School

[wiggly--woo]

Had my last (ever?) uni lecture yesterday. Got a shitload of work to do between now and the summer, but knowing that all lectures and classes and whatnot are officialy over feels so bizarre. genuinely so depressing to think that it's already been three years, i mean it still feels like i've only just got here. Knowing it'll all be over by the end of June is far too scary for my liking.

the search for a job post-graduation is going really badly but, on a not unrelated note, i should be in a position to send off a couple of applications for masters degrees by the end of next week - just gotta finish the forms off and work out who i want to put down as referees. If i were offered a place on either i'd take it over a job in a heartbeat (not that i'm expecting a job offer anyway) because i'm so not ready to let go of dat #StudentLifestyle.

having said all that, there's always the possibility that June comes round and i discover i've done shit on my degree anyway, which would be just lovely.

Basically, it's gonna be a few very anxiety-fuelled months (but atleast its getting sunny)

[thephfactor]

Dreaming abt and hitting the Duolingo hard as a result. Could I get in with a B.S. in Comp Sci do you think?

[parastexis]

just finished my application to the london school of economics for my masters. ooo fuck

[yoyobeat]

What does one *do* after a master's degree in a non-STEM field? Resume work in the same capacity or a slightly elevated one? Make a bid for academia?
Does anyone use masters degrees to change careers?

Been looking into graduate degrees abroad but I think I more so want the experience of living in a new country with some free time, than getting a particular degree. Not really sure how to make that situation happen otherwise, but the opportunity cost of pursuing a masters seems pretty high since I don't know what it would really do for me besides teach me some interesting things while draining time and $...

[_str]

also why don't you just take time off after school and travel abroad if that is what you really want, plenty of people take 6 months or a year off after graduating

[mahi-mahi]

Took a geometry quiz today on circles and got a 60. I Have a 95 in the class so I'll be ok, right? As a whole, test and quizzes make me super nervous. My teach told me to not worry, but I am not sure. My entire life I've always thought I was stupid. Maybe it's my dad. When I brought home a bad grade, he'd hit me with his belt and call me stupid. He still tells me that when he's drunk or when's he's mad. I Just don't know any more, if I could believe in myself. I know that I could not believe in a kid who was a straight D student up until 3 years ago. Now I have 6 A's and a B plus. But the idea still lingers in the back of my mind- failure. Help. Also, should I take small engines or Electronic Systems 1 next year?

[station]

Hey , not sure how your class grading works, but I'm sure you'll be fine. Everyone screws up now and then, so no worries. Just figure out what you got wrong, why, and move on. As for feeling stupid, don't! You have a huge upward trend going from Ds to As/Bs. That's pretty awesome man. I definitely can relate to feeling like you're being chased by your grades. Try to focus on learning the material rather than getting the grade, and usually the grade will come along. Also, realize you'll get some As and some Bs, no need to stress. You'll turn out fine even if you get a couple Bs. As for the classes, which one interests you more? Pick that one.

[thephfactor]

This is sort of related to school. The grad programs I'm interested in all require portfolios, and I realize that I've done almost literally nothing on my own and nothing that's relevant or that I'm particularly proud of in school. Any suggestions on motivating and inspiring oneself to build up portfolio-quality work? Especially for someone who wants to get into design in grad school but isn't in a design program. I am doing amateur journalism with the student newspaper and making short films with the film club, but my first film wasn't anything special and my co write and director on my current project, which I was/am really pumped about creatively, suddenly cut off all communication out of the blue a few days before we planned to shoot.

And I'm not doing so good this year in school. Hard to tell whether it's just me being lazy or if the program just isn't the perfect fit for me. It's probably both. There's a very high chance I would lose my scholarship this year especially if i fail a class. I'm wondering what I would do at that point. It would seem counter-intuitive to switch to a less lucrative major if I'm going to be taking on more debt, but I don't know if I could bring myself to re-take a class knowing that it's to a certain extent wasted on my future plans, which I would now be paying for. Bleh.

