what the fuck am i getting myself into with this grad school stuff

i got accepted to do a phd but like an idiot I went and re-read all the funding application stuff-- and now I feel tiny and useless and likely to get disqualified on a technicality or just plain found out as a charlatan.

You'll probably feel that most of the time for the next few years - might as well get some practice in!

email.y who is BSJ?

arrrgh I did it again

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B._S._Johnson

(presumably)

blow shit job

Thanking you max.

well done C! for now at least ;-)

I've found myself giving consideration to a part-time masters in an international relations-related field. should i stop it stop it right now?

also, what is the difference between an mres and an msc, in tangible terms? numbers/analysis and stuff?

my brother did an mres. my understanding is, compared to an msc, an mres emphasizes a substantial independent research project at the expense of some of the taught course element. mres is more common in the sciences, so that might be why it has a numbers/science rep, but there's nothing to stop a humanities dept doing an mres.

^^^ uk

an mres emphasizes a substantial independent research project at the expense of some of the taught course element

this is exactly what i'm looking for so that's really helpful, thanks! my main concern is that i'll struggle with the working/studying transition and either get fired or fuck up the course. really wish i could afford to study full time and get it over and done with in a year but I have no savings to support myself with.

SO CLOSE TO DONE

kinda need to get back into school asap but not really sure what i want to do beyond not going to school in this country, is this a good angle to be approaching a masters from?

also, how do ppl support themselves for a full year?

so it seems i could do this course in one year - full time - if i committed to four evenings a week, as opposed to two - part time - which would ask only two evenings of me. the full time option would also cost in total about a grand less. i should probably not even be considering it, because i imagine four evenings a week would kill me but getting it done in half the time is pretty appealing.

suppose it depends to a certain extent on why you're doing it. if you're doing it for just intellectual curiosity then maybe take your time, because 4 evenings a week sounds pretty unpleasant tbh. but if you're doing it for professional development, then maybe the power though, get it done approach is better.

bit of both i guess. although predominantly i'm in it for some scholarly sustenance it would take me at least little closer to my desired career direction (which is very different to the one i'm currently pointed in).

my thesis statement is currently two-for-two on the hot side at http://ismythesishotornot.com

submitted "Fuckin' Magnets: How Do They Work?" in the physical sciences category

i finally got graded the fuck up after 18 months of treading the proverbial water

"w00t"

presenting my thesis tomorrow

scared, yo :(

yah but it will b awesome and excellent!

you'll do great!

just got accepted to present my research paper to a conference! at a swanky hotel! with, like, other doctoral professors and shit! experts in the field!! WHAT IF I SUCK?????

nice! i've found the "old guard" is pretty welcoming/accommodating of new ppl in the field, for the most part, so don't sweat it (also i should probably take my own advice, here)

hey plax you should peep my thesis topic why because its intersting (to you, at least)

good luck tomorrow. you'll do great.

wtf i didn't know u wrote ur thesis about jeremy blake!!!

kindof supporting my awesome and excellent hypothesis here

ok that wasn't so bad

those sound like strong words! congrats. :)

so long AHRC application (as of one minute ago), you are out of my hands, which I'll now spend a couple of months crippling with crossed fingers. God I hope these butterflies don't last till August.

so I'm an MA as of tonite. Kinda anti-climatic, esp now that I'm not planning on following thru on a PhD (at least not for a bit). RL employment time. Wish me lux.

Congratulations!

have just quit my course

: (

ah fuck

well, i've pulled out but i've tried to leave it open-ended in case i don't feel like a bag of shit at some point and actually get off my ass and do stuff that fills me with visceral self-loathing (i.e. journalism)

i was hoping so. take a few days, let the breeze into ur head and maybe look at it anew.

good for you. doing grad school "just because" is the worst.

chin up old boy, the world awaits.

and congrats Mordy!!

glad your defense went well, that has to be rough (i wouldn't know)

have just quit my course

woah. only just saw this. I'm sure you're doing the right thing for you right now, but woah. have just submitted my application for p/t MA in human rights. also quite woah about this.

I didn't quit my course after all. I even flaked on quitting. Anyway, I've done it now and God I feel fucking apathetic about it. At least my final project was a nifty bit of radio.

Folks, say no to grad-school. You'll be destitute and completely unfulfilled by the end of it.

Now to get rejected from every job ever for being 'overqualified'

does an lj has a qualification is what i want to know?

well I might need to retake Media Law, is a thing

but other than that I ought to have a Pass in MA Science Journalism

go fucking me

hearty congrats. you'll get over your apathy with distance, i hope. it's not an ideal time for anyone to be graduating, but that's not necessarily a reflection on the course you chose

good work I say. As soon as I 1. get rejected for PhD funding, and 2. finish my Masters (yeah in that order) I'll join you on the overqualified-for-every-job-ever train.

I mean 'overqualified'.

the sad thing is I'm not qualified for fucking anything - I have an English Lit degree and a Journalism degree. I don't have any applicable skill except 'blagging it'

fuck

wait did you finish the science journalism thing then?

i opted for business instead of english or physics to avoid the same fate. srsly, no difference- at least you got to study some interesting shit.

xpost - that I did - as with my Eng Lit degree, the only thing of worth I did was my final project/dissertation. this time it was on the subject of Britain's fluctuating bird populations - what might be causing declines and shifts, a sort of state-of-the-nation report and quite a comprehensive one given the 15-minute duration