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As some of you may know due to my random posting, I am currently applying for a PhD in Philosophy starting in September 2015. I sent 8 applications: all the deadlines were around January, be it at the beginning or at the end. The locations are:
- King's College, UK
- Cambridge, UK
- Oxford, UK
- Stanford, California
- UC Riverside, California
- Washington DC
- Purdue, Indiana
- Notre-Dame, Indiana
Some unis provide you with results as late as May (!) so the wait is long and unsettling. Well, today I received the first punch: I didn't get in King's College, London. There was just a small update on my page, saying how the environment is competitive blabla.
I shouldn't despair too much yet - I still have other 7 applications going! - but, I don't know why, this struck me. I really feel depressed right now, mostly because I really have no plan B. I have to get in because this is really the only career I think I can do - I worked in a bank for a bit and boy I was feeling like an alien.
What can I say? I will keep you updated. Thanks to everyone who read this far.
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EDIT: Just check the last page of the blog to know how I am doing, I won't update this!
 
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28090 Posts
Well those are some pretty good schools, I wouldn't be too depressed if you don't get in. There are many more schools out there.
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As a political science PhD candidate who's getting his ass kicked... May God have mercy on your soul.
Still managing to fool these clowns into thinking I'm smart enough to be dicking around people who are actually smart at a prestigious university, but at this level it seems like they're going to find out 
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On February 10 2015 08:34 TheEmulator wrote:
Well those are some pretty good schools, I wouldn't be too depressed if you don't get in. There are many more schools out there.
Yeah, but deadlines already expired. I applied to 8 because I thought it was a fair number (I spent around 400 $ in applications fee, more than that I could not afford). So I need to get in because I cannot waste another year :S
On February 10 2015 09:04 Djzapz wrote:As a political science PhD candidate who's getting his ass kicked... May God have mercy on your soul. Still managing to fool these clowns into thinking I'm smart enough to be dicking around people who are actually smart at a prestigious university, but at this level it seems like they're going to find out
Good luck buddy!
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28090 Posts
On February 10 2015 09:07 SoSexy wrote:Show nested quote +On February 10 2015 08:34 TheEmulator wrote:
Well those are some pretty good schools, I wouldn't be too depressed if you don't get in. There are many more schools out there. Yeah, but deadlines already expired. I applied to 8 because I thought it was a fair number (I spent around 400 $ in applications fee, more than that I could not afford). So I need to get in because I cannot waste another year :S
Oh right. I always forget about application fees, lol.
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I remember when I applied to grad programs, yea can be pretty nerve wracking. Its such drawn out process of applications, fees, letters, email correspondence, interviews, etc. Glad I am over that  However, I am taking my Candidacy exams this semester
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Good luck! I'm a first year PhD student, and so far it's been really interesting and enjoyable. I guess the stress factor ratchets up as things go on, but I think grad students sometimes overstate how hard their lives are :p
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Good luck and do not despair. I applied to 10 schools and got admitted to only one... And it turned out to be a great match for me! There is large amount of randomness in the process. If you have a good relationship with your recommendation letter writers, you may want to talk to them and see what they think. They may even actively help you by calling some of the schools.
And I hope you know what you are about to get yourself into PhD is damn tough experience. I finally graduated last May, but not once or twice I thought about quitting. And the same applied to all of us in the program...
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On February 10 2015 11:01 nbaker wrote:
Good luck! I'm a first year PhD student, and so far it's been really interesting and enjoyable. I guess the stress factor ratchets up as things go on, but I think grad students sometimes overstate how hard their lives are :p
Huh, I'm a first year PhD and I sort of hate my life. I think grad students understate how lonely it can be
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you should definitely check grad cafe at least ten times an hour from now until April 15
ps if you have any questions about UCR please feel free to PM me. I am not in philosophy but I know some people in the department
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On February 10 2015 14:42 n.DieJokes wrote:Show nested quote +On February 10 2015 11:01 nbaker wrote:
Good luck! I'm a first year PhD student, and so far it's been really interesting and enjoyable. I guess the stress factor ratchets up as things go on, but I think grad students sometimes overstate how hard their lives are :p Huh, I'm a first year PhD and I sort of hate my life. I think grad students understate how lonely it can be
The loneliness mainly depends on whether you have a nice place with co-workers and maybe you can tie parts of your research to other researches or apply things in industry, that helps a lot too.
