Help my friend get into a Canadian political science PhD program on his second try. [more inside]
posted by thisjax at at 1:25 PM - 5 answers

I suffered from depression and social anxiety throughout my mid to late teens so I did poorly in my A-levels which I picked based more on how easy I thought they'd be than how much they interested me. I managed to get into a decent Art School thanks to my graphics portfolio but I was miserable there. I transferred to a different school and got treatment for depression and was much happier. I just got my results for the first year though and they were terrible - I just barely passed. I'm starting to think I'm not suited to art school. I feel like I missed my chance to find a subject that really interests me and now I'm stuck on a career path which I'm not suited for. I keep fantasizing about going into science - I've always been interested in it and both of my brothers have science degrees - but I'd have to start from scratch and I have no idea if I'd be any good at it. Is this just a dumb pipe dream or is it something I should look into?
posted by Andy Harwood at at 11:59 AM - 8 answers

I just failed my PhD quals for the second time and they're going to kick me out of the program. Now what? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at at 8:37 AM - 25 answers

Did they really get the bright idea to host a college football game in Soviet Russia, and then have to cancel it because they couldn't sell enough vacation packages? The Wikipedia entry about the Glasnost Bowl has a bunch of outdated angelfire pages as its sources. The 1989 New York Times article that mentions it doesn't treat it as very interesting. I think it would make a publishable journal article if it's real and am looking for more info.
posted by srs at at 1:32 AM - 1 answers

Can you recommend reasonably-priced piano lessons for an adult beginner in Washington DC? [more inside]
posted by medpt at at 8:35 PM - 5 answers

Looking for a quality Stress-Strain Diagram of Structural (Mild) Steel to use to study from. [more inside]
posted by gzimmer at at 7:25 PM - 2 answers

Paying for graduate school out of your 401k. Stupid idea? [more inside]
posted by falameufilho at at 4:28 PM - 8 answers

Can anyone recommend good books about the interaction of Italian City-States during the Renaissance? My brother is writing a 200 page paper over the next three years, and his topic is Rome, Venice, Florence, and Milan and how their interactions shaped the Italian Renaissance. He doesn't have any good books to go on, and I'm at a loss to help him (I'm not a history person) Any help would be appreciated.
posted by nickhb at at 1:04 PM - 18 answers

What have you learned through your career, major, or specialization that you wish the general public knew? [more inside]
posted by Earl the Polliwog at at 11:27 PM - 182 answers

How do I cite the originators of the Prisoner's Dilemma (in my thesis) when it looks like none of them actually published anything on it? [more inside]
posted by arcticwoman at at 12:33 PM - 16 answers

My sister is entering last year of art school this fall but she wants to seek an urban planning graduate degree afterwards. What are good urban planning programs for people with bachelor's degrees in visual arts? [more inside]
posted by Kattullus at at 9:02 AM - 2 answers

I know this is my last year for my Hon. in Linguistics. I think I'm doing pretty bad. Many of my friends are going for grad schools or research programs in cognitive linguistic-issues. It feels like I'm left behind very much. Now I feel very stupid compare to my friends. Feeling very humiliated. I don't know what to think. Does going to grad school really help one's career? I don't think I can go to grad school with a terrible mark I have and I think I will have an unusually difficult roadmap for my possible career without having an MA. Are people like me doomed because we don't go to grad school? Are there any alternatives to grad schools for further education?
posted by sanskrtam at at 3:49 AM - 8 answers

Programmable Logic Chips and Microcontrollers: Which language and where to learn online? [more inside]
posted by lekvar at at 12:50 PM - 21 answers

If you were going to a library for a presentation on pirate women, what would you like to see / hear / do? [more inside]
posted by The corpse in the library at at 11:39 AM - 24 answers

I'd like to learn about biology. Can you recommend some books to get me started? [more inside]
posted by SamuelBowman at at 3:09 AM - 21 answers

Why do I suck at teaching myself, reading, and studying? Can I fix it? [more inside]
posted by joshrholloway at at 2:34 PM - 15 answers

Anyone know any good music games/activities for inner city elementary school kids? [more inside]
posted by cloeburner at at 7:47 AM - 10 answers

What book should I read to get an understanding of the the current Israeli/Palestinian conflict and the history of the Israeli state? [more inside]
posted by phrontist at at 2:11 AM - 16 answers

Is there a resource for finding information about topics popular with conspiracy theorists without catching crazy? [more inside]
posted by lattiboy at at 10:30 PM - 11 answers

What are some interesting blogs that touch on both the language and culture of a country? [more inside]
posted by ElectricBlue at at 1:39 PM - 6 answers