Sh*t people say when you are applying to grad school

[civicblade]

Hi rio-ne-ru,

As long as you believe that graduate school is the right path for you, you should hang in there.

I am glad that my wife understands my yearning for a post graduate education and supports me even if it means that both of us will have to relocate to a far away land for at least a year.

Personally, it is a hard decision to make. Going to graduate school at age 35 will mean that I have to give up a good career and live on our savings during studies.

Career wise, I am mentally prepared to start from the ground up after the masters if I want to remain in the host country and work there.

It is a very difficult decision and I am worried that I might back out considering the odds. For the time being, I will just have to stop thinking about all these until I get a reply from the University.

I have an argument with my mother when she hears that I got 4 rejection so far. This is really frustrating, I just want to share my anxiety in waiting for reply from grad school. But... it seems she does not understand, I don't know what I should do anymore... Maybe it is better if I just keep my mouth shut after all.

[rio-ne-ru]

come to grad cafe ... like your local bar, we understand your pain, we rarely judge and the barkeep rarely expects a tip

Hi rio-ne-ru,

As long as you believe that graduate school is the right path for you, you should hang in there.

I am glad that my wife understands my yearning for a post graduate education and supports me even if it means that both of us will have to relocate to a far away land for at least a year.

Personally, it is a hard decision to make. Going to graduate school at age 35 will mean that I have to give up a good career and live on our savings during studies.

Career wise, I am mentally prepared to start from the ground up after the masters if I want to remain in the host country and work there.

It is a very difficult decision and I am worried that I might back out considering the odds. For the time being, I will just have to stop thinking about all these until I get a reply from the University.

Thanks both of you for the encouragement.

This is my 2nd time applying for grad school. I failed last year because of bad test score. After that, I studied hard and successfully improve my score.

Well, applying for grad school is both very exciting and frustrating experience. It is like a roller coaster with tremendous high and low.

After cooling my mind, I am confident with my decision. I think this experience is very invaluable. Never before in my life that I have this much anxiety and excitement.

Once again, thank you! I hope the best for all of you too

[oseirus]

Thanks both of you for the encouragement.

This is my 2nd time applying for grad school. I failed last year because of bad test score. After that, I studied hard and successfully improve my score.

Well, applying for grad school is both very exciting and frustrating experience. It is like a roller coaster with tremendous high and low.

After cooling my mind, I am confident with my decision. I think this experience is very invaluable. Never before in my life that I have this much anxiety and excitement.

Once again, thank you! I hope the best for all of you too

You are very welcome ... and just remember this whole thing is a crazy process so don't ever let one thing or person get you down ... it can happen on your first go at age 21 or it might take you a few years (HOPEFULLY NOT) but never give up hope if this is what you truly want to do!

[v834]

Not really making me feel any better. The reason I applied to grad school was because I don't want to work the sort of job that I have been doing. These 'transferable skills' would be helpful if I wanted to stay in my current realm of work.

Ugh, I've been there, but some people don't get it. My dad never had the luxury of changing his mind because he had a family to support and doesn't understand that I don't want to change my career because a single job has issues, I know every job has ups and downs and I've had more than one in this industry, I just don't freaking enjoy this work or lifestyle as a career to want to do it forever, which I think he gets sometimes, but is still stuck in the "suck it up mentality" until I remind him I have no external obligations like a SO or children.

That said, I have to laugh, because if this thread shows anything, it's that there really isn't anything that can "Make you feel better" except an acceptance. I feel somewhat bad about people having to deal with our insanity because I'm well aware how sensitve grad applicants can get to anything. For awhile there people asking "hey how's it going, anything new?" was making me twitchy. I half expected to cut a b@#$ for saying hello.

Edited March 11, 2012 by v834

[oseirus]

That said, I have to laugh, because if this thread shows anything, it's that there really isn't anything that can "Make you feel better" except an acceptance. I feel somewhat bad about people having to deal with our insanity because I'm well aware how sensitve grad applicants can get to anything. For awhile there people asking "hey how's it going, anything new?" was making me twitchy. I half expected to cut a b@#$ for saying hello.

Truer words have never been spoken

[Waiting13]

I have a BA and applied for an MA in International Affairs...

Me: I don't know what I'm going to do if I don't get into grad school

Mom: What about engineering? All of the CEOs are engineers. You could get another undergrad?

Me: Seriously?!

[oseirus]

I have a BA and applied for an MA in International Affairs...

Me: I don't know what I'm going to do if I don't get into grad school

Mom: What about engineering? All of the CEOs are engineers. You could get another undergrad?

Me: Seriously?!

Well as insensitive as that sounded they DO have a point (not about the CEO part because clearly that is a flawed argument, since not ALL CEOs are egineers) but the point of potentially having to boost your resume up by getting another degree alas

[calire89]

Okay, my favorite (not): "But what are you going to DO with that?!" My mother [the MD] must have asked - in a sad, bewildered tone - at least 20 times so far.

[sansao]

Mom: "I can't understand why they didn't see your potential and take you right away."

Me: "They must have realized my intelligence is a ruse."

Mom: "What's a ruse?"

[oseirus]

Mom: "I can't understand why they didn't see your potential and take you right away."

Me: "They must have realized my intelligence is a ruse."

Mom: "What's a ruse?"

intelligence joke waiting to be written but how to not make it mean ... and now .... go!

[sansao]

Feel free to make it mean. As long as it's a joke, mean ones are better.

[-hermes-]

Mom: "I can't understand why they didn't see your potential and take you right away."

Me: "They must have realized my intelligence is a ruse."

