CageFree

I ended up going with this: http://www.shopping.hp.com/en_US/home-office/-/products/Laptops/HP-Pavilion/B1F62AV?HP-Pavilion-dm1z-4200-Entertainment-Notebook-PC The transferability of files and the ability to use the same software everywhere was a huge concern for me.

I don't have an MA but I am going back for a PhD after several years. It was the right thing for me to do. After I finished my BA I was burned out. I couldn't even pick up a book for pleasure. I was 23 and didn't know what I wanted to do in life... to me, grad school was a "logical next step," but looking back at it now with 12 years of perspective, I was a baby! Honestly, I don't think I would have made it through. I was too burned out to keep going, so went to the business world for a year to clear my head and figure things out. I realized I was not cut out for corporate work within that year. I hated it. I became a teacher because teaching was one thing that had always been a constant in my life (most of my jobs involved tutoring or teaching in some capacity), and I was NOT ready for academia. In the meantime, my interests evolved... I switched continents and time periods due to a combination of personal growth and exposure to new areas of knowledge (from teaching subjects outside of History, such as Poli Sci and Geography). Two years ago, I decided I was ready for grad school... at first I only considered MA programs, but then got a little encouragement to try for PhDs, and now it just feels right. I feel a strong connection to what I want to pursue... looking back, I was kind of going from one stage to the next, just clearing hurdles, like it was something else to check off from a list. I was a stronger candidate than I would have been at 23, and landed in a program that is a much better fit for me. In terms of getting letters, I had no real problems. My professors still remembered me and wrote me amazing letters (at least, that's what I was told after I got in). I did better in the GRE than I would have done back then... I didn't spend months studying... I was just able to focus better. My writing sample was from undergrad but the years of teaching kids how to write made me a better writer, so I was able to go back and rework it. I taught for eight years, total. And yes, life got in the way... I got married, divorced, and remarried (about three weeks ago). But you know what? I don't regret my path. It was right for me. I think of my experience as an asset. I have teaching and grading experience. I know how to develop a curriculum. I am used to dealing with students and being a bit older will give me a little "gravitas" when dealing with juniors and seniors. For most people it might have been "too much" time off, but for me, it was the right amount, and now I'm finally ready Having worked full-time for years has given me a different perspective and work ethic, too. My time-management is much better, I feel excited but I don't feel overwhelmed (even looking at the 30 books I have to read this fall for just two courses, in 10 weeks!), and I have a better support system in place. I even have former students I am still close to who attend the same school as undergrads, so I have built-in friends! Now, my experience is not the same as everyone else's. I have no doubt that many people are ready to go straight from undergrad to grad. But I will say that if you're questioning your readiness, you might benefit from a little time off. Me? I am glad I waited.

Don't let that discourage you from applying to Stanford. You don't know how many people in any given year will be competing for that same spot. Besides, why can't it be you?

I was right in the middle of the "count" so it would have been long enough without them.

I have a 17 in laptop that is my primary computer, as well as a desktop. I am looking for something I can take to school with me that doesn't weigh much and I can use for notetaking and writing. I'm trying to decide between a netbook of some sort and a tablet (looking at the Nook color, lenovo and the galaxy tab). The advantage of a tablet would be the ability to annotate directly onto PDFs and to take and save handwritten notes, provided I have the right software; the netbook, however, would be better for typing. I've been out of school for several years.. back when I was an undergrad, the decision was spiral or composition books. Just wondering what your experiences have been with using either (or both).

The CSU system in general is pretty geared toward teaching. If you're in California, there are a couple of UCs with terminal MAs - UC Irvine and UC Riverside are two that come to mind. As far as PhD programs that emphasize teaching, Wisconsin and Pitt are two that I can think of... they believe you should be able to research AND teach.

I had a 35 page writing sample. For the applications that required less, I chose a couple of chapters, and added a quick abstract and table of contents so they could see what else was in the paper. For five pages, I would probably submit a different paper but thankfully, the shortest sample I had to send was 15-20.

