So, I feel for Lynn. And, while applying to grad school is indeed tedious and boring, I was not bored reading about it. And I, for one, positively love tedium.
I wanted to help Robin in her quest to make “Whatever is on my mind” into “Whatever is on OUR mind.” Unfortunately, whatever is on my mind is not as interesting as whatever is on Robin’s mind.
Case in point: my blog contribution about applying to graduate school. What’s that? You don’t remember a blog entry about grad school? That’s because it was too boring to post. I tried to make it funny and cute. I embraced the challenge of making a hideous process involving grade point averages, transcript orders and a history of all schools attended sound interesting. I thought, “YES! I can make people want to read this!” 145 words later, one sentence was actually worth reading.
Suffice it to say, I really hope this grad school thing works out. Forget about the advanced degree and having a rewarding career, I just never want to go through the application process again. One reason it has been so awful is that I am applying to several schools. The same autobiographical essay cannot be used for each application, 3 or 4 letters of reference are required for each school, and there is a $65 fee for every application. That doesn’t include all the minutiae of tracking what has to be sent where and when, the dismal GRE scores I need to order for the lame schools that require them and all the forms, pre-addressed envelopes and instructions for the people I burdened by asking for letters of recommendation. It just goes on and on…
At this point, I might as well tell you that I’m applying to Masters in Social Work programs so I can become a licensed clinical social worker. (When I told an aunt and uncle this they cried, “NOOOOooooooooo!” in unison.)
You can be sure that whatever is on my mind between now and the end of January will be this whole grad school thing. I do apologize for not having a more thrilling topic to write about. When this whole process is over, perhaps Robin can make a video of Leslie and me dancing to Talking Heads while throwing all of my application files into a sizzling lava flow. (Leslie is an amazing dancer, though most of you must already know this.)
I look forward to the day when my mind is available for other musings.
5 comments:
Lynn, this is the most riveting narration of applying to grad schools that I have ever read!! Well, when I think about it, I guess I've probably never read any narration of applying to grad schools before. But STILL, yours is enjoyable! The reader truly feels your ennui. In a good way! It kind of inspires me to perhaps contribute a blog about the stacks of French tests that I will be grading today, as soon as I stop procrasting by posting this comment. I just don't know if I could make it as engaging as yours, though.
Bonne chance. I'm looking forward to that upcoming "Burning Down the Applications" Lava Flow dance video. Casting Leslie as your dance partner is an excellent call.
Blogging and ennui do seem suited for one another.
I find that checking this blog for updates is the best thing to do when one has undesirable obligations to fulfill. I was so desperately procrastinating work on my applications one Saturday that I decided to hand wash all of my delicate laundry. I checked the blog first, of course.
Thanks for reading my lackluster post. It's nice to bond with you through the shared experience of blog checking & posting procrastination.
Robin, to respond to a much earlier comment, I think I can delete my own comments if I click on the little trash can.
Love,
Secret Agent Hingmegr
I didn't quite procrastinate long enough when I wrote "procrasting".
Ooh lookie, as I write this I can see a microscopic photo of you on a lovely mini mountain, located somewhere in Teenyland.
I am back on line because I am so SICK of grading papers! Can't face the delicate laundry, though. I have a bag of hand-wash-only laundry that I've neglected for a very long time. So long that I'm not sure what's in it any more. My need to put off undesirable obligations has never reached a high enough level to make me deal with it. I should probably just get rid of it. Interested?
Love,
"Procrasting Ficie" (ew!)
I would be honored to do the lava-dance with you, Lynn! I too loved your grad school application blog. In fact, I laughed out loud whist reading it. I don't do that too often. Robin, on the other hand, frequently laughs out loud while reading or listening to internet-thingeys (thingies?). For instance, as I write this, she is listening to something with earphones on, laughing so hard she is crying. I believe she is doing research for a future post, so check your computers for it.
My law school application process is thankfully now in the distant past, but I do remember detesting it. Back then there were no computers (oh, I am SO old), so you had to type each essay separately, and you couldn't use that erasable paper, so if you made a typo you had to start that whole page over again. Blech!!!
Greetings from Teenyland!
Today I'm in my teeny cubicle instead of on the teeny mountain top.
Leslie, thank you for putting this all in perspective. I can't imagine doing anything these days without a computer and the World Wide Interweb. That would be way more tedious. I just wouldn't apply.
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