Now What?

[phdthoughts]

Does anyone else not know what to do with their time now that they've submittted apps, or are about to be done? My life for the past year has consisted of work and after work and weekends studying for the GRE, wading through numerous department websites, personal statements, filling out apps and now checking app status. Now, I'm just blowing through my Netflix queue for lack of anything else. This is going to be a long few months.

[MemphisMeli]

Try finding some volunteer work that will fit in with your educational goals... so when (always when not if) you get interviews, you will have something additional to add other than how many series you binged over the holiday lol Or start a new research project, even if its a meta-analysis of other research.

[MarineBluePsy]

Read things that are relevant to your field broadly or specific to your career interests.

[fadedfigures]

I have been filling my time with lots and lots of video games. Overwatch takes up so much time; it is easy to waste a few hours just playing Quick Play matches.

I am also occasionally prepping something for when I teach again next semester, and also perhaps working a little bit more towards the journal article I am (slowly) writing. 

But really, I am just trying to waste time until my phone lights up with a call from a POI. 

[PhDorBUST]

I'm on winter break soon to start my final semester for my MSW, so I have given myself permission and encouragement to binge watch Netflix, read fiction, and actually may remember to eat 

[GeorgeC07]

Personally I'm a graduate student so there's always work for me to do. My advice for you would be reading the papers of the professors', who you want to work with in the future and their students' papers. This will help you know better what is being done in their groups and what you might do in the future. If you find some work that is similar to what you have done or requires skills that you already possess, you may contact the professor after you are offered admission to see if you can get funding from him. This process could take you up to a month if you are applying to multiple schools, so it should keep you occupied.

[phdthoughts]

10 hours ago, MemphisMeli said:

Try finding some volunteer work that will fit in with your educational goals... so when (always when not if) you get interviews, you will have something additional to add other than how many series you binged over the holiday lol Or start a new research project, even if its a meta-analysis of other research.

This is a good suggestion. I work a fairly intense full-time job related to my field at the moment, but I've already thought about (if I don't get in) asking to do research on a volunteer basis with a professor at my current university so I'm still in the game, so to speak next year.

[phdthoughts]

8 hours ago, MarineBluePsy said:

Read things that are relevant to your field broadly or specific to your career interests.

Yes! Good thought. I have a whole Amazon list of books that I want to get to that are related. 

[phdthoughts]

5 hours ago, PhDorBUST said:

I'm on winter break soon to start my final semester for my MSW, so I have given myself permission and encouragement to binge watch Netflix, read fiction, and actually may remember to eat 

Good for you! We should all give ourselves permission for that. I have no problem remembering to eat. In fact, off to make a chocolate cream pie for Christmas dinner tomorrow. 

[CoffeeFueledAnxiety]

37 minutes ago, phdthoughts said:

Good for you! We should all give ourselves permission for that. I have no problem remembering to eat. In fact, off to make a chocolate cream pie for Christmas dinner tomorrow. 

Same here, no problem at all remembering to eat, the more the worries the more comfort food needed 

[eternalwait]

During this whole week I don't plan on checking my applications, I have plenty of articles and books to read! And soon I'll start working, so hopefully that distracts me a bit.

[CoyoteBlue]

I'm just hiking

[av2010]

I'm going to be starting a new research project soon. Partially, because I need to fill some time. But, also with it in mind that should I not get accepted this year  , applying again without any additional improvements to my application will not serve me all that well. 

[GeorgeC07]

2 hours ago, av2010 said:

I'm going to be starting a new research project soon. Partially, because I need to fill some time. But, also with it in mind that should I not get accepted this year  , applying again without any additional improvements to my application will not serve me all that well. 

I'm actually finalizing some details on my research project, and hopefully could finish the essay within next month. My friend at MIT told me that yeah good GPA and GRE would help a lot, but the adcomms would focus more on research experience and potentiality. So your idea is quite good, keep up the good work.

[Forest Owlet]

On 12/24/2016 at 8:35 PM, eternalwait said:

During this whole week I don't plan on checking my applications, I have plenty of articles and books to read! And soon I'll start working, so hopefully that distracts me a bit.

So were you successful? I decide that every week. 1 hour later I am refreshing the results page 

[eternalwait]

14 hours ago, Forest Owlet said:

So were you successful? I decide that every week. 1 hour later I am refreshing the results page 

I was... Since the committees are on holidays, it was pointless to check.

But next week it's a different story!

[hopefulPhD2017]

@eternalwait exactly! Was I the only one yesterday who quickly took a simple "Happy New Year!" and spun it into a mind-swirling cycle of anticipation that sounded like this, "Happy New Year! OMG it's 2017, where am I going, who will reject me, what if no one accepts me, this is the year, arghghghfg?!" ??

[eternalwait]

@hopefulPhD2017 Yep, I'm back to checking the applications' websites on a daily basis.

This is the year when our future is defined!

[hopefulPhD2017]

@eternalwait I was just on web sites checking. And it's a federal holiday! ? 

[angel_kaye13]

8 minutes ago, hopefulPhD2017 said:

@eternalwait I was just on web sites checking. And it's a federal holiday! ? 

As long as it's January? I won't begrudge anyone the checking. We ARE anticipating, after all, we're none of us saints.  ;-) Even though I'm not avidly checking or expecting for a few more weeks, one school said they would be back in session on the second. So I feel like it's okay to hope and get excited now. ^^

[fadedfigures]

9 hours ago, angel_kaye13 said:

As long as it's January? I won't begrudge anyone the checking. We ARE anticipating, after all, we're none of us saints.  ;-) Even though I'm not avidly checking or expecting for a few more weeks, one school said they would be back in session on the second. So I feel like it's okay to hope and get excited now. ^^

That is my hope now. The schools were all closed up today (and also all last week), so now that school is back in session, I am absolutely hoping for some news. 

Although I need to be realistic. Every day, I tell myself "Today is the day!" and then my phone stays silent through the day. 

Please, graduate schools. Let us know some good news soon.

[DBear]

5 hours ago, fadedfigures said:

 

Please, graduate schools. Let us know some good news soon.

Yes! Please put us out of our misery (but with good news) 

I was feeling less anxious knowing schools were closed.... But now.... The anticipation is so much more intense.

I've been trying to keep myself busy. I have some freelance work I can easily do from home but I make it a point to drive all the way to school which is around 1.5 hr drive away. Wasting time in traffic actually is soothing now... :/

[fadedfigures]

3 hours ago, DBear said:

Yes! Please put us out of our misery (but with good news) 

I was feeling less anxious knowing schools were closed.... But now.... The anticipation is so much more intense.

I've been trying to keep myself busy. I have some freelance work I can easily do from home but I make it a point to drive all the way to school which is around 1.5 hr drive away. Wasting time in traffic actually is soothing now... :/

That's how I feel. I'm trying to find any way to waste time quickly so the days go by faster. Granted, there's so much time in a day, so I'm wasting it however I can. All because this waiting is making me extremely nervous. 

[phdthoughts]

I thought I'd have everything wrapped up with just the wait, but found out that one letter writer couldn't submit the LOR to my top choice due to a (minor) accident. So, she said she'd call the program and explain and see what she could do. I'm so sorry this happened to her - we've had a fairly long mentoring relationship but omg. Just . 

[DBear]

@phdthoughts OH NO!! I'm so sorry this happened to you - I'm more than confident that it will be resolved, especially since she'll be contacting the school directly but I can imagine how stressful it is having this curve ball thrown at you!!