Science grad school application filter: I have informally (but explicitly) accepted a graduate assistant position (in conservation biology) at my current undergraduate institution. I am now having second thoughts and am wondering what, if anything, I should do about it. Help me, Hive Mind! I don't know what to do! [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Nov 28, 2012 - 8 answers

I'm a PhD student, and I'd like to do more academic networking over email. How does this work, and what should the emails sound like? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on May 16, 2012 - 14 answers

I’ve settled on a professional grad programme I’d like to attend. It’s fairly competitive. Like almost every other such programme in Canada, minimum entry criteria include a four-year BA with a B+ average or higher (likely, much higher) in the final two years of study. Most will not consider applicants with any other profile, e.g., a three-year BA + GRE + additional courses taken as a visiting student, as has been suggested in other questions. I’m writing because I suspect I’ve got the stinkiest background imaginable - two undergrad attempts, and more. I sincerely thank in advance anyone with the patience to read further. [more inside]
posted by nelljie on Mar 19, 2011 - 4 answers

How do I do a good literature review for a research paper in philosophy? I have access to good resources, but I really want to make sure that I cover everything that's been written on the topic. How can I put myself at ease while making sure I don't miss a beat? [more inside]
posted by superiorchicken on Jun 23, 2010 - 17 answers

Perhaps this is just a fantasy, but is there any application or online tool that could search through the references of an article I have saved as a PDF, in order to check whether I have those cited articles in my larger PDF library? It would be perfect if it would highlight, link, or somehow display cross-referenced relationships between all my articles. I am already familiar with many referencing/PDF organization software such as Papers (Mekentosj), Sente, and Devonthink. I suppose what I have in mind is a similar tool, but with the additional power of something like ISI Indexes. I have a fairly large library (about 300 references that I'm actively using, and more than 2000 total) and I'm just trying to get some "big-picture" grasp of how all these sources relate to one another.
posted by samac on Jun 20, 2010 - 5 answers

What food should I bring for my thesis defense? [more inside]
posted by cabezadevaca on Jun 17, 2010 - 17 answers

How stringent are SSHRC's GPA requirements? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Sep 20, 2009 - 10 answers

Please, help me deal with a justified last-minute anxiety, regarding a Very Important oral presentation (end of the year research presentation), that will introduce a more than average research (due to personal problems, which interfered with academic work). Also, help me think about the right attitude to adopt towards my teachers on D-day. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jun 24, 2009 - 3 answers

I am getting a PhD in two years from a top research university. What I can I do now to help me get a job outside academia when I graduate? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jun 10, 2009 - 12 answers

Help me find a (Virginia Woolf?) quote about the "Poor School." [more inside]
posted by toomuchkatherine on Mar 5, 2009 - 4 answers

I have fucked up yet another academic semester. This is the third time--I fucked up as a freshman, took time off, came back, fucked up again, took more time off, and came back and have repeated the cycle. Only now, now that I've realized I've shot myself in the foot again, I desperately want to recover my academic career somehow. Is it possible? Is it over? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Nov 19, 2008 - 34 answers

Academic writing filter: I am a painfully slow writer. How might I go about developing a composition process that's higher-output, requires less concentration, and is more revision-friendly? [more inside]
posted by Bardolph on Aug 8, 2008 - 13 answers

Looking for summer courses in differential equations, online or in the Los Angeles area. [more inside]
posted by fermion on Apr 16, 2008 - 3 answers

Is it weird to ask a university professor if you can audit his/her class without officially enrolling in the university as an auditor ... and, as part of the arrangement, asking the professor if you can submit papers and have them graded and evaluated? [more inside]
posted by jayder on Aug 8, 2007 - 43 answers