Hank Scorpio

This may be the thing that makes me laugh the hardest all week, and it's only Sunday. Anyway, this thread does, like everyone above says, seem odd. I'm not going to repeat the good advice that's already been given by everybody who responded to the OP's first post, but it is at least mildly amusing that every time someone makes a suggestion to the OP, another new piece of "evidence" (for lack of a better term) is introduced.

This is true. My folks are very well-seasoned profs who have served on admissions committees, as has my sister. And they all said the main things to make sure are strong in your application are your letters of reference, and your statement of interest.

Hey! The school where I did my BA has an annual journal that would publish it. It's been going for two years now, and they published two of my continental papers (one in each journal). The only two problems are 1) They only do one a year; and 2) It depends on if the school's philosophy society next year will be active enough to put out another one. The first one they did was the year I was part of the phil. soc. executive, and we went as far as getting the journal an ISBN number, so you can search it on WorldCat and whatnot.

Bwahaha. That is so true. I mean, I agree completely.

I took a week and a half or so off from my office job to do some driving on a movie set in town which financially enabled me to quit my office job next week. THANK GOD! I might now get a job at a call centre where the training lasts a month, and then when training is done, it'll be time to quit and move away to school.

The new retina display MacBook Pro looks sooooo excellent. Right now I have the 13" Pro as well, and it's still working very well...but once it doesn't, I'll definitely spring for another MacBook. Big fan of les Apples products. Or who knows..maybe I'll rob a bank and then be able to afford it that way. For now, I'll put away $5 every two weeks so I'm ready when the time comes.

Just going on what you've said, and what I know of schools in the UK and U of T, I would recommend U of T. As I understand it, with few exceptions, the funding for doing an MA in the UK is very poor, if any at all. Conversly, U of T typically offers at least some kind of funding to students they accept. That being said, money isn't everything. It's good to avoid sending yourself into serious debt if you can avoid it, but ultimately money shouldn't be the deal-breaker, unless all other things are equal. Also, as you said, and I think you're quite right, U of T has an excellent reputation...definitely more so than SOAS. If you plan on looking for a job in academia, or doing a PhD, reputation is an important thing to consider. But the most important thing to think about is how well you'll be able to conduct the research you want to do. The more you can contribute to your field, the better. I know you said U of T's department doesn't focus as explicitly on what you want as SOAS, but keep in mind that you're expected to do a certain amount of independent research that will allow you a considerable amount of freedom. U of T doesn't need to already have a department that's heavy on what you are specfically interested in; they just need to be supportive and capable of proper support for you an your interest(s). Sooooo, all that being said, I would lean more toward U of T. Either way, best of luck!

Hey, all- Just thought I'd do a bit of quick promo on here. Every Sunday night I do a philosophy radio show on the local campus radio station, but it also broadcasts online as a stream. So, if anyone is interested in tuning in, the show airs from 6pm-7pm Eastern Standard Time. The website is http://chsrfm.ca It's a pretty fun show, and we cover a wide array of topics. We've done Marx and pornography, philosophy in education, Hume and causation, etc. Next Sunday we're interviewing a determinist, and the week after, someone who believes in free will. Also, if anyone on here is interested in being on the show, we can do over-the-phone guests as well. So if someone wants to come on the show to talk about their research (or any other topic), let me know! Cheers!

Yea, I think I had all my applications in about two months before joining this forum and being exposed to any such terminology.

I, too, have heard that Warwick especially has a great continental program. I have two friends who did their MA there, and are both currently doing their PhDs at BU. They seemed to like it quite a bit!

Yes, I think that sounds about right: a combination of the fact that there are far fewer schools that would be suitable to each discipline, and the different academic culture in general between the two countries. Evidence of this can also, I think, be found in the presence of standardized testing in the US/lack of in Canada. Also, if I may insert a quick personal opinion, I think the lack of them in Canada is a better way to go about it. I mean, I know it can come back to bite you in the ass if you have to apply to a school in the US, because there they are conditioned to write standardized tests from a young-ish age. But as far as applying to grad school goes, having to do an honours degree/write a thesis in your undergrad and show competence in critical thinking makes more sense than being able to get a high score on a test that virtually anyone can do with enough studying.

