Fulbright 2013-2014

[there'sanappforthat]

Great update for wannabe Chinese fulbrighters like myself: "it is likely to be several weeks still.  Thank you for your patience – we know it is hard to wait." At least they are acknowledging our suffering. So I guess we have a slightly better chance than 50/50? If I remember right it was like 110 applications and 60 available grants. Where my sinophiles at? Actually reading people's posts about Indonesia, I am now really jonesing to visit there and almost wish I had applied there :-). And this:

 

 Is pretty much exactly how I'm feeling. Oh god...I (*) have to work with Chinese Historians and Anthropologists? In Chinese?!?! NoOooOOOO!!!!!! [mentally commits to memorizing five books of vocab words but knows it'll never happen, but also that it'll end up being fine once I get there] 

*might...

hahaha, I'm so glad I'm not the only one who feels like this. I spent a semester in Germany (well, three months. Our semesters didn't overlap very well).

 

The summer before I went to Germany, I lived with my sister and did an internship in the town she lived. All summer long, she had to calm me down and remind me why I wanted to go. I can't tell you how many times we had the discussion where I told her I wanted to back out, and I didn't know what I was thinking. She kept reminding me how awesome it was going to be and that I would be okay when I got there. The worst anxiety, by far, was the day my exchange group made it to Germany, and met our host families. We had been on the plane ride, and then met up in the airport, to take the train together. As we were coming down the escalator from the train station, and I saw the families standing there, my heart was pounding like a freight train. I have never had such an intense bout of "What the heck was I thinking?!" As in that moment. Of course, everything was amazing and wonderful!! I could not have asked for a cooler host family! One of my friends even managed to get put in a really crazy family and had to be relocated, but that's another story. So, really, I was lucky to have been assigned such a cool family.

 

 

There were a few times that I would be out in town, and someone would stop me on the street and ask me something. Usually directions or something. My first reaction to someone talking to me was "Oh God! Someone is asking me something in German!! Don't be an idiot!" Then I would not have actually heard what they asked me, so I would ask them to repeat what they said. At that point, the realized I was not a native speaker and would repeat it in English. That was always a bit disheartening. I didn't finally start feeling comfortable in those sorts of situations until about 2 or 2 and a half months in. By then, the semester was practically over. I was so sad to leave at that point, because I was finally starting to feel like I was getting somewhere with my language skills!

 

Sorry for the rambling. I have a hard time being concises, in writing.

Edited March 1, 2013 by there'sanappforthat

[loveyourheritage]

Was recommended as a Principal Candidate for a UK-USA award

 

Anyone else going to the workshop in London on the 18th March?

[clairebear2]

Was recommended as a Principal Candidate for a UK-USA award

 

Anyone else going to the workshop in London on the 18th March?

Ah congrats! Does that mean you got the award? Who did you hear from?

[ALostScholar]

Was recommended as a Principal Candidate for a UK-USA award

 

Anyone else going to the workshop in London on the 18th March?

congrats!!!!!!!!

[Porshyen]

hahaha, I'm so glad I'm not the only one who feels like this. I spent a semester in Germany (well, three months. Our semesters didn't overlap very well).

 

The summer before I went to Germany, I lived with my sister and did an internship in the town she lived. All summer long, she had to calm me down and remind me why I wanted to go. I can't tell you how many times we had the discussion where I told her I wanted to back out, and I didn't know what I was thinking. She kept reminding me how awesome it was going to be and that I would be okay when I got there. The worst anxiety, by far, was the day my exchange group made it to Germany, and met our host families. We had been on the plane ride, and then met up in the airport, to take the train together. As we were coming down the escalator from the train station, and I saw the families standing there, my heart was pounding like a freight train. I have never had such an intense bout of "What the heck was I thinking?!" As in that moment. Of course, everything was amazing and wonderful!! I could not have asked for a cooler host family! One of my friends even managed to get put in a really crazy family and had to be relocated, but that's another story. So, really, I was lucky to have been assigned such a cool family.

