NSF GRFP

[meowser]

Over 3000 posts! I don't know whether to celebrate or cry.

[unclelurker]

hm is significant. access to teragrid, learning experience, and good job on you. and my personal tension will transition to happy happy celebration when nsf decides to release my hm list. waving about a vague 'still under review' email does nothing for concise explanations, as many have noted. i will be super stoked. while this may feel endless, there are many more applicants in a fortunate position this year. do your best work and apply for lots - it will work out at some point. better to focus on questions that interest you than lackluster questions that aren't your teacup, it is your career and passion. don't worry about other people.

kumbaya chappies.

[denidzo]

Over 3000 posts! I don't know whether to celebrate or cry.

We have posted about 1500 times since the original awards went out. I think a little of both are in order.

[liatris]

I never thought I'd be hoping for a maintenance message, but I am. And by hoping I mean dreading.

[meowser]

I'm not sure they will post the results during a maintenance period this time. I know they did on April 10, but I don't remember that happening last year. Based on all the weird beta site shenanigans, I get the feeling they may have already prepared most of the info to release, and are just waiting for some final approval. Is that possible (I have essentially no in depth computer/Fastlane knowledge)?

However, if another maintenance message does go up, I'm convinced it will mean the end of our suffering.

[denidzo]

I'm not sure they will post the results during a maintenance period this time. I know they did on April 10, but I don't remember that happening last year. Based on all the weird beta site shenanigans, I get the feeling they may have already prepared most of the info to release, and are just waiting for some final approval. Is that possible (I have essentially no in depth computer/Fastlane knowledge)?

However, if another maintenance message does go up, I'm convinced it will mean the end of our suffering.

They are operating still from the beta-fastlane version, which means the original site is offline. Could mean nothing, could mean they've spent since last night on hold pending alterations to the site, could mean it's ready for the final approval, could mean there's a real actual glitch in the system that they're tracking. I like meowser's take, that they are prepared for a release. But if that happens, they won't need to take the site down for more than a wink, since it's already the beta version. All they'd need to do is swap out the pages, I think.

[mijin]

I am optimistic about a Tuesday notification and 380+ new awardees! What is everyone elses take

[hatingthewaiting]

I am optimistic about a Tuesday notification and 380+ new awardees! What is everyone elses take

I am putting my money on tonight, and 123 awardees. That seems like a depressing enough number to make me feel like an idiot for spending so much time worrying about this.

[BioMedSciMed]

Psi_light- so sorry. Your brother would be proud no matter what :-)

HM is going to sting at this point. I know it's an honor, I know PI's who still have it on their CV, I know teragrid is wicked sweet. I just need the money.

WHoever asked me earilier- I don't know which disciplines are not going to be favored- But I know that the extra money is coming from specific sources with specific goals and it's not "fund grad students in general" it's "fund this area". They definitely didn't say there that there are certain areas who just won;t get anymore awards but several people have told me that the distribution will not be anything resembling "even". They also told me that my area was one of the ones that was definitely not favored.

I'm one of the ones who need this to stick it out in grad school, so This week will probably be pretty bad for me.

Should probably get my C.V. together.

... probably gonna go be a hostess at Red Lobster.

[blah2009]

what happened to that second choice lab? I hope you took that offer.

[Higgins_the_Brave]

I'm one of the ones who need this to stick it out in grad school, so This week will probably be pretty bad for me.

Should probably get my C.V. together.

... probably gonna go be a hostess at Red Lobster.

BioMedSciMed: I am in the exact same boat. Last week I started TeXing a resume to send to a restaurant looking for sushi servers. I stopped halfway through and decided I can wait one more week before I do this. I lost my wallet two days ago anyway, so I can't apply anywhere until I order all new everything. But it's this or probably nothing for me!

[blah2009]

wait, are you guys serious?

I assume you guys are currently in grad school, and will have a masters? Is it just not marketable?

[denidzo]

BioMedSciMed: I am in the exact same boat. Last week I started TeXing a resume to send to a restaurant looking for sushi servers.

And I have been looking at the summer tour guide positions around here and filling out apps, hoping to get something that will allow me to at least eat something besides ramen and mac & cheese. If I don't get this I'll do the loans thing, but that's not the best idea I've ever had. And blah, summer is killer for grad students if you don't have funding and there's no summer academic stuff your way. It's rare for there to be paying positions for summer in my field.

And the master's means I can teach at a community college or as an adjunct (lousy pay, btw, I'm doing that in the fall) but with all the PhDs out there those jobs are increasingly going to folks whose education is longer than a master's.

[Neuronerd]

I am optimistic about a Tuesday notification and 380+ new awardees! What is everyone elses take

ill take monday + 475

[Higgins_the_Brave]

wait, are you guys serious?