I'm doing a PhD (last - fourth year now) in the Netherlands, in two locations, so travelling a lot. That makes it lonely because I have less time for bonding in one spot and the research disconnected a bit from the work of others.
So search for the connections and make sure you get a good work environment!
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Considering that you had trouble with your master's thesis and just mostly winged it without having any real plan, I am not even sure if you deserve a spot at any of the top20. On the other hand, desert is such a stupid notion to begin with, so take that with a grain of salt. The point is though that if you really don't have a plan B and want to do a phd at any cost, then you should have applied to more than just a bunch of higher ranked schools, especially given that you're not from a very competitive uni yourself and don't have the money and connections to make things happen from afar.
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Thanks for all the positive comments guys! You cheered me up a bit
On February 10 2015 18:55 GERMasta wrote:
Considering that you had trouble with your master's thesis and just mostly winged it without having any real plan, I am not even sure if you deserve a spot at any of the top20. On the other hand, desert is such a stupid notion to begin with, so take that with a grain of salt. The point is though that if you really don't have a plan B and want to do a phd at any cost, then you should have applied to more than just a bunch of higher ranked schools, especially given that you're not from a very competitive uni yourself and don't have the money and connections to make things happen from afar.
Well in the end my master's thesis went very good, I took the best possible grade in Italy and my professor said it is well written. Bologna may not be the best in the world but in my field (medieval philosophy/philosophy of religion) it surely plays a role (oldest university in the world - 1088 ad) and you know, Vatican, etc. I really couldn't afford to send 20/30 applications because that would have costed me around 2000 $ just in fees. So I decided to go for a fair number, 8, and to shoot high. Let's hope.
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Don't be too disheartened by rejections - there's always next year, and you can take the time in between applications to get more experience in the field, and generally improve yourself as a candidate. I got rejected from every PhD I applied to - but didn't give up hope, and ended up getting an offer for a PhD I didn't even apply to! You never know what can happen
Good luck!
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Best of luck! PhDs are tough, regardless of where you end up doing them! I'm doing my PhD at Rutgers now (in math education) and you should have totally applied here, because Rutgers has one of the best Philosophy programs in the world
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On February 10 2015 18:21 Ketch wrote:Show nested quote +On February 10 2015 14:42 n.DieJokes wrote:On February 10 2015 11:01 nbaker wrote:
Good luck! I'm a first year PhD student, and so far it's been really interesting and enjoyable. I guess the stress factor ratchets up as things go on, but I think grad students sometimes overstate how hard their lives are :p Huh, I'm a first year PhD and I sort of hate my life. I think grad students understate how lonely it can be The loneliness mainly depends on whether you have a nice place with co-workers and maybe you can tie parts of your research to other researches or apply things in industry, that helps a lot too. I'm doing a PhD (last - fourth year now) in the Netherlands, in two locations, so travelling a lot. That makes it lonely because I have less time for bonding in one spot and the research disconnected a bit from the work of others. So search for the connections and make sure you get a good work environment!
Almost all of my classmates are non-native english speakers which sucks. They're very smart, very nice and they speak well enough to exchange pleasantries but not well enough to communicate meaningfully. I'm not blaming them or anything, I'm not bilingual but the only other American in my program does something totally unrelated to me. Oh well
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I really hope I don't come across as a dick, my objective really isn't to be bashing you or anything, I'm sincerely curious. What's your career goal when applying for something like a philosophy PhD ? I mean except for teaching philosophy, or maybe writing, what are the other potential jobs you can apply to with a philosophy PhD ?
Also, GL to you man. I got rejected by a school once, it hurts :-/
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On February 11 2015 17:54 LoneYoShi wrote:
I really hope I don't come across as a dick, my objective really isn't to be bashing you or anything, I'm sincerely curious. What's your career goal when applying for something like a philosophy PhD ? I mean except for teaching philosophy, or maybe writing, what are the other potential jobs you can apply to with a philosophy PhD ?
Also, GL to you man. I got rejected by a school once, it hurts :-/
exactly the ones that you said, teaching and writing my dream job would be teaching at university/doing some research
And F*** off to the guy who suggested me gradcafe. I am literally F5ing it to death aaaaarrrrghhhh o.o
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You really should start to take a look at English PhD-Programs in European Countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and so on. I don`t have a lot of insight about medieval philosophy but there are certainly programs that are better suited for your interests than e.g. Stanford (and the chances of getting in should also be higher). If everything fails try to bolster your cv with a publication, a teaching gig an so on...
