Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with gradschool

BA to PhD in Education Policy?

l33tpolicywonk — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 06:30:01 -0800

What are the pros and cons of going directly from a BA to a PhD in education policy studies? I've just finished my BA at 21 (in the US), and I'm considering either an MA or PhD in education policy studies or social foundations of education, with the intent of going into education policy research. I want to consider both the likelihood that I'd be admitted straight into the PhD and the pros and cons of that route. Some important points:

* I carried a 3.9 in undergrad, and will enter grad school with about a year and a half of direct research experience in education policy when I enter grad school.
* My fiance and I are looking primarily at big state schools - I'm looking for schools of education with strong policy focuses.
* Financial aid is a serious concern. I'm more than happy TAing, etc. but ideally, I'd like to go to grad school without paying.

Will spending the extra time getting the PhD keep me out of the loop in my field for 4-5 years? If I drop to half-time during my studies, will not having an MA make it difficult to find a job? Does applying for the PhD make it more likely or less likely that I'll get a decent financial aid package? Is the extra job flexibility and income really worth going after the PhD? How likely am I really to get into a PhD program straight from BA if I apply?

All input appreciated. Thanks.

Too little time?

Boydrop — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 14:44:54 -0800

Letter of Recommendation question - Will a very short notice request for a letter of recommendation in between semesters (now) end badly? More details inside... Here's the deal:

I've spent much of 2009 preparing myself to apply to professional graduate programs. I took the GRE, researched programs and career paths, interviewed folks in the fields I might be interested in, yadda yadda…. I also sent out a request in early November to a particular professor that I had a good relationship with and was sure would write me a strong letter. Happily, he agreed and requested further info to write the letter.

All good right? Well, problem is, I never responded back to him. Around the same time I sent the request, after many months of scrambling for ANY employment, I luckily (sort of) secured a very strenuous service-sector job. However, the job took much more out of me than I thought it would going in to it. Much of November and December was spent throughly exhausted, physically and (not to be too dramatic, but it's true) emotionally.

However, after finally getting myself together enough to focus on my longer term goals, I've realized I have most of the application completed for a particular program that I am very interested in joining. This particular professor's letter would really complete the application and I think really help me out. The problem is, that the supporting documents for the application are due January 15th, a short two weeks from now.

His response to my original request was for a list of the schools I was applying to, so it would be ideal to send him this list now, but I'm still undecided about whether or not I should wait an additional year to apply to these much more competitive programs. However, at this point, if I can gain admittance to this particular program I would happily take it, as the tuition is much more manageable.

Would it be crazily inappropriate to send him this request and expect a letter several days before the 15th? Would I be harming my chances for future requests for other programs with due dates further off in spring or next year?

Certification of M.A.T.?

youcancallmeal — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 21:39:23 -0800

I want to be a teacher! Should I go for my M.A.T. or just take a certification program? The certification program (at Notre Dame College of Baltimore) would be about half of the classes as the M.A.T. (at either Hopkins or Towson University, mostly likely) and would let me finish much faster and with much less stress. It's about 18 credits vs. 30. Would the M.A. make any any more employable? Less?

I'm getting the specialization in secondary social studies and theatre and would like to move back to New England once I'm certified one way or the other if it matters.

PhD Admissions Question

Anonymous — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 21:24:45 -0800

Help me understand PhD admissions Hi,

A few months ago I finally decided that I want to go for a PhD in psychology. My background is in biology and I don't have research experience or a ton of formal coursework in psychology (although I do have chemistry research experience), so I went in knowing that my chances are probably not great for the programs I'm looking at (top 15 or so mostly). I was Phi Beta Kappa at a good undergrad, my GRE scores are significantly higher than the median in the programs I'm looking at, and I think my statements of purpose are pretty good. So I'm very well-qualified except that I don't have a degree in psychology, and if I was applying to biology programs I don't think I'd have much trouble.

I'm skeptical about my chances because I've been reading through the admissions sites on the departments I'm interested in, and most of them say they get like 300 applications for 10-15 spots. With such a low admissions rate it seems like you would have to be perfect in every respect to get in.

So I have two separate questions:

-First, who gets in to top-20 PhD programs in psychology? What kind of background do you have to have, given their admissions rates? Or, in those 300 applicants are there a bunch of people who just apply for the heck of it, so it looks more competitive than it actually is?

