Grad School Kittens

[LiquiDreams618]

I was just wondering how many kittens out there were in grad school or planning on going/wanting to go/thinking about going etc. Not really sure if this topic has already been discussed but I wanted to see if there was a place where we could talk about what we were going through, have a place to vent, etc.



So, where do (or planning/want) you go? What are you studying? What do you want to do in the end? How far along are you in your program? How do you feel about your choice? Do you ever get overwhelmed or are you not being challenged enough? That sort of thing......



MJ

[Garner]

Hey kittens, I am in Grad school doing the PhD thing for Military History. I would say that there are a lot of factors to watch when you go into Grad school. Be sure that your committe is on good terms with one another, know what their pet projects or particular axes to grind are, learn how to skim books and retain info from skimming, being a TA is a great experience and lots of fun, but be careful about teaching too much and not getting anything else done, and definitely when it comes time for a thesis or dissertation, try and have as little outside life as possible. Distractions are a killer and being able to shut out everything else and get writing done on a regular schedule is vital.



I have been plugging away making most of the mistakes for quite some time, and those are probably my biggest points of advice. One last thing, don't be afraid to change your mind if things are not what you expected. A lot of time grad school is much different than undergraduate studies in the same field. I would recommend talking with other grad students in whatever program you are interested in.



Garner

[fluffylamb]

I was in the middle of a break from my school reading when this thread began. I'm working my Masters of Education from UMass Boston part time at night. This is part of a career change from biotech research assistant to middle school science teacher.



I was warned that "education classes are the bullshit that you have to go through in order to teach." I'm finding that to be painfully true. I'm halfway through the program, and have yet to feel challenged. Something's wrong when the teacher says, "Just hand in all the papers and you'll get an A." I probably should feel grateful to get such a free pass in a class, but it doesn't help me learn how to teach.



Supposedly, UMB's program is strong, but the classes fall into two categories: "Common Frickin' Sense" or "Teacher Just Wants to Talk About Himself/Herself." My two classes this semster are of the latter category.



I am heartbroken at how awful my "Teaching Writing K-12" class is this semester. Even though I am grateful that this class has gotten me writing again, everything that we learned in the past 5 weeks could have been delivered in half an hour. Sigh. Two years to go. I hope other Kittens' experiences are more positive than mine.



Kerry

"In fluent aphasia the subject talks at great length, but are unaware that what they are saying makes no sense."
Art said, "I know a lot of people with that problem." -Kim Stanley Robinson's Blue Mars

[xita]

I have just started working on my masters in Education Curriculum and Technology. There were only 2 programs around here where I could do that and they were both online. So that's what I am doing. I have 3 jobs now, teacher, graduate student, kitten moderator hee. I have my hands full. I am not happy. Online education is hard, it's a lot of work, daily work. It's not challenging but it's a lot when you are working full time, which most of the people in program are.



The only thing that made it bearable is that my coworker , just started her masters in special education and she's doing the same bullshit I am. And she's having a hard time doing both, and well keeping her bf happy!



I am so sick of the term Action Research. I swear, I know remember why I didn't ever want to go to graduate school. It's a matter of getting through it now. My next class should actually be about technology in education, we'll see if that's any better.

- - - - - - - - - - -
"Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose."

-Me & Bobby
McGee

[WbBuffyfan00]

I've been thinking about going to grad school for a while now...the problem is I can't narrow down what I want to study. I want to stay in my field (Human Services) but that in itself is really really broad. I'm thinking Behavior specialist might be what I'm looking for though.

[LiquiDreams618]

Thank you guys for posting your thoughts. I am in my first year of my Ph.D. program at Purdue and was wondering what other people were going through. I finished my master's last year but have found that this program is especially rigorous. It's taken me a couple of months to get settled into the swing of things. I've made some good friends so that helps.



I know that grad school is not for everyone and it really shows a committment on one's part, especially if you have a couple of other jobs at the same time (i.e. Xita).



Again, thanks for sharing. It's nice to know that people are having similar experiences as me.



MJ

[fluffylamb]

I was really amazed at how easy the grad school courses are in my program and the majority of my classmates agree. One factor in my choosing education rather than pursuing biology, my undergrad major, is the horror stories I've heard about people who already had their masters in bio. One person said, "Oh, I was lucky. Mine only took 6 years." I'm thinking to myself, "Only six years?" I think I'd go insane focusing on one thing for six years. It seems like there is a huge range in difficulty and rigor for different disciplines.



What are you studying, MJ?