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On February 11 2015 20:54 SoSexy wrote:
And F*** off to the guy who suggested me gradcafe. I am literally F5ing it to death aaaaarrrrghhhh o.o
hahaha GOT YA
On February 11 2015 17:54 LoneYoShi wrote:
I really hope I don't come across as a dick, my objective really isn't to be bashing you or anything, I'm sincerely curious. What's your career goal when applying for something like a philosophy PhD ? I mean except for teaching philosophy, or maybe writing, what are the other potential jobs you can apply to with a philosophy PhD ?
Who gives a fuck about JOBS when you can SATISFY YOUR CURIOSITY. jobs are for CHUMPS
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On February 12 2015 02:27 Irrational_Animal wrote:
You really should start to take a look at English PhD-Programs in European Countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and so on. I don`t have a lot of insight about medieval philosophy but there are certainly programs that are better suited for your interests than e.g. Stanford (and the chances of getting in should also be higher). If everything fails try to bolster your cv with a publication, a teaching gig an so on...
Yeah that could be a plan B. I should look for universites that do not have a deadline for their Phds but where you can apply all year long: right now I only know one in Finland, where I did my Erasmus.
To all the readers, do you know other universities that offer this all year-round applying? If so, please inform me, thanks
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http://t.co/pz5MsPe0RK just gonna leave this here.
Just about to enter the 2nd year of my PhD. Also in Philosophy. Reiterating what other people have said, you seem to have set yourself some high standards which is good but I wouldnt be surprised if you saw some rejections. I only applied for 3 places myself and got rejected from the place I really wantsd to go to. But if you have a love for what you do then you should make it work somehow
Good luck!
Not sure about year round but a lot of Universities in Australia offer mid year entry but you can only apply for scholarships once ler year at a certain time.
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On February 12 2015 03:37 bookwyrm wrote:Show nested quote +On February 11 2015 20:54 SoSexy wrote:
And F*** off to the guy who suggested me gradcafe. I am literally F5ing it to death aaaaarrrrghhhh o.o hahaha GOT YA Show nested quote +On February 11 2015 17:54 LoneYoShi wrote:
I really hope I don't come across as a dick, my objective really isn't to be bashing you or anything, I'm sincerely curious. What's your career goal when applying for something like a philosophy PhD ? I mean except for teaching philosophy, or maybe writing, what are the other potential jobs you can apply to with a philosophy PhD ?
Who gives a fuck about JOBS when you can SATISFY YOUR CURIOSITY. jobs are for CHUMPS
Get a job where you can satisfy your curiosity. That's why I'm trying to get a PhD. I can satisfy my curiosity in school but I can't stay in school forever... unless they hire me
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On February 12 2015 06:39 Djzapz wrote:Show nested quote +On February 12 2015 03:37 bookwyrm wrote:On February 11 2015 20:54 SoSexy wrote:
And F*** off to the guy who suggested me gradcafe. I am literally F5ing it to death aaaaarrrrghhhh o.o hahaha GOT YA On February 11 2015 17:54 LoneYoShi wrote:
I really hope I don't come across as a dick, my objective really isn't to be bashing you or anything, I'm sincerely curious. What's your career goal when applying for something like a philosophy PhD ? I mean except for teaching philosophy, or maybe writing, what are the other potential jobs you can apply to with a philosophy PhD ?
Who gives a fuck about JOBS when you can SATISFY YOUR CURIOSITY. jobs are for CHUMPS Get a job where you can satisfy your curiosity. That's why I'm trying to get a PhD. I can satisfy my curiosity in school but I can't stay in school forever... unless they hire me
I'm so fucking sick of this question, no offense lol. The reason I'm getting a PhD is exactly that I wasn't able to find employment, so I decided to study more. Hopefully I'll be able to get a academic position (but that is kind unrealistic). However its also a freaking PhD, a chance to impart some little piece of knowledge (that no one will ever read) to the future of society; I mean despite the fact that very little people will read my PhD, that is still a pretty awesome notion.
