Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with grad

Dear Professor Flake...

zoomorphic — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 12:00:51 -0800

Grad school application crisis: one of my professors who agreed to write a recommendation is completely flaking out. I've tried my best to communicate my needs, but she seems either too busy or suddenly, inexplicably disinterested in cooperating. I don't want to alienate her but I don't want to get screwed over when one of my references went off the grid. I emailed three of my college professors back in August or September to see if they'd be willing to write recommendations on my behalf as I applied to grad school. They all sent back really nice, affirmative responses. Whew! One professor recommended that I use Interfolio, which is like a middle man for schools and professors providing references. Professors upload one copy of a recommendation, which is given its own email address. Instead of listing a professor's email in the online application, I list that email, sparing the professors the task of email five different universities with the same email.

Two of my professors uploaded recommendations right away, but the third (who was always a bit scatterbrained) has not. I've emailed her several times, the last email two ago, and she's replied that she will get to it. But she hasn't. My first application is due, recommendations and all, on Sunday. Interfolio seems to only work on business days, so essentially the last day is tomorrow. The university will not accept late or incomplete applications.

The thing is, I don't want to alienate the professor before she writes the application by sounding impatient and high-strung, especially since I have a far less intimate, friendly history with her than with my other two references. But obviously I don't want to get screwed over because she said she'd offer a rec and then didn't.

Clearly I'm overthinking this, but in my state of hair-tearing stress, I can't formulate an email that doesn't sound completely insane or accusatory. What should I say that sounds professional, understanding and urgent?

How do I get through library school?

Anonymous — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 08:42:55 -0800

I think graduate school was a mistake. Drop out, seek new program, or persevere? I just started a library job and grad school a few months ago. Love the library. Hate library school.

I graduated from college 10 years ago. I’m now getting my MLS. This is my first semester as a grad student. I’m taking two classes (one is online). I also work 40 hours a week. I’m also planning my wedding (which doesn’t dominate my entire but is still somewhat time-consuming).

I’ve heard that graduate school is nothing like undergrad (which I liked for the most part and where I thrived); fine. But I’ve just been feeling totally disconnected. Most of the people in my class are full-time students, and work part-time if at all. They’re able to have study groups when I’m at work (including weekends). One of my classes is okay, if not especially interesting. My other class is unbearable; the content feels boring and impossible, taught by a man who just can’t communicate the material. Our coursework is literally the size of two large phonebooks. He wrote the textbook we use so there’s no relief or enlightenment there. I have an advisor I have yet to meet. I should have been more aggressive in getting a new one who might actually answer an email with more than one sentence or return a phone call, but here I am.

So many people say library school is a hoop you have to jump through. I’ve taken out financial aid for this (including a private loan that fortunately, I haven’t had to touch yet) and am just wondering if it’s worth it. I’m generally happy but school has diminished some of pleasure I take in things. I don’t have time to cook or write. My fiancé and I have less time together. My library is always busy so there’s no down time to study.

I love books, and reading, and the sense of community that a library gives. I pursued a degree because I live in a city where an MLS can lead to well-paying jobs (I may want to leave the public library system in a few years). However, there’s a part of me that wonders if I’m wasting my time. If it’s not going to get better until a year and a half from now, I’d almost rather cut my losses and be happy now instead of looking forward to some bliss moment that may not happen.
So I guess I’m asking, how did you make it through grad school? Or did you drop out and find something even better? I’ve also thought of taking just one course at a time (maybe more in the summer), to get a little of my sanity back. After trying out a couple of different careers, I think librarianship is something may actually be able to do happily and long-term. But I’m really resenting school right now.

Are portfolio days for real?

davidriley — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:02:30 -0800

I recently attended a National Graduate Portfolio Day for students interesting in pursuing an MFA. I had a positive response, making me feel confident about my work and its presentation. However, I am suspicious, as I haven't heard anyone telling stories that they were really chewed out or criticized by their reviewers. I actually tried to push some of my reviewers to give me negative feedback, but they were ultimately optimistic. Are these things for real, or are they just a way for schools to talk people into applying?

How do I write my grad school CV?

PostIronyIsNotaMyth — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:26:40 -0800

How do I write a CV for my grad school applications? I have a good idea of WHAT to put on the CV I'm just utterly mystified as to HOW I format the damn thing, what comes first, second, third... Also, I have Word on a Mac OS but there don't seem to be any templates. Obviously if they don't exist I'll just format the damn thing myself but if there are some out there, it would be good to know...

