WINE, WAIT, AND WHINE THREAD

[haltheincandescent]

So, the interview wasn't really all that bad, to be honest, but I just get nervous in those situations, and ramble-y, and go off on tangents that had very little to do with their actual questions. We'll see how it ends up, though, I guess. One hour to chill a bit before the next.

Edited January 27, 2016 by haltheincandescent

[Foreveronward]

9 hours ago, gingin6789 said:

Waiting is so. Hard. Especially when you don't have anyone in the same position as you waiting it out! 

And yes, I'm working on one! It's going pretty well so far. When I started it last summer, I had to work on it while my advisor was in Africa for the whole summer. So her email access was limited! Since it was only the beginning of the thesis though, it was mostly literature review work I could do on my own. 

It's good that it was mostly literature review. I honestly think the introduction is the most draining part since it's all self motivated and a ton of reading. Once you have that done the actual research and results seem heaps easier (at least for my field). Plus you're already a third or a fourth of the way done, so you're invested!

8 hours ago, 123hardasABC said:

It's going slowly. I scratched out maybe a third of the writing load. And I'm working both remotely and with limited adviser contact. You?

Hey, remote/low adviser contact buddies! I put off my thesis for awhile to work on my GRE studying. I'm starting it back up now, but I'm still working on the lit review. I do have a data set from a professor I do research with, but I'm almost feeling like I want to do something on my own. Hmm  

To both of you: stay strong and good luck writing- we can do this!

[solomonski]

@haltheincandescent Don't worry -- I did the same thing with my Duke interview... but in the WRONG direction, so I ended up having an hour less than anticipated. Ultimately, I think that was a good thing, because the more I "prepared," the more nervous I got. I might not have survived if I really had another hour. In the end, it went about like how you described: not nearly as intimidating as I feared, but I still think I sort of ended up rambling and not fully answering every dimension of their question, especially on the first of the three. On the whole, I think it was okay though. Still checking email compulsively. Good luck with the rest of yours; let us know how they turn out.

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

3 hours ago, rhombusbombus said:

@Pink Fuzzy Bunny my same sentiment if i move to riverside! penn state and uiuc are leaps and bounds more affordable! especially since i'd love to live by myself with my dog

 

i'm slowly becoming okay with the fact that i'll need 2-4 roommates  

Hey, I live right by UIUC. Let me know if you need help... but yes, so much more affordable! Right now I'm in a reasonably nice one-bedroom and pay $550 a month. I've always lived in this area so the thought of paying $900/mo for an apartment is just unthinkable to me!

[DrZoidberg]

@Pink Fuzzy Bunny $550 for a one-bedroom apartment?! We're paying $2000 for a one-bedroom in the Bay Area, which is really just a tiny in-law unit on someone's lawn. This is a huge reason for me to try to get out of the area, which I don't think I am succeeding at very well, my only offers so far being around here. 

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

12 minutes ago, DrZoidberg said:

@Pink Fuzzy Bunny $550 for a one-bedroom apartment?! We're paying $2000 for a one-bedroom in the Bay Area, which is really just a tiny in-law unit on someone's lawn. This is a huge reason for me to try to get out of the area, which I don't think I am succeeding at very well, my only offers so far being around here. 

$2000?! I don't think that my hand is capable of writing out a rent check for that amount. Here in Champaign-Urbana if you fork out $800 for rent, you are probably living in a really upscale apartment complex (and/or close to campus). 

Also, I've made 156 posts on this website? I need a life...

Edited January 27, 2016 by Pink Fuzzy Bunny

[DrZoidberg]

@Pink Fuzzy Bunny Yes, and I think we got kind of lucky too! At least we are two people splitting the costs, but seeing the gaping hole it leaves in your account every month is painful. 

[Lexie16]

9 minutes ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

$2000?! I don't think that my hand is capable of writing out a rent check for that amount. Here in Champaign-Urbana if you fork out $800 for rent, you are probably living in a really upscale apartment complex (and/or close to campus). 

Also, I've made 156 posts on this website? I need a life...