That was back in 1995-1996. Not sure now.

Oh I know that well. I had to take a FORTRAN programming class and that was worse than the Calc class. At least in Calc I knew why I wasn't getting it.

I think you should address them in passing... you're not going to spend a lot of time talking about your undergrad career. I had a low overall GPA because I was an Engineering major for my first year and bombed a bunch of classes, including an F in a calculus class. I provided a brief explanation for what was going on at the time, and I don't think it was a factor. If those health issues are no longer a concern, that's very important for them to be aware of, as well.

Has the guy ever been in an AdCom? Cause that's just ridiculous. I had a 3.7 in major and barely a 3.1 overall, and got into some really good programs, even after having been out of school for 10+ years. Ask him if he would support you with a strong letter... if he hesitates, change advisors.

I had no trouble getting letters of rec from undergrad, and I graduated in 2000. I have been working in a related field for 8 years, so my third letter came from my boss. It did help that I did a thesis so I had a working relationship with those professors... they hadn't forgotten me. I was so nervous that they would have... you never know. Just drop them a line. If you haven't had the opportunity to do a thesis or something like that, where you've developed a close rapport with a prof., it's definitely tougher. I was told that I had to get two academic letters at just about every program I applied to.

Both academia and the corporate world have moved toward collaborative environments. Some universities offer the same level of funding to everyone in the department to deter that "I must beat everyone" mentality and create a more congenial, positive program. Good luck in grad school (and work). You're gonna need it.

That goes for girls and guys. I have friends in their late 20's who are starting to feel the "bio clock" and as a result are "over-eager" when it comes to dating. If they get a guy's interest say, on Match.com, they will call the guy a few times before their date, start making plans, etc.. and I can't think of anything more off-putting to a guy than a woman that's already planning baby names before you've gone on a second date. BTW, if bars and clubs are not your thing, check out Meetup.com. It's not online dating or anything like that (not that there's anything wrong with that either)... you just find groups of people with similar interests and meet up to do stuff together. I met my guy at a board game night cause I'm a board game and pub quiz nut.

This. The best way to master a subject is to teach it to someone else.

N/M, YoungHistorian changed their name.

You sound a lot like my "soon to be" hubby (3 more weeks!)...he was a late bloomer too. When I met him he'd definitely gone out on dates and what not, but I was his second girlfriend EVER and we're well into our 30's. Meanwhile, when I met him, I was finalizing a divorce after years of marriage, had been engaged once before that, and was essentially a serial monogamist with serious baggage (and the accompanying heartbreak). We couldn't be more opposite in terms of experience. He says that the reason he didn't do any of that earlier was that he had no game. He was the stereotypical "nice guy," and girls would put him on the friend zone. He had to learn to channel his "inner a-hole," which doesn't mean he really is one... but that he doesn't allow people to walk all over him anymore. What he did was: get counseling in order to develop more self-confidence, surround himself with guys who had more game than him and go out to clubs and what not, join social groups, and grow a backbone. Re: experience, I found his lack of relationship experience to be a huge plus. First off, no experience = no relationship baggage. He doesn't have stuff to throw at me, he doesn't talk about what he did with previous gf's, has no kids or ex-wife (and in our 30's that's huge). Second, it made it easier to establish trust... he didn't get to pick up certain bad habits (like my ex-H's habit of hiding all kinds of stuff from me, and cheating)... I felt like he had no agenda and wasn't in it to play games. We've been together for over two years, engaged for about 10 months, and frankly, he caught up pretty quickly. He had to learn some things (and still is learning), but he is a wonderful partner to me and I don't think I would be able to go to grad school without his support.

I say no to #3. Do you have a recent employer? I'm a non-traditional student... finished undergrad in 2000, and a teaching credential in 2004. Since then I've been a high school teacher. Two of my letters came from undergrad advisers that I was very close to back then, and the third came from my principal.