"In fluent aphasia the subject talks at great length, but are unaware that what they are saying makes no sense."
Art said, "I know a lot of people with that problem." -Kim Stanley Robinson's Blue Mars

[BeatNikJackie7777]

Hey, i'm really glad this topic was started...I'm actually take the GRE next week, but havent really been studying thanks to the marlins (yay!)....has anyone taken it? Any insights/advice? Thanks

[LiquiDreams618]

BeatNikJackie7777 ~

Grrrr......the GRE about killed me. Not to make you panic or anything like that. I would really suggest studying the math portion. The verbal is a kind of "luck of the draw." A friend of mine studied for over a month hundreds and hundreds of words and not one was on her test. I actually like the new way they are doing the GRE with the two written essays. I think it gives you a lot better chance.



Anyway, good luck to you! Just remember to breathe while you are taking it.



MJ



P.S. Are you from Florida or just a big Marlines fan? I just moved from FL after being there for 7 years.

[yana]

fluffylamb said:

Quote:

---

One factor in my choosing education rather than pursuing biology, my undergrad major, is the horror stories I've heard about people who already had their masters in bio. One person said, "Oh, I was lucky. Mine only took 6 years." I'm thinking to myself, "Only six years?" I think I'd go insane focusing on one thing for six years. It seems like there is a huge range in difficulty and rigor for different disciplines.

---

You are wise. Very wise. It doesn't surprise me that it takes so long. When you are doing research on living beings, everything that can possibly go wrong, will go wrong, even with the simplest organisms. It could take many years just to get any kind of useful data to write your thesis with.



Not to mention, after you spend 6 years (though that is a bit extreme) getting your masters in biology (or, as I like to call it, underwater basketweaving), you are usually SOL trying to find a job.



BeatNikJackie7777, I highly recommend you take at least one of the practice GRE tests, which can be found at www.gre.org/ttindex.html. I'm not sure what they're like currently, as I took the GRE before they had the essays instead of the analytical section.





Yana

"We are one, the gurus say. Aye -- I might agree -- but one what?" -- Edward Abbey

[fluffylamb]

yana said:

Quote:

---

When you are doing research on living beings, everything that can possibly go wrong, will go wrong, even with the simplest organisms.

---

I know. Do you remember Hurricane Allison from a few years ago? The flooding devastated University of Texas Medical Center. I remember reading about colonies of transgenic mice that students spent years developing where destroyed. I could imagine working that long and having all the work vanish overnight. So much work was lost.



BeatNikJackie7777: I lucked out and didn't need to take the GRE. Instead I had to take the general part of the Massachusetts teacher certification test.

"In fluent aphasia the subject talks at great length, but are unaware that what they are saying makes no sense."
Art said, "I know a lot of people with that problem." -Kim Stanley Robinson's Blue Mars

[Garner]

I actually found the Verbal and Math portions of the GREs very easy, or at least similar enough to the SATs and ACTs to not be a big problem. The Field portion however is surprisingly tough. You will face a lot of questions that are really suited for Grad students or beyond, and when I took them, you could score around 50% and still be in the top 10%. I don't know if that is still true, but my advice is to actually study for the field portions and not worry too much if you didn't recognize a lot of it.



Garner

[FIRESIGN]

Hey Everybody -



For those who don't know me...the name's Cin.



I'm two classes away from finishing my M.S. in Forensic Toxicology. What do I plan on doing with it? Well...I'm hoping to work either for the Michigan State Police Forensic Science Unit...or for one of the Federal Agencies.



But...I also write. If that takes off in the near future...who knows what I'll be doing?



In the meantime...I'm a full-time firefighter/EMT/HAZMAT Technician...part-time Police Officer...



Best of luck to all of you Graduate Kittens!



-CZ aka FIRESIGN

[BeatNikJackie7777]

Hey everyone, thanks for the responses on the GRE....I was really freaked out about it until one day I just sort of went numb, now i'm in a strange holding pattern. The tension was relieved slightly when I received a stipend to visit Florida State and was informed that they really take either or....in other words, if you have the GPA, you dont really need to freak about the GRE. That really calmed me down .



Liquidreams how did you fare with your grad school applications post GRE? To answer your question, I'm a native of the sunshine state, or as I like to call it, the "run for your life its a hurricane" state. Where in FLA did you live? and also very important, how 'bout them marlins?



Last nite was the craziest, I've seen this city since '97 and I think the only thing that could top it would be if the fins made it to the superbowl (or had a repeat of '72, God that would be cool! ::::Knocks on cyber wood::::::::Knocks on cyber wood:::

[LiquiDreams618]

fluffylamb ~



I'm studying political science with an emphasis on international relations and foreign policy. It's amazing because we are having to finalize our plan of study this semester and that's a difficult thing to do. I mean, I'm in the middle of my first semester and I'm being asked to plan out the next four years of course work that I want to take. All I can say is that it's a good thing that I am filling it out in pencil.



