The early lurkers thread! Calling those not applying for a couple of years

[med latte]

I suspect I'm not alone in reading GradCafe long before my application time. Perhaps you're waiting for financial reasons, or you want to have a couple of years of job experience to improve your application when the time comes.  Whatever the reason, how are you handling the wait?

 

I plan to apply to a particular PhD program, but not for another 2 or 3 years when my spouse and I will be ready to consider relocation.  I am currently in a job in my field and am taking a couple of online grad classes at the school I want to attend as a PhD student. Life is pretty good (though there are days when I fantasize about leaving my job!) but I can't quiet my excitement about the PhD program.  I hope to leave in a couple of years, so it is difficult to get excited about long-term plans in my job.  Part of me wants to hit the "fast forward" button and make it time to apply.  I find that when I've having a bad day at work, I escape into mentally writing my resignation letter.  I know that a PhD program will be incredibly stressful; I am going into this with my eyes wide open. Yet I am eager to launch into independent research after 15 years of working in my field.  It is far too soon for me to be thinking about this so often.  At this rate, I'm afraid I will run out of steam emotionally by the time I apply, much less start the real work of a full-time PhD program.

 

Does this sound familiar to anyone?  How are you coping with these year(s) before you apply?

[teletubbie]

i am also an early lurker, but for other reasons. im having a bad time at my biology masters program (got a C+ and am expecting another one) and my gpa is just a 3 and my uGPA is 2.9. im just abt rounding up a year in the lab im volunteering in and have 2 10-week summer research experiences (REU programs). im looking to apply for postbac biology/biochem research programs (though i dont think i have the preparation to delve into biochem) and am just a bit anxious i guess abt the whole thing as i am constantly researching the topic.