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Monday, July 6th, 2009
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8:55 pm - It's been a while since I have posted about this
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I sent e-mails to the schools I was considering for that PhD program. I only really got information back from two of them; however, they were the two I was most interested in working with. I figure that if an interested student contacts you and you can't give more than a perfunctory reply directing said student to the website he has already visited, then that's not really a school with which I am interested in working toward a PhD.
What this means is that I will definitely and without question be applying to University of Pittsburgh and Michigan State University. Whether I get in will potentially determine the next steps toward the future.
What makes this kind of awesome is that I have been invited to information sessions for the programs I am interested in at both schools. Obviously, the one at University of Pittsburgh will be incredibly easy to get to, so I am little worried about that. However, visiting Michigan State University in early October will present quite a bit of a problem. I shall have to study that more closely.
Meanwhile, I will take time come August learning from my contacts at Montclair and at CMU about breaking into a career in student activities. I know that I have a bangin' resume for such a career, but I don't know the first thing about finding openings and applying for them.
This, of course, leaves me with the dilemma of choosing more schooling or a career first. If I don't immediately go for the PhD, it doesn't mean I can't ever get said PhD, but it lowers the likelihood that I will make the effort. It's not a PhD I need, but I certainly hold a level of passion and excitement about the material, which is what one really needs in order to pursue a PhD. Mostly, it helps me feel closer to that lofty dream of changing the world.
Career-wise, it is not a great move, because it puts off even further making my own money and getting practical, real-world experience. Imagine doing that at 30? I think the only way I would really feel comfortable doing the PhD is if I could do it in five years or less. Fewer? I am never sure about that when it comes to values of time.
Finally, I fully intend to speak to my supervisor near the end of my internship about the possibility of working as a freelance copy editor. I think it's about the only thing that could satisfy me in terms of working in publishing, and I could make a decent amount of money with it; likely not enough to live on, but I would love it as a sidebar to another career.
All this stuff is scary, you know. It means I have to actually grow up. I mean, I fully intend to continue playing video games now and then, to read books like Animorphs and the Boxcar Children, and to surround myself with toys and games, but somewhere in there, I have to learn to support myself completely financially and nearly completely emotionally. It's a step I don't feel ready for, but I am learning how to be ready.
At least I know I will always have my family to fall back on if things really go up in smoke. That's more than a lot of people can say.
-MathMaster
current mood:  pensive
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| Wednesday, July 1st, 2009
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10:45 pm - Commute of AWESOME
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Today was the first day of my new commute, and I have to say, I definitely don’t regret it. So here’s the scoop:
- I take the very same express train I used to take (7:20), but get off in Newark instead of New York.
- I go directly across the platform, maybe 10 feet, to get on the PATH going toward the World Trade center. It’s also the only PATH train you can take out of Newark.
- I get off at Journal Square and go directly across the platform of 10 feet to the PATH going toward 33rd St. in the city.
- I get off a Christopher Street, just a few blocks down from my office.
- Then I just reverse it all to get home, except at Newark Penn station, since where I get off the PATH is not simply directly across the platform from where I get on the train; it’s down two flights of stairs, down one hall and across another, and up another flight of stairs. Why? I don’t know.
The monthly pass to Newark is $100 less than the one to New York. Plus, the PATH operates similarly to the subway: I pay $1.75 (not $2!) to get to onto the PATH platform and I can go as far as I want and make as many transfers as I want for that same $1.75, so in addition to saving $100, I also save 50 cents every day (a trip in either direction on the PATH as opposed to on the subway).
Also, the Metro card I used to use on the subway can also be used for the PATH. I just load up money onto the card in the same way, and it deducts $1.75 instead of $2. However, I did find something that said you could buy 20 rides on the PATH for $1.30 each, which means saving $1.40 a day instead. I will have to look into it more closely when I get the chance.
This morning, my transfers were all immediate; that is, when I got off the NJ Transit train in Newark, there was a PATH already across the way that I got on. Then, as we were pulling into Journal Square, I watched my transfer pull in beside us, so I just got on there. Totally awesome.
On the way back, it gets a little sketchier. I made it back to Newark three minutes before the train I would have ordinarily taken from New York, which means I may miss the train in the future. However, there's merely a 15-minute difference if I catch the next one, so it's still very convenient.
One drawback, though, is that the PATH is more crowded than any subway I have ever taken. It’s like the crowd at New York Penn all pushing to get on the express train as soon as they announce the track it’s on, only we’re all standing uncomfortably on a subway train. And it’s really loud, especially when it squeals on turns. But I can definitely sacrifice that, along with less reading time, to make up for the travel money saved.
current mood:  pleased
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| Monday, June 29th, 2009
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11:05 am - Twitter posts
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| Friday, June 26th, 2009
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11:04 am - Twitter posts
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| Thursday, June 25th, 2009
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11:06 am - Twitter posts
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| Wednesday, June 24th, 2009
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11:05 am - Twitter posts
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| Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009
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9:16 pm - An essay of epic proportions
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I am terrified of the future, of the "Information Age." I have no idea how I am going to keep up with all of the changes that are expected to come out of my lifetime. Consider this: at the moment, less than 5% of publishing companies' profits come from e-book publishing, but that percentage is growing at an alarming rate. For Penguin, 2007 brought in just $2 million in e-book sales. Last year, that number spiked to $12 million. By the end of this year, the company projects $30 million in e-book sales.
( In which I discuss the e-book vs. print books )
( In which I discuss the ever-changing information world )
( In which I discuss the dwindling importance of grammar )
My future hangs by a tiny thread. I can barely keep up with all of the new ways people have to communicate, in which the grammar doesn't matter as much as getting the word out as fast as possible. Books are dying, newspapers are dying, and grammar is dying, all while technology is eating itself to produce newer and newer products that I can't keep up with. It's enough to make me want to bury myself in a cave with all my books around me and never come out.
However, I also realize I am not completely hopeless. I get the New York Times headlines e-mailed to me every day. I have a Twitter on which I follow several news outlets and a host of friends. I read webcomics and amusing blogs. I have an iGoogle page on which I take most of my information. I use my Blackberry daily to make calls, check the weather reports, and keep in touch. Am I really in touch with the information age? My future depends largely on my ability to adapt to new technologies and new trends. I don't think I can do it.
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11:05 am - Twitter posts
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| Monday, June 22nd, 2009
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11:07 am - Twitter posts
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| Sunday, June 21st, 2009
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11:05 am - Twitter posts
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| Saturday, June 20th, 2009
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11:03 am - Twitter posts
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| Friday, June 19th, 2009
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11:04 am - Twitter posts
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| Thursday, June 18th, 2009
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11:05 am - Twitter posts
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| Wednesday, June 17th, 2009
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11:04 am - Twitter posts
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| Tuesday, June 16th, 2009
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11:05 am - Twitter posts
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| Monday, June 15th, 2009
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11:04 am - Twitter posts
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| Saturday, June 13th, 2009
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11:03 am - Twitter posts
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| Friday, June 12th, 2009
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11:04 am - Twitter posts
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| Tuesday, June 9th, 2009
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11:05 am - Twitter posts
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| Monday, June 8th, 2009
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11:04 am - Twitter posts
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