Post here to get your worries off your chest

[CherryBlossom_]

6 hours ago, prodmod said:

I also got out of finance and went back to finish my undergrad at 29. Just about to turn 31 and got into an MFA program and waiting on two more. Your 30s are the PERFECT time to go back to school, and tbh your age and world experience are a competitive advantage when it comes to grad programs. 

I can't tell how much I appreciated reading your reply! It was a tough decision... to get out of Finance. We feel there's so much at stake: steady job, a good income and, to be very honest, the status (unfortunately, I can't deny it played a role for me =x).

I'm glad we were able to get out and try something different. Should we be younger we wouldn't be so sure about it...

[lmk94]

Excitements: While this is my third time applying to PhD programs, I feel like I have grown a lot as a researcher since the first time I applied. I have since earned a master's degree, learned many technical skills in the lab, and gotten two publications. I was also given several awards in my last month of undergrad for high academic achievement and service, which did not make their way onto my first applications. 

Worries: My masters GPA is pretty low for my standards (3.5). I also applied to exclusively Canadian schools this round, and as an American, this makes the admissions process much more competitive and funding more difficult to come by. I completely did this to myself, but hopefully my achievements listed above make me competitive enough! 

[minimu]

Worries: I just received a rejection from my dream program and it is the 3rd rejection i’ve got.

Excitement: Will graduate this May with an MBA degree. It’s always exciting to get something done! Also, I had a good performance in an interview with a very nice professor from a great university yesterday. Hope to receive an offer from this program!

Edited February 12, 2019 by minimu

[yeahsouh]

Worries: Interviewed with my top choice program about three weeks ago and thought it went very well. They indicated I'd hear back "very soon" and I am increasingly worried that the delay means bad things for me. Currently high waitlisted at my second choice program and rejected/presumed rejected everywhere else, so there's a lot riding on this and the optimism is fading.

Excitement: I still have a chance at each of my top two programs, either of which I'd be thrilled to land at. I have an unusual background and have worked like hell for the last few years to put together an application, and to be this close is something I think I will end up being proud of regardless. This is my first go-round; I've also learned a ton about what kind of programs value my background, and will have a much better program selection strategy next year if necessary. 

Edited February 12, 2019 by yeahsouh

[TheHoff]

Excitements: Almost finishing my Master's thesis

Worries: Haven't heard a single word from all the programs I applied to. The stress and anxiety from this waiting is taking away all my motivation to continue writing my thesis

[dustbunnies]

I'm a first-gen student who returned to school at 26 to get a BA in History (previously had an Associates in Culinary Arts). I'm graduating in May, and I'm trying to hop right from undergrad into grad; I'm afraid if I lose my momentum, I'll never go back. I already quit my life once and restarted, I don't really want to do it twice. And I know that age is just a number and all that jazz, but I'm 29, and I really want to start grad school before my 30th (November). I haven't heard anything back yet from the school I applied to, but according to the posts board, only one other person has. Judging by the results of the last few years, they do at least notify you if you've been rejected, which is something. I'm just a ball of stress, and every time my email beeps I panic. Obviously hoping for acceptance, but I feel like if I don't hear something from them soon my head is going to explode. My husband is trying to be very zen about the whole thing, which isn't really helping, but I appreciate the effort. ❤️ I also really appreciate this thread, because I can vent to folks who get it and are in the same boat. We'll get through this! 

[CurseTen]

Worries: Someone said it before- the imposter syndrome is real. On a whim and with strange timing, my partner and I bought a house where my dream program is- across the country from where we were living. Now, here we are, and that beautiful waiting period has taken hold. I don’t really have a backup outside of these applications, and I’m not sure what direction to go in if I get rejected from all three of the schools I applied for. That looming despair is ever present, filled with depression, anxiety, and the bag of everything wrong that could happen. 