[chadnik]

found out last week that I got a fellowship to Madrid (Fulbright ETA)! I'll be there Sept 2015-June 2016 and would love to see (and host!) some eurotaggers while I'm there

[JewTurk]

AP Season begins.

Signed up for Psychology, Chem, Calc BC, Physics, Macro, Micro, flaxy.

Psych is a joke. BC is easier than AB, not worried. Physics will be easy. Macro and Micro should be easy as well.

Only really worried about flaxy and Chem. Chem seems to get redone every year, harder and harder.

Best of luck to anyone else taking them. Bless.

[ptozzi]

Just applied to my dream internship. Sort of last minute, considering the deadline is April 1st. Will that hurt my chances? I'm not sure.

It's for a research and development position at a small biotech startup based in Brooklyn called Suneris. They are working on getting their product, VETIGEL, FDA approved. It's basically a gel that you apply to a wound and it seals it up instantly without applying pressure. I'm really interested in bioengineering and it's so hard to find an internship in that field that is in a location that works for me. I know all there is to know about their product and hopefully that gives me an upper hand should I land an interview. I also have a lot of experience with bio-based engineering projects, and I think my current tissue scaffold project is another advantage I have. Then again, I am only an undergraduate, and the job description said graduate level coursework is preferred. With students from schools like Columbia, NYU Poly, and Cooper Union within commuting distance, I'm worried about being underqualified. I feel like my projects put me on the same level as students from those schools, but you never know what a companies perception of you is like when they're simply reading a resume. So I'm not super optimistic, but I know I have a chance. Just felt like rambling. Goodnight.

[thephfactor]

Discovered my school does have a Media Design-ish program, it's a 21-hr concentration in Media Arts that's part of the Studio Art BA program, and I'm currently enrolled in one of the classes . Very strongly considering ditching CS. I haven't been planning on programming as a career or teaching CS, so the only time I'm losing is an extra year. And the interships. And a guaranteed 60k a month :/

[thephfactor]

*60k a year. goddamn

[harmsalmon]

after getting rejected from eight schools and waitlisted for two, finally got accepted to my fourth choice a few days ago. feels so damn good. just waiting on financial aid info now

[mc-lunar]

maybe this belongs in feeltalk but idk

so college acceptances have gone out (for us schools). last year i only applied to 2 schools cause i was spending a lot of time in hospitals and stuff so i decided to take a year, work, and try again.

applied to 9 universities in the states this year, and 2 in canada. according to people who get paid to advise on this sort of thing, i was a 'competitive applicant' for the ivy/ivy-type schools. There were 6 of those and 3 "safety" schools.

today i was rejected from all of the schools i actually wanted to attend and 2 of the safeties as well

:/

i wouldn't mind too much if they had been some sort of reach goal but ive spent the last five years being told that those schools were realistic goals.

what's worse is it seems like i'm one of the few people in my peer group that didn't get into any of the schools they wanted to. i'm the only person from my school that applied to the states and didn't get into their first choice. i wasn't aiming higher than anyone else and academically/socially we're all in the same range it seems

makes me wonder if i'm just the least smart person in my friend group? did i lose the numbers game? should i have even been aiming for those schools in the first place?

also a side consequence of this is that i now have to choose whether or not i want to be at a university I can swim for or if that part of my life is going to have to end.

am i going to be able to get the most out of a school that i'm not excited to go to? has anyone felt like they 'settled' for uni or didnt go where they wanted to - if so, how did you deal?

[maj]

To address your point if you're the "least smart" it's not worth thinking about, if they're anything like the uk the top schools and the ones who want to be top it's less about grades (everyone applying has those) and more how they think you'll fit into the culture. Not to mention there is more to being smart than school grading.