-Second, I qualify for a special fellowship that funds PhD students for 5 years. It is specifically for people with disabilities. I haven't got the fellowship yet, because you have to apply along with a research advisor, but I would have a very good chance of getting it. Lots of admissions sites say that they have to deny qualified applicants every year because they have limited funding. Is it appropriate to contact professors in the department and mention that I probably would be able to bring in my own funding? If so, would the ability to be funded from outside improve admissions chances, or is this a non-factor?

Go to Master's Program or Job then Master's Program?

Anonymous — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 18:14:32 -0800

Is it better to go immediately to graduate school in electrical engineering or work in the area of specialization you like and then go to graduate school? Asking for someone else:

A friend of mine is about to finish his bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering and is considering either going into a Master's program or going to a job (he's already been pre-offered one) before going into graduate school. The catch is the graduate school is the same one he currently attends undergrad at and he has had problems with the administration and some faculty members of the graduate school. He has also not had the most stellar grades as they go and has had problems graduating on time so he's finally finishing his bachelor's degree in seven years in a program that's normally five.

He worries that if he goes into the job market he won't be able to eventually go to graduate school given that he thinks his grades will severely affect him more than the possible benefits of working in the area and field that he plans to specialize in.

Also, the graduate program he could get into was at some level, strong-armed by a professor into letting him into the program after he was rejected and definitely holds some conditions that are rather less than favorable.

One of the conditions is that he will be treated as a Master's student that has failed his first year and therefore has several grade requirements to be met, etc.

Would it be better and possibly more advantageous to get the job that lets him work on his field or to go into this Master's Program?

Throwaway email at gradorjob@gmail.com

How to maximize jobs with an obscure MA?

flibbertigibbet — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 05:40:01 -0800

Starting fall 2010, I'll be going to grad school (Master's) in a pretty esoteric field (studying texts from late antiquity, written in an obscure language). If I decide not to go on to the PhD, what can I do now and during my Master's to maximize my job opportunities when I get out? Are there any skills you would really strongly recommend that I pick up? If it helps, I'll be in Ottawa, Canada. My program can withdraw your funding if it finds out you're working more than 10 hours/week, and most of those 10 hours are taking up with your TA work.

Quit or Fail: How to pick up the pieces after academic and PhD abandonment?

Gaeacon — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:44:59 -0800

How have you reconciled failure vs. quitting? How have you managed to pick up the pieces of your most passionate undertaking after dropping it? Is the desire to reinvent myself and undertake a new passion/direction just a mechanism to hide the pain of giving up? I recently graduated with a Master's (conciliatory?) in Ecology from a top program. For 2+ of 3 years I dealt with either crippling depression (I think I'll just stay in bed for the week...month...quarter) and second guessing my ability to succeed in my PhD program or the delusion that I could remain cavalier and continue shooting from the hip all the way to the hooding ceremony.

I got tired. I chose not to continue on the PhD path and decided to puruse my "true passion" - communicating environmentalism and inspiring social change within a broader audience. I've done tours of duty with two non-profits that vary widely in their sphere of influence and method of promoting environmentalism/conservation. I haven't been enthralled by either and find myself still looking at the horizon....

I have been feeling nostalgic - I miss collaborators/old friends, I miss exciting tropical field site, I miss comfortable fellowship, and I really miss feeling like I am creating my life rather than just floating by. At the time, I was convincing myself I wanted something different, something more in line with my dreams. Now I look back and think "I had it good! If I just did the work and didn't fall victim to the distraction of something bigger and better....if I would have dealt with the depression (self-induced I think), bad habits, cavalier attitude...I would be well on my way with research".

Maybe it is mostly hindsight and the grass is greener type of thing. I can't rid the nagging feeling that "I want to quit PhD to pursue this, my real passion!" is really just a self-deception disguising "I am failing because I refuse to make positive changes in my life and would rather do nothing". I am tired of this "can't fail if I don't try" attitude, and I basically spend everyday of work at non-profit thinking about how I messed up.

How do I overcome this failure/quitting and regain creative control of my life? Where do I go next? I am drowning with real-world problems (paying bills, finding a new job) and feel like I am inevitably drifting further from pursuing my "true passion" - my supposed reason for getting out of PhD early!

I want to stop defrauding myself. I know that I was fully capable of doing the work I just "chose" not to. The worst feeling is not knowing if I was justified in that choice - was it because of laziness, fear of failure....or truly because I wanted to do something else (as I struggled for months to finally convince myself and then report to others) - it just all seems like lies

Where can I meet fellow grad students?

