antecedent

Yeah, I am planning on applying for North American PhD programs in the fall 2013, but since I got soundly rejected this time around I figured I should take one of the Masters offers I received to bolster my application and hone my skills. My UK offer is the most prestigious of my offers and, at the end of the day, the least expensive (only one year of fees does wonders to a decision). I realized that most of the PhDs I'm looking at don't have terminal masters degrees anyways, so I'll have to do at least another year of coursework (if not two) once I get in, so paying for two years and doing all that work only to do it over again might not be worth the money it would cost to so it. It also means I can work on my apps when I don't have school to distract me You can see I ended up making my decision...hehe

Just make sure not to use time you could be spending on your SOP/writing sample studying for the GRE. Give it a month of your time and move on. I am 100% sure the quality of my SOP and WS are the reason I was rejected from my PhD apps, whereas my GRE scores weren't even required for every school.

As far as the GRE is concerned, I'd worry more about your grades than your GRE scores. I put off the GRE until I finished my classes, which meant I was able to get good grades, and then studied for the GRE afterwards. To be honest, I only spent three weeks studying for the GRE because I'm terrified of standardized tests and kept psyching myself out. Once I had committed a small and manageable amount of time to studying, I was able to really knuckle down and focus on the strategy of the exam itself. In the end I did pretty well (both verbal and AW above the 85 percentile). Granted, I didn't get in to any PhD programs this time around, but I think that was more a problem with my writing sample and my failure to stick to the three Fs in my SOP. I have at least gotten into all my MAs so far.

Hey anthrodork (and anyone else who is inclined to share) what netbook do you use? I'm conducting a gradcafe-wide survey accross multiple forums. I really want to get one of these to carry my every day carry: http://shop.herschelsupply.com/shop/little-america-362.html

I just applied for two of them, and have two more to apply for this summer. If I get them all (HUGE if there) I could make up 75% of my tuition. Fingers crossed! Good luck making your decision, Divigen

Just officially accepted my offer! Exciting

Well done! I edited it to add my degree type (M.Sc. - weird Scottish terminology for a Masters). I can't wait to add my PhD admit to a list like that in two years. It WILL happen, damnit!

Yeah, I've cheered up a lot about things since having made my decision. It feels good to have a plan and a home at a great program! Thanks Trip

I haven't heard anything either!! JUST REJECT ME SO I CAN GET ON WITH MY LIFE. Jaysus.

Haha the last color I bought was called "Grey Area", which could refer to a) the decision making process, the way adcoms felt about my PhD applications or c) the weather in both Vancouver and Edinburgh. Or d) all of the above!

Thanks! Everyone else was being cagey, so I thought I would be too! Interestingly, my anxiety about telling LOR writers has decreased significantly since I unofficially made my decision (it's been such a slow process - I'm only getting used to thinking it now). Man, my fingers are SO crossed that you'll have good news to tell those letter writers in a few weeks!

*Bump* So, I guess I've decided. I'll be spending my next year learning to love whisky, tartan, and gusting winds. Also, linguistics. I'll be going to the University of Edinburgh in the Fall. By posting this decision, I also finally have removed myself from the lit/rhet/comp world for the next year, because it's the only program I applied for that is in the Linguistics department, not the English Department. Exciting things await!

I have some very serious anxiety about telling my recommenders about my results and where I'm planning on going. Any tips for this?

Yeah, it's really a question of money vs. convenience I think. I really wish I would know if I got any of the Edinburgh scholarships before June, but they won't notify until the summer. That will make a significant difference for my financials.

I know very few people in any industry who think they have "the best job in the world." I know people who enjoy their work, feel passionate about it, and find significant meaning in it, but most of them won't deny that there's drudgery to be found in any employment, and some days work just sucks. For me (and perhaps for us) the life of an academic is the most rewarding career path I can imagine (much like, for my cousin, being a mechanic is the most rewarding career path he can imagine, and believe me he is both successful and financially stable, but most of all, he's happy. The man lives and breathes cars the way a lot of us do literature/language/rhetoric etc). And I agree that there is an an aggressiveness that borders on vilification in a lot of the attacks on the humanities. I wonder how much of it is rooted in fear, bitterness, cowardice, or resentment, since clearly it's not actually based in any sort of concern for graduate students or their well being.

That's interesting that you were able to find housing that was so much cheaper. The halls I'm looking at are between 90-107 pounds per week, and most housing I've seen around town was around 375-415 per month, which is another reason why I'm considering uni housing. At that difference, I don't mind paying an extra 15 pounds a month to be right in the middle of everything, particularly if I will only be in Edinburgh for a year. Yeah, I'm not entirely convinced by the prospect of sharing a kitchen with 5-8 people who don't know me and my dietary proclivities, or the fact that the rooms are TINY and the common spaces are TINY. I'm just weighing that against being equidistant (in a very small distance) from the university, the CSE, and the downtown area. I'm thinking about Mylnes Court, Morgan Court, or Blackwood Cresc/Causwayside, but I'll take another look at Richmond Place. Thanks for the information!

To add to this, I'm also curious if any of you have experience with one year MAs? Good or bad?

I like the look of the Lenovo ideapad U300. It's got the lightweight portability of the ultrabook, but hopefully the reliability that comes with the Lenovo brand. Has anyone had any experience with these? They come in 13" I think...maybe larger?

I think we're all pretty aware by now of the fact that there's no such thing as a perfect application

Hi everyone! I have another random question. In the English department it is fairly important to be published by the time you are applying for your PhD. Is it the same in linguistics? Do masters students regularly publish/present at conferences?

I'm very interested in this! I think my current laptop is a 15", but I want an ultrabook and they tend to max out at around 13" (as do laptop sleeves in backpacks). Curious to hear everyone's thoughts!

If I ended up at a school closer to my current location, my plan was to budget for a weekend trip and just look at apartments for 2-3 days until I found one. If you look up craigslist ads before hand, make contact with landlords/current tenants, and arrange a bunch of viewings for a weekend (say, August 1st for move in Sept 1st or whatever) you could be really productive over a short visit. One of my roommates did that two years ago and it worked for her. Also, ogopo has a great post about doing that over in the UW Madison city guide. Good luck!

You stayed in Cowgate eh, ekim? I'm taking another look at university housing (on the recommendation of a few friends who are doing one year MAs in the UK right now) and having trouble sussing out if the convenience is worth it. I'm looking at postgraduate self-catered halls, and I'm wondering if anyone here has any experience with this type of accommodation? I had a look at the student room, but it seemed to be mostly undergrads jockying to get as close to their subject buildings as possible. Any thoughts on postgraduate uni housing?

I'll probably be doing my Masters in Scotland, and I'm really excited about finding new and interesting notebooks to take my notes in! When I moved to Canada for my undergrad, I found these paper-bound exercise books by Hilroy really good for my major and minor classes, but I don't think they're going to cut it for Linugistics - too many handouts! http://teachers.scholarschoice.ca/products/Classroom-Supplies-490/Classroom-Paper-2561/Exercise-Books-4056/ Yes I'm aware they're for kids. But they're great!

Do you use the thinkpad model or a newer one? I was looking at their ideapad (I think) which looked pretty slim and portable.