Applications In - Who's Freaking Out?

[Tufnel]

Throughout the restless submission of application after application, I eagerly anticipated the completion of my side of the arrangement. Now that said time has come, I am going absolutely insane.

I'm not a worrier, at least under normal circumstances. However, visions of graduate school seem to have transformed me into the most paranoid of them all. My brain constantly cycles through potential problems...

There are days when I'm confident I'll get in to at least one of HYP. Then there are days when I don't think I'll get in anywhere.

I'm sure I'm not alone in this. How are you going to cope? This has only just begun, we're a good month and a half from serious movement.

Any grand solutions? I want to disappear and hike/travel, but I fear being away from my computer in case something goes wrong.

Edited December 26, 2010 by Tufnel

[EricaMarie]

I read. A lot. Of TRASH. It's really the only thing I've found that makes my anxiety dissipate. Anything that does not require me to think, has no real meaning to it--just trash. It helps me, anyway.

[MoJingly]

I started painting and revamping my old hobby of writing very short poems:

I just applied to grad school,

my applications now are done

But the waiting and the hoping

Are certainly no fun!

[Bukharan]

I do shopping. Excessively. I love Christmas. Merry Christmas sales, Boxing Day clearance and Happy New Year discounts everyone!

[TheDude]

I feel at peace with all of this. "You do your best then the hell with it."

However, no one in my field is receiving interview news yet, maybe the anxiety with start then.

[hedgequant]

losing my mind already and half of my submitted apps' deadlines have yet to even pass.

[EricaMarie]

To be honest, I feel like the hardest part right now is knowing that my future is not in my hands. For the next three months, I have no real control over my future.

That sucks.

[Strangefox]

I feel at peace with all of this. "You do your best then the hell with it."

However, no one in my field is receiving interview news yet, maybe the anxiety with start then.

The same with me.

[balderdash]

Throughout the restless submission of application after application, I eagerly anticipated the completion of my side of the arrangement. Now that said time has come, I am going absolutely insane.

I'm not a worrier, at least under normal circumstances. However, visions of graduate school seem to have transformed me into the most paranoid of them all. My brain constantly cycles through potential problems...

There are days when I'm confident I'll get in to at least one of HYP. Then there are days when I don't think I'll get in anywhere.

I'm sure I'm not alone in this. How are you going to cope? This has only just begun, we're a good month and a half from serious movement.

Any grand solutions? I want to disappear and hike/travel, but I fear being away from my computer in case something goes wrong.

What helps me is by working through... I found a really interesting research avenue about a month ago, so I'm just diving in as a coping mechanism.

I totally hear you about the good days/bad days.

And by the way, I was on the Tube today (London), and noticed a stop called "Tufnell Park" on the Northern Line. Word.

[neuropsych76]

I started playing guitar for the first time since high school to pass some time. But yeah, after seeing a few people get interviews at schools I applied to in the results section, my anxiety is starting to rise...

It doesn't help that my deadlines for programs ranged from 2 months apart so it will be a lot of spaced out waiting.

[katerific]

I think I should start hearing back from my programs in early Feb. I haven't submitted all my apps yet (3 more to go), but I should be done with them by this weekend (obvs, since the deadlines are this weekend). I mean, they're essentially all done, but I just have to hand them over.... which I still don't feel ready to do

I've found that I've been drawing a lot more. I haven't drawn in a while (all semester, really), so it's nice.... I've been sketching, but now I'm itching to dink around in Illustrator.

[Count de Monet]

I'm freaking out because this is my third go around with applications.

So after doing an MA, teaching, doing conference presentations and boosting my GRE between every time I've applied I don't know what more I can really do to make myself more appealing. I fear that if I don't strike gold this time, that this is it for me.

[eklavya]

I think I should start hearing back from my programs in early Feb. I haven't submitted all my apps yet (3 more to go), but I should be done with them by this weekend (obvs, since the deadlines are this weekend). I mean, they're essentially all done, but I just have to hand them over.... which I still don't feel ready to do

I've found that I've been drawing a lot more. I haven't drawn in a while (all semester, really), so it's nice.... I've been sketching, but now I'm itching to dink around in Illustrator.

dude, Feb is too far! i'll probably die if i have to wait that long!

[katerific]

dude, Feb is too far! i'll probably die if i have to wait that long!

and my programs don't even start reviewing the materials until, what, like mid-January? I'll be sitting around on my birthday thinking, "they could be evaluating me RIGHT THIS VERY MOMENT "!

[Tufnel]

I completely agree that being out of control is one of the bigger challenges of the process. I put a lot of work into my applications because that was a way to address the poor odds, not wholly but in part. The inability to continue improving my chances is certainly frustrating.

What helps me is by working through... I found a really interesting research avenue about a month ago, so I'm just diving in as a coping mechanism.

I totally hear you about the good days/bad days.

And by the way, I was on the Tube today (London), and noticed a stop called "Tufnell Park" on the Northern Line. Word.

Nice!

In the interest of distraction, my namesake...

[MoJingly]

Tufnel, that video made me smile. I forgot about how entertaining that movie is!

[balderdash]

video

ftw.