PSA: take a deep breath and smile!

[pears]

since we're up to our necks in the waiting process now, we've had a lot of negative vibes on this board lately, so i wanted to share one of my favorite things ever: the calming manatee. 

 

 

calming manatee loves you unconditionally. it wants to make sure you're nourishing your body, as well as your mind and soul. 

 

 

calming manatee agrees: it's totally jerky of adcomms to make you wait so long, after you put so much work into your applications. 

 

 

still, calming manatee is just as realistic as you are, and understands that sometimes a tasty beverage is the best solution.

 

 

in general, this is now a thread full of soothing and smile-inducing things from around the interwebs. waiting and decision-making are really stressful, so i think we all owe it to ourselves to create a little refuge of good vibes to temporarily distract us all from the swirling vortex of dismay, worry, and apprehension. 

 

enjoy, friends 

[OhMySocks]

If you need a hug:

The Nicest Place On The Internet

[EloiseGC]

since we're up to our necks in the waiting process now, we've had a lot of negative vibes on this board lately, so i wanted to share one of my favorite things ever: the calming manatee. 

 

 

calming manatee loves you unconditionally. it wants to make sure you're nourishing your body, as well as your mind and soul. 

 

 

calming manatee agrees: it's totally jerky of adcomms to make you wait so long, after you put so much work into your applications. 

 

 

still, calming manatee is just as realistic as you are, and understands that sometimes a tasty beverage is the best solution.

 

 

in general, this is now a thread full of soothing and smile-inducing things from around the interwebs. waiting and decision-making are really stressful, so i think we all owe it to ourselves to create a little refuge of good vibes to temporarily distract us all from the swirling vortex of dismay, worry, and apprehension. 

 

enjoy, friends 

I needed this. <3

[ArtHistoryandMuseum]

Thank you so much!

A calming manatee is indeed what I needed :-)

[pears]

glad i could bring some happiness to you guys! as a little instant karma, i just received an acceptance from my top choice program, so i'm taking this as scientific proof that the calming manatee works. 

[MSW13]

Awesome Pears, congratulations! And thanks for the manatee... I've really got my zen going on now

[DarlingNikki]

If you need a hug:

The Nicest Place On The Internet

 

 Creepily comforting!

[eaboo316]

I love the manatee, so cute!!  I also want to share a video with you guys that made me forget just about everything unpleasant in life when I watched it!  If you like baby bunnies, this will be cuteness overload for you!

 

[pears]

well, my heart exploded into a million rainbows.

[veggiez]

well, my heart exploded into a million rainbows.

Seeing the grumpy cat photo next to this comment and in response to the bunny video really makes me laugh

[aapril]

Aww, these made me smile. Much needed and appreciated.

[courtc8891]

Baby bunnies and manatees? I think I'll stay on this thread for a while. Thanks for the smile

[drglasner]

saw this and thought I'd pass it along!

 

 

poor T-Rex! his short arms make everything harder.

 

 

and here's a hedgehog with a strawberry on top of it.

 

[RandiZ]

Thank you.

[pears]

oh my word. the hedgie. with the berry. and the everything. AH. that reminds me of my mom's response to getting into montana: 

 

among a sea of other animals in party and cowboy hats, there was this gem! (she, too, has a penchant for tiny animals in silly outfits.)

 

she's poking a bit of fun at me, now that i'm pretty committed to going to MT- when i was little, i had a "cowboy" phase (i also didn't understand why girls couldn't be cowboys.. guess i was a feminist before i knew what that was!), and if i weren't a spitting image of my dad, nobody would guess that i was my parents' child. they're both suburban/urban types who don't care too much for dirt; i'm the hippie lovechild of indiana jones and annie oakley. now she's convinced i'll be living out my next two-odd years living out my cowboy dreams of yesteryear. 

[RubyBright]

SO glad I clicked this thread. I smiled a lot.

Just wanted to remind everyone who is stressed out that your body can't tell the difference between a genuine smile and a fake one. If you can fake a smile for even five seconds (even just biting down on a pencil and holding it there for five seconds!), it starts to change your brain's chemistry at that moment and improve your mood! So just take some time and smile. It will help. 

[anaZep]

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/QNbRMG-4wAI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

Special dedication to the admissions committees at the schools I'm still waiting to hear back from (which is ALL of them!).  :sigh:   

[pears]

interviewing tips, from dogs:

 

don't be too formal.

 

don't be too casual, either, and definitely get lots of rest the night before.

 

talk yourself up, but don't try to be someone you're not.

 

don't forget: strong, engaging, open body language is important!

 

a little personal touch to the old "skirt and blouse"/"blazer and tie" look never hurts, but don't get too crazy.

 

no matter what you decide to wear, a smile is the most important accessory!

[MSW13]

Pears, I tried to 'up vote' the dog but apparently I've reached my quota of positive clicks for the day... It's so strange that gradcafe gives you a maximum amount of 'likes' a day...but I digress...

Well I am not fond of cats and really not a pet person at all, the dog in a tux was too cute. 

[queenleblanc]

I love the t-rex.  Still laughing that one out... definitely a good way to keep my mind off of things that will eventually work themselves out!!! :-)

[daydreamer254]

Great pictures and video! I love 'em all!

 

Here's my contribution, the scotty puppy pinwheel:

 

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vDa0z0gEvI4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[drglasner]

I know we're all probably feeling a little like this...

 

 

 

and it seems that grad school is just out to get us

 

 

and we're really just being dragged through this as some sort of sick joke

 

 

but at the end of the day, things could be worse

 

 

 

and things will work out just fine

 

 

 

 

smile, everybody!

Edited February 25, 2013 by drglasner

[zhx591623]

good

[CleverCapybara]

Awwww, guys, you're amazing!

So, here's my contribution to heart-warming thread.

 

 

Obviously, someone is hoping for the best.

 

 

But getting more and more depressed...

 

Then... a letter!!!!

 

Congrats!

 

Finally you're grad student!

[pears]

i'm sorry for the cruise control/caps lock, but i just needed to say that THIS THREAD IS THE BEST. i put that in bubblegum pink to ensure full understanding of how warm and fuzzy this makes me feel. my admissions process is actually going really smoothly, but as job stress (finishing up my first >50 page primary author report, a few projects, and conferences coming up, plus twiddling my thumbs while i wait to hear about summer jobs that will affect my loans) and decisions are creeping in, seeing lots of cute animals posted by awesome people really helps me continue chugging along. thanks y'all!