CageFree

In general, adcoms seem to like upward trajectories... so one bad quarter with bad grades in unrelated subject won't kill you, especially at the Master's level. I went on academic probation for having UNDER a 2.0 one quarter (failed a calculus class when I was still an Engineering major). I retook it and still didn't pass, so I have an F in my transcript (two, technically, but only one counts). I ended up with just under a 3.1 overall. I didn't spend a lot of time explaining myself... I addressed it very quickly, explained what I learned and how that experience made me better, and moved on. I wouldn't write a long letter, personally. Others might feel differently

To be exposed to a variety of ways of approaching a subject. It helps broaden the mind. Programs tend to have their own philosophies and you can become a bit of a doctrinaire if you never really leave the nest. Besides, there is no such thing as one best program at anything (except maybe in very specialized fields).. there's usually a few that are competing for that top spot.

Forget it. It's not worth arguing with people who have to use labels/namecalling.

I am 35 and was pretty successful in my applications. The sciences are a bit more forgiving, I think, than the humanities.

I would start the applications early to give recommenders enough time to submit their letters, but I don't think it really matters. I finished three applications the day they were due and it did not have any effect on my admissions... those are the three programs I DID get into. In fact, the first program that admitted me (which is where I'm going) let me know informally less than two weeks after I turned in the application.

This is Freyja: And this is Socrates:

Oops! Wrong thread.

I'll PM you. I wrote a post and it was way too long.

An iPad was never an option for me. I absolutely hate Apple and will never purchase one of their products. I did consider the Galaxy Tablet but in the end, I'm pretty happy with my HP DM1Z... it's small like a netbook but it's actually a computer, so it has more power than a netbook.

No, that's not what I meant at all. It's about shedding labels altogether. If the OP had been an Asian male, I would have made a similar statement. I don't want to be ID'd for my ethnicity... I want to be known as ME and evaluated on the merits of what I do. And while it's true you can't control everyone's views of you, you CAN shed the labels with many people if you simply choose not to use them yourself. This has been my experience. For instance, as a teacher, I didn't let on to students where I was from... I just taught them. When they DID hear me speak Spanish, they were shocked because a) I don't have a thick accent, and b ) I never TOLD my Civics students I was raised in Latin America. Not because I'm embarrassed, but because it's really not relevant to their education, or to the subject I teach. I did bring it up in the AP class I taught because it was Human Geography, and I could pull many examples from life experience in what I taught. They never saw me as a "Latina" teacher... I was just their teacher. Same was true with many of my coworkers. Many had no idea I speak Spanish, and I worked with them for 6 years.

No hard feelings. I tend to write rather bluntly myself and like I said before, when you're trying to type something at 3 AM things are going to come out awkwardly. I did not mean to offend anyone either.

Good old Prop 13.

I think my biggest fashion "issue" has been what to use to carry my books. Around here EVERYONE rides bikes and it's about a 3 mile ride for me one-way. I debated over messenger bags versus backpack and found a compromise... but now I'm wondering about shoes. I love pretty shoes AND I love flip flops, and neither are really bike-friendly. I don't want to wear athletic shoes every day, but what else can you wear that's okay to ride a bike in?

1. I have not blamed anyone for anything. 2. Your post was FULL of condescension. You called me naive, you said that "most" people will not see me but "stereotypes" (how do you know? do you live my life?), that I made my life sound "easy" because I didn't write about it in excruciating detail, and made it a point in multiple occasions to point out that while you "applaud me" (I don't need your approval, thank you very much), my experience cannot be universal because... oh, I don't know, you think I'm stronger than what, Superman? You have to be pretty darned strong to get into grad school, and even stronger to make it. I don't think I'm stronger than the average person going to grad school. Again, I'm not "special." I'm not "unique." And what I have accomplished, others can too. 3. Saying that people SOMETIMES focus too much on other people's perceptions is not "condescending." It goes to the heart of the OP... you place such high expectations and pressure because you want to 'overcome' their perceptions that you end up doing yourself more harm than good. It's an observation. Grad school is hard enough as it is, without the pressure of being a "model" or having to "prove yourself" as a member of the ____ minority. That pressure can be unbearable and can cause a person to crack. THAT was my point.

Hopefully three times in the charm... I've lost my posts TWICE to Windows Update and to the back button. Perhaps I didn't express what I wanted to say clearly... it was typed at 3 AM. I doubt this is going to be any more eloquent being my third attempt, but I'll give it a shot. We all have insecurities about grad school. It's natural... and I think that those of us who haven't had it all handed on a platter are even more prone to "impostor syndrome" than those who have. It's those insecurities that drive us to succeed... to prove ourselves. You were admitted into a program that has a history of NOT admitting minorities, and are breaking new ground in that regard. They could have admitted yet another non-minority person but they took YOU instead because clearly you're a rock star. However, you're putting a lot of pressure on yourself because you're the first, like you have to set a standard... and I think that the pressure and stress are more harmful than good (and that's why I called it needless). You're already under pressure because it's grad school, it's a top program, and you're naturally driven.. you're probably your own worst critic... why add more stress to a plate that's already full? Some people thrive on that type of pressure but many crack, and thus the pressure has become another barrier (which is what I meant by "of their own creation"). Now, as for the rest of the post. I don't identify myself as "Latina" because I don't like labels, and would greatly appreciate not being labeled that way, as a matter of respect. It's not about "insecurity," as you say, but because I think the world would be better off without such labels. I don't find them empowering... I find them restrictive. Not that I owe explanations, but as an undergraduate I studied Classics. I switched because I became interested in government oppression and genocide, and Latin America offers great examples for that, which I'm closely familiar with because my own family came to the US escaping them. I happen to be interested in modern East Africa as secondary field, and I'm not African. I don't know about you, but I find being called "naive" insulting. The few times I've encountered that mentality (that I must be naive in thinking you can get ahead and overcome barriers if you work hard enough), it's always been a member of a "minority." So you're right that my post was out of frustration.. it was frustration at having someone tell me that I really am "oppressed" even though I "refuse to acknowledge it," and that I made my life sound "easy" just because I didn't spend time detailing my "accomplishments" in detail and "glossed over them." Maybe I "glossed over them" because they are not relevant to this thread, or maybe I don't think my "accomplishments" are greater than those of many others, minority or not, who are in grad school.