How to ask for this letter of recommendation?

notswedish — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:12:56 -0800

Help me ask a former professor for a letter of recommendation. Complicating details after the jump. Asking for a friend:

I am a senior in college, currently beginning the process of applying to grad school. Last year, I took a couple of interdisciplinary classes related to my field from the same professor, and got to know her pretty well: I would often go to office hours and discuss the class as well as life in general. I did well in the classes, and I'm pretty sure she has a positive opinion of me, and I think she would be a strong recommendation for my grad school applications.

Last week, I emailed her asking if she had office hours this term, and, as I put it, whether I could "stop by and ask a few questions about grad school." In her reply, she informed me that she is doing research abroad this term, but that I could ask my questions over email.

The thing is, I don't really have any questions for her: all I wanted was the letter of recommendation. I only mentioned having questions about grad school because asking point-blank for a letter of recommendation seemed too blunt, or rude, to me. The obvious thing to do, of course, would be to ask questions to which I already know the answer, but complicating the matter is the fact that she went to grad school in field X, and I am applying for the unrelated field Y (it was only later that she got into interdisciplinary studies bringing her closer to my field). So I'm not sure what I could ask her that wouldn't sound stupid.

So I guess my question is this:

What's the best way to actually get this letter? Do I just say, "actually, I don't have any questions for you, except would you write me a letter of recommendation?" Do I try to come up with 'fake' questions for her? If so, what should I ask? Any other suggestions? I know she's a very busy woman and I don't want to bother her too much, but I really want this recommendation.

Thanks in advance!

How can one study for the GRE during their commute?

rr — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 04:38:04 -0800

A friend is doing a last minute cram for the GRE but is lacking in time. The bulk of her available time is in her 2-hour-per-day commute. Are there any _good_ podcasts she could listen to, specificall for vocabulary? Or .. should she look into hiring someone to call her and drill her for those two hours? If so... how? She's looked at podcasts on itunes and there is very little good content (and what's there appears to have been abandoned). The idea of hiring someone to do live call-and-drill for one or both hours of commute each day is something I thought of, but I wouldn't even know how to begin hiring someone for this.

Complication: GRE is in mid November, whatever action is to be taken needs to be taken now.

How do I find the right grad school program?

PostIronyIsNotaMyth — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 22:02:20 -0800

Trying to find grad school programs that kind of meld peace and conflict studies with media studies... So I realized recently that I want to go to grad school. I've always loved learning, the sound of my own voice (or teaching as they call it) and writing about the world around me. That said I'm feeling very lost as to how I go about trying to find the right schools for me.

I'm interested in the relationship between media and conflict. In undergrad I wrote a paper about how the shift in ethno-centric Yugoslav media helped pave the way for an impending ethno-nationalist war(s) for my minor in Peace and Conflict Studies (PACs).

Ideally I'd like to find a program that has a strong media studies foundation (think Baudrillard, textual analysis, semiotics, etc) but also has oppurtunities to study how said media can either lead to situations that erupt in conflict or how media can help prolong or wind-down a conflict. My old prof from college has suggested that I look for schools with strong media and IR departments then find out if they're into cross-disciplinary stuff.

The wall I'm running into is finding either media studies departments that aren't heavy into just textual analysis or PACs programs that are super heavy into IR theory.

But to be honest I do feel incredibly lost and applications are due in Dec for most schools. It's all can I do to just work, practice for the GREs, try to find schools and get my applications in order. Any help anyone could provide (suggestions, guidance, warning, etc) is greatly appreciated. I'm honestly open to any part of the country and for (obvious reasons) any part of the english speaking world to study in.

Say I wanted to become a medical illustrator...

biochemist — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 08:13:35 -0800

Say I wanted to attend graduate school for a degree in Medical Illustration... what should I start doing now, as a freshman in undergrad, to insure that happens? I'm interested in the Johns Hopkins program, which only accepts 4-6 students a year.

I know I have four years to think about this, but I firmly believe that I need to plan early for graduate school, regardless of what path I take.

I've read over the admission requirements, but I want to know what really makes an applicant stand out. Does volunteer work matter? How about research? Internships at a graphic design company? Do they care if your graphic design classes were over the summer at the local community college?

