Venting Thread- Vent about anything.

[LittleDarlings]

Venting time!

 

I'm really really really anxious about my living situation. I'm living in a crowded dorm with undergraduates, and it's really stressing me out.

 

I am introverted, so all of the noise and having people around so much makes it hard for me to balance my sanity with grad school.  I don't get any "recharge" time, so I never feel like have more than 70% energy at the start of the day. Don't get me wrong -- I love my roommate, I love being introverted, and I love being a grad student, but it's hard to balance those three when there's so many people! 

 

Thankfully, I am moving out to live in a studio apartment in 6 weeks, but now those 6 weeks are going by. oh. so. slowly.

 

Any tips on how to pass the time?

Learn a skill! I took up crocheting while waiting for apps.

[JBums1028]

Whoever was the first person to say that they just want to know where they'll be in 6 months- I feel you!

 

So my venting story for the day: I'm a candidate for admission at my top choice program right now. Had my interviews last week, so I'm anxiously awaiting to hear back (they said they would start extending offers sometime this week, and yes I'm well aware it's only Monday). Got an email from the program today... got all anxious before I opened it... it was just to thank me for submitting my GA preferences.

 

I just want to know where I stand right now!! Is that too much to ask for? The anxiety is definitely getting to me.

 

I'm sending a virtual hug to everyone who is in a very similar situation right now. I know how you feel.

[MadtownJacket]

Stuck at a tiny airport for the next six hours, so I'm drowning my sorrows in hard cider and Sour Patch Kids while listening to "All of Me" on repeat.

[sqxz]

Getting rejected post-interview sucks. I know it's a very competitive process, but I can't help but feel like they're saying, "Yeah, you looked great on paper, but, in person...man, you were not at all what we were looking for! Really dodged a bullet with you!" Also, I'm so mad at myself for getting so excited for a school when I knew only 50% of the people who interview actually get in. I tried so hard not to get my heart set, but I couldn't help myself! That school was perfect in so many ways! But, there's nothing I can do now, so there's no use dwelling on it. Just have to be extra grateful for the offers I do have and have to get myself just as excited about one of those offers!

[fancyfeast]

Venting time!

 

I'm really really really anxious about my living situation. I'm living in a crowded dorm with undergraduates, and it's really stressing me out.

 

I am introverted, so all of the noise and having people around so much makes it hard for me to balance my sanity with grad school.  I don't get any "recharge" time, so I never feel like have more than 70% energy at the start of the day. Don't get me wrong -- I love my roommate, I love being introverted, and I love being a grad student, but it's hard to balance those three when there's so many people! 

 

Thankfully, I am moving out to live in a studio apartment in 6 weeks, but now those 6 weeks are going by. oh. so. slowly.

 

Any tips on how to pass the time?

 

I feel you. Freshman year I felt like there was never a place I could go to be ALONE. I'd suggest maybe study rooms in the library or staying out late on campus (like in libraries, your office if you know it will be empty) until you're ready to go to bed. I do that now. My roommates think I'm really hardworking since I come in when they're already asleep but in reality I'm recharging and watching Netflix haha.

[Inka dreams]

I never thought I would need to vent but this happened...

 

My application was submitted on 2nd Feb. And GRE posted that my official scores were received by the school on 7th Feb. I interviewed with my top choice on the 17th of Feb. Everything went fine and was picture perfect with me expecting a favourable decision this week. 

 

And so I emailed the director of admissions about decisions and she throws the bomb that they havent received the official GRE scores yet and so they have not processed my application. Meanwhile with a rolling admissions schedule, they have already sent out quite a few admits with FUNDING!! 

 

And come to think of it... the school did not bother to even inform me that they missed something, even when I interviewed with them!! But here's the twist... 

 

I was furious at GRE and wrote to them and they replied back in 15 minutes with the electronic file number through which they had sent my scores to the school. The school now acknowledges its receipt on 7th Feb, but says will now take 2 more week to take a decision on me!!

 

I feel sad and angry that I missed out on an amazing chance... I have a very strong application and I feel this is so very unfair!!

[sqxz]

Getting rejected post-interview sucks. I know it's a very competitive process, but I can't help but feel like they're saying, "Yeah, you looked great on paper, but, in person...man, you were not at all what we were looking for! Really dodged a bullet with you!" Also, I'm so mad at myself for getting so excited for a school when I knew only 50% of the people who interview actually get in. I tried so hard not to get my heart set, but I couldn't help myself! That school was perfect in so many ways! But, there's nothing I can do now, so there's no use dwelling on it. Just have to be extra grateful for the offers I do have and have to get myself just as excited about one of those offers!