Anonymous — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:27:11 -0800

Where can I go to meet cool UT grad students in Austin. I am a grad student at UT in Austin in a field full of professional types. Think business, law, public affairs. In college, I had friends from a variety of areas, including creative types (arts, film, music) and science people. I miss this, but my program is very insular. Where do the grad students hang out around campus or in the city? Seeking the ability to meet a variety of people. I need friends outside of my program, and grad students are great because we have similar lifestyles, spend a lot of time on campus, etc. It would also be nice to have a dating pool one day that is not in my same school. I am 25, if that helps. Thanks!

I miss my country's healthcare system

gmarceau — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:44:58 -0800

I'm a grad student in Massachusetts. My school-sponsored health insurance is terrible. The maximum benefit limit is 75,000$ and covers only 80% in-network, 60% out-of-network. I'm poor, but since I'm from abroad, none of the state-supported programs will help. What are my options? If anything catastrophic happens to me, the benefits are such that the insurance will be of little help avoiding a bankruptcy. The only redeeming value of the insurance is its cost. But at 70$ a month, I'm would prefer to pay bit more for better coverage. I asked the company, but there are no extra coverage available, no "rider", as they say.

I've looked at a few private insurances. Unfortunately, coverage in my price range won't cover any activities involving motorcycles or skis, and I participate in both. Short of altering my lifestyle, being on these insurances would still leave open the possibility of a bankruptcy.

Are there any companies that sell extra coverage for people who already have some third party health insurance? How should I go about shopping for such an insurance? The staff at my school's international house were not any help. Who else should I ask? Where could I get some guidance?

Just a stirring in my soul?

bookgirl18 — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:59:55 -0800

I can't seem to get unstuck. Hi MeFites,

I'm stuck.

I'm two years out of college and I'm a pretty lucky gal. I've got a job in publishing, an apartment, friends, a boyfriend, support system. I know all this in my head... but I don't feel it.

Instead, what I *feel* is empty and unsatisfied. The job is kind of an entry-level soul suck (with a boss that's a little Devil Wears Prada-esque), the boyfriend is problematic (haha), and I'm feeling a bit depressed. The things I used to do to help enjoy life, including being involved in a Jewish community, book clubs, and my own writing, aren't really cutting it. In fact, I can't remember last time anything got me truly, unabashedly *happy*.

This is all coming to a head now because it's grad school application crunch time, and it's starting to occur to me that it would be great to be back in school, most likely for an English PhD. It would be *amazing* to be back in an academic context, really carving out a potential career for myself and developing as a writer and researcher.

Yet, when I try to do the productive things to get there, like craft a statement of my purpose or think of professors to recommend me, I freeze. The difficult process and dim career prospects of humanities phds are daunting, and I'm not sure if I'm really ready to cope with the future that I'd be signing myself up for (still potentially unemployed in ten years! not get a chance to choose where i live! not be able to afford a house! etc.)

I was thinking of delaying my applications until the next round, to have time to really talk to professors, put together a stellar application, and really research programs, but the thought of another full year like this seems absolutely unbearable to me. I look around and see my peers, none of whom took more than three years off before returning to some grad degree, traveling and achieving, and I feel like a failure in comparison (however irrational that may seem.) I definitely don't regret the time off until this point, but I don't feel like I'm making progress towards any kind of goal.
Furthermore, if I don't go for the PhD at all, I'm afraid I'll regret it forever.

I'm driving my friends and loved ones crazy with all this angst, which I honestly am working to improve. I know the economy is terrible and that most people are having a tough year. I'm applying for other jobs in the field, joined a gym, found a therapist (whom I like!), am volunteering with underprivileged kids and reading them stories (can't recommend that enough, by the by.) I know I am taking steps in the right direction. I'm even taking the GREs in a few days (and re-learning math! Ahh!).

Yet, I still wake up every day and feel like sobbing. This really isn't like me - I go through ups and downs, but on the whole, I've always been a hopeful person. Now, I feel like I'm going through life in a vague, unhappy fog, not really feeling anything intensely except sadness. In fact, a dear friend pulled me aside yesterday and told me she's never seen me so generally dejected, ever.

(It may be worth mentioning that all this intense sadness took off in June, when I got on the Pill. Not that it makes the other issues less important... but coincidence?)