I won't be taking drawing classes until next semester, and I'll be starting graphic design next year or over the summer. Will I be putting myself at a disadvantage to those who took them all 4 years? It isn't too late to switch classes, but I'm wary of dropping the pre-med requirements because if I change my mind I'm automatically a year behind.

Note: I'll take any advice, it doesn't have to be geared toward JH's program.

Is grad school necessary?

sanskrtam — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 03:49:43 -0800

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?

Grad school self-sabotage

Anonymous — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:47:25 -0800

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. Hello, and sorry in advance for the length this may take. My story may be related to this one , this , and this as well

I am a student in my 1st year of grad school, in a country where university isn't expensive at all. My program doesn't make selections before accepting students in grad school, as their policy is to let them in and see their capacities, then selecting them for the next year (= about 30% of us end up making it into the next levels). In order to maximize chances to be selected, 1/3 of the students decide to divide the academic content of that first year, over 2 years, which I decided to do, very late last schoolyear.

Students are led to enroll in research and in the writing of something very similar to a scientific paper on their own, in collaboration with advisors as part of the credits, aside of full-time courses and internships 1 day a week. The program is known to be a tough one in its field. I made a research in collaboration with a very sweet and understanding advisor/researcher. She went along with the repetitive and irritating delays each of my writing pieces and experiments had to take, very gracefully, partly due to my sincerity and motivation towards work. These delays were the results of procrastination, and of a clouded mind about half of the time. These being heavily caused by social and performance anxiety as well as depression issues I have been dealing with in therapy, with medication, for 2 years now. It has gotten better, but my time management definately needs improvement
(These issues started showing up like never before only a few months into grad school.. which didn't leave me with a choice but to continue)
The problem is that all these delays got me horribly late for the presentation I needed to make at the end of the year (next monday to be precise), and as i had sent her the various parts of my writing separatel during the year, i ended up sending her the last and most important part exactly 2 days before due date, when all teachers would have access to it. Busy as she is, and having let me know that she wouldn't be very available these days, she trusted me to hand it it, and even found time to read it once, sending it back to me about 2 hours before i printed it.

Having dealt with my time as usual, and being too busy re-reading my 60 pages long paper, in bad need of sleep, with shaky hands, I was adjusting and checkig my graphics, etc... I was horrified to see that she had underlined a single thing in each paragraph, and was asking me to reconsider them, the way I had expressed certain ideas but also a few key elements (such as all the statistics I had done, including the ones that didn't show any significant results)... I couldn't have gathered and edited all this information by myself, in such little time. I did all that I could, but ended up giving back a booklet that bears every proof of me being somehow slack and uncaring, etc.... (for the second half of the paper.. the first half being of a good quality). Some pages don't match the summary, some elements are missing... Overally, it isn't entirely bad, except that my instructors are probably laughing at the moment, thinking I gave them a work that lacked an average week weeks of re-reading, editing / etc. They are strict, and by no means would I be able to fool them by saying that these errors were technical (as a friend suggested).

Presently, I feel devastated, as I have felt every once in a while since school started.... Too well aware that my relationship to deadlines and to the assignments that I am given by professors is compulsory. And I know that my reason to procrastinate is merely a fear of disapointing them. (usually, as soon as I hand my work in, I purposefuly stay away about the topic, and everything related, despite enjoying my work and having picked it myself out of many others........ because I have been so very scared by the whole "adventure".)

In case it is relevant, I am a 23y female, and I decided during the last 6 months to make a change of major, in which i have been accepted thanks to the grades i got in the last years....; So my future isn't at stake here, as I will start a new gradschool program next fall, in another city, and am forsaking this field of study for now, for valid reasons (the other field offers more stable jobs, has better recognition, and it will probably match my personality much better). I intend on making solid changes, documenting myself sufficiently on time management and the likes, and dealing with all the lessons I learned the hard way, during the coming summer.

As a side information, my university doesn't really put health services in touch with teachers as it is the case in america, in order to help them out in difficult times.

I know there is no easy way to go through next monday, and am scared to be overwhelmed by emotions, because I feel like I have never wanted anything like this to happen. I am scared to death of the reaction my teachers will have. They will probably only ask questions, be cold, and let me go. But... even though my conclusions are alright and can be justified, I am really shaky. There is no way I can justify the poor quality of my work, because my personal life isn't of any interest to them.

