poliscihopeful2021 Posted January 28, 2021 Posted January 28, 2021 Just now, BrownSugar said: Hahaha I do hope you get some offers, but I understand that it's good to have back-ups Since I've already done my master's, I'm a bit worried about not having a proper back-up plan since the labor market isn't very reliable. I also already have my master's (i'm graduating this June), but thankfully it was nearly fully funded, so I don't have student loans. I do worry that I'll be too old before I start the PhD (currently 27 already!), but time is a construct in academia (or is it?)
TheLifeofBrian Posted January 28, 2021 Posted January 28, 2021 2 minutes ago, poliscihopeful2021 said: I also already have my master's (i'm graduating this June), but thankfully it was nearly fully funded, so I don't have student loans. I do worry that I'll be too old before I start the PhD (currently 27 already!), but time is a construct in academia (or is it?) Too old? HAHAHAHA I'm 41 and doing it. At 27, you'll be fine. If you're wanting to be a Professor, most don't retire until their 70s, so.... diptyque 1
diptyque Posted January 28, 2021 Posted January 28, 2021 1 minute ago, poliscihopeful2021 said: I also already have my master's (i'm graduating this June), but thankfully it was nearly fully funded, so I don't have student loans. I do worry that I'll be too old before I start the PhD (currently 27 already!), but time is a construct in academia (or is it?) I wouldn't worry about age at all. If it makes you feel better, I am 29. In the MA program I did - taking courses alongside PhD students - there were many above my age as well. Some in their 30s or 40s.
poliscihopeful2021 Posted January 28, 2021 Posted January 28, 2021 1 minute ago, TheLifeofBrian said: Too old? HAHAHAHA I'm 41 and doing it. At 27, you'll be fine. If you're wanting to be a Professor, most don't retire until their 70s, so.... Okay you win this round! Haha. I've seen poli sci tends to get much younger cohorts than other disciplines like econ, some fresh out of undergrad, so I always figure I'm going to be one of the older members in whatever batch I end up starting in in the (seemingly distant) future. But don't mind me and my anxious rants.
poliscihopeful2021 Posted January 28, 2021 Posted January 28, 2021 2 minutes ago, diptyque said: I wouldn't worry about age at all. If it makes you feel better, I am 29. In the MA program I did - taking courses alongside PhD students - there were many above my age as well. Some in their 30s or 40s. That is reassuring - thank you! I know it's quite silly to worry about age when you are planning to commit ~6 years of your life to this one thing. Just stressing about stupid things that are out of my control, like this decision and age lol
BrownSugar Posted January 28, 2021 Posted January 28, 2021 11 minutes ago, poliscihopeful2021 said: I also already have my master's (i'm graduating this June), but thankfully it was nearly fully funded, so I don't have student loans. I do worry that I'll be too old before I start the PhD (currently 27 already!), but time is a construct in academia (or is it?) I definitely wouldn't worry about it. Funnily enough, I feel too young (23). But it's easier for us to find faults with ourselves I suppose.
BrownSugar Posted January 28, 2021 Posted January 28, 2021 17 minutes ago, loiewo said: was really hoping for Princeton results today! probably for the best that I can't see the results page I'm holding out a little hope for tomorrow, but I've been steering clear of the results page this whole week haha
ExileOnMainSt Posted January 28, 2021 Posted January 28, 2021 I feel too young as well, honestly (I’m 22), but I really can’t imagine doing anything other than teaching and researching. gradpumpkin and verschiedene 2
icemanyeo Posted January 28, 2021 Posted January 28, 2021 16 minutes ago, BrownSugar said: Since I've already done my master's, I'm a bit worried about not having a proper back-up plan since the labor market isn't very reliable. That's where I'm at right now. I'm having to flex my networking muscles in order to plan for a job as backup in case all my PhD applications end up in rejection (I don't want to think about that, but it's unfortunately a possibility). Add to that immigration constraints for work permits, and this year just gets worse.
BrownSugar Posted January 28, 2021 Posted January 28, 2021 Just now, ExileOnMainSt said: I feel too young as well, honestly (I’m 22), but I really can’t imagine doing anything other than teaching and researching. Yes, exactly the same for me! Nice to have comrades in arms.
icemanyeo Posted January 28, 2021 Posted January 28, 2021 18 minutes ago, loiewo said: was really hoping for Princeton results today! probably for the best that I can't see the results page I would recommend not checking the results page. It is much more reliable to just check this forum and see if people claim an admit, since there was quite a bit of trolling going on in the results page.
polisci_gal Posted January 28, 2021 Posted January 28, 2021 Just now, ExileOnMainSt said: I feel too young as well, honestly (I’m 22), but I really can’t imagine doing anything other than teaching and researching. Just now, BrownSugar said: Yes, exactly the same for me! Nice to have comrades in arms. I'm in the same boat as you both. Went into my MA right after my BA, and now finishing up my MA while applying to PhDs. I feel pretty young too. Lol. Also have major imposter syndrome... Uberfloweret 1
icemanyeo Posted January 28, 2021 Posted January 28, 2021 1 minute ago, BrownSugar said: Yes, exactly the same for me! Nice to have comrades in arms. Also 22 year old, so I get it. I always felt weird when attending conferences that weren't geared towards undergraduates only because I felt so out of place in both age and experience.
icemanyeo Posted January 28, 2021 Posted January 28, 2021 1 minute ago, polisci_gal said: I'm in the same boat as you both. Went into my MA right after my BA, and now finishing up my MA while applying to PhDs. I feel pretty young too. Lol. Also have major imposter syndrome... Taking the same route as you right now! And imposter syndrome is probably one of the most common things I've encountered among academics, so you'll fit right in.