If I wait another year to apply, have I squashed my chances? Maybe I'm just a self-absorbed, melodramatic whiner, which is how I feel sometimes? What would you do if you were me?

Thanks for the read, y'all.

Was I ripped off by the graduate school admissions committee at a top 10 university?

Anonymous — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:25:51 -0800

Was I ripped off by the graduate school admissions committee at a top 10 university? I applied to a CS master's program at a top 10 US university a few months ago. I had still not received any sort of answer from the school (mail, email, or otherwise) the weekend before the term (I had applied for) began. I called the program that Friday, but nobody answered. I emailed three different addresses; only one person answered, the director of the program. He emailed me on Sunday morning, the day before the term started. His email said that my application was rejected because I haven't had any math since high school, and because the admissions committee could not determine my mathematics background. In reality, I have taken five math courses in college, including an entire Calculus sequence, and I got A's in all of these.

These math courses were on my undergraduate transcripts; the university's "application status" website indicated that these transcripts had been received, so the program should've been aware that I had taken these courses. I emailed the director back, but he dodged my questions and became argumentative. He's now ignoring my email messages to him.

I feel that my application wasn't taken seriously, that the admissions committee made mistakes in evaluating my application (and is refusing to admit that they did), and that it was wrong of the school to inform me of my admission status the day before the term I applied for was to begin (if I wouldn't have emailed them, I probably would've have never known if I had been admitted or rejected--they have never sent me an official rejection letter). In short, I feel ripped off.

I paid nearly $100 to apply to this program, and I am far from rich. Am I entitled to refund? What would you do if you were me? I emailed the president of the university, explaining my situation, but my emails have been ignored.

Underrated Bio

gensubuser — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:16:13 -0800

What biomedical engineering labs are "underrated"? I have a relative graduating from a Tier 1 public school with a bioengineering degree. High-powered research experience, although GPA is substellar. Tell me your favorite lab/University that's a diamond in the rough; cool ideas, maybe better funded than the rest of the department, but recruitment just hasn't quite caught up yet.

I'm in grad school in the sciences, so this is not a general interest question. I understand his background as slightly geared towards tissue/implantation of stuff, but you can expand that because it's absurd to feel constrained by UG research. US or fully funded only plz.

I'm aware of this askMe, but it's mostly not what I want.

How to choose a grad school?

1024x768 — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:52:33 -0800

How to choose a grad school? After a couple years of really blah experiences in the corporate world have convinced me it's not for me, I'm ready to go back to school.

My background and experience is primarily in computer science (as is my bachelors), but I've always had a dream of studying cognitive neuroscience to better understand how consciousness arises from the human mind.

I'm primarily interested in schools in the chicago area. Thing is, there are many different neuroscience programs in the area universities and I'm at a loss of how to narrow my selection. My ultimate goal is to study and research the brain/mind, which I'm assuming will involve getting a PhD in neuroscience or a related discipline.

How does one go about settling on a school/program?

Public, please help me determine a gradual, economical policy for my life.

ropeladder — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:37:56 -0800

Considering grad school for public policy, economics, international development. Help me sort out my life. Note: my situation is pretty similar to this post. (I did a double take when I read it to make sure I hadn't posted this question already myself)

I just got back from teaching English for two years in the Peace Corps and suddenly everyone I know seems to be in grad school and loving it. I like learning and am pretty passionate about social science. I've been looking around at masters degrees in public policy and economics (possibly with an international slant, mostly because I'd be more qualified for it having done Peace Corps) and am considering masters programs in the following:

-Public Policy (or International PP) with econ focus
-Public Policy + Economics (dual degree)
-(plain old) Economics
-International Public Policy with econ focus
-International Studies with a development focus
-Public Administration + Economics (dual degree)
-(The other option is just to move back to DC and look for another nonprofit job.)

I don't have any formal background in economics (like the referenced post, I'm mostly a dilettante at this stage), so it's likely that I will be taking undergrad classes (econ and maybe stats) next spring in preparation for any of the programs. My BA was in German with a minor in Politics. Political orientation is leftward and making lots of money is not very important.

I have two major concerns. The first is that I want a solid grasp of both neoclassical economics and some of the major heterodox critiques. Ideally I would like a solid econ program that is grounded within a broader social science context. Public policy seems like it would be a good place for this, but I'm not really sure.