 

Just so everyone knows, it sucks even more when you follow up with the PI you had the best interview with and they say they had been looking forward to having you rotate in their lab in the fall... I guess it just goes to show that it was competition and not being bad in person that got me rejected. I just hope I don't forever wonder what I could have done differently to give me the edge over someone else who got in. :/ This just sucks so much.

[gr8pumpkin]

My wife and I are atheists, and we are raising our son not to be an atheist per se, but to think for himself, evaluate the evidence of things, and to come to his own conclusions.  We live in a red state right now (Texas, as it says in my location), and he's getting picked on by *other six year olds at school* because he doesn't currently believe in God *or Jesus*.  

 

My Top Choice school is in a blue state and I can't imagine this going on nearly as often as it goes on here.  This is actually becoming a factor in my hoping and wishing (though, heh, not praying).

[legan]

In my interview today, I think I accidentally advocated for underage drinking. I recovered well, but oh god was it ever embarrassing.

 

The torture of waiting is making me want to tear my hair out. 

[Guest Gnome Chomsky]

In my interview today, I think I accidentally advocated for underage drinking. I recovered well, but oh god was it ever embarrassing.

 

The torture of waiting is making me want to tear my hair out. 

If it's any consolation, I would've hired you. 

[Guest Gnome Chomsky]

My wife and I are atheists, and we are raising our son not to be an atheist per se, but to think for himself, evaluate the evidence of things, and to come to his own conclusions.  We live in a red state right now (Texas, as it says in my location), and he's getting picked on by *other six year olds at school* because he doesn't currently believe in God *or Jesus*.  

 

My Top Choice school is in a blue state and I can't imagine this going on nearly as often as it goes on here.  This is actually becoming a factor in my hoping and wishing (though, heh, not praying).

Interesting. And you live in Houston (from your profile) so I imagine it would be much worse in other parts of Texas. You could always try for a more liberal part of Texas (Austin is the only place that comes to mind... maybe Dallas). 

[EngineerGrad]

So today I told a "friend" that I got accepted into GA Tech, and that I was really happy. And he was like: oh, it's not as hard as people think to get into grad school... But congrats.

 

 

Why would someone say something like this?!?!?!??? Do you know how much stress goes into grad apps? 

 

(He is a Junior in college          )

[LittleDarlings]

So today I told a "friend" that I got accepted into GA Tech, and that I was really happy. And he was like: oh, it's not as hard as people think to get into grad school... But congrats.

 

 

Why would someone say something like this?!?!?!??? Do you know how much stress goes into grad apps? 

 

(He is a Junior in college          )

Certainly have heard that before...

[gr8pumpkin]

Interesting. And you live in Houston (from your profile) so I imagine it would be much worse in other parts of Texas. You could always try for a more liberal part of Texas (Austin is the only place that comes to mind... maybe Dallas). 

 

That's a good point.  I've been laboring under the impression that Houston itself, being a cosmopolitan city and all that, is about as liberal as Texas gets, but I suppose I could give Dallas a try, as my one acceptance is near Dallas.  Still, it's not the northeast which is where my top choice school is and which I'm still waiting to hear from.  Long story short, waiting it out sucks.  Has anybody or everybody here ever felt that way?

[gr8pumpkin]

So today I told a "friend" that I got accepted into GA Tech, and that I was really happy. And he was like: oh, it's not as hard as people think to get into grad school... But congrats.

 

 

Why would someone say something like this?!?!?!??? Do you know how much stress goes into grad apps? 

 

(He is a Junior in college          )

 

Congratulations on GA Tech, and screw your "friend."

[mandarin.orange]

Rant: this whole week. 

 

• watching a proposal we (a service committee) worked 6 months on turn to dust, by way of a shit storm of group emails. 

• admitted students are visiting. We (me + roomie) volunteered to host and were set up with someone who ultimately flaked...crashed at another grad's place after out drinking? Wasted confusion and time on our part.

• samples that took twice as long to process as the ones before were set in an oven w/ temp. set too high. Finding their shriveled-up, useless forms when I opened the oven Fri afternoon pretty much summed up the week.

 

Worst is, to make time for all this, I put off a few real interesting emails from outside collaborators re. research. I should've spent my time there, happily chasing down their questions and perusing new data. 

 

And I am never, ever volunteering for service again while in grad school...whatever job after this, any service I even consider had better have a measurable benefit towards tenure.

