John Stamos Posted January 29, 2019 Share Posted January 29, 2019 I'm in a job I don't like and am basically waiting it out until I hear back from PHD programs for this fall. What should I do say March,when I accept hopefully, until August? Should I keep working in my job or quit and take some time for myself. This would probably consist of living back with the parents and travelling. I mean once I'm accepted and know there is about 5 months until the program start I won't possibly be able to take work seriously and just be doing it for a paycheck. I honestly think this is a worse time period for waiting it out than hearing back from schools! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnetite Posted January 29, 2019 Share Posted January 29, 2019 I'm working right now, too, and have also been thinking about this. The project I'm working on would be released about the time classes would start. Should I get accepted to a grad school, I've considered talking with my boss to see if he would want me to continue working. If I left right away, it could take months to find a replacement, based upon how long it's taken in the past. I don't think I could leave the team in such a bad spot. On the other hand, I definitely don't think I would want to stay working there until classes started. The lease on my apartment expires in April, so I've thought about extending it a month. I'd then put all of my stuff in storage and take a month or two to travel through Europe. There are so many places I haven't been and it'd be such a great opportunity to go experience them before diving into a graduate program. Of course, actually getting accepted is the big requirement here. brightorangesocks 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ternwild Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 I won't be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ResilientDreams Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 I'm graduating from undergrad in May and then I'm taking the summer to relax. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teaching Faculty Wannabe Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 7 minutes ago, Ternwild said: I won't be. I’m sorry schools haven’t seen your potential in the past, but I hope they see it this round. (I know I don’t know you, but I am sure you deserve a spot in grad school!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teaching Faculty Wannabe Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 6 hours ago, John Stamos said: I'm in a job I don't like and am basically waiting it out until I hear back from PHD programs for this fall. What should I do say March,when I accept hopefully, until August? Should I keep working in my job or quit and take some time for myself. This would probably consist of living back with the parents and travelling. I mean once I'm accepted and know there is about 5 months until the program start I won't possibly be able to take work seriously and just be doing it for a paycheck. I honestly think this is a worse time period for waiting it out than hearing back from schools! I’d say take time for yourself. I can attest that rest is important, especially when you are about to start a long and challenging journey. I am currently taking a gap year, and I don’t regret it one bit. ResilientDreams 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ternwild Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 (edited) 35 minutes ago, Moods said: I’m sorry schools haven’t seen your potential in the past, but I hope they see it this round. (I know I don’t know you, but I am sure you deserve a spot in grad school!) Edited January 30, 2019 by Ternwild Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yjkim192 Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 18 minutes ago, Ternwild said: Physics GRE 630, GRE 157/154/4.0; GPA 3.3; Two degrees in Physics and Chemistry; LOR from former advisor, president of the company I work at, and Nobel Laureate David Lee; 3 years of research in two paid research assistant positions; 1 NSF Summer REU; and 2800+ hours of physics research. Now you do. Still won't matter. Aside your GRE quant and GPA I don't see any weakness. I'm sure you will get through this time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ternwild Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 1 minute ago, yjkim192 said: Aside your GRE quant and GPA I don't see any weakness. I'm sure you will get through this time I'm not exactly applying to Ivy League schools. Hell, two of them are ranked over 100 in physics grad school ranking. lol But thanks for the encouragement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrek12 Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 doing research that I love. And leave the whole evening and weekends for gym, video games, movies with friends Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havemybloodchild Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 I'm going to move as soon as I can. I can get a service job somewhere pretty quickly, I'm sure. I have to get out of Sacramento (and out of my parents' house! ?). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovekilledinos Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 God. My lease is up in May, I applied out of state so I will hopefully be moving to a new city! In which case, a summer of madness in a new place while I settle in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teaching Faculty Wannabe Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 1 hour ago, Ternwild said: I'm not exactly applying to Ivy League schools. Hell, two of them are ranked over 100 in physics grad school ranking. lol But thanks for the encouragement. I hope this year goes better for you! You definitely have a good application. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teaching Faculty Wannabe Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 I am going to enjoy my freedom from work until the beginning of June. After June, I am going to do a summer internship, which I am excited about but I am dreading getting back into work mode. I am thankful to have gotten the internship, however! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
battermix Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 I will continue doing what I am currently doing (which is basically nothing since I am in my gap year) but with excitement and happiness, and lack of anxiety. phonotactless 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
