Balancing Application Prep with the Academic Semester

[Dr. Old Bill]

This is more of a conversation starter than anything, but how are people striking the balance between having a busy academic semester and preparing Ph.D. (or Master's) applications?

Personally, I have two 10-hour per week assistantships, a junior lectureship (teaching ENGL101), and am taking two graduate courses this semester, all while trying to prepare twelve applications. My WS is solid, having gone through one major guided revision, and needing more tweaks than overhauls at this point, but it will still need some work. I retake the GRE subject test on September 17th, but will simply not have time to study too much for it (bearing in mind it's nearly impossible to effectively study for the material). My biggest concern is that I have yet to draft a single SOP, and I DO intend to write a distinct one for each program (with perhaps a bit of overlap). I've always been very organized and good at time management, but I would welcome any tips or tricks from those of who who have successfully navigated the process, or are currently going through it with a similar workload.

 

[rising_star]

40 minutes ago, Wyatt's Terps said:

My biggest concern is that I have yet to draft a single SOP, and I DO intend to write a distinct one for each program (with perhaps a bit of overlap). 

Honestly, this was the very first thing I realized wasn't possible to do when I was in a MA program applying to PhD programs. I realized that there was no way I could have a distinct SOP for each program, in part because there are really only so many ways to describe what you want to study, why, and how you're prepared to do that. I ended up tailoring specific paragraphs (the fit paragraphs at the end) and tweaking a few sentences throughout the rest to talk about a specific feature the school had that would help with my research. 

[lesabendio]

2 hours ago, Wyatt's Terps said:

This is more of a conversation starter than anything, but how are people striking the balance between having a busy academic semester and preparing Ph.D. (or Master's) applications?

Personally, I have two 10-hour per week assistantships, a junior lectureship (teaching ENGL101), and am taking two graduate courses this semester, all while trying to prepare twelve applications. My WS is solid, having gone through one major guided revision, and needing more tweaks than overhauls at this point, but it will still need some work. I retake the GRE subject test on September 17th, but will simply not have time to study too much for it (bearing in mind it's nearly impossible to effectively study for the material). My biggest concern is that I have yet to draft a single SOP, and I DO intend to write a distinct one for each program (with perhaps a bit of overlap). I've always been very organized and good at time management, but I would welcome any tips or tricks from those of who who have successfully navigated the process, or are currently going through it with a similar workload.

 

First of all, I think you're making good time as it is! You've already nearly finished (or at least have already done much of the heavy lifting for) the most challenging part of the application: the writing sample. And, as you have already mentioned, you can only study so much for the GRE to improve a previous score. You've got plenty of time between now and December to drive yourself crazy drafting and redrafting your SOP.

I second @rising_star. I had the same experience. I would suggest that you start drafting your SOP as though it were a template for all of your applications. Then, after you've got a firm handle on the structure you want your SOP to take, make the content changes necessary to customize each SOP to a particular program. That way, if you find yourself running out of time, at least you've got that initial template to work with.

[FeetInTheSky]

While I'm not currently enrolled, my work life is very busy and so I suppose it's the same general idea. As gross as it sounds, I've been waking up earlier than I need to and doing my application things in the a.m. (and so I suppose being on GradCafé at 7:32 a.m. counts?). The issue is that at the end of a long day I'm not in the right frame of mind to do this stuff and I'm not very motivated, but right when I wake up in the morning I don't have any of the day's other stuff clunking around in my head. I can usually get a good hour and a half of work done before breakfast, then more on my lunch break. 

[aob981]

@jeremywrites -- I'm in a similar situation. Demanding full-time job, so I like to do most of my applications in the morning.

This isn't totally on topic, but I was wondering if anyone has suggestions for how best to re-ask professors for LORs. Last year, I went and met with my professors and asked them to write LORs. Then a few months later, in October, I decided that I wanted to wait another year before applying based on the lack of time that I had to work on applications, so I emailed them to let them know that things had changed and I would not be applying that year. Is it ok to go back to them and ask again this year? If so, would an email suffice or should I give them a call? Not the way we've normally communicated, so wasn't sure if it would be nicer or intrusive? 

 

[lesabendio]

1 hour ago, aob981 said:

This isn't totally on topic, but I was wondering if anyone has suggestions for how best to re-ask professors for LORs. Last year, I went and met with my professors and asked them to write LORs. Then a few months later, in October, I decided that I wanted to wait another year before applying based on the lack of time that I had to work on applications, so I emailed them to let them know that things had changed and I would not be applying that year. Is it ok to go back to them and ask again this year? If so, would an email suffice or should I give them a call? Not the way we've normally communicated, so wasn't sure if it would be nicer or intrusive? 

 

You can email them again. They shouldn't hold last year's aborted attempt against you this time around. Actually I found myself in the same situation this past application cycle. In 2015 I asked for LORs but ended up not following through on my applications due to a sudden job switch and breakup. I didn't even let my professors know I wasn't applying anymore. Not a very professional move there, but that's the way I played it unfortunately.

This past season I emailed them again, but this time as a gesture of good faith I gave them drafts of my writing sample and personal statement, transcripts, and any papers I wrote for their class, so that they had something concrete to base their letters on. I also asked if they could give me notes on my writing sample and personal statement, and whether they were available to meet during their office hours to discuss my application and research interests. I think your first email re-asking your professors for LORs should not just be some kind of announcement that you're going to try again this year and that you need their help; it needs to include specific details about what you want them to do for you, drafts for them to help you with, and anything to let them know that you're on top of things this time around. In my experience, professors are most willing to help me when my requests are clearly defined and connected to a larger plan of action.

[TakeruK]

My usual advice is to treat fall applications as a class on its own and budget time for it accordingly. This doesn't work as well for you, since you are currently a graduate student, but sometimes I suggest taking one fewer class in the fall semester so that you can spend the 8-10 hours you normally spend on that class towards your applications. Or, if they must take the full load, I would suggest stealing 1-2 hours from time budgeted for each course for applications. In the long run, the applications could be more important than getting an A- instead of a B+ in some course.

You're not an undergrad but maybe the "spirit" of the advice is the same---when you have limited resources and need to use more of it, you have to make cutbacks on other parts of your life. From your description, it sounds like the graduate classes are the least structured work times and could potentially eat up more time than expected. So I'd figure out how many actual working hours you can manage per week (50? 60?), subtract out the 20 hours for your assistantships, and set a time limit on how much effort you are going to put into your lectureship and grad classes. 

[sarabethke]

Or....and this is coming from the Queen of Procrastination here...when you find yourself not wanting to do anything you're *supposed* to be doing, work on your applications so you feel productive! Not really plannable, but I think it's doable 

Edited September 2, 2016 by sarabethke

[empress-marmot]

Balancing thesis-ing, researching, teaching, applying, reading, and writing is really hard. I'm kind of glad I have no life, because right now I don't know what I would do without weekends in the office. 

However, I gave up internet at home a couple months ago, and it's helped me restructure my schedule into something approaching 40-60 hrs/wk. I'm not plastered to email, and I can't stay up late doing research. I can't wait until the last minute to read for class or write papers. (Though sometimes writing papers with just the information I printed out before is relaxing.) Plus, I get to read more at home. 

Good luck to everyone else!