Jackie7777~



I applied to 10 schools and got into 5 of them. Not bad at all in my book. As for what part of FL I lived in.......it was Fort Lauderdale. Technically, I lived about 8 miles north of Ft Laud but I tell people that so they have some sort of idea. My family still lives there so I get to go back and visit whenever I have the chance. I miss my apartment though. It was on the water. Now, I have corn fields to look at.



MJ

Edited by: LiquiDreams618 at: 10/17/03 7:04 am

[fluffylamb]

Jackie, that's great about the Florida State exemption. I was so psyched to get out of the GREs.



MJ-You have to plan your next four years now? How much flexibility do you have? That sounds so rigid.



Kerry

"In fluent aphasia the subject talks at great length, but are unaware that what they are saying makes no sense."
Art said, "I know a lot of people with that problem." -Kim Stanley Robinson's Blue Mars

[LiquiDreams618]

Kerry ~



Yep, I have to submit my plan of study to the graduate school by the end of this semester. I can make changes as I go along (like if a class isn't offered or if there is another one that I would rather take) but I pretty much have to decide on my major and subfields. I just think it is a bit hard to know for sure what you want to study after only 8 weeks of class. You know?



MJ

[yana]

LiquiDreams618, that does seem a little weird, having to plan 4 years into the future so soon, but look on the bright side...



In some fields, such as biology, you actually have to find an adviser before you apply somewhere, which means you have to have decided pretty much almost EXACTLY what you'll be doing, and pledge your soul (okay, pledge the next however many years) to this person and their research of choice, often times before you've ever set foot on campus, actually met your future adviser in person, or filled out an application.

"We are one, the gurus say. Aye -- I might agree -- but one what?" -- Edward Abbey

[LiquiDreams618]

yana ~



Wow. Really? I guess I should feel blessed then, huh? Thanks for putting it in perspective for me.



MJ

[fluffylamb]

It's time to choose my classes for next semester at UMass. After reviewing the program requirements and checking off the courses I have already taken, I have only 3 classes left. I thought I had 5! I could be doing student teaching in the fall if I wanted to take the final course over the summer. Part of me is screaming "I'm not ready! I'm not ready!"



Shoot, now I really have to start thinking about where I want to move. I hate moving. I just moved 4 months ago. Maybe I'll just take some extra classes, delay any decisions.

"In fluent aphasia the subject talks at great length, but are unaware that what they are saying makes no sense."
Art said, "I know a lot of people with that problem." -Kim Stanley Robinson's Blue Mars

[yana]

Hey fluffylamb,



I understand the reluctance to get into something new (especially something as big as a career change), but why do you have to move?



And yes, decisions are a bitch. But isn't deciding to take more classes and delay decisions a decision? (Sorry, I'm feeling incredibly silly this morning.)



Yana

"We are one, the gurus say. Aye -- I might agree -- but one what?" -- Edward Abbey

[fluffylamb]

Yana, The public school system in my state is a nightmare. It is so tied to a standardized test, MCAS, that education has lost its true meaning. I've observed several teachers and they tell their students, "You have to know this stuff; it's on the MCAS." That's not a reason to teach something and it's not the way to motivate kids to learn. This stupid test has warped everything and I want no part of it. Yes, standards are important, but it's being taken to a ridiculous extreme. Wow, that was more of a rant than I expected. I sound like my professors. I have been successfully brainwashed. It's too bad because my mom is good friends with 2 school superintendants in MA.



Also, I've lived in the same little state my whole life. I'd like to move somewhere where there are more trees than people. Plus, real estate is so frickin' expensive in this state that I'll never be able to buy a house on a teacher's salary.



Silliness is welcome. Taking more classes is a little decision used to delay a big scary decision.



Kerry

"In fluent aphasia the subject talks at great length, but are unaware that what they are saying makes no sense."
Art said, "I know a lot of people with that problem." -Kim Stanley Robinson's Blue Mars

[La]

I'm in my third semester of a four semester Masters of Theological Studies program at harvard divinity school. I'm psyched to be done soon.



I feel lucky because I'm not doing anything with this degree (ie not going to get a ph.d or anything like that - i kinda changed career paths before i even began with it) so I basically just take the classes that sound interesting to me. like classes on dreams in religion and three-dimensional artmaking instead of classes I feel like I should take. This is basically just a 2-year detour for me. It is a lot of work though. Plus I work almost 20 hours a week at the div school library, so I barely have time to breath, let alone enjoy my readings, but that's okay, i'll be done soon. And then I am moving. Probably back in with my mom so I can basically have free room (i'll have to give my mom money for food though) and either go to culinary school (for baking and pastry arts) or library school.



grad school can be super tough though, especially when you have to work.