Glad things are working out. I think a lot depends on how tightly-knit your family is. My family is borderline codependent (immigrant family) - as a result, we ALL help each other with EVERYTHING. My mom and one of my sisters tagged along with my husband and me (drove my car while we drove the moving truck) for a 500 mile move (they then drove back). And I'm 35.

I'm quite used to the condescending tone of your post. I find it quite funny that the only ones who ever do try to minimize the things I have accomplished are other minorities. "Oh, you make it sounds easy" (it wasn't). "Not everyone is like you" (aren't I a special snowflake?). Please. People on here have accomplished something that most people will never be able to accomplish (i.e. graduate from college) and are seeking to go further... no one who is on their way to a getting a graduate degree should think of themselves as "oppressed." I was raised in a country where tens of thousands of people, many of whom were in college, were kidnapped and killed by the government. A generation of intellectuals, gone. THAT is oppression. Perhaps a little world perspective would show just how NOT oppressed Americans really are. What I said is that people stress themselves out NEEDLESSLY over how things "are going to be," and how to deal with "being a minority." When you encounter real discrimination, deal with it then. But trying to "deal with it" before it even happens is a pointless exercise. It's like freaking out about whether the new group of people you're about to meet is going to like you, and trying to think of ways of dealing if they don't. It seems to me a much better use of my time would be to address any instances when they occur... not try to plan for them assuming they will happen.

My first brush with discrimination happened not long after I arrived at the US at age 16... despite having good grades from K-10, my high school counselor discouraged me from applying to four-year universities. She said my education in Latin America had not been a good as if I had lived in the US... for instance, she dismissed my A's in Physics saying that the Physics I had studied was not the same as what was taught here. Then she suggested a vocational school so I could "help my family." Maybe cosmetology? I ignored her, applied to several highly-ranked universities, and got into every single one. And that's when I realized that I was going to ignore counselors and forge my own path. I also told myself I would NEVER let anyone else define me... she defined me as a minority, and thus someone inferior. Never again. Although I can easily be l labeled as "Latina," I don't identify myself as such. I am very proud of my heritage and I'm very much in touch with the culture I grew up in, but I'm an American. I don't see myself as a member of a minority, and I don't feel I have to prove myself BECAUSE I'm a "Latina." I already work hard because I set very ambitious goals for myself... and it's not worth it to stress myself out over whether others will have some preconceived notion based on how they wish to define my identity. I think sometimes people who are members of minorities pay way too much attention to others' perceptions of one's minority status (whether it be race, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, etc.) and set themselves up for additional stress... your "status" becomes yet another hurdle to jump through, and in my experience as a student and as an educator, it often is a hurdle of our own creation. Just go in there and do the absolute best you can do. Don't ever let them see you as a "black female" and treat you as such... Let them see you as the brilliant student and scholar you are, and demand the respect you have earned by being so darned awesome.

How about blaming the California legislature? They are the ones who make the laws in California. Similarly, people should be looking at Congress rather than the President. Congress makes the laws. The House creates tax bills.

First question is, are you planning to keep working while studying, or are you going to take a couple of years off? Second, are you willing to go out of state?

I changed focus completely from undergrad to grad... I went from Late Antiquity to modern Latin America. My thesis was on a Late Antiquity topic. When I wrote my SOP I explained very candidly why I wanted to do something different, even without coursework... sort of described my journey. There's nothing that says you can't do both... many departments require major and minor fields, for example.

We are moving in about two weeks, staying in Davis.

Being so far away makes things more complicated, but what we did (granted, only a few hours away) was a one-day trip... did a lot of searching online, narrowed down choices, and made all of my appointments for the same day, back to back. We rented a car and drove up. Personally, I would never rent a place sight unseen.

We're in the same boat. My husband and I are both in our 30s, and have been working professionals for a number of years, so we have "nice" things we worked hard to be able to afford. We're only moving 6 hours away and we also got a Penske truck. We have sold or are selling the things we can easily replace, but certain items HAVE to come. Had I made this move 10 years ago, however, I would have had clothes and books only. I definitely recommend looking into AAA discounts for Penske... Uhaul trucks are poorly maintained.

In your field, most likely, you'll get the chance to pass the language while you're working on your coursework, because you already have the primary research language (i.e. English); in most other fields, a lot depends on how long it takes to acquire a specific language. French is easy; Chinese is not. No Chinese History program would admit someone who can't read Chinese already, since it takes years to learn it well. In Latin American History, you can have just Spanish and learn Portuguese along the way, or viceversa... but if you don't have either it will be very difficult to get into a decent program.