The whole grad school thing
Oct. 4th, 2005 09:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eve_primeThis afternoon I went to a "ProD brownbag," which was a company workshop on how to apply for funds for education. After their presentation on how great it is that the company will pay for one graduate class per person this year, they got to hear (again) my complaint that until a few years ago, they paid full tuition for people in doctoral programs, and that some of us had been relying on that expectation. I really ought to get past that and start dealing with the new reality, oughtn't I?
So, I'm not getting any younger, and now we have free childcare 'til 2 p.m. daily, called "kindergarten." Also, if I want to work with Mark Johnson, well, he's not getting any younger either! And it 's possible that I've finally found a person who could be my advisor, if I enjoy working with Gerard in this class. That was one of the sticking points when I was thinking of applying a few years ago, after doing the statistics sequence: My interests didn't match any of the faculty closely enough, and the ones I spoke to hinted that that would be grounds not to accept me, regardless of all my potential and all my achievements. (Clarifying note: I would be applying for social psychology; the Mark Johnson I mentioned isn't even in the department, he's in philosophy.)
There are two big issues: timing and finances. As mentioned, I'm not getting any younger. However, I really did want to get some of my main writing projects finished. Personal ones and work ones too. I've made progress on that in the past months, but I'd kind of like to have the most important ones published before I apply, so I can include them.
And *sigh* the deadline for next fall is December 15. Considering I haven't seriously thought about this until, well, yesterday, that's not much time in which to take the GRE, pull together the application, write the statement of purpose, find faculty who want to work with me, and get letters of recommendation written. The idea has me feeling "ack."
Then there's the financial issue. I hardly want to quit my job to accept a TAship and get the accompanying tuition waiver; I hardly want to pay $10K out of pocket per year either. And I don't have the physical stamina to keep my job and be a TA and take classes and be a parent. If I had my own stuff published, I'd be in better shape to apply for external fellowships.
So now I'm thinking, well, there are very few actual course requirements: the data analysis sequence (which I've already done), the first-year survey classes, the first-year research seminar, and whatever I'd need for the secondary area requirement. Maybe I could just barely enroll in classes, and pay tuition at the part-time rate? That would be 5-6 units per quarter for the first year and maybe 3-6 per quarter after that. Also, perhaps some of the research I've done would be sufficient to get the first-year research requirement waived. That would still be $6,000-7,500 for the first year and $5,000-7,500 for the other two to three years, less whatever ORI would chip in for. But I'd earn about 30% more if I could get onto the scientist salary schedule...
Anyway, that's where I am with it right now.
So, I'm not getting any younger, and now we have free childcare 'til 2 p.m. daily, called "kindergarten." Also, if I want to work with Mark Johnson, well, he's not getting any younger either! And it 's possible that I've finally found a person who could be my advisor, if I enjoy working with Gerard in this class. That was one of the sticking points when I was thinking of applying a few years ago, after doing the statistics sequence: My interests didn't match any of the faculty closely enough, and the ones I spoke to hinted that that would be grounds not to accept me, regardless of all my potential and all my achievements. (Clarifying note: I would be applying for social psychology; the Mark Johnson I mentioned isn't even in the department, he's in philosophy.)
There are two big issues: timing and finances. As mentioned, I'm not getting any younger. However, I really did want to get some of my main writing projects finished. Personal ones and work ones too. I've made progress on that in the past months, but I'd kind of like to have the most important ones published before I apply, so I can include them.
And *sigh* the deadline for next fall is December 15. Considering I haven't seriously thought about this until, well, yesterday, that's not much time in which to take the GRE, pull together the application, write the statement of purpose, find faculty who want to work with me, and get letters of recommendation written. The idea has me feeling "ack."
Then there's the financial issue. I hardly want to quit my job to accept a TAship and get the accompanying tuition waiver; I hardly want to pay $10K out of pocket per year either. And I don't have the physical stamina to keep my job and be a TA and take classes and be a parent. If I had my own stuff published, I'd be in better shape to apply for external fellowships.
So now I'm thinking, well, there are very few actual course requirements: the data analysis sequence (which I've already done), the first-year survey classes, the first-year research seminar, and whatever I'd need for the secondary area requirement. Maybe I could just barely enroll in classes, and pay tuition at the part-time rate? That would be 5-6 units per quarter for the first year and maybe 3-6 per quarter after that. Also, perhaps some of the research I've done would be sufficient to get the first-year research requirement waived. That would still be $6,000-7,500 for the first year and $5,000-7,500 for the other two to three years, less whatever ORI would chip in for. But I'd earn about 30% more if I could get onto the scientist salary schedule...
Anyway, that's where I am with it right now.