 

 

There were a few times that I would be out in town, and someone would stop me on the street and ask me something. Usually directions or something. My first reaction to someone talking to me was "Oh God! Someone is asking me something in German!! Don't be an idiot!" Then I would not have actually heard what they asked me, so I would ask them to repeat what they said. At that point, the realized I was not a native speaker and would repeat it in English. That was always a bit disheartening. I didn't finally start feeling comfortable in those sorts of situations until about 2 or 2 and a half months in. By then, the semester was practically over. I was so sad to leave at that point, because I was finally starting to feel like I was getting somewhere with my language skills!

 

Sorry for the rambling. I have a hard time being concises, in writing.

 

YES! I had this experience while studying abroad in Russia.  Meeting my host family for the first time...I don't think I could have been more nervous.  But they turned out to be awesome.  As for walking in the street and people would come up and ask me something, I had the same thought: "Oh man, they are speaking Russian to me! What do I do? What do I do?" At which point, I missed the question and ask them to repeat it.  Then, they repeat the question either in English or yell the question at me in Russian. I agree, three months is not long enough - I was just getting my groove on with the language and then I had to leave.  Fulbright, this is where you come in...

Edited March 1, 2013 by Porshyen

[pbo]

Was recommended as a Principal Candidate for a UK-USA award

Anyone else going to the workshop in London on the 18th March?

Congrats!! Which school in the US are you coming to?

[vPersie]

Was recommended as a Principal Candidate for a UK-USA award

Congrats! What exactly does this mean, you got it or are recommended for it?

[there'sanappforthat]

Was recommended as a Principal Candidate for a UK-USA award

 

Anyone else going to the workshop in London on the 18th March?

congratulations!! high five!

[there'sanappforthat]

YES! I had this experience while studying abroad in Russia.  Meeting my host family for the first time...I don't think I could have been more nervous.  But they turned out to be awesome.  As for walking in the street and people would come up and ask me something, I had the same thought: "Oh man, they are speaking Russian to me! What do I do? What do I do?" At which point, I missed the question and ask them to repeat it.  Then, they repeat the question either in English or yell the question at me in Russian. I agree, three months is not long enough - I was just getting my groove on with the language and then I had to leave.  Fulbright, this is where you come in...

baaaaahahahahhahaha.

hahahhahahaa.

So glad to hear someone else pretty much have the same experience I did!

[there'sanappforthat]

Was recommended as a Principal Candidate for a UK-USA award

 

Anyone else going to the workshop in London on the 18th March?

Also, when did you find out? Today?

[Porshyen]

Was recommended as a Principal Candidate for a UK-USA award

 

Anyone else going to the workshop in London on the 18th March?

 

Congratulations! 

[lunita]

I have preemptively lost hope for finding out today, and have decided that I will not find out until March 8th. This, I hope, will allow me to be productive for the next 35 minutes before this work meeting, and allow me to forget about it until halfway through next week.

[shibboleth12]

here's a succulent serving of American music to help pass the time...

 

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFgz3OFGHw8>

Edited March 1, 2013 by shibboleth12

[secretlyismaili]

Porshyen, I see your program includes "Eurasian Studies" - do you do anything Central Asia-ish? Just curious. I am a student of Uzbek, Uyghur, and Old Turkic language and history and of Central Eurasia more broadly. Would that I were able to do a Fulbright among the Göktürks! I know next to nothing about Russia, though, unfortunately. 

 

And Shibboleth12, thank you for posting this piece. Is this in your opinion the best movement of the symphony?

[Anon314]

I temporarily flipped out that the US-UK thing meant they already announced winners and I didn't get it. I swear, this fellowship is going to give me a heart attack...

[Bluewho]

I temporarily flipped out that the US-UK thing meant they already announced winners and I didn't get it. I swear, this fellowship is going to give me a heart attack...

