greengrass2 Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 Has anyone been on an interview and seen/been an applicant have a little too much wine at dinner and act "a little strange" at the table? I wonder if this happens... stories, anyone?????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vacuum Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 hahah I am sure it has happened many times. People might start to drink more if they are super nervous to try and calm those nerves....but then things just get messy! I'm interested to see if anyone has experienced this in person! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoJingly Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 No stories here. But I HAVE seen applicants make a large deal out of drinking. I'm sure you all know what I mean. Getting your drink, for example, and then telling drunk stories. Generally not a good idea on an interview. I love wine. I live on it. But I don't feel I need to share the fact that I am of legal drinking age and have... used that ID. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Medievalmaniac Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 No stories here. But I HAVE seen applicants make a large deal out of drinking. I'm sure you all know what I mean. Getting your drink, for example, and then telling drunk stories. Generally not a good idea on an interview. I love wine. I live on it. But I don't feel I need to share the fact that I am of legal drinking age and have... used that ID. I guess my question in such a case would be....do you WANT to go to graduate school? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoJingly Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 I guess my question in such a case would be....do you WANT to go to graduate school? Ha. Do you mean me, or the applicants talking about getting drunk? Sometimes people surprise me. I've always heard warnings about "not getting drunk at the applicant weekend social events," and I wondered who would even NEED that advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Medievalmaniac Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Ha. Do you mean me, or the applicants talking about getting drunk? Sometimes people surprise me. I've always heard warnings about "not getting drunk at the applicant weekend social events," and I wondered who would even NEED that advice. I mean the applicants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qbtacoma Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Getting drunk at an interview - talk about self-sabotage! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starmaker Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 Sometimes people surprise me. I've always heard warnings about "not getting drunk at the applicant weekend social events," and I wondered who would even NEED that advice. Some people get fooled by the pseudo-social nature of such events, and think it's a great time to act like they're at a real social event with their friends. They don't quite understand that this is still part of the interview process, that they're still being judged. rising_star 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greengrass2 Posted February 20, 2011 Author Share Posted February 20, 2011 Agreed! I think this is where naivety comes into play... I'd love to see it in action, hahaha! Some people get fooled by the pseudo-social nature of such events, and think it's a great time to act like they're at a real social event with their friends. They don't quite understand that this is still part of the interview process, that they're still being judged. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueRose Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 At my last interview, at dinner (after several hours of bar-hopping), my table got into a heated discussion of religion. I was stuck in a corner between that group and two people from the program...I had the sense to keep silent and make small talk. Awkwardly, because I was dog-tired (jetlag+interviews+beer). That was the worst I've seen, though; not exactly the stuff of legend. (Personally, after being "on" all day for interviews, I don't have the energy to do something legendarily stupid - no matter how much free alcohol is involved. Maybe I'm just getting old...) franks98 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greengrass2 Posted February 22, 2011 Author Share Posted February 22, 2011 At my last interview, at dinner (after several hours of bar-hopping), my table got into a heated discussion of religion. I was stuck in a corner between that group and two people from the program...I had the sense to keep silent and make small talk. Awkwardly, because I was dog-tired (jetlag+interviews+beer). That was the worst I've seen, though; not exactly the stuff of legend. (Personally, after being "on" all day for interviews, I don't have the energy to do something legendarily stupid - no matter how much free alcohol is involved. Maybe I'm just getting old...) Lol! That sounds disasterous! For the sake of being nice, I hope I don't have fellow applicants getting all boozed up at my dinner tonight. But if they dooooo... you'll hear about it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eme19 Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I've seen it! Some chick knocked over a bottle of beer and started cackling. So one of the professors handed her some napkins and she drops it and falls off her chair. It was sort of funny. By that time I was trying so hard not to laugh but it couldn't be helped. Another applicant was complaining about the food. Granted it was catered, not like one of the professors cooked it but I thought that was rude. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waw Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I used to lend a hand with the applicants at my old uni, and had to help out quite drunk applicants back to their rooms at night, after they had been out drinking with the other applicants and had a bit too much. We would just discreetly go and knock on their doors the next morning, to make sure they're up and running and ready to be interviewed/tested/whatever they came over to do. There was a half-joking discussion about just keeping the bar in the building open and letting the applicants fend for themselves. But all in all, picking people based on their ability to be sober seemed like a weak system to those in charge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bumblebee Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 A few months ago (actually, I think it might have been during last year's round) there was a thread about things not to do during a campus visit and one of the things mentioned was getting drunk. Apparently, one person who had helped with interviews mentioned how wasted some of the candidates were sometimes. If I find the thread I'll post a link here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bumblebee Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 Found it! Ok, I was wrong, it was not a person who had helped with interviews, it was some current grad students and applicants talking about how not to behave during campus visits (including getting drunk). I'm sorry about that, he, he, he. Last time I read the thread was almost a year ago, and my brain is too filled with new information to remember the details. Anyway, here's the link. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phaedrus Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 At one of my interviews, an interviewee went out with some friends he knew in the area. Let's just say that the applicant missed the next two days of the interview and was actually taken to a hospital to make sure it wasn't anything more serious. He missed one informal day (touring the city with the graduate students) and one formal interview day with faculty. I don't think his chances are very good, but that may just be me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awvish Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 I visited a place right before the holidays, and went to a grad student reading group. They were serving (rather strong) eggnog, and as a guest, I got a (rather large) serving. I normally barely drink, but I didn't want to be rude, so I drank it...and felt sleepy and lightheaded all through the discussion group. Also, I kept not being able to turn the pages of my paper very well, although I was sitting behind everyone, so I doubt they noticed. This isn't an impressive story, but I don't think I sabotaged my chances, either. I'll keep you posted... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mandarin.orange Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 When I did a visiting weekend for my M.S., I didn't imbibe much at the dinner, per se, but heading out to the local dive after with current grad students was definitely encouraged. A prof or two came. I liked the social vibe and tight-knit feeling I got from the current grad school population, and it was one of the reasons I chose the school. May not have been a top tier for my field, but I was mostly happy while there, and therefore, productive. It was the first of many memorable dinners + drinking events - definitely a priority for the department. When it came time to do field research, there were many steak + beer dinners out at the end of a long day in the cold white north. I wonder if to drink or not to drink depends on the discipline. This was for a geology program. A geologist who refuses a drink (esp. beer) is generally regarded as an oddity and someone who is not fun. rising_star 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoJingly Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 I wonder if to drink or not to drink depends on the discipline. This was for a geology program. A geologist who refuses a drink (esp. beer) is generally regarded as an oddity and someone who is not fun. Yeah, but there is a HUGE difference between drinking and getting drunk. And I think nowadays, regardless of the discipline, somebody who refuses to drink is an oddity. :-) In America, despite the depression (or maybe because of it), I've heard that alcohol sales have actually increased. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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