ReallyNiceGuy

Music: I would certainly prefer folk, or anything piano-centric, or possibly very fast and loud metal. Subtitles: well, my vocabulary is very limited, and I've spent the bulk of my time concentrating on finding words I know and the case endings of verbs and so forth. I went with this method because I often hear people mention to me that they learned English primarily by watching TV with subtitles in their native language; but I certainly understand your point regarding turning them off. Trial by Fire I guess!? Thanks!

Hello fellow Russophiles, I have completed one full year of Russian and in the summer I will attend a Middlebury summer intensive. Since the month before the 2011-2012 AY began I have studied Russian for one hour a day every single day without fail. I also speak it literally every chance I get even if that results in a 90 second conversation. I feel that I know quite a bit for a person who has only one year of training. That said I'm bored with just going over words over and over and looking at grammar exercises. What do you think of watching Russian movies with English subtitles? How much will that help? I thank you for your advice (as usual) and I wish you all great luck! RNG

How often should one expect to take classes completely out of their area of interest? How many of you who have been in grad programs for some period have taken a class that you did not want to be in? Thanks!

I'm an aspiring historian, so I also applied to many history programs. I received a couple of fully funded offers, and I have accepted one. Those of you who were waitlisted at UNC-CH, Indiana, or Kansas now have -1 student in front of you! I hope that helps someone on this board. I wish everyone luck!!!!

That'd be me. I'll be back in a similar position in 2 years- worrying about when and where I'll be. Good luck to you KelKel! I'm really excited that the funded MA I've accepted is, apparently, a school that has a great relationship with my #1 PhD dream school and, recently, a Professor I keep in contact with there told me "we accept PhD students from your MA institution quite regularly." YESSSSSS *don't f$%* it up!, Really Nice Guy!" Good luck to everyone.

I was told out right by 2 POIs at outstanding (top 20) schools "we almost never accept students from our MA program." *I'm just chimin' in, I don't think I know something other people do not.

I received my Wisconsin rejection today. It's ok. It was my shot in the dark anyway. Best of luck to everyone. AFB- don't get down, you'll be OK.

Speaking of research grants: are you applying for these via school or an outside party?

SL- thank you so much, that's exactly what I needed. I want to go 0 to 60 immediately and I'm not really interested in being mediocre. I just don't know how to go about these things! Thanks!!!

I have a dumbass question: When one is entering a MA program and they're faced with 3 semesters of full course loads + languages and then summers for languages and then they don't do the thesis until the last semester how in the world do youuuuuuuuu find time to: write original work for publication and presentations put together applications for PhD programs/ *undergrad ignorance- I've got it.

I was accepted to a MA program with full funding and a PhD program with full funding despite the fact that I'll begin graduate school with literally one year of study in the language of the region I want to study. People on this site told me: RNG, it's ok- what you need to do is own it; mention in your SOP that you know it's an issue but you're taking steps to solve it. That's exactly what I did.

What's the best way to politely deny an offer? Is it best to email the POI, the DGS, or both? Thanks.

I'm really enjoying the math and statistics and graphs. <--- Economics and Political Science double minor

Congrats teachgrad!

I think clairea, Ezai and myself all got into Kansas and UNC-CH. Congratulations to the both of you! I applied at Indiana; did you 2 also apply there? Also, did anyone else apply for a summer FLAS?

I have no idea why this made me laugh so hard but it did. Well done.

6/7 thus far. I'm really hard on myself by nature and I was utterly convinced I'd end up 0/9. I'm glad to be wrong for once.

I was, also. I did not apply at Ohio State.

As far as entertainment is concerned: I'm so thankful that it's NHL season since that's the only sport I care to acknowledge. And I really cannot stomach American pop music or anything that surrounds it. Does that make me a snob? If so, I'm sorry And I agree with TMP's sentiment on pgs138-139; this board has made me considerably better and has helped me with "what goes where" so much. I am thankful that everyone on this site is neurotic and obsessive.

I mean the school made an offer, I really like the school, and barring something crazy happening from the schools that are left, I have essentially made a decision. Should I just wait until a 100% decision has been made before contacting them? *yes, I'm very concerned about manners and being very polite at all times. I also don't want to break any rule I'm unaware of.

After one has been accepted into programs is it normal to not contact the program at all until a decision has been made? I'm 95% I'm going in one direction, but I feel like I'd be foolish to not wait until every decision and offer has been made before I move to contact someone within the department?

I just want to say that NewEnglandNat, TMP, and StrangeLight are 3 of the most helpful people that could ever possibly exist. Each one of them has been incredibly forthcoming, polite, and helpful to me; and not one of them has even the slightest idea of what I look like!

SL- considering what you just said about language Would you say that a person who displays genuine fluency has a decided advantage on those who do not? *That might seem really obvious, but if there's anything I've learned about this process it's that whenever you think you know you have only proven you don't know.

Well done Roxelana!!

Literally every person I know who knows exactly what Middlebury is responds the same way: "probably the single best language institution in the world." I think a hard working student can learn a lot at a community college. I also think they're likely learn more during one summer at Middlebury. I'll let you know for sure in early September.