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On February 12 2015 07:20 Phil0s0pher wrote:Show nested quote +On February 12 2015 06:39 Djzapz wrote:On February 12 2015 03:37 bookwyrm wrote:On February 11 2015 20:54 SoSexy wrote:
And F*** off to the guy who suggested me gradcafe. I am literally F5ing it to death aaaaarrrrghhhh o.o hahaha GOT YA On February 11 2015 17:54 LoneYoShi wrote:
I really hope I don't come across as a dick, my objective really isn't to be bashing you or anything, I'm sincerely curious. What's your career goal when applying for something like a philosophy PhD ? I mean except for teaching philosophy, or maybe writing, what are the other potential jobs you can apply to with a philosophy PhD ?
Who gives a fuck about JOBS when you can SATISFY YOUR CURIOSITY. jobs are for CHUMPS Get a job where you can satisfy your curiosity. That's why I'm trying to get a PhD. I can satisfy my curiosity in school but I can't stay in school forever... unless they hire me I'm so fucking sick of this question, no offense lol. The reason I'm getting a PhD is exactly that I wasn't able to find employment, so I decided to study more. Hopefully I'll be able to get a academic position (but that is kind unrealistic). However its also a freaking PhD, a chance to impart some little piece of knowledge (that no one will ever read) to the future of society; I mean despite the fact that very little people will read my PhD, that is still a pretty awesome notion.
lol why am I suddenly responsible for the topic that was brought up by someone else!? You have your reasons and that's fine, I'm not judging. I was talking about mine.
And I agree that it's an annoying question, I've heard it countless times myself. Some go to school for knowledge, others go for work. I go for life (knowledge, and inevitably, work). But all reasons are fine by me.
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On February 12 2015 07:28 Djzapz wrote:Show nested quote +On February 12 2015 07:20 Phil0s0pher wrote:On February 12 2015 06:39 Djzapz wrote:On February 12 2015 03:37 bookwyrm wrote:On February 11 2015 20:54 SoSexy wrote:
And F*** off to the guy who suggested me gradcafe. I am literally F5ing it to death aaaaarrrrghhhh o.o hahaha GOT YA On February 11 2015 17:54 LoneYoShi wrote:
I really hope I don't come across as a dick, my objective really isn't to be bashing you or anything, I'm sincerely curious. What's your career goal when applying for something like a philosophy PhD ? I mean except for teaching philosophy, or maybe writing, what are the other potential jobs you can apply to with a philosophy PhD ?
Who gives a fuck about JOBS when you can SATISFY YOUR CURIOSITY. jobs are for CHUMPS Get a job where you can satisfy your curiosity. That's why I'm trying to get a PhD. I can satisfy my curiosity in school but I can't stay in school forever... unless they hire me I'm so fucking sick of this question, no offense lol. The reason I'm getting a PhD is exactly that I wasn't able to find employment, so I decided to study more. Hopefully I'll be able to get a academic position (but that is kind unrealistic). However its also a freaking PhD, a chance to impart some little piece of knowledge (that no one will ever read) to the future of society; I mean despite the fact that very little people will read my PhD, that is still a pretty awesome notion. lol why am I suddenly responsible for the topic that was brought up by someone else!? You have your reasons and that's fine, I'm not judging. I was talking about mine. And I agree that it's an annoying question, I've heard it countless times myself. Some go to school for knowledge, others go for work. I go for life (knowledge, and inevitably, work). But all reasons are fine by me.
Quoting you to quote the whole conversation, that is all. no hate.
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On February 10 2015 09:07 SoSexy wrote:Show nested quote +On February 10 2015 08:34 TheEmulator wrote:
Well those are some pretty good schools, I wouldn't be too depressed if you don't get in. There are many more schools out there. Yeah, but deadlines already expired. I applied to 8 because I thought it was a fair number (I spent around 400 $ in applications fee, more than that I could not afford). So I need to get in because I cannot waste another year :S Show nested quote +On February 10 2015 09:04 Djzapz wrote:As a political science PhD candidate who's getting his ass kicked... May God have mercy on your soul. Still managing to fool these clowns into thinking I'm smart enough to be dicking around people who are actually smart at a prestigious university, but at this level it seems like they're going to find out Good luck buddy!
The "can't waste another year" mentality is usually pretty misplaced.
I initially came out of college and had a plan. Go straight into the Navy after the summer, serve 4 years, straight into grad school, etc.