The second concern is that I don't really know what I want the degree for, career-wise. At this point I have no desire to continue on with a PhD and/or go into academia (I want to do some more things first...), and sitting in a think tank doesn't appeal to me very strongly either. Besides working for the gov'mint, what other kinds of jobs are there that this kind of degree would be conducive to getting? I'm concerned that my passion for a topic will not sustain a dull desk job.

Those of you that have done similar programs, where have you ended up and what are your jobs like? What kinds of programs seem like they would best fit what I'm looking for? Economists (and others), are you going to take me seriously if I don't have a specifically econ degree? Is more advanced economics helpful in the real world anyway?

Huge thanks in advance.

Everyone has a supervsior but me

Anonymous — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:36:13 -0800

How to find a research supervisor? I've looked through a lot of previous askMe's but there don't seem to be any covering this. I am a little over one year into my MA and I have about a month to get all my stuff together for a major research project. It's not even a thesis, just a paper, and I'm not planning on going on to do a PhD, so it should be more or less no big deal... but I seem stuck. Mostly, at the moment I'm lacking a supervisor which would probably help me refine my research proposal. I haven't had great relationships with any of the professors from my courses - not bad, but I'm not really any good at the sort of academic networking and chitchat that seem to go into establishing this sort of thing. So, I guess my question is, outside of classes (which I'm pretty much done with at this point) how do you approach people re: supervising?

FWIW, I'm in a large interdisciplinary grad program in the humanities. Most students I know found a supervisor (seemingly) ages ago.

If you had the opportunity to start over, what would you do?

helios410 — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:34:55 -0800

If you had the opportunity to start over, what would you do? I can't afford to live in Manhattan anymore. After five years of attempting to gain a steady career, it's time for me to throw in the towel.

I am 27 years old. I have a bachelor's degree. And I have freelanced for a handful of television networks for the past 5 years, mostly doing creative editorial (read: post-production) for on-air and web promos. Frankly, I can't tell if it's the fact that it's so difficult to keep a steady flow of work, or I am just generally unimpressed with the job itself, but I am burnt out. Furthermore, financially I am not making ends meet because I only get 1-2 gigs a week (which usually last a day).

What I am looking for is steady work, but my feeling is I have been working in such a niche field that my skills are not portable to other industries. I do consider going back to school for an MBA, but my undergrad GPA is a feeble 2.4 as I was battling depression during college (and still am to this day). Frankly, I am not sure if business school is the way to go. But in today's economy the lingering feeling is an MBA is one of the few masters degrees that usually pays for itself.

Considering I am split between trying to find new work in a budding or stable industry and going back to school, I have two questions:

1) What resources are available to find out where job growth is occurring? Note: I am not limiting myself to the US. If you tell me China, I ask how do I get hired there.

2) Besides US News & Reports, what resources can I use to learn about business school programs, and learn whether an MBA from an average school is worth the cost? Especially those schools who, assuming I managed to pull a kick ass GMAT score, would consider an individual with a less than stellar undergrad GPA like myself.

I have no direction, but I know I need a serious change, because the fact is relying on parents for financially support is taking its toll on how I value myself. Thanks for reading this longish post.

How useful is a Chinese studies M.A.?

Mummy of a Lady Named Jemutesonekh — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 06:40:57 -0800

I'm thinking about getting an M.A. in Chinese studies. How useful a job qualification would it be if I didn't go on to get a Ph.D.? I majored in a subject unrelated to Chinese studies in undergrad, but have subsequently become very interested in China, particularly Chinese cultural history. I want to further my interest in an academic program, but don't want to do so if it won't lead to interesting China-related career opportunities. At this point, I'm not sure whether I'd want to get a Ph.D., so I want to confine this question to opportunities an M.A. can help provide. Here are some of the possibilities I can think of. How much would an M.A. help to get these sorts of jobs? What others are there?

- Government (e.g., State Department)
- Nonprofit with a focus on or including China
- Entry-level researcher at a think tank or some other sort of research institution
- Teaching at a high school
- Teaching at a community college
- Teaching at an English-speaking university in a developing country
- Journalism (would a Chinese studies M.A. matter at all as a qualification in this field relative to previous experience or publication record?)
- Business (increased opportunities in the business world are frequently cited on Chinese studies M.A. program websites, but it's difficult for me to imagine how the degree would lead to a job at, e.g., a company with operations in China; if it could, how?)

Thanks in advance for your help!

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!