~La



-But they are-are naked!

-Naturally! It's much too dangerous to jump through fire with your clothes on!"

~Lord Summerisle to Sergeant Howie in The Wicker Man, in regards to women jumping over a bonfire during on May Day

[yana]

Kerry: Okay, I'm going to play devil's advocate here for a minute. Don't you think that the standardized test thing is plagues the rest of the US as well? I clearly remember it during school in NC, where both myself and my teachers were really tired of teaching material because it was on the standardized test all the students had to take. Also, they couldn't teach material that they wanted to that wasn't on the standardized test because there was no time. Maybe some states are better than others; you'd probably know a lot more about that than I do.



States with more trees than people... That's a lot of states. But I'm assuming you want to go somewhere where the population is not so dense as in New England? Come out west. It's nice and pretty here. Lots of trees, lots of mountains, very few people in most places, cheap real estate if you're not in the really big cities. And if you like deserts, we have those as well. ;o)



La: Let me see if I understand this correctly.... you're getting a masters.... for fun?!

"We are one, the gurus say. Aye -- I might agree -- but one what?" -- Edward Abbey

[La]

yana- hehe, i didn't start out with the plan to be getting a masters for fun, but now that sort of seems to be what it has come down to. i have almost dropped out at least 3 or 4 times, but i'm almost done with the third semester and then i just have one left, so i might as well.

~La



-But they are-are naked!

-Naturally! It's much too dangerous to jump through fire with your clothes on!"

~Lord Summerisle to Sergeant Howie in The Wicker Man, in regards to women jumping over a bonfire during on May Day

[LiquiDreams618]

Gosh.....getting a master's for fun? Can you finish my ph.d. for me, just for fun? I would oh so appreciate it and will throw in a really nice meal or two.



Yeah, I would agree with you that since you only have one more semester to go, you should finish it up and put it behind you. Maybe then you will want to get another master's in a different field just for fun.



MJ

[LadyBrymstone]

I completed my MBA 3 1/2 years ago. I went to a private college near Orlando, concentrating in Marketing and Management. The 2-year program was geared toward those students who had just finished their undergraduate degree or who had leass than 2 years professional work experience.



One word of advice for those seeking an MBA...get work experience FIRST, then get the degree. I found it incredibly difficult to find work because of my limited experience, despite finishing 2nd in my class. I was out of work for nine months before settling on an entry-level position at a financial institution. I have since moved up a bit in that company, gaining valuable experience and finding a new career function more suited to my personality. However, it has been very difficult financially to work at getting experience AND having to pay the student loans, etc.



You're better off in the long run to gain some experience before getting an MBA. A degree is great, but in the real world, they look first at what you've done, not what you've studied.

~LadyB~

---

"I am just your ordinary...average, everyday, sane, psycho, super-Goddess." - Liz Phair, "Extraordinary"

[bluemote]

hello peeps



i'm doing an MSc in the UK, but am hoping to take a phd in the states or canada... i found the GRE to be very difficult and, to be honest, pretty dumb considering it's for entrance as a graduate. surely we should be a bit more invloved than having to remember trigonometry.....



but that's only my view, i found it very new and hard (we don't have to take tests like that here in the uk). otherwise... i'm thinking of applying to the university of washington in seattle - anyone there? anyone have any idea what it might be like?



take care,

xox

bluemote

[yana]

bluemote: what program are you planning to apply to at the UW? And also, I'd apply to a few other schools if I were you. Cometition for graduate admission is fierce in many programs, especially at a prestigious school like UW.



I'm not at UW, as they didn't accept me, but I know a number of people that are graduate students there. Do you have more specific questions? (you can email me at goddessnr@yahoo.com, if you want)



The city's good, though, but a little... cloudy about 6 months out of the year. ;o)



As for the GRE, there was actually very little math you had to remember compared to the SATs, but you're right... it is silly. I actually thought the analytical section was useful for graduate students, but they made it go away and replaced it with evil essays. I don't know, it's really hard to know what in the hell those admissions people are thinking. I sometimes get the impression that they put all the applicants' names on a corkboard and throw darts to decide who to accept...



Yana

"We are one, the gurus say. Aye -- I might agree -- but one what?" -- Edward Abbey

[bluemote]

hi yana, thanks for the advice.



i am only applying to U of W at the moment because of the time and money involved int applying to a bunch of different places. also, 6 months of rain is a good year for me (i'm from scotland, or was until i moved down here) also, i'm liking the look of seattle.



actually, i am considering *looks around to make sure no one is watching* getting a job! because i realised i can actually work for someone with this masters i'm getting.



oh, i'm studying earth sciences...



what about you?