Excitements: We now live closer to my family (an 8 hour drive, but better than a. 3 day drive!) and our dogs seem to like it better here. I will be graduating in May with my Master’s Degree, so there’s that. Plus, I got word that I am still in the running for a position for PhD at my dream school, so my fingers are crossed as hard and as far as they will go! 

[historygeek]

Excitement: The more I learn about the program I got into and will likely attend, I love it more!

Worries: I'm not sure about funding just yet, and probably won't for a couple of weeks. I applied for departmental funding, a graduate assistantship in the Grad Office, and sent a letter to financial aid. If I do get a stipend, I would have to pay for the first bit of rent, which is scary to me. 

[synthema]

2 hours ago, TheHoff said:

Excitements: Almost finishing my Master's thesis

Worries: Haven't heard a single word from all the programs I applied to. The stress and anxiety from this waiting is taking away all my motivation to continue writing my thesis

I feel this. My MA thesis is calling but I'm just not picking up. The first draft needs to be completed by March 1st and I'll be shocked if I have even half of it done by then. 

Hopefully, we both get (good) news next week and can then maybe sort of do some of the work that needs to be done now. 

[yjkim192]

2 hours ago, TheHoff said:

Excitements: Almost finishing my Master's thesis

Worries: Haven't heard a single word from all the programs I applied to. The stress and anxiety from this waiting is taking away all my motivation to continue writing my thesis

So, I'm not the only one not hearing anything...

It kind of worries me at this time if they even got my application.

[Ternwild]

2 hours ago, historygeek said:

Excitement: The more I learn about the program I got into and will likely attend, I love it more!

Worries: I'm not sure about funding just yet, and probably won't for a couple of weeks. I applied for departmental funding, a graduate assistantship in the Grad Office, and sent a letter to financial aid. If I do get a stipend, I would have to pay for the first bit of rent, which is scary to me. 

Student loans and then hope and pray Bernie Sanders gets elected president.

[lovekilledinos]

16 minutes ago, Ternwild said:

Student loans and then hope and pray Bernie Sanders gets elected president.

Lmao. Yeah. I took out about 20k a year for my MA. That, on top of undergrad debt, has just become a number. 

[transrelativity]

Excitement: My colleague and I presented a course we co-wrote at the committee that approves such things, and the presentation went really well! Their only question was basically "how can we help promote and support this exciting new offering?" If they officially approve it, my colleague and I will be co-teaching the pilot run in FA19!

Worry: The department head is already asking us what time slot we want the course to run, but I haven't decided on a Ph.D. program yet and I don't know what my class schedule will look like. I'm worried about making my doctoral study fit with the work I'm already doing, and while I could take a leave of absence, I really want to teach this new course in the first year.

[worrypower]

This morning, upon waking up:

Excitement: AN EMAIL FROM OXFORD!

Worry: ...to complete a survey about my experience with the application process?

I did the survey, of course. But oh man, did I ever laugh at that. They really zoinked me.

[Ternwild]

2 minutes ago, worrypower said:

This morning, upon waking up:

Excitement: AN EMAIL FROM OXFORD!

Worry: ...to complete a survey about my experience with the application process?

I did the survey, of course. But oh man, did I ever laugh at that. They really zoinked me.

They wanted your opinion before you got rejected.  The bastards! xD

[Nothingtown]

3 minutes ago, worrypower said:

This morning, upon waking up:

Excitement: AN EMAIL FROM OXFORD!

Worry: ...to complete a survey about my experience with the application process?

I did the survey, of course. But oh man, did I ever laugh at that. They really zoinked me.

Oof that's rough! I would've laugh-cried after that. I have a similar reaction to getting an email notification on my phone literally anytime I get an email. I guess on the bright side, I've unsubscribed from a lot of newsletters because they've angered me by getting my hopes up like this!

[aggiezone]

Excitement: finally finished all of my interviews with my dream program!!! they had so many different grad students interview me!