I'm starting at UC Davis this fall. I can tell you that at UCD every person admitted is funded for 5 years, and as NEN said, it's a great place for environmental history... http://history.ucdav...nmental-history. Funding is generally 2 TAships and 1 readership per year, plus there are block funds available once you start your dissertation to be used once a year. That adds up to about 17K/year... which is doable in Davis, especially since you don't really need a car.

I think that if I got an email like that I would delete it too (or send a snarky response). You're approaching someone out of the blue with a "what are you doing," which requires him or her to take time out of their schedule to send a detailed email to someone they don't know. I know it's not your intention to be rude, but it comes across like that. It also comes across as generic... you could have sent that to hundreds of professors. :/ I agree with the previous poster who said you need to break the ice a bit.... introduce yourself, explain what you're working on, and ask about something specific that they wrote. It doesn't have to be a grand question... just something that shows you are interested in their research and have read it. In a way, you need to approach it like when you contacted people to get information during the application process.

I saved myself a bit of money as I was writing the SOPs because I realized that two schools I had been strongly considering were NOT good fits. I couldn't explain why I wanted to go there. I just didn't feel a connection to the POIs. Interestingly, during the welcome weekend I met someone who went to one of those programs as an undergrad, and confirmed my hunch.

I think Sigaba's point is very valid, and actually applies to other fields as well. I think it is important to ask yourself questions that haven't been asked before, rather than go in thinking you are going to study what you currently are interested in. Those things you are reading should be a jumping-off point to new and hopefully exciting research. Studying something that isn't "in vogue" is tricky because not only do you have to convince an adcom and find advisers, but then you have to find a job. If schools are cutting back on the size of some fields, that's something to think about. My original research plans changed dramatically just from phone conversations with professors who told me that what I wanted to study had already been done to death... they then told me about areas where people are currently doing work.. and that was very helpful, especially since I've been out of school for so long AND I'm switching time periods and continents from my undergrad work. I know that as I go through my coursework I may change direction again, and I'm OK with that. I have found that I have a few thematic interests that tie everything I've studied together, so I think I may do a minor field in yet another part of the world and ask the same questions. Flexibility is key nowadays, considering how much more competitive the admissions are, and how hard it is to find a job. I am not saying people should forgo what they are interested in and do what's "marketable" instead. That's intellectually dishonest, and in the end it's very difficult impossible to sustain an academic career when you don't care about what you're studying. I'm only suggesting that people go in with an open mind, and find ways of making your work fresh and relevant to today.

A lot of programs have you do a major field and a minor field, so the minor field can be another area of interest for you. One thing to consider for some of those fields (like Ancient Greece, etc.) is the need for languages. For Greece, you'll be expected to know Latin, Greek, German and likely French for competitive programs. For the Old Testament you may have to know Hebrew. Perhaps one way to narrow things down would be to look for common themes in your interests. For example, let's say you're interested in social movements... you can do comparative studies within that theme. What kinds of questions are you asking yourself about social movements? How can you use history to answer those questions? Hope that helps a bit I would think you can definitely get into a funded program with those grades/scores, but only as long as your writing sample and personal statement are strong and you find a school where you're a good fit.

LOL. I had a parent email that really pissed me off (demanding I give her lazy son, who is also a big-time jerk, "extra projects" so he can make up points and graduate), and I wrote her a restrained yet terse response saying I do not allow late work and don't give extra credit projects, so he's going to have to do the work for the rest of the semester and study. My last paragraph was, in a nutshell, "By the way, you may want to do your job and be a parent, for a change. You need to talk to your son about whether he actually plans to graduate." That's when I realized I am D-O-N-E. I can't take it anymore. I haven't heard from the principal but if I do... what are they going to do, fire me for telling the truth?

Oh gosh, I was just about to ask this very question. I am a high school teacher too and ever since I got my first acceptance, I've had the hardest time getting up to go to work. June can't come fast enough. I have a student-teacher, so I'm teaching less than half of the day, which ironically makes my day drag on and on and on. I hear you on the meetings and what not. Right now everyone is working on the master schedule, and new professional development... and I just want to go into my classroom and do something valuable with my time.