Why is the Soc forum so dead as application season gets all heated?

[SocGirl2013]

I am just curious as to why we are not as amped up as the other sub-forums haha (see: literature 2014 thread lol).

It's December guys. How's everybody's applications coming along? Where are people applying?

As my sig says, I am still at 2/8 but hoping to bring this number to 4/8 by this weekend, and 8/8 by end of Dec (for all Jan deadlines).

 

[Darth.Vegan]

As deadlines approached last year I dropped off the forum for a little while as well. 

[mbrown0315]

Not me. This was practically my home page, I'm sorry to say.

[SocGirl2013]

Hahaha I am like mbrown here. Taken residence in Grad Cafe for now lol.

[socioholic]

Perhaps the Sociology students aren't very social.   Many of us have little specializations and niches; maybe we don't want to give too much away.

 

One more LOR and my apps should be totally complete. After a back and forth, I applied to economic sociology programs. Anyone else applied in that concentration?

 

I LOL a little at the thought of a literature forum being "amped up."

Edited December 9, 2013 by socioholic

[Loric]

Hmm.. chiming in because I would think the sociology area would be the first to take notice of the reasons behind the trend..

 

The forum goes dead around deadline time because the application process is not mutually beneficial experience - it is a competition. For someone to "win" someone else has to "lose." The rules of decorum dictate that one can not be openly hostile towards your opponents, but that does not stop endless amounts of passive aggression.

 

Think can be tracked by the usage of insulting/demeaning language hidden within otherwise "positive" response posts and the rampant downvoting of posts and topics compared to the number of upvotes.

 

There is very little actual helping of others with the best of intentions going on. There is however a rampant appetite for schadenfreude, hence why the forums has plenty of views but not nearly as many posts.

[NeckPocket]

Geeze, I'm glad I'm applying for 2015! I better get my questions in before December 2014.

[Sol_Barber]

First of all: I received helpful and encouraging feedback from many other applicants - thanks for that!

 

Moreover, I am uncomfortable with the explanation of Loric. Sure, competition might play a role, but I would not assume that this is the main or only reason. As mentioned above, people have a lot do - deadlines on top of work or finishing up the final projects of the semester, etc. People might simply not find the time or the nerve to participate as much as they did a month ago. And regarding giving advice: I think that many applicants, especially first time applicants, are careful with the advice they give, since they are not sure how accurate it actually is. So, competition is not the only possible reason...

 

And on a different note, I like to question the edge someone is gaining by not participating in interactions with his peers and occasionally offering help. This seems like a misguided folk model of rational choice - the myth of the information edge

 

And to answer Socgirl´s question, how everything is going - I have applied to three schools so far... still working on 5 or 6 more. 

[No Transitory]

Applications are going (too) slow - fortunately I got some extra work to do this week which will make the December 15 deadlines a breeze.

I have submitted 3 (that were already due) and have another 4 to go (which are due this Sunday) - not counting the one that I still have to make up my mind about in January.

I'm glad I'm not in the US having finals week atm though; that gives me enough time to finally register on this forum to procrastinate a little.

[socialequity]

@SocGirl2013 - glad you started the thread! Just sitting around and waiting for my recommenders to put their letters in! Waiting is the worst! I've submitted ten applications...waiting...waiting...waiting...

 

 

 

[No Transitory]

 

@SocGirl2013 - glad you started the thread! Just sitting around and waiting for my recommenders to put their letters in! Waiting is the worst! I've submitted ten applications...waiting...waiting...waiting...

 

 

 

 

I really don't think you want to start waiting just yet. There'll be enough time to do that as soon as the deadlines have passed and adcomms are meeting to decide how long they can make you wait for your decision.

 

...

 

I thought about suggestions for what you could do instead for a while now and didn't come up with a lot... So you might just as well be waiting.

[socialequity]

LOL @NoTransitory. I concur.  Well, if work were busy right now, that would help things! 

[Maleficent999]

Personally, I've been MIA because I've gotten to the point where I realized I really can't do much more than I already have. Only 2 applications left and I don't want to freak myself out and overanalyze everything. I want to just wait and see what happens without getting too in my head about it.

Edited December 10, 2013 by Maleficent999

[LeoBixby]

Anyone apply to  either of these schools: Binghamton Sociology or Cornell Development Sociology?

[pinoysoc]

Anyone apply to  either of these schools: Binghamton Sociology or Cornell Development Sociology?

 

LeoBixby, I applied to Cornell Development Sociology! To be honest, it's the first grad app I finished in October? Then I joined thegradcafe and saw/read that there's one time the program only had space for TWO new grad students. GOOD LUCK!

[SocInTheCity]

I finished my applications in December and at first, there was a rush of relief. My last application deadline was 1/15 but since I've been done for a month, I effectively extended my waiting time for a month.

 

Really anxious to get the first notification email. Could be as early as 2/1 if the Results Search from last year is any indication. Now I'm down to counting the days.

 

I am finding some distraction in this Tumblr: whatshouldwecallgradschool.tumblr.com

 

What else are you doing to pass the time?

[Maleficent999]

I started a new diet and exercise regime to get rid of all the stress/emotional eating weight I gained. Success so far!

[SocInTheCity]

Thanks @onehardtaco. I am running out of things to do so I will now peruse that one thoroughly to get me through the evening.

 

I just want to know SOMETHING. I feel like if I knew I had one option, I could relax a bit more.

[gilbertrollins]

Given the right mix of discussion, the forum has accumulated several thousand page views in a day in the past.