A Possible Distraction

[Bobb Cobb]

I thought maybe we could discuss other aspects of political science while we wait. What are the plans for the summer before digging in? Are you going to attempt to further prepare or just take it easy? Does anyone have any specific items for reading or preparation suggestions?

Personally I am going to the AP grading in June and then to ICPSR. I am also going to read as much general comparative literature as I can handle. I was supposed to go Yemen for more Arabic, but I think that is going to fall through for obvious reasons.

[anxiousmike]

I thought maybe we could discuss other aspects of political science while we wait. What are the plans for the summer before digging in? Are you going to attempt to further prepare or just take it easy? Does anyone have any specific items for reading or preparation suggestions?

Personally I am going to the AP grading in June and then to ICPSR. I am also going to read as much general comparative literature as I can handle. I was supposed to go Yemen for more Arabic, but I think that is going to fall through for obvious reasons.

Unfortunately for me, I am taking these applications way too personally. At this point I think I'll prepare all summer in an attempt to prove myself at grad school (should I ever get accepted anywhere).

Edited February 11, 2010 by anxiousmike

[Bobb Cobb]

Unfortunately for me, I am taking these applications way too personally. At this point I think I'll prepare all summer in an attempt to prove myself at grad school (should I ever get accepted anywhere).

That is understandable, and my plan is similar in terms of proving myself. The season is still young for most places so I am sure you will end up in a good spot.

[M.Y]

I haven't heard anything from gradschool yet, and I can totally see my hope is getting dimmer and dimmer. I might go to DC for an internship this summer if I don’t get in any school. I hope I can secure my job there; otherwise, I’ll be kicked out of the US, because I’m an international student going to school here. Oh well, I guess I feel sad because I’ve planned my future based on the assumption that I can get in some program; if I cannot, the whole picture changes. You know what, I kinda admire the people who were cursing on the result board, because I want to transform my sadness into anger to make myself feel better, LOL!

[tomorrows verse]

If I don't get into any of the programs I applied to (which is seeming more and more likely), or if I get accepted somewhere without funding, then I will just prepare all summer for applications next fall. Retake the GRE, revamp my SOP, read as much PoliSci literature as possible, and then try again next fall.

Oh well...

[Bobb Cobb]

If I don't get into any of the programs I applied to (which is seeming more and more likely), or if I get accepted somewhere without funding, then I will just prepare all summer for applications next fall. Retake the GRE, revamp my SOP, read as much PoliSci literature as possible, and then try again next fall.

Oh well...

That is sort of what I did after last year, and I was successful this time around so it can definitely work.

[catchermiscount]

You could always distract yourself and procrastinate like a graduate student would:

GET INORDINATELY INEBRIATED!!!!!

Streaking optional, kiddies. It's a bit nippy out there, especially if you're on the snowy eastern seaboard.

[Bobb Cobb]

You could always distract yourself and procrastinate like a graduate student would:

GET INORDINATELY INEBRIATED!!!!!

Streaking optional, kiddies. It's a bit nippy out there, especially if you're on the snowy eastern seaboard.

Sound advice, although I am not sure we potential political science PhD students need to be streaking.

[anxiousmike]

You could always distract yourself and procrastinate like a graduate student would:

GET INORDINATELY INEBRIATED!!!!!

Currently doing this somewhere in europe. It makes the distractions distracting, but it unfortunately also makes the lows quite manic.

[Aunuwyn]

I'm gonna read for comps so I don't have to do a ton of work in my second year like the rest of you suckers

[Bobb Cobb]

I'm gonna read for comps so I don't have to do a ton of work in my second year like the rest of you suckers

Before this is said and done we should compile reading lists for each subfield for all to enjoy.

[tomorrows verse]

Before this is said and done we should compile reading lists for each subfield for all to enjoy.

I second that suggestion.

[ladedodaday]

I second that suggestion.

It's actually quite easy to track down reading lists! If you go searching around political departments' websites, they usually have reading lists for courses posted, so you can just grab the one for your subfield.

For example: http://government.georgetown.edu/graduate/grad/readinglists/

Internets, FTW!

