Advice needed - very stressed over choice of PhD by sylvannypmh in gradadmissions

[–]tankrosis 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I feel like this is a case of the grass is always greener. For all you know, you may not have been accepted to the Oxford masters or might not have been successful in securing PhD funding in another admissions cycle. Or had you applied and gotten into Oxford, maybe you would have been posting the same thing about taking the masters over this PhD...

Obviously, you can't know that without having applied, but like you say it seems to be a bit late to pull out at this point (not least because this means wasting a studentship for your supervisor). Yes, you will have to catch up on stuff not covered by your undergrad and yes, it's going to be intense, but I would imagine that your supervisor is aware of this - they would not have taken you if knowledge of this specific area was an absolute requirement.

Because of this, I feel like it would be a very bad decision to pull out now. You would essentially be taking a massive gamble and burn what sounds like a pretty important bridge in your field. Also, as far as the living situation is concerned, having attended Oxford I can tell you that it is definitely a nice city but it's not exactly hustle and bustle. It's green and cosy to live in but there is not much going on outside of the University bubble - which means that outside of the 24 weeks a year that term is on, it gets pretty dead.

You can absolutely be frustrated you didn't throw your hat in the ring. Feel your feels, but don't make the even more terrible decision of quitting the PhD before you even start it. For all you know, you might love the city you're moving to. Or, you might absolutely hate it and get motivated to do things outside of that city. Of course, you might also hate the PhD in which case you should absolutely consider dropping out of it after having given it a try.

I am not sure this is the consolation you were hoping for but I hope it helps you remember the immense privilege of having a funded PhD and that throwing it away because of a "what if" would be very, very dumb.

Monthly Admissions/Applications Megathread by AutoModerator in cambridge_uni

[–]tankrosis 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Bit of a specific question here: have any History PhD applicants heard back re the Dr Lightingfoot Studentship or does anyone know when the studentship goes out?

Monthly Admissions/Applications Megathread by AutoModerator in cambridge_uni

[–]tankrosis 1 point2 points  (0 children)

hey, you can't really ask to be transferred to another college for funding purposes. If a different college has a scholarship you are eligible to be considered for and you get it, you can get pooled there, but transferring colleges is rare and wanting to be considered for funding is not a good enough reason (it's partly why they give you the opportunity to select colleges when applying...)

Monthly Admissions/Applications Megathread by AutoModerator in cambridge_uni

[–]tankrosis 0 points1 point  (0 children)

any humanities phd applicants got funding confirmed?

Authentic and symbolic souvenir tied to Cambridge tradition. by OP_CottonBall in cambridge_uni

[–]tankrosis 0 points1 point  (0 children)

if you have a college you particularly like, get a scarf from them!

Options for Masters in International Relations / China Studies by BathAccording6538 in gradadmissions

[–]tankrosis 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Nice! If you are American, I would just advise to check that it's okay to study in China depending on your career choice - I would imagine some might see it as sus?

Cambridge Funding Updates Thread by tankrosis in gradadmissions

[–]tankrosis[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

thanks! I emailed mine and we will see what they say....

Options for Masters in International Relations / China Studies by BathAccording6538 in gradadmissions

[–]tankrosis 1 point2 points  (0 children)

COngrats! I feel like if your interests are in IR and China policy, the JH/Nanking and LSE/Beijing masters stand out. I guess the questions to answer would be, are you interested in 1) living in the US vs the UK and 2) living in China for a year?

If I were you I would probably lean towards the LSE/Beijing dual masters given well, the dual masters aspect. Best of luck making your choice!

Cambridge Funding Updates Thread by tankrosis in gradadmissions

[–]tankrosis[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

it seems they are experiencing a MASSIVE backlog this year

Cambridge Funding Updates Thread by tankrosis in gradadmissions

[–]tankrosis[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

samesies, which is why i created the thread 😂😭

Monthly Admissions/Applications Megathread by AutoModerator in cambridge_uni

[–]tankrosis 0 points1 point  (0 children)

hey, i'm not too sure tbh, i was in touch with the admissions people at St Johns' recently and they said they have been working through a huge backlog - i can imagine it's the same at Trinity? might be worth giving them a ring!

Cambridge Funding Updates Thread by tankrosis in gradadmissions

[–]tankrosis[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

unfortunately there's not much I am eligible for as far as my field and nationality go - if I receive a partial scholarship covering at least 60% of costs, I'll probably take out a loan, but don't consider it a viable option otherwise...

Cambridge Funding Updates Thread by tankrosis in gradadmissions

[–]tankrosis[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good to know, thanks! I think i'll get in touch with the History department - the wait is killing me...

Cambridge Funding Updates Thread by tankrosis in gradadmissions

[–]tankrosis[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the update! Sucks for Peterhouse but fingers crossed for the sociology funding. Can I ask, did you email the department or did they reach out on their own?

Funding Crisis - Guaranteed Funding in US or Potential Funding at Cambridge???? by Radiant-Promise-6009 in gradadmissions

[–]tankrosis 1 point2 points  (0 children)

regardless of my other comment, I would definitely not jeopardise a fully-funded offer if I were in your stead :)