Mad Scientist Malfrost Posted January 28, 2021 Posted January 28, 2021 4 minutes ago, icemanyeo said: I would recommend not checking the results page. It is much more reliable to just check this forum and see if people claim an admit, since there was quite a bit of trolling going on in the results page. Yeah, the trolling can be pretty bad on the results page sometimes and its something that's common each year from my understanding. There were three Emory accepts yesterday but no one here claimed them so I'm thinking those were likely trolls which helps me a bit cause I really want to get admitted to Emory. Talked to a number of the faculty there and feel like I'm a great fit. gradpumpkin 1
icemanyeo Posted January 28, 2021 Posted January 28, 2021 1 minute ago, Mad Scientist Malfrost said: Yeah, the trolling can be pretty bad on the results page sometimes and its something that's common each year from my understanding. There were three Emory accepts yesterday but no one here claimed them so I'm thinking those were likely trolls which helps me a bit cause I really want to get admitted to Emory. Talked to a number of the faculty there and feel like I'm a great fit. Wishing you the best of luck with Emory!
afjackie Posted January 28, 2021 Posted January 28, 2021 21 minutes ago, TheLifeofBrian said: Too old? HAHAHAHA I'm 41 and doing it. At 27, you'll be fine. If you're wanting to be a Professor, most don't retire until their 70s, so.... Haha, yep, 38 here! I finished my master's when I was 29, and now looking to go back to academia after becoming disenchanted with the policy world. Glad to know I'm not the only one who won't be in their 20s!
TheLifeofBrian Posted January 28, 2021 Posted January 28, 2021 1 minute ago, afjackie said: Haha, yep, 38 here! I finished my master's when I was 29, and now looking to go back to academia after becoming disenchanted with the policy world. Glad to know I'm not the only one who won't be in their 20s! Absolutely. I meant to go back in my 30s but life happened. I've become disenchanted with corporate work. I've wanted to be a researcher and teacher since my early 20s, so I figured it was high time I got my stuff in order. It will be REALLY hard to lose my current salary, but the saying is true, money isn't everything. poliscihopeful2021 and animal_whisperer 2
Mad Scientist Malfrost Posted January 28, 2021 Posted January 28, 2021 6 minutes ago, icemanyeo said: Wishing you the best of luck with Emory! Thank you! Best of luck for you everywhere as well! As a current Cornell Master's student I really hope they accept you here! It's a really good department in a lot of ways and Ithaca is beautiful.
poliscihopeful2021 Posted January 28, 2021 Posted January 28, 2021 I'll just take a moment to say this forum (unlike other Gradcafe portals I've been on previously) is awesome and everyone here is obviously pretty talented. Hope things work out for everyone! ExileOnMainSt 1
icemanyeo Posted January 28, 2021 Posted January 28, 2021 Just wondering: Does anyone know if Berkeley will be following the same timeline as previous years? I don't remember if they mentioned it in their Zoom call or not. Seems like most admissions decisions came out around Mondays so not sure if I should hold out hope for tomorrow.
polisci_gal Posted January 28, 2021 Posted January 28, 2021 Just now, poliscihopeful2021 said: I'll just take a moment to say this forum (unlike other Gradcafe portals I've been on previously) is awesome and everyone here is obviously pretty talented. Hope things work out for everyone! I second this. I'm also really invested in all of your journeys now and can't wait to see where everyone ends up! funfetti 1
BrownSugar Posted January 28, 2021 Posted January 28, 2021 Just now, icemanyeo said: Just wondering: Does anyone know if Berkeley will be following the same timeline as previous years? I don't remember if they mentioned it in their Zoom call or not. Seems like most admissions decisions came out around Mondays so not sure if I should hold out hope for tomorrow. I believe someone mentioned quite a while ago that they are sticking to the timeline.
icemanyeo Posted January 28, 2021 Posted January 28, 2021 1 minute ago, Mad Scientist Malfrost said: Thank you! Best of luck for you everywhere as well! As a current Cornell Master's student I really hope they accept you here! It's a really good department in a lot of ways and Ithaca is beautiful. I almost ended up in Ithaca once (at Ithaca College) so maybe second time's the charm! Thank you ❤️ polisci_gal 1
defcaffeinated Posted January 28, 2021 Posted January 28, 2021 55 minutes ago, comradecommissar said: Hi! LSE and Oxford. I pulled out of applying to Cambridge right at the very end because it wasn't a good fit. Im interested very much in studying ethnicity, violence and the intersection of the two, and so fit is particularly important to me. Oh, awesome. I've applied to both too! Fair enough re fit, I wasn't going to apply to Cambridge but my interests changed slightly recently (theory) and I found their MPhil in Political Thought and Intellectual History so decided to apply (housed in history dept though). I'm from London so LSE would be ideal for me money wise if I get even partial funding. I've basically accepted that I'll have to keep working at least half-time through my masters...
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