Turns out I had to wait Eleven months after I graduated to get into U.S. Navy OCS. Then, I got extremely sick and ended up coming home. Took a class + re-upped my EMT certification, with the plan of immediately starting to work and working my way into a Masters in Nursing program. Turns out it's really fucking hard to get a job as an EMT-B, so I still haven't gotten a job. Bummed around for almost half a year, then finally started classes again at the nearby university in preparation for the program, which I won't start until a year and a half after I finish the prerequisite classes. Then I plan to go back to the Navy as a nurse, serve my 3-however many years I need if they pay back some debt, and then go to medical school.
Shit NEVER works out how you want it to. You'll never get stuff started right when you want to. Your long term financial plans will never work out quite like you planned them. You just have to be OK with this because a LOT of things can happen that will screw up plans. If you don't get in to any of these programs, use the time to volunteer, to work some random job, to get additional experience, like teaching or working with former professors on an academic project, or maybe getting a paper published (looks pretty good if you can get a philosophy paper published without a graduate degree), or maybe traveling, or anything.
Life is really, really, really fucking long. You have plenty of time to get a PhD and become a philosophy professor. When I was getting my undergraduate degree in philosophy, we had professors in their late 70's still kickin' it.
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Being in a hurry usually just results in shallow academic hackwork also. You should be spending all your freetime reading books, though, if youre serious about scholarship
I spent two years between school doing a whole lot of nothing but a lot of reading and thinking. Now im finishing a masters at 26 but im switching fields so still have 6 years of grad school left. Thats just the pace of intellectual life
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Of course it's almost impossible to get a "job" with a PhD in philosophy. Same goes for PhDs in history, arts, literary science, ancient languages etc. Here in Germany it's almost pointless to get a PhD in those areas, unless you're really dedicated and somewhat lucky. Money is spare when it comes to jobs at colleges for people with degrees / PhDs in "useless" sciences. And outside of the university system, there's basically nothing. I know lots of people with PhDs who ended up working in completely different sectors. But that's not what it's about, anyway. Anybody who has experienced the pure enjoyment of thinking knows what I'm talking about.
I've been thinking about applying for a PhD in history and I've decided against it. I don't give a shit about my so-called career, but I also don't want to end up stuck between bureaucracy and low-paid bullshit jobs. But I'm also a person whose goal in life is to float through life. I want to experience as many different things as possible. (next step: becoming a teacher for some years) Money doesn't interest me, as long as I have a place to sleep and enough money for food, clothing and books, I'm happy.
Out of curiosity: SoSexy, what's your field of research? Good luck to you, Sir!
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Theres a pretty sweet book from china called 'six records of a floating life,' you make me think of it.
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On February 13 2015 01:12 virpi wrote:
Of course it's almost impossible to get a "job" with a PhD in philosophy. Same goes for PhDs in history, arts, literary science, ancient languages etc. Here in Germany it's almost pointless to get a PhD in those areas, unless you're really dedicated and somewhat lucky. Money is spare when it comes to jobs at colleges for people with degrees / PhDs in "useless" sciences. And outside of the university system, there's basically nothing. I know lots of people with PhDs who ended up working in completely different sectors. But that's not what it's about, anyway. Anybody who has experienced the pure enjoyment of thinking knows what I'm talking about.
I've been thinking about applying for a PhD in history and I've decided against it. I don't give a shit about my so-called career, but I also don't want to end up stuck between bureaucracy and low-paid bullshit jobs. But I'm also a person whose goal in life is to float through life. I want to experience as many different things as possible. (next step: becoming a teacher for some years) Money doesn't interest me, as long as I have a place to sleep and enough money for food, clothing and books, I'm happy.
Out of curiosity: SoSexy, what's your field of research? Good luck to you, Sir!
Unless your PhD is in a natural science, the only place for you in terms of a job is going to be at a university/college of some kind, and I think that anyone aspiring to a PhD needs to understand that.
The other big rule of a PhD, which was taught to me by my adviser, is, "You don't get a PhD because you really want one. If you try that, you will fail. You get a PhD because you absolutely cannot do anything else".
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On February 13 2015 12:00 Stratos_speAr wrote:
You get a PhD because you absolutely cannot do anything else".
that's about the size of it i'm afraid
for one reason or another
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You get a PhD because you absolutely cannot do anything else.
Spot on, Sir. I'm a very dedicated and challenge-seeking person, but I can't imagine myself working in one particular area for my whole life. Besides, I'm also interested in way too many things. Surely I won't be absolutely excellent in any of those interests, but that doesn't matter. I love science, especially philosophy (got a minor degree there) and history (my major), but committing to it full-time doesn't go along well with my whole personality. I seek happiness in diversity.