Hahaha I feel you too!!! The Bay Area is ridiculous, and that's what everyone in Boulder is worried about becoming with the Google Campus (whose idea was that, anyway?!). I also have relatives in the Bay Area and they were trying to convince me to apply to UCSF and I was like ".......mmmm the rent is wayyyyy too expensive!" hahaha.

You don't need a life, you're being very helpful to others!!!!! It's using the knowledge you've accrued through the grad application process!!

[sjoh197]

1 hour ago, DrZoidberg said:

@Pink Fuzzy Bunny $550 for a one-bedroom apartment?! We're paying $2000 for a one-bedroom in the Bay Area, which is really just a tiny in-law unit on someone's lawn. This is a huge reason for me to try to get out of the area, which I don't think I am succeeding at very well, my only offers so far being around here. 

We're doing $1600 for 649 square feet. And we don't even live somewhere that's at least beautiful like the bay area.

[DrZoidberg]

35 minutes ago, sjoh197 said:

We're doing $1600 for 649 square feet. And we don't even live somewhere that's at least beautiful like the bay area.

I feel for you, I really do. If it helps, I don't think the Bay Area is all that, but maybe I am just missing the convenience of living in Europe. 

[sjoh197]

hahaha.... Houston is hot, flat, and shitty.... Smog and hobos everywhere. No water, no mountains, no hills, no nothing. We'll be moving a little further from downtown in the summer, but until then, I haven't seen trees, grass, birds... Le sigh. Not worth the high cost.

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

Seriously though, on the results page how do people not know the name of their university? I can understand people saying "Maaasssaaaaaachusetts" like some of them do but "Colorado University Boulder" instead of "University of Colorado"?!

[Foreveronward]

1 hour ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

Seriously though, on the results page how do people not know the name of their university? I can understand people saying "Maaasssaaaaaachusetts" like some of them do but "Colorado University Boulder" instead of "University of Colorado"?!

You just inspired me to search some really odd spellings and combinations of university names and I went from four total results over 6 years to over 10! It's still not a lot, but I now have a rough idea of when interviews took place last year! (It was a different concentration but mehh). 

On another note, I'm shocked by how high the student stipends are in management. The tuition section for my dream program lists 27k as the stipend (combined TA and general stipend) plus a tuition waiver and health/vision/dental insurance. I saw another result from '06 I initially missed because of spelling and they received 24k, even back then. I know TAing is a downer for some people, but my top choice school has a big focus on pedagogy in addition to research which really makes me happy. I should note that the school is in a rather expensive area of the U.S., but PhD students are guaranteed 4 year housing in grad only housing on campus. I visited my friend, and it's actually really nice. So housing shouldn't have been a factor in stipend amount, imo. 

[Lexie16]

4 minutes ago, Foreveronward said:

You just inspired me to search some really odd spellings and combinations of university names and I went from four total results over 6 years to over 10! It's still not a lot, but I now have a rough idea of when interviews took place last year! (It was a different concentration but mehh). 

On another note, I'm shocked by how high the student stipends are in management. The tuition section for my dream program lists 27k as the stipend (combined TA and general stipend) plus a tuition waiver and health/vision/dental insurance. I saw another result from '06 I initially missed because of spelling and they received 24k, even back then. I know TAing is a downer for some people, but my top choice school has a big focus on pedagogy in addition to research which really makes me happy. I should note that the school is in a rather expensive area of the U.S., but PhD students are guaranteed 4 year housing in grad only housing on campus. I visited my friend, and it's actually really nice. So housing shouldn't have been a factor in stipend amount, imo. 

What?!?!? That's amazing!!!! I am very envious the stipend is that high, and that you're guaranteed four years of awesome grad housing. That sounds like a dream package!!!!

[Foreveronward]

25 minutes ago, Lexie16 said:

What?!?!? That's amazing!!!! I am very envious the stipend is that high, and that you're guaranteed four years of awesome grad housing. That sounds like a dream package!!!!