Do you have any advice on what I could do or say to balance my emotions and be at my best ? Also, would it be acceptable to hand in another paper, that would have been corrected ? I cannot ask my advisor anything regarding this, as she has said she will be unreachable until the day of the examination. Thank you in advance, hive mind.

Business major -> English teacher

firei — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 05:39:16 -0800

I've decided I want to teach high school english. Problem: I have a BS in Business Admin. How do I do this? I want to teach english in a NY state high school. This decision aside, I need help.

I graduated from Fordham University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business administration with a concentration in entrepreneurship this May. While I was in my last semester, I realized that I've always wanted to teach. This decision may have been hasty, but let's assume for the moment that teaching will be everything I've dreamed it to be, because that's not the focus of this question.

Current thoughts include a community college for the english credits, then a SUNY or Marist or Mercy for the masters in education. I've been on the NY education site, and found it a bit jumbled and slightly confusing. The individual grad program sites are even less helpful. I know I need to call the schools, but I can't do that until next week, do to my work schedule.

Any MeFites have experience with this - majoring in something unrelated to what you want to teach? How did you do it? Can I do it in less than three years? HELP!

Multiple people signing ONE graduate school letter of recommendation?

pdx87 — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 14:25:39 -0800

Can more than one person sign a single grad school letter of recommendation? I'm applying to a very competitive grad program in January. At my current job (middle school), I have had at least 5 co-workers/superiors offer to write me letters of recommendation. I never asked for these letters of recommendation, they just enthusiastically offered. I'm well liked at work and I take great pride in the fact that others notice my commitment to my job.

I am going to ask the principal to write my letter, as he has the most authority and is well known in the community (and he hired me). Is there a tactful way to let him know that my co-workers also support my quest to get into grad school? The principal and I have a good relationship.

As ridiculous as it may sound, can other teachers/staff members sign my letter of recommendation in support of me? Or would this be insane?

Where should I go to grad school?

hapticactionnetwork — Thu, 14 May 2009 10:19:08 -0800

What kind of grad program should I go to if I'm interested in the preservation of digital media archives? Museum studies? Information science? Something else entirely? Lately, I have been considering going to grad school. I have a bachelor's in theater, and I've been working at a theater for the past 5ish years.

I've been looking at the University of Texas' School of Information Master of Science in Information Studies, but would that degree prepare me to work with digital media later? (And, I guess, analog electronic media like VHS tapes.).

Are there programs out there that specifically prepare people to work with archives that focus on electronic/digital media?

Should I just get a master's in Art History and find another way to get the preservation experience?

Is this a terrible idea in general?

Jeeze, life is full of difficult decisions. Thanks for helping with this one.

Urban Planning Remixed

lunalaguna — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 11:44:42 -0800

Experimental and radical urban planning: Where are the interesting multidisciplinary graduate programs in the U.S.? I'm interested in a lot of things, but one subject that's held my interest for a long time is urban planning and design. I'm ready for a career change and want to pursue a master's degree in urban planning.

However, based on my experience working for government agencies and my participation in citizen planning initiatives, I'm pretty sure I'd go crazy actually practicing urban planning. I'm looking for master's programs that provide a strong foundation of urban planning and design theory so I can eventually work in research or policy analysis.

More importantly, I'm looking for programs that are potentially interdisciplinary, that might let me take classes in history and science, and that give me the option of pursuing a self-defined specialization.

I'm influenced by the work of artists Christian Nold and Andrea Zittel. I'm most interested in psychogeography and transit, the sociology of mega-events like the Olympics, and the kind of work the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture and SENSEable City Laboratory at MIT are doing.

Any thoughts? School recommendations? Professors to contact?

How to continue one's education without going back to school?

mintchip — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 20:47:18 -0800

How to continue one's education without going back to school? I'm interested in a lot of different subjects. I already have a Master's degree I hope to continue lifelong learning. I'm self motivated, but what I miss about school was being directed towards the most cutting edge and respected theorists and being given a context for what you are reading.

Without signing up for classes, I'm wondering how I can find some of the resources that students have access to...for example, syllabi that list required reading for different classes. Also, any thoughts about how to pursue lifelong learning independent from formal schooling?