Worries: oh god I hope they went well, now there's nothing else I can do but wait. I emailed the POI to thank him for the opportunity to speak with his students, and he just replied ":)". WHAT DOES IT MEAN???

Edited February 13, 2019 by aggiezone

[psychnerd!]

Worries: I have 5 masters interviews and 2 doctoral interviews. One of the doctoral interviews is my top top top choice and the interview made me fall even MORE in love with the school and the work of my selected faculty. I want doctoral so bad, but applied to masters as well for counseling because either way it's what I want to do with my life. If I have adequate research, clinical, and academic experience and competency and felt like my top choice doctoral interview went AMAZING, do I even stand a chance if I'm up against current masters students who go to the same school as that doctoral program?

[Ternwild]

5 minutes ago, aggiezone said:

Excitement: finally finished all of my interviews with my dream program!!! they had so many different grad students interview me!

Worries: oh god I hope they went well, now there's nothing else I can do but wait. I emailed the POI to thank him for the opportunity to speak with his students, and he just replied ":)". WHAT DOES IT MEAN???

Means you have like an 80% chance of success.  Chew on that for a few days. lol

[psychnerd!]

Excitement: I got an interview to my top choice school and it's a competitive school. I let my hard work and preparation shine during my interview while also showing my personality and really clicking with the faculty member. I can't tell if she loved me or if that's just her expertise with interpersonal skills. 

[Ternwild]

5 minutes ago, psychnerd! said:

Excitement: I got an interview to my top choice school and it's a competitive school. I let my hard work and preparation shine during my interview while also showing my personality and really clicking with the faculty member. I can't tell if she loved me or if that's just her expertise with interpersonal skills. 

Oooo.  Psychoanalised.  That's rough.

[ASDadvocate]

Worries: I had my first interview the second week of January and although I thought it went super well, I actually got rejected from it which now makes me second guess everything I thought I had going for me. Go away imposter syndrome!!

Excitement: I have two interviews this weekend and two more coming up the last week of Feb (which I just found about two days ago!). Out of these 4, 2 of them are top choices! I'm hoping that my experience and feedback from the first interview will ultimately benefit me. 

Gratitude: 5 interviews and 1 waitlist out of 9 programs was not something I was expecting at all! Very grateful ?

 

[TrustedTheProcess]

Worries: This is my third time applying to Phd programs. I have a good GPA, GRE, numerous publications and presentations under my belt and interviewing with some of my top programs. If I'm still not accepted, I feel like I will have no motivation to apply again. Like.. what else can I show them that I don't already have? I have one more interview, and have been waitlisted at one of my top choices that I interviewed for. I'm just worried I won't get in and all this work will be for nothing. 

Excitement: Regardless, I am still excited to move onto the next phase of my life. I have been a lab manager for 2-3 years at a busy research lab and am entering my mid twenties. Even though I have no idea what the next year will look like, I am planning to leave my position this summer and move onto a whole new city with new adventures

[Teaching Faculty Wannabe]

1 hour ago, ASDadvocate said:

Excitement: I have two interviews this weekend and two more coming up the last week of Feb (which I just found about two days ago!). Out of these 4, 2 of them are top choices! I'm hoping that my experience and feedback from the first interview will ultimately benefit me. 

Good luck at your interviews! 

[Teaching Faculty Wannabe]

1 hour ago, psychnerd! said:

Worries: I have 5 masters interviews and 2 doctoral interviews. One of the doctoral interviews is my top top top choice and the interview made me fall even MORE in love with the school and the work of my selected faculty. I want doctoral so bad, but applied to masters as well for counseling because either way it's what I want to do with my life. If I have adequate research, clinical, and academic experience and competency and felt like my top choice doctoral interview went AMAZING, do I even stand a chance if I'm up against current masters students who go to the same school as that doctoral program?

I think you do! Sometimes applying to the same school can be a disadvantage, and just because they have a masters doesn’t mean they have a better chance. Good luck!