I assume you guys are currently in grad school, and will have a masters? Is it just not marketable?

I'm a first year grad student, so if I have to leave now I will not have a masters. You need two years of coursework to get a masters here. All my RAs have crashed and burned so yes, I am completely serious, I am screwed.

[hatingthewaiting]

I'm a first year grad student, so if I have to leave now I will not have a masters. You need two years of coursework to get a masters here. All my RAs have crashed and burned so yes, I am completely serious, I am screwed.

That really sucks Higgins. You have to let us know if you get one. That way, if I don't get one, (after I finish feeling sorry for myself of course) at least I will be able to be happy for you.

[Higgins_the_Brave]

OK I will. A few nights ago I was pretty upset about all this, but I'm basically in a zen state now. In the BEST case scenario, 80% of us will not get money next week. It could even be 90% of us that don't get money, so I'm not expecting to win one. I'll figure something out though. Anyway, I hope the 90% of us that don't get it can party together sometime and shake off the pain

[blah2009]

Hm...that sounds disingenuous for the school to do that. Did they offer you funding for the masters and have since run out? Or did you take this calculated risk? Either way, that sucks, and I'll be pulling for you for sure.

[denidzo]

Hm...that sounds disingenuous for the school to do that. Did they offer you funding for the masters and have since run out? Or did you take this calculated risk? Either way, that sucks, and I'll be pulling for you for sure.

I don't know about Higgins, but a LOT of schools/departments don't offer funding for master's students at all. Ours is one of those. This year, with all the budget woes, we have 18 funding lines, and about a hundred grad students in various stages of completion. Competition is fierce.

[denidzo]

That really sucks Higgins. You have to let us know if you get one. That way, if I don't get one, (after I finish feeling sorry for myself of course) at least I will be able to be happy for you.

I agree. Whoever gets one has to come back and let us know, so even if we don't get one we can feel happy for those that do!

[blah2009]

It definitely depends on the school and field. Most reputable engineering schools offer fully funded masters degrees in engineering. But like most, my summer is not being funded by the school. I had to find an internship (much easier said than done in this economy).

[Higgins_the_Brave]

I was accepted as a PhD student, actually. My advisor had two grant proposals in and expected that he would get one of them funded, but he got neither funded, so suddenly I was here, having spent a year on a TA, with no funding for the summer or for next year. When I found out, I checked in with another geophysics professor who had a project that wasn't my first choice but that I would probably enjoy somewhat. I was all set to take that position, until I found out that she didn't have much money on her grants either, so she would not actually be able to pay me full time, just half time. Not going to work. Then, I tried to find out if any TAs were available - nope. My program director also pretty much said that there were no other RAs open in my department. So I switched departments, went to atmospheric science (I have some background in it) and begged around. It turned out that they had a great RA I was really excited about, and I felt really lucky to get it. This was the last week of April. They told me I had the RA and that we would start the second week of May. So I sat around for two weeks waiting to start (and not getting paid and not looking for any more RAs.) When the second week of May rolled around they contacted me and said they were actually having paperwork issues. They might not be able to offer the RA to anyone, and if they could offer it to me it might not start for another four to six weeks. So, BEST case scenario for me right now is that I have a job but that I have to continue enduring this two month unpaid, unwanted "vacation" while I spend all my savings and borrow from my boyfriend hoping they'll hire me at the end of June. As of right now they won't even confirm that they will hire me in June, although they say there's a "good chance." Or, I could just walk away from grad school right now and get a real job. I haven't decided but I'll decide next week based on if I get a GRF (yeah right). If I don't, it's resume time for me!

[blah2009]

=(.Man, if only any of you guys were in structural/civil engineering. I would definitely see if I could use any contacts I had to get you guys an RA or TA.

[denidzo]

I was accepted as a PhD student, actually. My advisor had two grant proposals in and expected that he would get one of them funded, but he got neither funded, so suddenly I was here, having spent a year on a TA, with no funding for the summer or for next year. :::snip::: although they say there's a "good chance." Or, I could just walk away from grad school right now and get a real job. I haven't decided but I'll decide next week based on if I get a GRF (yeah right). If I don't, it's resume time for me!

Higgins, this is beyond belief. I see now why you say you're going crazy, and for good reason! Let's just hope that you get good news when it comes!

[Higgins_the_Brave]

Confession: When they told me about the "paperwork issues" last week (as I sat at home alone reading papers while all the other grad students went to work), I kicked a hole in my own bedroom door. But the upside is that now I know how to fix a hole in a door! You can't tell at all... barely... ok, there's a dent. But it's pretty small!