approaching it from another angle. For instance, the archaeology grad student I worked with last year did forensic work in palynology for the CIA. I'm interested in forensics, too, but I'm in a criminology program, to look at forensics from a sociological perspective.

This. Forensic anthropology is a really, really competitive field, and there really are not a lot of jobs strictly in forensics. I think about half of the people I graduated with are trying to get into forensic anthro. If you want to work in forensics really bad, consider approaching it from another angle. For instance, the archaeology grad student I worked with last year did forensic work in palynology for the CIA. I'm interested in forensics, too, but I'm in a criminology program, to look at forensics from a sociological perspective.

Why not do forensics on the side and do physical/biological anthropology? Jobs are not available for strictly forensics.