Monday, 9 September 2013
I’m back!
The dissertation is done, and this is not the point to
worry about what the result would be. I am consciously making the effort, and
believe me it is not an easy thing for a worrier like me. One reason thinking
about the result is sure to get me spiralling down my rabbit hole is that my
supers basically said my grammar is shits. Sentence construction: awful. Proper
use of tenses: deplorable. Probably why I haven’t done as well as I had hoped
in many essays. Although, if you ask me, I would say my poor grasp of the
concept of critical writing played a major part. Descriptive writing I can do –
years in Naija education has honed that skill. Critical writing is a whole new
world to do, and I don’t understand the language. But anyway, I have got lots
of things lined up to take my mind off that – starting a short course in health
policy in October, reading for GRE presently (or chiding myself about how
little I have actually been reading). I am still interning – the NHS mental
health bit has been delayed a bit though, but hopefully by next month it’d kick
off.
I had mentioned earlier that I’m hoping on continuing
with further education – the ever-present PhD talk. Well, for those who have
asked – nope, I have not started yet. That one is still in the burner.
Actually, I haven’t even applied to any school yet. Yeah, you would think with
all this talk; she has got to have at least one admission by now. Nope. I’m
quite neurotic. Like, I have been talking about owning a livestock farm for ten
years now. Have I done it? No! Well, I could say my talking about it so much
has its uses – MM convinced his dad to move from poultry to piggery because he
and his wife hope to make a big business out of his little farm. That’s how I
talked so much about project management, now my brother-in-law is making
millions from it. Yup, that’s me. I talk a lot about something I want to do
just for someone else to go ahead and do it. Lesson of the day: the world waits
for no one. Or you could say, “if you want to shoot, shoot. Don’t talk.” So, if
all my talk about PhD has got you doing something about it, a little thank you
note would be appreciated. So I can say I’ve found my calling: getting people
to do stuff I wanted to do. I will still apply for the PhD thingy – let me just
get myself to sit for and pass the GRE. Then we can really start talking.
In the meantime, I have contacted some schools. A
number of them told me I needed calculus. At first I was like, calculus –
that’s like maths right? That’s no problem. Then I started reading for GRE and
discovered I couldn’t even remember what LCM and HCF are. Erm, and I’m supposed
to get a B in calculus? Not bloody likely! So, I dropped those schools. No need
attempting things when you know there is no hope – same as my reaction to
Emory’s stuffy email to me. So now I’m compiling a list of schools where
require calculus is not a pre-requisite. Schools that don’t have a minimum GRE
score. Schools happy with my lack of empirical quantitative experience. And
above all, schools that will take me – one has to be practical here abeg. It
would be nice to get into Harvard and John Hopkins, but that’s not going to
happen. So ama be practical here and cut my coat according to my size. I’m
applying to Yale, so I can’t be that practical. Yale is my wildcard though, in
case miracles do indeed happen.
So, that’s me for today. I was going to blog about
living with depression but I guess I can leave that till the next post. My
plate is still kind of full, but I’ll really try and update more now that the
big oh dissertation is out of the way.
Ciao.
Well done Madam, and all the best with the PHd Applications
ReplyDeletethanks darling. I need all the luck i can get
DeleteAwwwwww, so sweet of you writing this and well done,do №t let critical writing exercise get you down, if №t great result then good result you'll surely get. And just learnt a lesson from this write up, tick says the clock, tick tick, what you have to do, do quick, taking a cue from your write up and doing what needs to be done on time. All the best with the phd applications.
ReplyDeletetime's clicking and ticking away. I should have had the guts to pursue further education earlier than this, but i don't know why i didn't. but it's all good. Thanks for the good wishes
DeleteLollll..nice one
ReplyDeletethanks. do come back again
Deletebabe, you are too hard o yourself jare...me think you are quite admirable.
ReplyDeleteDoing your masters alone! with a husband and a child is a huge step towards walking the talk and i'm sure you will get all your heart desires
My fingers are crossed for Yale cuz i know miracles do happen cuz i'v had a lot happen to me..
Best wishes