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On February 13 2015 12:00 Stratos_speAr wrote:
"You don't get a PhD because you really want one. If you try that, you will fail. You get a PhD because you absolutely cannot do anything else".
I'm getting a PhD because I kinda want one, and I could go work now with my M.A... am I fucked?
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Me and Virpi really think alike but I would actually have no problem in doing Philosophy all my life in a department: I worked a bit in a bank and I wanted to kill myself (figurately). I am doing a PhD because I want to become a professor/stay in academic field.
My area of research is more or less aroung these topics: medieval philosophy, freewill and foreknowledge, compatibilism, fatalism, systematic theology.
As for the applications, no updates. I'm amazed at the lack of communication between British institutions: When you apply for funding at King's, you have to do so via the Prism portal for AHRC funding. Here's the odd thing: my funding application is still going forward - after the refusal from King's they are 'assigning reviewers to it'. What's the sense of this? Why should they lose time reading a funding application for a program that has been closed to me?
I suppose it is simply a burocracy thing but meh.
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The thing with AHRC funding is that the institution has to forward you before the real ahrc application process starts. This AHRC application once forwarded by the institution is not reviewed by the university anymore, but instead by the AHRC itself. It's a strange two stage process with lots of unneeded bureaucracy.
In general job perspectives with PhD in philosophy are actually pretty good. Mostly not in the field of philosophy though. The good universities try to prepare you for the time after your phd well, as far as I can tell. Moreover, just studying at a place with incredibly intelligent and passionated people in your field of interest is very enjoyable. Hope you'll get an acceptance soon!
Edit: I think most uk universities have no real deadline for applications, so they accept people all year long. However, the funding has a deadline (as you already know), so depending on whether you consider going self-funded you can always add more uk uni applications. I also got a rejection first before getting offers, so do not worry too much for now.
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Second rejection boys, this time from the US. Six to go.
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Do PhD Candidates in Philosophy normally get a stipend? My instinct is no, but I really have no idea.
Was it Stanford? Best of luck, still 6 bullets in the chamber.
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On February 22 2015 04:16 slyboogie wrote:
Do PhD Candidates in Philosophy normally get a stipend? My instinct is no, but I really have no idea.
Was it Stanford? Best of luck, still 6 bullets in the chamber.
Yes, they do. Otherwise I would not be able to go!
No, Notre-Dame. Yeah, still hoping on the other six :/
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On February 14 2015 01:29 Djzapz wrote:Show nested quote +On February 13 2015 12:00 Stratos_speAr wrote:
"You don't get a PhD because you really want one. If you try that, you will fail. You get a PhD because you absolutely cannot do anything else". I'm getting a PhD because I kinda want one, and I could go work now with my M.A... am I fucked?
From everything I've experienced and everything any professor has ever told me, you get a Ph.D. because you can't do anything else; i.e. you are so dedicated to one particular subject that you just have to do it and you aren't happy doing anything else. Any dedication that is less than that results in an absolutely miserable experience trying to go through your coursework + dissertation, and pretty sub-par work even if you are able to somehow finish it.
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On February 26 2015 12:32 Stratos_speAr wrote:Show nested quote +On February 14 2015 01:29 Djzapz wrote:On February 13 2015 12:00 Stratos_speAr wrote:
"You don't get a PhD because you really want one. If you try that, you will fail. You get a PhD because you absolutely cannot do anything else". I'm getting a PhD because I kinda want one, and I could go work now with my M.A... am I fucked? From everything I've experienced and everything any professor has ever told me, you get a Ph.D. because you can't do anything else; i.e. you are so dedicated to one particular subject that you just have to do it and you aren't happy doing anything else. Any dedication that is less than that results in an absolutely miserable experience trying to go through your coursework + dissertation, and pretty sub-par work even if you are able to somehow finish it.