Yeah, the grad housing is plastered on every piece of material they have. Want to know about the building you'll be in? How about grad housing? Professors research interests/program info flyer? Now with extra housing information! To be fair, it's definitely worth bragging about- the housing is slightly less than half the cost of the surrounding area. I really wish more universities adopted that model. I think the housing hunt in undergrad saturated areas and the massive costs are one of the more irksome parts of gradschool. I lived in the bay area in one of those 2k per month apartments and it's super stressful. Some of the students in my cohort do a bit better with it, but only because they have s.o.'s that have good jobs. I tried checking out grad housing in the bay and it was somehow more expensive than my current place and there were very few spots open for new residents. I wish this sort of thing made it into the campus climate and graduate student surveys they do every 5 years or so.

[hippyscientist]

@DrZoidberg, @sjoh197 that's definitely more the kind of rent I'm used to. Before I moved to my current university, I was paying best part of $1000 rent to sleep on a sofa. The fact that I might be able to afford a studio in grad school AND run a car is just amazing.

@Pink Fuzzy Bunny $550???? You can't get a shoebox for that where I live now, and I'm in a cheap area. Oh UK house prices. Hopefully it just means I'll be pleasantly prepared for US life!

One of my schools admission status pages has updated from my details like references, GRE scores etc. to "we have a decentralized admissions process. Please contact your department for further information" and nothing else. Guess they're looking...

[hippyscientist]

sorry for double post but I just remembered:

I have a Skype interview next week, and when I had my pre-interview, Skype dropped 6 times in 30 minutes. I have an issue as the internet I use at home is the same as that on campus, and with the time difference no public internet will be accessible. My friend said I could use her internet but it's worse than mine at home. Any suggestions? At the minute I think I'm going to have to pre-warn the interviewers but that looks terrible. 

[Foreveronward]

3 hours ago, piglet33 said:

sorry for double post but I just remembered:

I have a Skype interview next week, and when I had my pre-interview, Skype dropped 6 times in 30 minutes. I have an issue as the internet I use at home is the same as that on campus, and with the time difference no public internet will be accessible. My friend said I could use her internet but it's worse than mine at home. Any suggestions? At the minute I think I'm going to have to pre-warn the interviewers but that looks terrible. 

I would send them a polite email about it. Tell them that you've had issues in the past and have tried to resolve it. (Or that there aren't any other options). Then I'd reaffirm that you are looking forward to the interview and answering their questions. 

If I was in their shoes, I'd like to know about technical issues beforehand as opposed to just staring at the screen wondering what happened. Who knows, they might even be able to add a bit of extra time to your interview to account for the delays. 

[rosali]

People are starting to post acceptances from one of the programs I applied to...steeling myself for rejection or celebration with an unreasonable amount of chocolate.

[haltheincandescent]

@Pink Fuzzy Bunny I had a brief discussion about this once with a prof who was on an adcom. They were very displeased with applicants who didn't know the right name of the university.

@piglet33 any chance you're using wireless, and could instead plug into an ethernet port? My campus has both available, but the recommend the wired connection for things like Skype.

[hippyscientist]

@haltheincandescent I shall see if I can get an ethernet connection. I don't have it at home but not sure about in the library. Thanks for the suggestion.

@rosali distract yourself. At least you'll know soon enough!! 

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

5 hours ago, piglet33 said:

sorry for double post but I just remembered:

I have a Skype interview next week, and when I had my pre-interview, Skype dropped 6 times in 30 minutes. I have an issue as the internet I use at home is the same as that on campus, and with the time difference no public internet will be accessible. My friend said I could use her internet but it's worse than mine at home. Any suggestions? At the minute I think I'm going to have to pre-warn the interviewers but that looks terrible. 

Agh! That's gotta be the most frustrating thing. Honestly, if you have any friends that have better Internet hit them up, regardless of how well you know them! 

[rosali]

@piglet33 I'm looking up fancy/difficult recipes to cook so I can do that while watching Buffy. Also, if your library was built before the early 2000's, it should have ethernet connection!

[anthrostudentcyn]

guyz help me im so confused, why would a professor email for more info and to give me stuff to read?

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

41 minutes ago, anthrostudentcyn said:

guyz help me im so confused, why would a professor email for more info and to give me stuff to read?

What kind of info did they ask for? And what kind of stuff to read? Like papers and such? Maybe someone who is interested in working with you?

Getting a vague email like that sounds terrifying... what are they thinking!