Agreed! The more I think about it, the more I know it will be worth it to take the couple weeks off before moving away for school. Give myself a mental break before the real craziness begins.

Thank you for starting this thread! I always assumed it was because of my Canadian handicap, but I had no clue what a PoI was. I figured it was the only one who didn't know, sooooo I never asked.

Oh yes. I should have been clearer. What I meant was my program has a Spring/Summer term that is comprised largely of research. It'll be the best summer in years.

Hey, GC'ers- Just a quick question. I know it's kind of silly to be eager about, but I'm wondering about how far in advance people get their grad school email account. I know it's a little thing, but keep in mind that I'm spending the summer working a horrible office job, banging my head off the desk several times a day, and am therefore seeking even the slightest bit of grad school excitement. Thanks!

I'm inclined to agree with what most have said here. Don't apologize for anything, and move on with it. In all likelihood, the students didn't think twice about it. As a preformer (yes, I think teaching is, in a sense, performing), you're allowed to make mistakes...just try to avoid showing them. Also, what Andsowego said about putting them into smaller groups is good advice...esp. since you're in philosophy. Due to all the misconceptions and presuppositions many undergrads hold about philosophy (that it's too hard, too complicated, etc.), many of them feel very self-conscious about bringing up ideas in class. Getting them to break into smaller groups first to discuss the topic(s), and then to address the class at large will not only help/force them be more talkative that day, but encourage them to bring up questions on their own in the future.

I hear you. There's often a lot of pressure to write a good statement of purpose because, apart from the writing sample (if you have to submit one), it is your chance to show who you are NOW, and what you're capable of. Reference letters are also obviously important, but the statement of purpose is not just a representation of you, but one that is in your own words. Anyway, when I wrote my statement, I also considered explaining a huge cap in my education. In the middle of my degree, I dropped out for 3 years to pursue a music career. The grades in the my first two years were horrible, with a GPA of 1.4. After my break, I came back and worked my ass off. In the end, when I finished my degree my overall GPA was something like 2.1..but I knew they would just look at the final two years and see my GPA for those two years was 3.9. I thought about explaining all of this in my statement, but decided against it. Rather, I just focused on what my interests are and how I planned on contributing to the field. I figured the rest would explain itself. As most people have mentioned above in some way or another, the key is that you show you are forward-thinking. The past is behind you, the future is bright, etc., etc..

Totally off-topic, but I'm just noticing now that Canadians who put the applied/rejected/accepted stuff in their signature have applied to two or three schools, but Americans seems to have applied to like 10 schools. Wonder why....

My program will (thankfully) carry through the summer next year, meaning my funding will continue. I don't have to find some crappy summer job...phew!

Weird how I'm comforted by the fact that I am crazy and irrational, as opposed to having sane thoughts. Thanks, all! Also, this article is comforting as well. Merci beaucoup!

Reading this topic has helped me relax a bit! I'm going to be TA'ing this fall, and have been extremely nervous that I'm going to be horrible at it. Granted, I know that not everyone admitted into my program is given a TA position, and so the department must have faith in my abilities...but nevertheless, I feel like it's going to be a disaster. I did my BA in two chunks, separated by about 3 years, and am currently finishing a year off between finishing my BA and starting my MA; sooooo, I (presumably) won't be as fresh as some of the other TA's. I'm already nervous enough that I'll be 29 years old, while most of the others will probably be younger and information will be fresher in their minds. Also, since people are expressing worries: anyone else worried they'll be discovered as a fraud or something once they get to grad school? haha I mean, I know an admissions committee decided to admit me and give me good funding..but I'm still nervous that everyone is going to be 4589347534 x smarter than me when I get there, and they'll send me packing instantly. Crazy, right?

Good call with the bed bug registry. Always cross-reference any place you're looking at with it.