[brouhaha]

It's actually quite easy to track down reading lists! If you go searching around political departments' websites, they usually have reading lists for courses posted, so you can just grab the one for your subfield.

For example: http://government.ge...d/readinglists/

Internets, FTW!

http://www.yale.edu/polisci/gradprogram/readings.html

[Bobb Cobb]

http://www.yale.edu/...m/readings.html

Yeah, this is what I meant except it would be cool to put one together to post here for future scholars, and us too of course.

[brouhaha]

Getting ahead on reading for comps is actually a great idea. Once I know where I'm headed, I think I'll definitely do that. I also need to seriously brush up on my Russian.

Yeaaaaaaaaaah definitely gonna have to relearn Chinese...

[polecon09]

i'm planning on quitting my job, hiking the appalachian trail, and going to lots of festivals! yay freedom!

[tomorrows verse]

You're in CA polecon? Going to Coachella? Do you plan to hike down the Appalachian to Tennessee for Bonnaroo?

[Bobb Cobb]

i'm planning on quitting my job, hiking the appalachian trail, and going to lots of festivals! yay freedom!

Now that is the best plan so far! I wish I had time to attempt such an endeavor before I dig in.

[Bobb Cobb]

Getting ahead on reading for comps is actually a great idea. Once I know where I'm headed, I think I'll definitely do that. I also need to seriously brush up on my Russian.

How much do you plan to use your language in your studies? I mean do you plan to focus on that area exclusively? I speak Arabic quite well these days, but I am skeptical about whether I will use it in the future for my political science research. I do plan to continue to travel to the ME and study Arabic, and it would be great to administer surveys there one day, but for now my interests (and it seems the discipline) are elsewhere.

[polecon09]

yep, cali all the way here

i'm planning on doing the southern segment of the AT (georgia to virginia), then probably go to high sierra music fest, and who knows - burning man...the world is my oyster!

[Bobb Cobb]

I plan to use it extensively. I'll need to read a lot of Russian government documents, news articles, the Russian Constitution, etc. Plus, any Soviet documents relevant to the republics will be in Russian. I'm actually trying to teach myself Ukrainian, but it's slow going and actually sort of muddling up my Russian a little.

I should also probably learn Chinese and Spanish, though the former's difficulty scares me a little.

Wow, the Chinese would be ambitious on top of the others. I know someone that monitors elections in Eastern Europe every chance they get, that might be worth looking into just for the language practice and on the ground experience. I have been doing some in Africa, and I must say that I have had some of the best experiences of my life. I think you just missed Ukraine though. I have the same issues trying to teach myself Farsi so I think I am going to stop that for now. So to be clear, do you want to focus solely on Russia the and immediate area for now, or is that just your first priority?

[DJ_CA]

i'm planning on quitting my job, hiking the appalachian trail, and going to lots of festivals! yay freedom!

Awesome! I've been to Coachella five times, and this year sounds pretty good. (2003 was the best, I don't give an eff what anyone else says... The Libertines' first US performance was life-changing!) I think I'm unfortunately gonna miss it this year though, since I'll be off at visit days the weeks leading up to it and I'm going to be trying to save my money.

Also related to your post, are you through-hiking the AT? That's a serious endeavor. If not, which section are you tackling? I'm going to do the JMT this summer, Yosemite-to-Whitney. Might have an extra permit if anyone's interested.

Oh yeah, and those reading lists look quite worthwhile. Don't want to look like an idiot when I show up to Berkeley/Madison/UCSD/? next fall.

[poli90]

My fun plans is a trip to Latin America with my girlfriend this summer. Otherwise I'll read like crazy to avoid boredom. I have piles of articles I've been reading, plus a Hegel reading group, plus stacks of books that I have to get to. I may look into comp. exam lists, although I already have a pretty strong idea of what I have to read in that direction. Right now I'm reading Hegemony and Socialist Strategy, after that I hope to work on Habermas's The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere....

[Yes]

I am doing 3 things over the summer:

1) Pack my life into boxes and ship it to the States (destination unknown, still... )

2) Do all those things I will miss once I am gone. I am planning to be very European. Going to all my favourite summer places.

3) Somewhere between sunbathing in France and eating Italian ice cream I will get some reading done... hopefully..