battermix Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 2 hours ago, Moods said: I’d say take time for yourself. I can attest that rest is important, especially when you are about to start a long and challenging journey. I am currently taking a gap year, and I don’t regret it one bit. SAME! At first even resting was tiring with constant guilt of doing nothing but now I have learned to embrace my free time and enjoy the feeling of no pressure. I now have mixed feelings for grad school. Of course, I would love to get in and start my journey but it will be tough going back into that routine and what if I can't handle the stress? ugh the constant worry over nothing. Are you afraid of the same? What if grad school becomes tougher after a gap year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OBforme Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 While I haven't been accepted yet (speaking it into being), I plan to travel. I won't be able to travel as much when in the program, at least unlikely for leisure. I also want to finally properly train my dog. Plus August is my birth month so I'd consider it a very long birthday celebration period beforehand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crackademik Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 I highly doubt I'll get accepted anywhere, but if I do, then I'll quit my job in may and do all the travelling I've missed out on from working full time and finishing my masters degree. I have a mutual friend with a graduate admissions committee member at a university who pretty much told me my SOP sucked and no one would take me because of it. It sucks that this person waited until after I submitted all of my apps to tell me this. I pretty much want to go jump off a cliff right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ternwild Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 57 minutes ago, crackademik said: I highly doubt I'll get accepted anywhere, but if I do, then I'll quit my job in may and do all the travelling I've missed out on from working full time and finishing my masters degree. I have a mutual friend with a graduate admissions committee member at a university who pretty much told me my SOP sucked and no one would take me because of it. It sucks that this person waited until after I submitted all of my apps to tell me this. I pretty much want to go jump off a cliff right now. I'm with you here. Seems to me that my biggest problem is I don't know how to sell myself. I wonder if they have professional SOP writers...I would pay a proper sum of money for someone who writes a great and creative SOP. I see people with my stats get accepted all the time, so it must be my SOP. *bangs head on desk* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teaching Faculty Wannabe Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 12 hours ago, battermix said: SAME! At first even resting was tiring with constant guilt of doing nothing but now I have learned to embrace my free time and enjoy the feeling of no pressure. I now have mixed feelings for grad school. Of course, I would love to get in and start my journey but it will be tough going back into that routine and what if I can't handle the stress? ugh the constant worry over nothing. Are you afraid of the same? What if grad school becomes tougher after a gap year? I am definitely afraid of this! I thought I was alone in feeling this, so thank you for opening up about this. Undergrad was so rough on me. Not only because it was tough, but because I was so tough on myself for trying to be perfect with my grades and getting internships and yada yada. Now with my gap year, I am learning to take time for myself and not be so hard on myself. However, getting into grad school, I know it is going to be harder than undergrad and I am afraid I am just going to go back to those bad habits, which will lead to major anxiety, panic attacks, and extreme lack of motivation. Hopefully, though, this break has been good for us and prepared us in some way (resting out brains??) for the Mount Everest that is grad school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crackademik Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 1 hour ago, Ternwild said: I'm with you here. Seems to me that my biggest problem is I don't know how to sell myself. I wonder if they have professional SOP writers...I would pay a proper sum of money for someone who writes a great and creative SOP. I see people with my stats get accepted all the time, so it must be my SOP. *bangs head on desk* I would definitely pay good money for that as well. I don’t really understand what they are looking for though. my ex was a physics major who was borderline illiterate (but very talented in math) and managed to get into 3 programs his first try (with funding) with a 3.0 undergrad GPA, a 152/155/2.0 GRE, one year of research, and no pubs. I read his SOP after he submitted and it read like a generic third grade level essay. It’s honestly such a crapshoot that sometimes I feel like I’m just wasting my time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ternwild Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 3 minutes ago, crackademik said: I would definitely pay good money for that as well. I don’t really understand what they are looking for though. my ex was a physics major who was borderline illiterate (but very talented in math) and managed to get into 3 programs his first try (with funding) with a 3.0 undergrad GPA, a 152/155/2.0 GRE, one year of research, and no pubs. I read his SOP after he submitted and it read like a generic third grade level essay. It’s honestly such a crapshoot that sometimes I feel like I’m just wasting my time. That's worse than me >_<. *continues banging head on desk* Despite 12 applications, I will probably have another year of rejections. If you get the same, I can lend you my desk. It serves as a good place to bang your head >.>. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
historygeek Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 If I get accepted, I'm going to keep my summer job volunteering at my hometown's history museum and spend some time with family before heading out to wherever I get accepted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crackademik Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 16 minutes ago, Ternwild said: That's worse than me >_<. *continues banging head on desk* Despite 12 applications, I will probably have another year of rejections. If you get the same, I can lend you my desk. It serves as a good place to bang your head >.>. I'm pretty sure his stats are worse than most of the people on this site. I've applied to 11 schools now and I'm considering biting the bullet and applying for another masters degree. And Thanks! I've been searching for the perfect head banging spot for awhile now lol as I'm pretty confident I'll be in the same boat as you. I also applied for a scholarship through my job and it would be super embarrassing if I had to decline the funding because I didn't get in anywhere. I'll need extra time for head banging if that happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
historygeek Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 1 minute ago, crackademik said: I'm pretty sure his stats are worse than most of the people on this site. I've applied to 11 schools now and I'm considering biting the bullet and applying for another masters degree. Don't worry, I panicked and added a tenth masters program about a week before their priority funding deadline... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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