burgundykitten

My current Goodreads goal is to read 50 books by August.

This might be a silly/dumb question, but - is it ill-advised to start looking over study materials for licensing exams, when you're not even in the grad program yet? I still have six months of downtime to do whatever in before classes start, but I don't have any degree of social work academic background and wasn't sure if even looking at test materials ahead of time (obviously WAY ahead of time) would be beneficial since I don't have a background in the material. (Not trying to sound overachieving or anything, I just have the freedom to look at study guides & etc. since my time is currently spent recreationally outside of work / I'm not in school right now.)

I'd be a many splendid things. I wanted to do veterinary med from whenever Free Willy came out till I took Honors Chem in HS (& then tried chem again in college - shockingly, it didn't get easier! ). I've also wanted to be an art therapist (what I got in to grad school for last year), a clinical psychologist researching eating disorders or bipolar, a comparative psychologist / animal behaviorist, a hobo artist, a publishing editor, a writer, an English professor specifically in symbolism or the psychology of literary characters, and a theologist. Current dream life: To be a veterinary social worker (also willing to consider hospice or grief counseling) with a therapy dog.

I'm glad! I've loved taking a year off - it wasn't what I intended to do (I got into grad school last year then opted not to go), but you learn to relax and breathe and enjoy things and get to know yourself. I stayed so busy during undergrad that I didn't have time for things like hobbies, but now I get to read literature and learn guitar and work on a foreign language for pleasure and have a more fulfilling social life and do yoga more often and go kayaking! I work 40+ hours a week but the downtime is wonderful. As long as you have some source of income so bills aren't a stressor, I feel like just getting to enjoy life for a little bit is wonderful.

I did mine the same day I got accepted. But I'm also not in school right now - my SO is finishing undergrad, so adding her new grad school makes her undergrad disappear as the primary school she's currently attending, so she's not adding it until after graduation.

On top of being an undergrad area, I've always felt like east of High can be shady (no offense intended!). It's still a shock to drive down 11th & watch it transition from the Drexel-campus area to places with boarded up windows within a minute.

I unfortunately had this problem. My roommate and my SO both heard from the only school I applied to before I did by weeks (not that any of us are in the same programs, it was just the principle of it in general being that school). I was checking my online status roughly hourly between 9-5 on weekdays, though I TRIED to only check it after 5 so I'd only have to do it once a day (this never worked), and generally FREAKING OUT for at least one solid week. I hated having a smartphone during this time period, knowing I could check my status from it on a whim. I had an anxiety/panic attack at work because I just let it get to me so much & had to call off halfway through my shift, which is the only time I've ever called off work. Overall - it sucked. I didn't feel better whatsoever until I actually got the stupid decision, though I found some minor distractions at times. I've never had another time in my life where I've been so neurotic about something that I had high anxiety / felt like I couldn't breathe; you wouldn't need screened for OCD (or be appropriate for screening) if this is a situation-specific problem and not a constant source of disruption beyond the grad-school-waiting-game. My Plan B was to just work for another year (I'm in the middle of taking a year off right now) and re-apply next year. I've found taking a year off fantastically liberating and would recommend it to anyone who can find a way to support themselves through it.

This'll seem silly, but try Google Earth-ing any apartment addresses so you have a theoretical view of the neighborhood. This seemed effective (obviously not better than actually visiting) when my roommates & I were choosing where to live.

I only applied to one school; the app deadline was (originally) February 1st (it's since been changed to March 1st???), and my app was officially complete in their system January 23rd (didn't decide I was applying to social work until late in the game; I had been working on the apps for other programs all the way back in September then abandoned them in November/December). They have rolling admissions with a projected decision timeline of two to four weeks from the time your app is completed, I heard back around Week 3. I'm sure it depends on the program.

I actually thought the first ~300 pages could be slow at times (although I couldn't put it down either, I finished it in like two days) but the last 20 pages were excellent. I want to go back & re-read it, but I'm waiting a while before trying that.

I often felt the same way. I feel better about it now that there's a theoretical happy ending, at least for another two years. I feel like I'm more capable of adapting to moving AFTER grad school if/when that becomes a necessity, just trying to "settle" or compromise on programs sucked.

