Silly Me...

So what's worse than waiting around to find out if you are accepted into grad school (and not getting accepted so having to go through the whole process of application three years in a row, by the way)?

What's worse is waiting to start school after you get accepted. 3 1/2 months and counting till the move to school, another 1/2 month till classes start. And I am excited.

I am not sure who will read this blog, random late-night internet surfers maybe...this can apply to a lot of stuff I guess, but my biggest challenge was getting into grad school...so those of you who are just starting the process or thinking about going to grad school - whether anthropology or something else - don't quit if you don't get in the first time.

Academics have always been my thing - I've had to work at it, but it's been what I'm good at - I even lettered in high school ;) So when I found out I didn't get into grad school my senior year of college I was shocked. What do you mean I am not good enough to be accepted?

So I got my stuff together and did some more research on schools and moved myself across the country and tried again. Granted I kind of hamstrung myself by only applying to one school the second time around. Yeah, no go the second time either. This time I was crushed. It sucked, a lot. I had a whole 'nother year to sit around and watch other people start school and graduate and I was slogging through a regular work day. I had a good job, this helped a lot...but it wasn't in my field or what I want as a career.

I also had the mental clock keeping track of where I should be in school...especially in comparison to my friends who did get into grad school. Nothing like some mental bullying to make you feel good about yourself.

So, I have gone through three separate application cycles and have applied to four schools (three were applied to twice). But I finally got in (I haven't stopped doing little happy dances and for the first few weeks I re-read the acceptance letter ever few days to remind myself it was real).

And the program I was accepted to will not only combine my undergraduate concentration in archaeology with my current interest in human skeletal anatomy, but will also move me back closer to some family and friends I have been missing. The thing is, this program is new - it wasn't around when I first started applying to schools. In fact, this coming school year will only be its second year in existence. Kind of crazy the way things work out.

So when you apply and your letters start coming back...congratulations on your acceptance!...but if it's the other kind of letter....stop and sit down and ask yourself 'how bad do you want it?' It took me forever to finally get accepted (and to make a decent score on the damn GRE), but I got in. And despite not really wanting to take a year off, let alone two....it's been a good two years of real world experience...even if one of the things I've learned is that I really want to be back in school. And I realized that I what I am wanting to do is really what I want to do. Not getting accepted was just an obstacle - not a decision. So don't stop.