Developing a Relationship with my Professor

Genco_Olive_Oil — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 13:25:15 -0800

Hey all, I'm an incoming master's student with plans to apply to my institution's PhD program after my master's. As the first person in my family to go to college (let alone graduate school), I am quite green in many respects. What I'm really worried about is the professor(s) I want to work with in the future--how do I go about developing a professional relationship with them? I'm afraid of creating a negative impression about myself if I keep badgering them during office hours and blatantly trying to ingratiate myself with them. Also, any advice you could give me would be really helpful--especially with regards to a master's student in the humanities field. What should be my main focus and what common errors should I avoid?

To whom it may concern:

pseudostrabismus — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 19:57:08 -0800

I'd like to see examples of great cover letters, please. In my experience applying for jobs, grants, and programs, I think most of my cover letters have been kind of lame- a little stiff, overly formal, and basically boring. But when I try to make them sound more "like me", they get gimmicky and annoying.

I'd like to read examples of excellent cover letters. I don't really care what type of job or program they're for. I'm not so much looking for advice like "keep it brief" or "use humour" or "write it on a pizza box!" Rather, I'm seeking actual examples of smart, clear, charming, and attention-grabbing cover letters that would easily land an application in the YES pile.

If you know of something online, please share links- and if you want to share a real letter you wrote or received, perhaps you could remove or alter any identifying details, and post it here. (Obviously I'm not looking to violate anyone's confidentiality.)

Thanks!

Can I Break into Information Architecture at 40?

thenewyawkah — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 13:26:35 -0800

Is it realistic to become an information architect in NYC after the age of 40? I'm concerned about the bias that exists in the computer industry and the expensive cost of training for this career. I followed my spouse to NYC several years ago so that he could take a great job. I had a B.A in Psychology and my plan was to work and go to grad school here. That didn't pan out so well - my not so great school was into replacing scholarships with student loans. When they cut my loan aid in half and pushed private loans instead (for a nice kickback to themselves I presume!) I had no choice but to drop out.

So now what? I have a gaping hole in my resume, a background of temp jobs (I am from an economically depressed, rural area) and truly scary student loan debt. I have decent computer skills and wondered if maybe a library science degree (Pratt or Queens College) or an online degree in Human Computer Interaction or Human Factors might be enough to enter this field.

I don't want to make another huge and expensive mistake and am concerned by a few things:

1) I'm not a hipster and apparently, this is a hip career here. I like the design and research component of the work and actually enjoy the idea of creating taxonomies and use cases.

2) My work history is flimsy - I've been out of work entirely for 2 years and before that I was an admin. temp. My salary history is laughable in NYC terms.

Any of these avenues would incur more debt. My other options are to attend a CUNY school and get a masters in Psychology or Sociology and try to break into market research. Or, I could pursue a Technical Communications degree at Northeastern University online and try to break into IA that way. Any ideas on how to break into an IA/Market Research career over 40 would be greatly appreciated!

Grad-school visit: what to ask?

aka burlap — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 19:26:47 -0800

Visiting potential grad school. How best to make the most of my visit? I've applied to masters programs at 4 schools for next fall (Public Policy and Social Work, dual degrees). I've been admitted to the program at School X, and I'm in the running for a pretty nice funding offer as well. I'll be visiting the school this weekend, and I'll have lots of opportunity to talk to faculty, students, and advisors. I want to take full advantage of this chance to get all my questions answered, but, er, what are all my questions, anyway? What should I ask about? Whom should I make sure to talk to? Former/current grad students: what do you wish you'd found out about before beginning your program?

Relatedly, I've been to the town the school is in once before, but certainly I didn't spend my brief visit imagining what living there for 3 years would be like. Any thoughts on what to look for on that front?

Thanks, MeFites!

Grad School Blues

puckish — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 04:36:45 -0800

Thinking about leaving grad school (maybe for good?). What's the best "next step"? I'm currently halfway through a humanities graduate program at a prestigious university, and am tremendously unhappy. I love my program, and I really like what I do. The first two years were amazing, incredibly stimulating, and made me realize that this is something I might actually be WANT TO DO with my life. Since then, though, I have really lost my sense of direction -- and, after two or three nervous breakdowns and a LOT of soul-searching, I don't think I can honestly be good to myself, stay alive, stay sane, and keep doing what I'm doing.

