dimanche0829

I may not always agree with the message, but I will always support anyone who wants to make their voice heard. For the record, though, I fully support the efforts of the OWS movement, and I think the fact that OWS has gone global speaks volumes to their cause. I think I'll just stop here.

I didn't get an e-mail

Have you tried following up with the professor? Their careers extend far beyond the classroom, and e-mails can easily get lost given the large number of other people who are trying to contact him/her. I wouldn't take it personally, though, nor would I consider lack of response to be unprofessional. That's just me. No. Every professor is different and some just don't care to review SOPs and writing samples. Assuming that you have requested the LOR from a professor who knows your work well, they shouldn't really need to review more of your work, anyway. Of course, there are other professors who prefer to be much more engaged in the process and want to review the whole app. packet so that they can better tailor their LOR. It just depends on who you're talking to.

I'm not technically a grad student since this is my last semester of undergrad, but I do take grad courses and am expected to perform graduate level work. I can completely relate. I didn't talk in class for most of last semester because I was terrified and somehow managed to convince myself that my being there was part of some cruel joke of the faculty to show me how much I didn't belong. Completely irrational, but that's what I thought. I didn't want to end up being that creepy silent girl in the corner (which is so not me), though, so I finally gave myself some tough love and forced my hand in the air during class one day. My entire insides were shaking with nerves. I made up some new words as I spoke, and I don't think my statement actually had a valid point, but that was okay. No one laughed at me, and I was given the same consideration that the other students were given. I still feel like the dumbest person in the room sometimes, but I'm at least trying to be more active this semester. Baby steps.

Trusty #6 again, woohoo!

I'm definitely interested!

Canned spam

Unfortunately, when dealing with a 230 question test based on centuries and centuries of literature, there are bound to be very few shortcuts. Personally, I've enjoyed the PR study guide bc it helps to determine which texts we should give a complete read through, and which ones should only be selectively reviewed. Also, since I have heard there will be questions on literary vocabulary, I'd recommend picking up a copy of A Glossary of Literary Terms by M H Abrams.

Cant. Stop. Snorting.

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."

I follow this one blog about this very topic: http://shitmystudentswrite.tumblr.com/. Love it. I've felt like the world's biggest idiot ever since I started taking grad courses, but reading all the strange and embarrassing things others write and say has been mildly therapeutic.

I think loosemygrip gave the link merely to highlight his own opinion, rather than lay the foundation for it. I can see why one person's distaste in a school could make others a little combative, but the judgment of art really is a personal experience and is therefore subject to personal taste. Loosemygrip thinks the art produced by Yale students is terrible, you think it's good, but you're both right!

Outside of B&Js, I'm a huge fan of non-dairy, coconut-milk ice cream - preferably chocolate flavored. Has the same consistancy of the real thing and the hint of coconut makes it extra yummy.

I'm so late in joining this conversation, but I've also been out to bars and restaurants with professors, where alcohol has been served. Then again, I'm 29, so I don't quite fit in with the general undergrad culture. Nevertheless, I really think it depends on the professor and the student. There are some professors with whom I would feel very uncomfortable with in ANY social setting outside of the classroom...and I'm sure the feeling would be mutual. But then there are a select few professors who have taken the time to invest in me outside of the classroom and whose company and insight I genuinely value. Having the chance to really intellectually interact one on one, or in some cases within a smaller group, over a nice glass of wine (we're not talking whiskey binge, here) offers the kinds of learning experiences that a classroom simply cannot offer.

Ahhh, I see. Sorry, I misread your post and thought you were paying $500 a month extra for the pets. No wonder it seemed off! What about calling your CC companies and see if they will allow you to postpone 1-2 months of payments. If you have a car payment, you can request the same and just ask that the additional payment be tacked on to the end. It won't solve your crisis, but should at least help!

Oh, I know your situation all too well. It sucks. It can get better. First, is there any possibility that you could move to a less expensive neighborhood? Obviously, California is a big state, but I live in LA when I'm not on the east coast for school. I pay $1400 a month to live downtown vs. $2,000 a month to live in the "nice" area - though I feel it necessary to defend downtown because it's really a great place and I actually prefer it to the suburbs of LA. Then again, I've always been a city girl at heart. If you aren't willing to downgrade, what about taking on a roommate - either they could move in with you, or you move in with them? If that doesn't work, would your parents be able to take on one or two pets so that it's not so costly? Parting with pets for any length of time is rarely a desirable choice, but you kind of need to take care of yourself. No money = no money for pet food = really bad situation for pets. Also, try bartering with the landlord. Most of my landlords have been willing to just accept a higher security deposit instead of added rent. Not to mention, an extra $500 a month seems ridiculous for even the nicest areas. Second, a more long-term solution, you should really consider cutting up your credit cards. If you're having trouble meeting all of your financial obligations (this doesn't have to mean that you're late on anything) then it sounds like your debt/income ratio is way too high, which isn't doing your credit rating any favors. Bad credit = less favorable interest rates, higher payments, less flexible terms = much worse than the probability of a "just in case" scenario actually happening in the next year or two. Additionally, your cards work against your credit score if your cards have balances totalling more than 50% of the max. limit. I paid down all of my credit debt a couple years ago but kept one card and asked that they reduce my balance to X dollars. In my opinion, a true "just in case" isn't going to run me more than a month's salary. And if it does, it's probably going to be medically related, in which case I can make alternate arrangements with the hospital. Just my 2 cents. I tend to be overly paranoid because I worked at a bankruptcy firm for several years. You learn some things along the way... Third, you might consider a second job temporarily? With holiday season coming up, it wouldn't be too tough to find something. Sadly, many academics don't "make it work." Many people work multiple jobs in the summer, rely on family members, live very meager lifestyles, etc. The ones who do make it work just know how to budget really well, still lead modest lifestyles, and do whatever they can to float by. In both cases, it's usually a struggle. Anyway, I hope these suggestions help. If not, I hope things work out for you!

surveillance tapes

I just turned 29 two weeks ago. I will be spending the last year of my 20s fretting over PhD apps and biting my nails over whether or not I will get in somewhere. Yeesh.