Help me make myself do my work

millipede — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 07:18:12 -0800

I am in graduate school after taking a few years off, and in those few years it seems I have lost the ability to pay attention to anything. Please help me focus. I just started my graduate program (for City and Regional Planning) in September. I mostly love it. I am not bored by the subject matter, for the most part, and after having flailed about for a few years after college, I finally know that this is what I want to do.

However, I am suffering. I have never been a very good listener in classes. I'm a big doodler of silly faces and writer of my name in fancy fonts. I pay attention somewhat, but tend to zone out when presented with mainly auditory information and when I am not being directly engaged. This has been the case for most of my life--and no, I was never diagnosed with ADD or anything--but it was never that big of a problem, because I did well in school anyway by virtue of being able to concentrate well on the reading and perform well on papers and exams. It used to be that if I were actively doing something, I could focus very well, but if I were a passive listener, I'd zone out.

Things have changed, though. I'm not sure if it's because I took a few years off and I no longer remember how to be a student, or if it's because I have aged beyond some mythical ideal-student-age-window and my brain is duller than it used to be (I am not that old. I am 28), but now, I can barely even make myself focus on my copious amounts of reading. When I had a paper due as an undergrad, I used to be able to sit there with all my research and just write it in one fell swoop. Yesterday, I tried to do that, and I couldn't get beyond four pages and I kept losing my point.

I guess I just don't understand why I used to be able to concentrate on my schoolwork and now I have a very hard time doing so. This is especially panic-inducing because I'm paying for this myself.

Things I have tried:
-coffee
-lots of coffee (coffee helps at first)
-working away from my apartment (but new environments seem to make my mind wander more--in the library, every tiny sound distracts me, whereas in my apartment, I can concentrate a little better)
-working in my apartment and turning the internet off (this helps for a little while, but eventually I will go clip my toenails or decide to clean the bathroom)
-having a study babysitter (I often do work in the company of my sir, who is in the same program. Sometimes this helps--mostly with reading-based work that we are both doing--and sometimes it distracts further).
-small increments of study time (nothing gets done and I count down until there is a break)
-large increments of study time (daunting--more gets done, but it is hard to start).

I'm worried that, because I spent four years essentially goofing off mentally, having a job that did not require any critical thinking, I have forgotten how to be smart.

So far I am doing well in school, insofar as one can do well halfway into a semester. I've gotten good grades on the small assignments we've had. But I look at my google calendar with all my upcoming work on it, and I panic and think that I'm never going to be able to make myself do it all and I'm going to fail and I never should have gone back to school in the first place. It's the spiral of doom.

Help.

How can I learn to study at night?

piper4 — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 13:38:01 -0800

How can I train myself to study better at night? I'm in grad school and I need to use those evening hours for work - I just can't seem to concentrate in the evenings, regardless of if I was working during the day! I'm not a night person - but I need to be. Somehow I managed to get an engineering degree without ever having to work past 7-8 at night. My routine was just to get up early, work all day, and then basically stop after dinner and just relax.

But... I just started my master's (and studying for the MCAT) and I need to use those hours. I can't seem to concentrate in the evenings. During the day I have no problem doing a 4 hour stretch, but at night I can barely read, and I feel completely burnt out. This is the case whether or not I was working during the day.

I usually end up online or watching bad TV, and I am completely conscious that I'm wasting time. I know caffeine is not the answer, any suggestions?

How can I become less absent minded?

emilyd22222 — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:34:07 -0800

How can I become less absent minded? I am in the first two months of a competitive doctoral program in which success is determined by subjective evaluations by faculty, which are based on all interactions they have with us. There have been a couple of instances lately that have demonstrated my tendency to be a bit spacey, and I'm concerned that these things keep happening despite my best efforts. I think part of this is that the constant evaluation makes me very self-conscious and anxious. I tend to be a perfectionistic and fairly anxious person anyway, so I'm probably blowing these things out of proportion, but it has been made clear to me that if these things keep happening, I'm in trouble in the program. Otherwise, I'm doing well and making good impressions. How can I make sure that, in my effort to keep track of all the assignments and responsibilities I have, that the obvious, day-to day stuff (like what time my classes start) doesn't get forgotten? Also, how do I calm down about being constantly judged?

Examples:

-I got distracted by another responsibility and completely forgot to turn in a finished assignment when it was due, and ended up turning it in a day late.

-Today, even though I had been to this 9:30 am student-faculty meeting for the past six weeks, I somehow got it into my head that it started at 10 (that's when I have to be on campus most days). I made an ass of myself by opening the door to the meeting- early, I thought- and closing it right away because I thought I was interrupting an earlier meeting, after the faculty had seen me. I was too embarrassed and worried about being a further disruption to go back in.