Mom: "What's a ruse?"

That's cute, actually. Haha. I "aww"d.

[-hermes-]

For awhile there people asking "hey how's it going, anything new?" was making me twitchy. I half expected to cut a b@#$ for saying hello.

So glad I'm not the only one who's this oversensitive! I'm starting to actively avoid a couple of friends who demand to know my plans each time we talk. Once *I* know, I'll tell you!

[LinguisticMystic]

I graduated with a BA in psychology last May & my family has already forgotten & thinks I have a degree in linguistics. Hah! It's okay by me, though.

[oseirus]

Mom: "I can't understand why they didn't see your potential and take you right away."

Me: "They must have realized my intelligence is a ruse."

Mom: "What's a ruse?"

Feel free to make it mean. As long as it's a joke, mean ones are better.

I got nothing the best mean quip I could come up with was this: "well clearly you can see that intelligence isn't an inherited trait but then again maybe it is and that's why you weren't accepted"

I apologize for the anticipation

[ukulele11]

That said, I have to laugh, because if this thread shows anything, it's that there really isn't anything that can "Make you feel better" except an acceptance. I feel somewhat bad about people having to deal with our insanity because I'm well aware how sensitve grad applicants can get to anything. For awhile there people asking "hey how's it going, anything new?" was making me twitchy. I half expected to cut a b@#$ for saying hello.

Oh yeah, I'm definitely guilty of being overly sensitive lately! haha

Hopefully we'll all get some good news soon so that we can finally be sane again! After putting up with all of our insanity, our friends and families might be more grateful that this whole process is over than we will be!

Edited March 13, 2012 by ukulele11

[MediaMom]

I graduated with a BA in psychology last May & my family has already forgotten & thinks I have a degree in linguistics. Hah! It's okay by me, though.

My undergrad degree is in English but if you asked my mom, she'd tell you it was "something to do with communication." Not that she could explain what communication is.

[psychgurl]

I feel somewhat bad about people having to deal with our insanity because I'm well aware how sensitve grad applicants can get to anything. For awhile there people asking "hey how's it going, anything new?" was making me twitchy. I half expected to cut a b@#$ for saying hello.

SO TRUE. I feel like there should be a thread that is just Sh*t Moms Say When Applying to Grad School....my personal favorite is when I got rejected to multiple schools out of state, my mom couldn't help but excitedly exclaim, "Who wants to live in California anyway? At least now you may end up close to home!" GAHHHHH!!!!!!

[v834]

So glad I'm not the only one who's this oversensitive! I'm starting to actively avoid a couple of friends who demand to know my plans each time we talk. Once *I* know, I'll tell you!

Definitely not! I got some relief, but it required moving almost 7,000 miles away....and I still have to speak to my mom . I found out unoffically last week that I got in, but I'm not ready to celebrate because with my program, the real competition is on the financial aid, not the admission, so it's not much of a victory....yet, just a small step. Peopler do not get this. Meh. I don't know my plans, stop hassling me!

Oh yeah, I'm definitely guilty of being overly sensitive lately! haha

Hopefully we'll all get some good news soon so that we can finally be sane again! After putting up with all of our insanity, our friends and families might be more grateful that this whole process is over than we will be!

Yeah I wouldn't be surprised if that's the case. It's kinda like when someone dies and no one is quite sure what to say. Only this seems to last longer and it's our hope dying .

SO TRUE. I feel like there should be a thread that is just Sh*t Moms Say When Applying to Grad School....my personal favorite is when I got rejected to multiple schools out of state, my mom couldn't help but excitedly exclaim, "Who wants to live in California anyway? At least now you may end up close to home!" GAHHHHH!!!!!!

Oh dear, perhaps she just reached the hysterical "OMG I HAVE TO SAY SOMETHING *insert verbal diarrea* " stage. My father did the whole "say the wrong thing" to me when I was getting undergrad rejections. By "say the wrong thing" I mean "say anything" of course .

Edited March 13, 2012 by v834

[nari27]

They rejected you.........Well how come?!!??

[oseirus]

They rejected you.........Well how come?!!??

that is when I would hand that person the phone # to the department and ask them to give them a call to find out for you

[sansao]

I got nothing the best mean quip I could come up with was this: "well clearly you can see that intelligence isn't an inherited trait but then again maybe it is and that's why you weren't accepted"

I apologize for the anticipation

Haha, that's actually pretty good. I may use a variant of that if I don't get in and some of my more obnoxious relatives have anything to say (which they will).

[crazygirl2012]

My father did the whole "say the wrong thing" to me when I was getting undergrad rejections. By "say the wrong thing" I mean "say anything" of course .

So true! I think I got to the point of:

"Hey, how's it going?"

"No! It's not! I'm staring at my email! Nothing is happening!"

"Uhh... okay, hope your day gets better!"

Run away, well-intentioned person innocently saying hello to a grad applicant. Run far, far away.

[RKS]

So true! I think I got to the point of:

"Hey, how's it going?"

"No! It's not! I'm staring at my email! Nothing is happening!"

"Uhh... okay, hope your day gets better!"

Run away, well-intentioned person innocently saying hello to a grad applicant. Run far, far away.

This is how most of my conversations go.

[LaBrunaFurba]

I got tired of people acting so aghast that my partner was willing to make the move with me. "Are you sure he wants to do that? What about his job? Does he want you to go so far?"

As though we hadn't discussed these things prior to applying.

...perhaps people aren't used to a marriage with good communication and mutual support?

Edited March 13, 2012 by LaBrunaFurba