I think that the waiting process is to make sure that you're healthy enough.  If you can get through both rounds of waiting (heart palpitations, knotted stomachs, etc.), then you should be able to pass the medical exam. 

[Jynx1703]

I temporarily flipped out that the US-UK thing meant they already announced winners and I didn't get it. I swear, this fellowship is going to give me a heart attack...

So have the UK grantees been notified or not? I'm a bit confused....

[bastana]

this forum makes me want to keep checking for a decision when in reality i probably have a month to wait. ah. meanwhile i am starting to hear from grad programs, starting with a few i wonder why i even applied to in the first place (re: there'sanappforthat "WHAT WAS I THINKING!?"<-- that literally made me laugh out loud hahaha...)  well i'm sure we're all sold on the fulbright idea, but for schools some things are hard to turn down even if you're unsure they're right for you...sigh...unless..

come on fulbright........................!! O.O / must start researching additional scholarships...

[there'sanappforthat]

this forum makes me want to keep checking for a decision when in reality i probably have a month to wait. ah. meanwhile i am starting to hear from grad programs, starting with a few i wonder why i even applied to in the first place (re: there'sanappforthat "WHAT WAS I THINKING!?"<-- that literally made me laugh out loud hahaha...)  well i'm sure we're all sold on the fulbright idea, but for schools some things are hard to turn down even if you're unsure they're right for you...sigh...unless..

come on fulbright........................!! O.O / must start researching additional scholarships...

The Fulbright committee is full of a bunch of sadists.

[nainalerom]

this forum makes me want to keep checking for a decision when in reality i probably have a month to wait. ah. meanwhile i am starting to hear from grad programs, starting with a few i wonder why i even applied to in the first place (re: there'sanappforthat "WHAT WAS I THINKING!?"<-- that literally made me laugh out loud hahaha...) well i'm sure we're all sold on the fulbright idea, but for schools some things are hard to turn down even if you're unsure they're right for you...sigh...unless..

come on fulbright........................!! O.O / must start researching additional scholarships...

[nainalerom]

this forum makes me want to keep checking for a decision when in reality i probably have a month to wait. ah. meanwhile i am starting to hear from grad programs, starting with a few i wonder why i even applied to in the first place (re: there'sanappforthat "WHAT WAS I THINKING!?"<-- that literally made me laugh out loud hahaha...) well i'm sure we're all sold on the fulbright idea, but for schools some things are hard to turn down even if you're unsure they're right for you...sigh...unless..

come on fulbright........................!! O.O / must start researching additional scholarships...

It would definitely be hard to turn down grad schools (especially if you get awesome-sounding scholarships) but just think-- when you apply again next year you'll have the exact same application plus a fulbright. It couldn't hurt right?

[nainalerom]

Oops my phone glitched and I don't know how to delete that post...

[loveyourheritage]

Thanks guys!  

 

Being a Principal Candidate means you definitely have an award, if you don't take it then it goes to the reserve list so I'm pretty excited.  I found out on Monday, I'm pretty sure all the applicants from the UK to study in the US found out on the same day.

 

Good luck to everyone else!

[pbo]

So have the UK grantees been notified or not? I'm a bit confused....

loveyourheritage is from the UK, coming to the US- the reverse of us! We don't find out for a couple of weeks, haha

[medizumbacist]

this forum makes me want to keep checking for a decision when in reality i probably have a month to wait. ah. meanwhile i am starting to hear from grad programs, starting with a few i wonder why i even applied to in the first place (re: there'sanappforthat "WHAT WAS I THINKING!?"<-- that literally made me laugh out loud hahaha...)  well i'm sure we're all sold on the fulbright idea, but for schools some things are hard to turn down even if you're unsure they're right for you...sigh...unless..

come on fulbright........................!! O.O / must start researching additional scholarships...

Another option is to defer the grad school for a year...that's what I'm planning to do, I have 2 programs I'm deciding between and both will let me defer the year if by some divine act of god I'm awarded a fellowship...that way I can have my cake and eat it too mmm...cake...