The problems are standard: I'm in my qualifying year, and am incredibly frustrated with my field -- a problem not helped by the fact that I haven't connected well with my adviser, and really haven't made the kind of progress I want to make. My work hasn't been as strong as I've wanted it to be, and I feel like my adviser is really too busy / too disconnected to invest time in someone who's still trying to figure these things out. At the same time, I'm also getting frustrated with my field (right now, literary work, focusing on British modernism in the 20th century -- a really small niche). The stuff I'm most interested in working on is political theory and cultural history proper: I don't feel like my training is really preparing me for this, but l also feel I don't have time or space to make a change, due to the overwhelming pressure forward with the job market.

I feel like I need to adjust, redirect, and maybe switch fields, or at least figure out a better working relationship with my adviser going forward into the dissertation. I've been told emphatically NOT to take time off, and that the vast majority of students don't come back, either because of inertia, or because advisers / professors just forget about you. There's also a huge taboo against talking about leaving the academy. Given the tough job market, with faculty wanting to focus their attention on "serious" students -- and of course, I want to be taken seriously. But this, too, is making it really hard to be open and honest with faculty members about this problem. What I want, really, is to take some time away from school, do some of the requisite "outside" reading, and decide what (if anything) needs to be done to make this work.

My question is: for those of you (the many, I'm sure) who have been in this situation, what should I expect if I take time off? What should I tell my advisers? What do I do, to try to stay empowered and optimistic during this transition? It would be nice to be able to FEEL GOOD about my chosen profession again -- to be able to get excited, to look forward to the next step. It would also be nice to be able to work without constantly thinking about jumping off a cliff / walking into traffic / drinking myself into a stupor because I'm worried about the future. This thread and this thread have been really useful, just in getting to realize that this IS a problem (and that it's a pretty universal one). I want to fix this -- and would really like suggestions on what to expect moving forward.

Any advice would be much appreciated!

Phd, what next

nootnoot1 — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 06:08:24 -0800

PhD, what next Hi
This might sound naive for someone already completed a Phd program, but I am truly confused now.

I am a Korean and attended a top college in my home country majoring in computational science and did a lot of programming, etc.
During my senior year I got bored about the applied stuff and decided to apply to grad school in US and switch to physics.
This decision had much to do with audacity and inexperience of young people, I guess.
I did extremly well on GRE general and subject tests since I have always been a good standard test taker and this helped me to get
into a good graduate program in US at 22.

I spent 5 years working toward the doctorate. During this time some
personal and family issue distracted my attention considerably. The consequence was that though I was able to finish and graduate with a PhD, I failed to develop more transferable skills or networking etc. Upon retrospection, I felt that I simply rushed through everything. At the end I decided that I no longer wanted to continue to do research or go onto postdoc positions. I returned to my home in Korea.

Currently I am working at a private college aimed at preparing Korean teenagers academically for entering UK universities. This is the only gainful employment I can find, and Phd is absolutely redundant for this role.

I am frustrated with my current situation and want a change.

I am pondering the possibility of going back to school for another degree to sharpen more applicable skills which I learnt during my undergraduate years. One field that comes to my mind is statistics. I can do the GRE stuff quickly and my under and grad background certainly prepares me for coursework in that field.
However this option makes me anxious also.

If I were to go back to grad school I would be around 29 when I start. Is that going to be too old?
How would the admission committee view my application?

Or I might do a postdoc at a European university and skip the embarassment of second time of grad schooling. But the place that I can get into is not strong academically, so my prospect with the new
field is not that bright if I were to go there instead of doing another degree.

Any input?

Coming from an art-school background, I have none of the requirements for a CS grad school. Am I hopeless?

amileighs — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 11:15:24 -0800

How do I start a MS in Computer Science with no applicable background? My Background:
Throughout high school (mid-late 90's) I was a computer nerd, often blowing off my homework to stay up all night learning about TCP/IP, Linux, OpenBSD, and generally hacking around with the vague intention of doing something computer-related.

After high school I took a job as a phone-monkey for Dell and MSN and after a year and a half doing customer service and tech support I was completely disenchanted. I recoiled at the thought of sitting in a cubicle for the rest of my life, programming enormously bloated software just to further some giant corporation, so knee-jerk enrolled in art school (a second passion) and was accepted. Mistake #1

I was a major in New Media, where I had a blast. Our department was in its first year and was beyond tiny- just eight people. Our teachers had no background in the field, so each of us basically taught our selves with little to no guidance from the professors. Some taught themselves 3d modeling, others more graphic design focused.