-I was late to this same meeting last week because the bus apparently came early, so I missed it and took the next bus.

Any ideas are welcome.

Can I get into grad school in math?

tamaraster — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 20:31:11 -0800

Can I get into a funded Math Master's or PhD program? I'm graduating from a 4-year college with my B.S. this Spring, and I'm in my mid-30's. I have good GPA at this school (about a 3.6, up to about a 3.8 in math courses specifically) and good GRE scores (720 V / 780 Q), but I have dropped a lot of courses (I've worked full time over the years while getting my degree), and back in the mid-90's I flunked out of the first university I went to. Are there graduate math programs that would accept me and give me a TAship or RAship with stipend and free tuition? I have one publication (a not very good one in Computer Science from a regional conference) and will have decently good recommendations, but I haven't done anything brilliant.

I'd like to get a PhD but I'm certainly open to getting a Master's first. Is there an obvious way I should proceed here?

Academic careers in the humanities.

ms.codex — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:26:23 -0800

Tell me why you decided NOT to pursue a PhD. My partner, an academic, thinks that the humanities departments in the US are suffering a major brain drain-- that smart students these days are drawn to law, consulting, science, investment banking, etc., and NOT to graduate study in the humanities. I'm inclined to disagree but of course I have no evidence for either view. I'm curious to hear the experiences of people who considered pursuing a PhD and an academic career (especially in the humanities, but all fields welcome) but ultimately decided not to. It seems to be common knowledge that it's a very tough job market out there for recent PhDs, and I'm wondering if that grim reputation has actually deterred people who are making decisions about graduate study and career paths. I'm also curious to know how prospective or current grad students weigh the pros and cons of a potential academic career-- the specific intellectual satisfactions versus any frustrations you think are specific to academia.

Who gets to be the lucky person to write me a letter of recommendation?

carpyful — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:02:10 -0800

I'm applying to graduate school and need 3 letters of recommendations. However, I am having trouble deciding the right people to ask. HALP. I'm applying to MPA/MPP programs for the Fall of 2010. My work and academic careers have not been ideal and now I'm not sure what to do. Here's my situation:

I got my BA in May 2007 with pretty good grades (I got nearly all A's in my political science courses, which I majored in). Even though I did well, I was the type to do my work and leave class -- I never spent time talking to professors at all. It's now been 2.5 years since graduation and I feel uncomfortable asking any of my old professors for letters of recommendations. Also, I no longer live near my school so I'd have to do this all through phone or email. If I go this route, I'll be contacting my polisci seminar professor. I got an A in the class and an A on my thesis paper.

As an undergrad, I spent a summer interning at my local Congressman's office and my local state Senator's office (both in the same summer, part time with each). This was in the summer of 2006 which means that it has been a while. The only saving grace is that I used one of my internship supervisors as a reference to get my current AmeriCorps gig last year so I've had some communication there.

After graduating, I didn't really know what I wanted to do so I spent a little over a year working in unrelated fields. I did some private tutoring and freelance design to keep busy. Even though I did good work and have maintained some connections with my clients, I feel that the work is so unrelated and short-lived (most of my freelance work was 3-6 month gigs and my tutoring jobs lasted about 9 months) that they might not be great to use for applications.

The only place I am confident in getting letters of recommendations from is the place that I am working at now: I am an AmeriCorps VISTA at a nonprofit doing work I enjoy. I know a few higher-ups in my workplace that would probably write me letters. I am tempted to get more than one person from my organization to write me a recommendation but I would imagine that isn't the best idea ever.

Finally, I am in a cohort with other VISTAs (we are all in different workplaces and meet twice a month for trainings) and the supervisor of that program would write me a letter, as well. I worry that getting a letter from my work supervisor and my VISTA supervisor would be confusing and detrimental.

So to summarize my questions:
Which 3 people do I ask for letters of recommendations?
Is it worth asking professors from undergrad who I never really spoke to (but got A's in the class)?
Is it worth asking people I interned for in 2006?
Is it worth asking clients that I did work for in unrelated fields?
Is getting a letter from more than one person in a workplace weird?
If I get a letter from my work supervisor and a letter from my VISTA supervisor, will that be seen as negative (since most people won't know the difference)?

As you can see, I am in need of guidance.