I second Kimmo. For English PhD, you really need to shine in your SOP, writing sample, and LORs. It is possible that the "few years away" from school could work to your benefit. Sometimes it can be a good thing to apply a few years out because it shows maturity. If you had a stable job during this time that was relevant to your interests, that could also be beneficial. But the biggest emphasis will almost always be placed on the writing sample/SOP more than anything else. Also, what do you mean by gpa? Are we talking last two years? Major gpa? 4 years' cumulative? This makes a difference. If you had rough fresh/soph years, but solid junior/senior years, then you should be ok (many schools only consider last two years and major). If you had mediocre junior/senior years but a solid gpa in your major, you might be able to slide by with an explanation. If both your gpa for junior/senior years AND major gpa are low, it will be more of a challenge to get acceptance, but not impossible. You could always try to sit in on grad courses, try for non-matriculated, or apply to both PhD and MA programs and see how you fare.

I had some of B&J's peach cobbler the other day and it was awesome. I remember enjoying pistachio, pistachio too. Poor pistachio, it's such an underrated nut.

Adcomms only get to see the number that some person from somewhere assigned to you; they don't get to see the questions you had to write on, nor do they get to see what your responses were. I would be incredibly put off by any English program that placed much emphasis on the AW, especially since I had to put so much more time, energy, research, blood, sweat, tears, and every fiber of my being into my SOP and writing sample. Not to mention, their questions rarely have to do with our field so even if we did well on the AW section, it still fails to accurately represent our ability to write about literature. I don't know what kinds of questions you had on the test, but I had to argue whether I thought scientists were more important than artists (by artists, I mean: Picasso and Monet...not the broader definition) and then I had to analyze statistical data from a mock scientific newspaper. Let's just say my approach of analyzing statistics and sharing a personal opinion is not the same approach I would take for analyzing a book like Tristram Shandy. Several professors I've spoken to, who serve on my school's adcomm, have told me that when they see a high AW score, they think: "Look, this person scored well; that's good" and then move on to the SOP and writing sample to analyze your talents for themselves. Then again, like all things grad school, I'm sure it's just going to be a matter of: it depends on the school. This was unnecessarily long, my apologies.

Hmmm. I'm really not trying to be antagonistic here, but something doesn't make sense to me about your situation. You seem to think that everyone is "out to get you": partner sabotaged you, advisor is sabotaging you, and now you think your advisor is trying to get other people to sabotage you. Notice a pattern, here? That's a lot of people, especially given the amount of time and effort it takes to make another person's life (in this case, you) a living hell. Anything is possible nowadays, so maybe this really is happening - in which case, what a nightmare. But perhaps you're reading into this a bit much? Grad school naturally involves heavy criticism because you need to be able to produce work at a certain level, and it comes from every angle: advisors, professors, and fellow colleagues. Without a doubt criticism can weigh heavily on people - some more than others - and it can often feel like you just aren't doing anything right and that everyone else hates you because of it. Not to mention, if you didn't pass a few classes - regardless of the reason - you are likely missing crucial bits of foundational knowledge that is needed to succeed in your field. Your work is probably suffering, as a result, though you may not see it that way. Things to consider: First, have you really tried to converse with her, or have you been accusatory? People generally don't respond well to the latter. Second, is she really listing out your personal failures (did you mean professional failures, or does she really know you so well that she attacks your personal choices, too?) or is she telling you what you need to improve upon. Everyone needs to improve upon something; no one produces perfect work. And, again, the fact that you had troubles the first couple of years points to the possibility that you have more catching up to do than your peers. I'm sorry, but people just don't go from failing classes to producing top work at the flip of a switch. Obviously, I don't know your situation first-hand so I can only speculate, but I am inclined to believe that you're not taking enough responsibility for the work you are producing and that you're having a tough time dealing with the criticism. Sorry to be so harsh, but that's just my own take based on what you've presented to me. I strongly recommend that you talk to someone outside of your department about the stress you're under. School therapist, personal therapist, friends, family. Just talk to someone. If you really feel that you are being unfairly attacked, then take your problem above your advisor. Address your concerns, provide documented proof of any wrongdoing, and suggest the resolution that you'd like to see implemented. Will your advisor be mad that you went above her? Probably. But you already think she hates you, so that's moot. If you ultimately cannot find the resolution you seek, you might consider leaving the school. Good luck, it's a tough world out there.

My guess is that you could either ask individual professors and TAs, or the Dean's office for the undergrad colleges. Whether or not they will actually give you that information is a whole nother can of beans. Worst case is they say no, right?

No. The AW tells little more about an applicant than "Hey, this person knows how to write the traditional 5-paragraph essay." BORING. Plus, writing about topics that likely aren't in your field does nothing to show your ability to write within your field. Seriously, I was asked to argue for/against science being more important than art and then I had to analyze a faux statistical newspaper article - neither of which pertain to my particular academic focus. Most programs put more emphasis on your writing sample and SOP. They are more interested in analyzing your work for themselves rather than relying on scores for writing they never see.

Mind if I ask what practice test you used?