In terms of going to a school you dont like I don't think anyone can endorse that, but if it's a case of its of its not your dream ideal place and you feel you could get on there I'd say go for it (obviously americans pay lol able amounts for school and they pay it back directly so take that with a pinch of salt, not sure on Canada). When I picked mine I picked ones I was broadly interested in but payed no attention anything else I just wanted to go to uni, if you asked me to pick dream schools my list would have been widely different but I wasn't getting in there. I have to say though once you're here and if you're the sort who wants to enjoy university you'll make the most of any situation and have a great time.

With that considered though if you're wanting a specific course, a specific culture and so on its not worth sacrificing it. You can go to school at any time, continue on your gap year get experience in the field you want to go into, ring the schools you want to go to and ask if there is any way to boost your application for next year. A lot of people Feel they need to go straight from high school to college then get a full time job they'll work till they retire in order to be a success, but tryingn not to sound all "goo liiive maaaan" go out and use this time while you're young to explore a little, which could be difficult due to health issues/ money/ location but experiences can be found close to home. Being at uni I've found people from all age ranges there and a considerable amount of mid twenties people who have careers of jobs going back to school after being away from it and schools tend to really value the experience they hold.

As with all things though, take your time and reflect on what you're looking for.

[starfox64]

there's definitely some randomness involved in school admissions, as well as stuff like essays that you're probably not privy to when it comes to your friends.

if your top goal was an ivy or ivy equivalent, then you will still have a ton of options after school (both in terms of jobs and grad school) if you do well at your safety school. most schools have enough going on and enough students that finding your place shouldn't be super hard. i wasn't super excited about my college choice for a number of reasons, but i met a ton of cool people there and had some great teachers, and i think it worked out fine.

i know it's disappointing, especially if all of your friends got what they wanted and you didn't, but you'll be fine if you go in with an open mind.

and like cmyk said, if it really sucks, you can always transfer.

[ptozzi]

[ervhio]

Got denied or waitlisted at all of my "reach" colleges, currently waiting on financial aid from Northeastern. If I don't get off the waitlist at UChicago, it's between a state school, Colby and Northeastern. Looks like financial aid will be good at all 3, so it might come down to the visit to Colby and NU next week. I love going new places and definitely want to find a career somewhere that's not the Midwest, but it feels really weird to jump so far from home and I'm strangely apprehensive. How far did you guys move for college? What made you do it, and would you do it again?

[_str]

i want a summer job so bad holy crap

this internship stuff is so stressful, i have applied to approximately 1 million positions over the past couple of weeks. hopefully something sticks.

[harmsalmon]

it's official... I will be attending Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, NY in the fall!

I am beyond excited!!! plus I got an almost-full-tuition scholarship so that's cool

[Cowboy]

I just got a 99 on a test I was nearly 100% sure I failed
I will not be asking my teacher any questions about how that happened.

[Ques]

[smass]

Registered for classes for next semester and was planning on taking textile design...turns out they don't offer it anymore :(

I'm taking printmaking instead though so it kinda makes up for it. Has anyone taken printmaking before? Not sure what to expect.

[radicalbusiness]

currently taking political ecology and intro to microeconomics and they are hilariously conflicting. I'm basically learning why the world is fucked and how to fuck the world in conjuncture to one another.

[JewTurk]

What are the cons of taking a gap year from high school to college with regards to acceptance/scholarships? I've always been told its scholarship suicide and my councilors have always advised highly against it.

Anyone have experience with taking a gap year to do whatever before going to college?

[ramseames]

I know nothing about American scholarships and such but most schools will let you defer your acceptance for a year without having to reapply

I really, really wish I didn't go straight to university, would highly recommend working /travelling for a year

[brlmski]

the best people to talk about it to is the finaid office at the college, not your councilors because the first actually know what' going on.

[zayg]

about to graduate in a month and the weather is nice

trying hard to not fully check out

[thephfactor]

officially switched majors the other day. Interested to see where this takes me. I switched to IT Innovation, which will give me the chance to get more involved and learn more about design. Definitely less of a sure thing financially than CS, but I don't care really.