I spent the next three years teaching myself Max/MSP, ActionScript, and some minor circuits/sensors/robotics. My focus was on AI, mainly on Genetic Algorithms and Neural Networks for use with music, video, and text processing. I did all of the research myself, as my college was focused on fine arts- it didn't even require a math course at all. Eventually I realized that I was having a blast coding, doing research, and algorithm design to deal with large sets of data; and that I had little interest in the 'artwork' nature of it all.

I left college a semester early to move to New York and learn about the art. Mistake #2. Now I've been here for two years and I realize that the art world is not what I thought it would be and I would desperately like to go back to doing Computer Science research, with a focus on AI and Machine Learning.

I'm a great autodidact and I've spent the past months re-acquainting myself with the field, learning things like Python and SQL, doing some data-mining exercises, brushing up on my math, and making a few projects on the Google App Engine. I'm definitely sure I want to do this.

My Questions:

- Should I take the CS GRE in addition to the regular GRE in order to show I'm committed?

- I have a semester's worth of credits left to full to (finally) get my art degree, and my school will accept CLEP tests and/or CS courses taken at a local school. Should I take the CLEP tests like Discrete Mathematics, Info. Systems & Computer Applications or would it be better to get an 'A' in the actual class?

- After I have my prerequisites taken care of, is it OK to go to a lower level university for an MS, and then go somewhere better If I want to do a Ph.D ? Or is it more common to start off with a Ph.D immediately?

What software is helpful for writing a masters thesis?

metricfan — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 20:30:12 -0800

What software is helpful for writing a masters thesis? I'm working my thesis for my M.A. and I have a non-tablet PC and use OneNote a lot. What are some helpful computer programs or tips for doing research?

Here are the things I need right now:

I really need a program to allow me to take notes on PDFs directly. It seems like most of my reading is on here, and I need to be able to write in the margins like I do with actual printed things. I am broke, so I was hoping for a free program/under 30-ish dollars. Someone asked this question like two years ago, and there was not real answer.

Also, how can I import a PDF in OneNote? Actually, any tips for OneNote would be amazing.

I need a good citation program or something because Refworks has turned out to be a bust.

Is Evernote really good?

Any advice or tips are welcome.

About my thesis: I'm a communication studies ma student, and I'm writing about popular culture and politics. Specifically, I am using Barry Brummett's mosaic method in his book Rhetorical Dimensions of Popular Culture to analyze TDS and other news media surrounding Obama's race speech.

SO! If you have any research suggestions for that, that's cool too. Though, as a masters student I've taken the fundamental classes like classical rhetoric, so really abstractly related things like Aristotle's On Rhetoric (unless with a specific link to my project) I don't really need to hear.

I appreciate the help, thanks in advance.

looking for wonderland

ndicecco — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 06:00:03 -0800

I'm writing an MA thesis based (in part) on American McGee's Alice... problem is I haven't played it and can't seem to find a copy for Mac OS in Canada. Amazon.ca doesn't have it at all. Amazon.com has it, but won't ship it to Canada (also costs about $75-$100). Ebay only has it for Windows. I could get that and load parallels (or something), but I'd prefer to find a copy for Mac. So far no luck on Craigslist. The only other option I've come up with is to have Amazon ship it to a friend in the US, and have them ship it to me. Again, I'd rather just take a trip to Toronto, if possible.

I'm in Hamilton, ON - is there anywhere in this area (including Toronto) that I might find a copy of this game. My supervisor is putting the pressure on.

How to turn nine empty months into an opportunity

Anonymous — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 20:54:35 -0800

In what worthwhile or cautionary ways have you spent a gap of downtime before grad school starts? Underemployed, going back to school in nine months. It feels like a good time to try something completely off the wall before my new life starts.

It's a longer period of time than a summer job would fill, but too short for the kinds of significant things I imagine would take a year-long commitment.

So I was wondering whether anyone out there has had any especially interesting experiences, doing something temporary to fill in a gap like this. Don't want to avoid being in financial freefall, but am willing to work on the very cheap.

Drive a tomato truck? Move in with your parents? Get a full-time position while keeping your impending escape a secret? Do some pseudo-Peace Corps thing somewhere?

Any help much appreciated.