brainchild

two gems from my grandma:

"There's no point in you going to graduate school. We're in the end times. Jesus will be back before you're done applying!"

and

"Well, you don't know how God will provide. Maybe he'll send you a nice rich husband so you don't have to work!"

When I suggested, ever so gently, that I really was excited about getting a job in my field, and wouldn't be happy with a dude that made me stay home, she clarifiied: "No, he wouldn't *make* you stay home. You just wouldn't *have* to work."

I love my grandma dearly. It's just funny talking to another generation about what a woman should want out of life. :-)

oh! Also! As I was getting my philosophy undergrad, (with intention to study religion/Christianity in grad school) my grandma quoted some pretty hefty Scripture at me: "have nothing to do with hollow and deceptive philosophies!" No, Grandma, just because I'm studying Philosophy doesn't put me in the same category... Yes, Grandma, I'm still a Christian... Yes, Christians study Philosophy... heard
much about that Aquinas dude?

This. Also, after getting the typical "Of course you'l get in somewhere!", I was trying to explain that mine is a small field, it IS hard to get in, etc., and someone said "Well, can't you just apply in a different, easier field to get into, and then transfer?"

Also, my grandma, who is super excited about the idea of someone in the family going to grad school ("We've never had a Dr. ___!") keeps trying to "help" me by trying to get me to contact her friends. "Well, I once met the wife of Dr. So-and-so (in completely unrelated field), and I think he's emeritus (she's forgetten he's a little bit deceased)- you HAVE to call him and tell him you know me. He'll get you in!" I love her, but I've given up trying to explain how admissions works, and that art history and phschiatry aren't likely to be done by they same post-emeritus (late) professor.

Edit: also today I got "My friend just got into every law school she applied to- Harvard, Yale- all of them! You're as smart as she is, so you should be fine."

Real convo I had when I first started my PhD (paraphrased):

Them: So, what do you do for a living?
Me: I'm a PhD student here at the University in Department XYZ.
Them: Oh, cool. So, you're going to be a doctor?
Me: Yeah.
Them: Then you can do surgery, or whatever?
Me: No. Actually, I'm in a non-medical field, so I'll still be called Dr. Awesome, but my area is XYZ.
Them: Oh. [lonnnnng pause while they think]. But, you COULD be a real doctor if you wanted to, right?
Me: I *will* be a real doctor, just not a medical doctor.
Them: But don't you want your own practice or something?
Me: Still not that kind of doctor... I'm going to teach XYZ as a professor, which is a non-medical field.
Them: Why would you teach, when you could work at a hospital or clinic or something and make more $$?
Me: [needing to end this useless convo]... Yeah... good point... I'll consider that...

[NOT ALL PHD's ARE MEDICAL YOU IDIOT!!!]

<headdesk>

1. "Oh, American schools like Harvard aren't all that hard to get into! Don't you just have to be able to pay?"

2. "Apply to more places" *stresses*

"Oh, I 'm sure they'll just snap you up everywhere!" no help, there.

"But...you HAVE a job already. WHY are you going back to school?" (Because, of course, my crappy job in a stultifying industry is exactly where i want to be for the rest of my life.)

Or this gem, from my Mom: "Honey, you HAVE a degree. Just settle down, have some kids, and be happy with it."

Holy wow. These first posts make me want to slowly step away from the PhD applications.... and run like hell!

Kudos to you both!