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


Clou12

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I gave up explaining linguistics as well.

Before:

- Hey there, what are you applying for?

- Linguistics, historical/comparative.

- The same as your BA and MA?

- Yeah.

- So... is that a science or what? How many languages do you speak? You're going to be a translator, right?

- :AAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH:

After:

- Hey there, what are you applying for?

- Languages.

- Which one?

- All of them.

- Cool.

It's easier.

I hope you don't mind. I had to turn this into a rage comic :) I hope you like it!

png2.png

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(Day after you turn in applications)

"Any news yet?!?!"

Lolol....

"Any news yet?"...

"Actually, yeah, I heard from three schools before I even turned in their applications! Pretty awesome, right???"

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From other college seniors: "Grad school? Oh, that's nice. I'm applying for JOBS."

Generally from older people: "Grad school? Haha, must be nice! Are your parents paying for that?"

I'll be fully funded and constantly working, thankyouverymuch.

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From other college seniors: "Grad school? Oh, that's nice. I'm applying for JOBS."

Generally from older people: "Grad school? Haha, must be nice! Are your parents paying for that?"

I'll be fully funded and constantly working, thankyouverymuch.

I really get sick of the classist take that higher knowledge is only for the wealthy. that kind of thinking is what allows this country to keep movin towards authoritarianism

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Mom: "heard anything?"

Dad: "heard anything?"

Girlfriend: "heard anything?"

Roommate: "heard anything?"

Best Friend: "heard anything?"

and then I get rejected from UT-Austin...

Mom: "heard anything?"

Dad: "heard anything?"

Girlfriend: "heard anything?"

Roommate: "heard anything?"

Best Friend: "heard anything?"

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

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Hooooly crap don't even get me started on that one. My parents are well-off and I was fortunate enough that they paid for me to attend college in the US. After graduating, I moved back home to pursue a Master's before applying for PhD programs. In Canada, Master's programs are funded (at least for biology) - this year, I"m getting 30k and paying 8k tuition out of that. So, even though I"m living at home (and therefore not paying rent or for food if I eat at home), anything I do for myself (visit the BF, go out, buy clothing, etc etc) comes out of my own pocket. What I don't spend goes to savings (duh).

And yet, a family 'friend' of ours (who is in herlate thirties, with a child out of wedlock, lives at home, and works as a server in a restaurant) has the gall to say to my mother behind my back, "So, how much longer is coonskee going to be free-riding off you guys?"

Um, eff you.

</rant>

The lack of self-awareness in this post is both hilarious and infuriating.

If you were an international student in the U.S., and went to a half decent school for undergrad, your parents almost certainly dropped over $100k on your tuition, room, and board. Closer to $200k for good schools.

They are providing you with a free house likely worth several hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Let's not forget the electricity, heat, water, insurance and other associated bills that are far from insignificant.

On top of that, they are paying for all your food.

The single mother with a non-skilled job who probably is struggling to stay afloat has the "gall" to suggest you are living off your parents because, newsflash, you are. Think she would mind someone writing her a check for about $500k of aggregate support? And then you castigate her, when your biggest financial worries are "going out" and buying new clothes?!

People shouldn't be embarrassed or try to hide that they have significant parental financial support - it doesn't invalidate or cheapen your academic accomplishments, whatever they may be. But for gods sakes, have the decency to at least acknowledge that you are extremely fortunate in the opportunities afforded (literally) to you!

Edited by MYRNIST
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The single mother with a non-skilled job who probably is struggling to stay afloat has the "gall" to suggest you are living off your parents because, newsflash, you are. Think she would mind someone writing her a check for about $500k of aggregate support? And then you castigate her, when your biggest financial worries are "going out" and buying new clothes?!

People shouldn't be embarrassed or try to hide that they have significant parental financial support - it doesn't invalidate or cheapen your academic accomplishments, whatever they may be. But for gods sakes, have the decency to at least acknowledge that you are extremely fortunate in the opportunities afforded (literally) to you!

Sorry, guess I didn't tell the whole story, and I probably should have used a different tone. I am aware that I'm incredibly fortunate. :) My frustration is with the fact that she she dubs me as completely freeloading (as in, parents giving me allowance to live off of while I only attend classes, as if I don't actually work my ass off at a lab job for fifty to sixty hours a week).

The back story: The woman of whom I'm speaking actually went to law school, graduated, then decided to return to serving because she didn't feel like being a lawyer. She treats her step-dad with little to no respect, even though he's the main breadwinner in the house, and he makes much more than my parents do. She's an incredibly vicious person who talks down to every single one of our family friends (the parents have known each other since they emmigrated from Poland; the children have almost all known each other from birth).

A single mother in an unskilled job who's struggling to make ends meet? Hell yes she deserves to question my self-sufficiency, because I know I've had it good.

A woman who turned down a very good career path because she preferred the easy life of serving and living at home with as little responsibility as possible? Especially one who tends to talk back to my parents as well?Totally different story. She gets no respect from me.

I understand why you'd misinterpret what I'm saying, since I gave no indication of back story :) Lesson learned for next time!

Edited by coonskee
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I love it when people ask me how I'm going to pay for it... I tell them I am so in demand that the grad schools actually PAY me to attend :D If nothing else it makes them stop prying into my personal finances and then they quickly become interested in what I am studying

(Of course I usually end up telling them how little money I will make when I graduate which then convinces them to *not* talk their child/niece/neighbor's kid into studying anthropology)

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Another funding-related one, particularly since most professional Masters programs aren't well-funded.

"Why can't you get more money? My [sibling/friend/imaginary person] went to [totally random university] for [any discipline] and got a full ride. I'm sure it's like that everywhere."

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Yeah, most people are not clear on the difference between true graduate programs like PHDs (which typically have tuition covered + stipend, though not always), and professional programs like MBA or MPA (in which you are expected to go into debt, and pay it off with higher future wages). Not that I expect random people decades out of school who never pursued these options to know the difference off the top of their head, but it does get annoying.

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Another funding-related one, particularly since most professional Masters programs aren't well-funded.

"Why can't you get more money? My [sibling/friend/imaginary person] went to [totally random university] for [any discipline] and got a full ride. I'm sure it's like that everywhere."

Haha! So true!

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Yeah, most people are not clear on the difference between true graduate programs like PHDs (which typically have tuition covered + stipend, though not always), and professional programs like MBA or MPA (in which you are expected to go into debt, and pay it off with higher future wages). Not that I expect random people decades out of school who never pursued these options to know the difference off the top of their head, but it does get annoying.

Agreed. I make a point of being patient in explaining how it works, but it isn't always easy when we hear it so often! It's fine when people are just unaware of how grad school works, but when they imply that I'm freeloading or avoiding a career, I get irritated.

Here's another gem, from my well-intentioned mother: "I knew someone who got his Ph.D. online when he was in his fifties, so maybe you could do that if you don't get in this year!" Annoying at the time. Hilarious now. :)

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