[gr8pumpkin]

Okay, here's a rant.

 

I *hate* it when people leave a message saying to call them--- but don't say why.  This is one of my all-time greatest pet peeves.  I just got one yesterday from a friend--- "Pumpkin, what's your number?  I need to talk to you about something."  Okay... what did I do wrong?  Are we breaking up?

 

Is it really that hard to just throw in one sentence to say "It's about x, y or z"?  Because I still have yet to hear from this friend and I'm wondering, okay, what?  My mind reels with possibilities, mostly negative, because that's just where my mind tends toward.  And who knows.  It could be something wonderful.  Maybe he wants to hire me for something.  But, you know, when I'm on pins and needles waiting to hear from a school, more vagueness and uncertainty is the last thing I need.  Please just say what it's about.  I promise I'll call back even if you think I'll think it's unimportant if you say what it is. 

 

(One thing that occurred to me is that, as he is a grad student, he's calling me to say, Pumpkin, we can tell it's you.  You're not hiding your identity well enough on gradcafe and you need to be more careful!)

[NatureGurl]

Here's my rant. A fellow grad student friend and colleague unfriended me all of a sudden (online and in real life) without any warning, reasons, or acknowledgement. Really? Are we still in high school? I don't know what I've done to offend this person. And that makes grad school feel weird and uncomfortable because I still have to see this person in class and on campus. And we have lots of mutual friends. I can't imagine that I've said or done something that bad. On the other hand, I don't have the time or energy in grad school to repair friendships gone bad. I'm trying to let bygones be bygones and move on.

[NatureGurl]

Okay, here's a rant.

 

I *hate* it when people leave a message saying to call them--- but don't say why.  This is one of my all-time greatest pet peeves.  I just got one yesterday from a friend--- "Pumpkin, what's your number?  I need to talk to you about something."  Okay... what did I do wrong?  Are we breaking up?

 

This is totally me. Glad to know I'm not the only one!

[legan]

If it's any consolation, I would've hired you. 

 

I appreciate the solidarity, but it was one of my school interviews. Ugh.

[Bethdv]

Getting rejected post-interview sucks. I know it's a very competitive process, but I can't help but feel like they're saying, "Yeah, you looked great on paper, but, in person...man, you were not at all what we were looking for! Really dodged a bullet with you!" Also, I'm so mad at myself for getting so excited for a school when I knew only 50% of the people who interview actually get in. I tried so hard not to get my heart set, but I couldn't help myself! That school was perfect in so many ways! But, there's nothing I can do now, so there's no use dwelling on it. Just have to be extra grateful for the offers I do have and have to get myself just as excited about one of those offers!

 

Oh my gosh, same. I feel like I said something really stupid. But also, in the end of the interview the professor asked me to send him a paper I wrote. And I just found out that I sent it to myself by mistake - I was using an alias email address and it went to that instead. So that probably didn't help me case.

 

I'm worried about housing, because people tell me I should secure a lease months in advance, but also that I see the place in person before. And I can't possibly do both.

[GreenePony]

 I'm a teacher not your servant, I am not at your beck and call. They then complained to our superintendent and spoke to a lawyer in an attempt to file due process.  Luckily, both the superintendent and lawyer were able to point out that they had 0 grounds for any type of action. Crazy parents seriously make me question staying in the field of education.

Ugh, I'm sorry. My mom's school district just had to deal with this.The parents claimed the daughter wasn't being properly assisted in her IEP and the school should pay for the girl to go to an independent school for the next 5 years, and maybe even college (it's happened before.) Too bad her scores went up to proficient in the three months she saw the specialist (before the trial, thankfully.) Crazy parents are why I never followed in my mom's footsteps (teaching girl scouts and their mothers were enough to make me scream.)

[LittleDarlings]

I hate when my parents call my program something different than it is. I'm not going into social services, I hate the looks I get when I say social work. Like I am walking into people's homes taking their kids away. I wish people knew more about it.

[JBums1028]

I need to vent about how the application process has gone for me so far. I love the field that I'm going into, but it's a complete catch-22. They expect that you'll already have experience in higher ed when you apply, but you need the Master's already to gain experience. So tell me, what exactly am I supposed to do? I'm at the point where I'm praying for a GA position.

[Quantum Buckyball]

I swear to god some of the prospective students were so arrogant and smart-ass, almost made me want to leave their ass in the middle of no where....

Edited March 9, 2014 by Quantum Buckyball