Last year, I got in to my first choice school, but she wouldn't even consider moving to the state (which had multiple renowned programs), so I opted for my second choice because it was local to our undergrad and we could live together for another year (she was still in undergrad), then only have one year apart (it was just a Masters program) if she left. I ended up just taking a year off altogether due to lack of funding from the second choice and we still live together. This year, we were both applying to grad schools. I changed my program of study, giving me significantly more options to apply to, but I only applied to one school because it met all my needs, is in-state and is significantly cheaper than the other places I was looking at (UMich, Case Western, etc). She applied to the same school and one out of state, but I blatantly stated from the start I wasn't moving with her OOS - the OOS she applied to is in a city I absolutely hate, her program was $50k+ per year, and I could not fathom just blowing through the cost of living in this city and going to a private school when I have low expectations of making enough to support that kind of lifestyle when I'm done. She got rejected at the OOS for a silly reason (she didn't read the program's FAQ before applying & missed a huge detail about how they reject certain undergrad majors), got accepted at our IS (which is actually one of her dream schools / where she regrets not going for undergrad), & we're just moving together. Our roommate also got in, so really we're just packing up the whole apartment & leaving for a new city.

I've had this problem, but with someone completely uncompromising on even a basic level - I applied places with her program/in a geographic area with her program (last year) that had excellent reputations, and she wouldn't even consider applying there. It was extremely frustrating and often hurtful.

Massively in love with Sharpie Pens. I carry them around for everything. Not fancy, but they're just so... dependable, and not having to press really hard to write makes me feel calm and relaxed for some reason (not that other pens are strenuous or have ever made me feel anxious; Sharpie Pens just give me warm-fuzzies).

Just started A Prayer For Owen Meany, just finished Life of Pi, and reading my vet-student-roommate's textbook on animal cognition for her comparative psychology course sparingly.

Thanks!!! It's a nice weight off my shoulders, I've been able to breathe easier. Now I can just move on to being excited for the move to Columbus.

No, I just checked my online app status & it was changed by noon today. I don't think the CSW at OSU sends out emails.

I'm sure the deadline is up for this, but you should check out Hunter - excellent social work program + one of the lowest tuitions (I believe - I didn't apply there, but I've read endless good things about it).

I got my acceptance status change today & got in, huzzah!!!

My status changed today - and I got in!!!! :D !!!

I was hoping to do the same thing - get something PT. It didn't seem unfeasible to work on the weekends, depending on what the job is.

I'm moving to Columbus (application for OSU's MSW still "in review," but I'm moving regardless). I did my undergrad thesis in psych on a clinical health topic, what's your area of interest?

I've honestly never had anyone say anything about my nose stud. I've accidentally forgot I even had it in before and worn it to interviews (and beat myself up about it afterward) but then got a job anyways at somewhere "professional." I also have a wrist tattoo, but I purposely got it on my left wrist since Americans shake with their right hand and I'm right-handed, so hiding that particular wrist during interviews or job tasks has never been a problem.

I didn't apply to other schools, only because I knew if I was accepted to the other programs I planned on applying to, I wouldn't realistically move to those places at this point in my life regardless, so it was a waste of application costs & efforts & stress. I have an idea of places I'd like to apply next year if OSU doesn't pan out (moving OOS becomes more feasible then). The MSW office at OSU said they admit ~60% of applicants. I'm hoping for good news, this is my second year applying to grad school (I got in last year but turned down the programs after poor funding, & then changed career-focus).

I joined Goodreads - it has a resolution-setter for how many books you aspire to read this year, so I'm trying to actually hit my ideal number. It's been incredibly distracting and calming, particularly because I walked in the library for the first time in years the other day for all things non-academic. The website itself keeps me easily distracted, which I like when I get in OCD-check-status-mode from 9-5 on weekdays. Enjoy your pets. Consider where to apply next year - I haven't totally thrown in the towel on being accepted, I just feel better when my life's in order, so I'm already researching programs I unfortunately found out I wished I'd applied to this cycle. It gives me hope just to look at school websites and feel the excitement of Potential though. Volunteer in your community - hospice is a good one. My hospice patients always put my life in perspective compared to the big picture.