Then you better mourn me after my imminent demise you monster 
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On February 26 2015 12:32 Stratos_speAr wrote:Show nested quote +On February 14 2015 01:29 Djzapz wrote:On February 13 2015 12:00 Stratos_speAr wrote:
"You don't get a PhD because you really want one. If you try that, you will fail. You get a PhD because you absolutely cannot do anything else". I'm getting a PhD because I kinda want one, and I could go work now with my M.A... am I fucked? From everything I've experienced and everything any professor has ever told me, you get a Ph.D. because you can't do anything else; i.e. you are so dedicated to one particular subject that you just have to do it and you aren't happy doing anything else. Any dedication that is less than that results in an absolutely miserable experience trying to go through your coursework + dissertation, and pretty sub-par work even if you are able to somehow finish it.
This is really spot on. You must love your subject when you are doing PhD. Persistence and dedications are key to be successful in academia. At this level everyone is smart enough to do it, but not everyone is persistent or dedicated enough.
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Dont really have to be ALL that smart to do a phd, tbh
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On February 26 2015 12:32 Stratos_speAr wrote:Show nested quote +On February 14 2015 01:29 Djzapz wrote:On February 13 2015 12:00 Stratos_speAr wrote:
"You don't get a PhD because you really want one. If you try that, you will fail. You get a PhD because you absolutely cannot do anything else". I'm getting a PhD because I kinda want one, and I could go work now with my M.A... am I fucked? From everything I've experienced and everything any professor has ever told me, you get a Ph.D. because you can't do anything else; i.e. you are so dedicated to one particular subject that you just have to do it and you aren't happy doing anything else. Any dedication that is less than that results in an absolutely miserable experience trying to go through your coursework + dissertation, and pretty sub-par work even if you are able to somehow finish it.
Total nonsense and unnecessarily restrictive. You should want to do a PhD more than you want to work a proper job, that's all. Fanatic devotion is just as unhealthy
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Today I received a letter by mail from the Catholic university of America... got my hopes up, only to have them crushed few seconds later.
My mental sanity is going down the drain, 3/3 rejections so far.
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On February 28 2015 14:48 n.DieJokes wrote:Show nested quote +On February 26 2015 12:32 Stratos_speAr wrote:On February 14 2015 01:29 Djzapz wrote:On February 13 2015 12:00 Stratos_speAr wrote:
"You don't get a PhD because you really want one. If you try that, you will fail. You get a PhD because you absolutely cannot do anything else". I'm getting a PhD because I kinda want one, and I could go work now with my M.A... am I fucked? From everything I've experienced and everything any professor has ever told me, you get a Ph.D. because you can't do anything else; i.e. you are so dedicated to one particular subject that you just have to do it and you aren't happy doing anything else. Any dedication that is less than that results in an absolutely miserable experience trying to go through your coursework + dissertation, and pretty sub-par work even if you are able to somehow finish it. Total nonsense and unnecessarily restrictive. You should want to do a PhD more than you want to work a proper job, that's all. Fanatic devotion is just as unhealthy
I hope you're right .
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Good luck, SoSexy! I'm rooting for ya, buddy. A PhD would be cool, I'm serious. My brother is working on his master's degree from TKK in Finland right now & is at a software company, so I know the feeling - advanced college education is great, and it is MUCH easier to do business while also attending University. All of the nice infrastructure is there, and you are surrounded by college-educated people. I was recruited to college & accepted first very early, before many of the other students - actually they took me out for a steak dinner like I was a top football prospect like Reggie Bush or something... pretty cool! I hope you've been trying to impress the schools you hope to be accepted at. At my brother's program there was 20-30 students admitted for his year, so try to perform with your 'best face in front.'
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Got another rejection. At this point I have 4/8 rejections. During this weekend my mind is split in 2:
- On one side, terrible depression. Thoughts like 'I won't get in anywhere', 'I suck' etc are crowding my mind and I feel really, really bad. Having no real plan B makes me wondera about everything in a bad way...
- On the other side however, a part of me is refusing to give up. I spent some time looking for other universities on the web and I sent a couple e-mails to some professors of smaller departments. A more intimate way of doing things - you write them, if they give you your approval you start the official application but it's way easier than being a no name at Notre-Dame, for example. I will look for more.
Kinda strange, uh? This fight between giving up and not backing down...
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Another update.
At this point, the American dream is over some people here know how much I love the States but universities were harsh. Stanford had 230 applicants for 7 spots... In theory there is still Riverside but I think they already sent out their acceptances and I am not included.
In the midst of this turmoil, there is a light of hope. I made contact with a professor in the UK who was excited about my proposal and told me to apply at his university. Let's hope this goes well. I basically have only this and Cambridge (presumed rejection),
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EPT
