Just a little bit of laziness...

While I know I've decided not to put undue pressure on myself as far as writing on this blog is concerned...I think it could use a little bit more diligence on my part. As I sit here typing, I see my white board covered with notes to my self about topics to write on...many of which will never see light of day.
So yeah...I should do a better job of entertaining and enlightening you with my wisdom, what? :P


Hehe...anyway...like I mentioned earlier, there's lack of updates since life isn't boring.While that should actually mean that there would be more to share...this blog is more of a reflective nature in many ways. I've not been doing that too much lately...so no posts.
Oh well...it's time to share some things which are happening and hopefully it will help me get my thoughts organised.


So the first of the immigration papers arrived on Friday. Florida State U actually bothered to FedEx me the parcel. Wow...
The Indiana papers are still stuck somewhere in limbo...I'm considering asking them to mail the papers to my aunt in PA and my parents can go pick them up next month when they go for a cousin's wedding. Let's see...

It was so much fun tracking the package from FL to PNQ. It came via Paris, N Delhi and Mumbai. After "losing" the IUB papers somewhere in the mail...this was so much fun.

Right now...where to go?

Indiana University @ Bloomington (IUB)

Pros:

• The better of the two Universities. (acc to many different opinions)
• Small Town (Bloomington)
• Closer to an Air India destination (Chicago)
• More accesible to friends/relatives in the MidWest as well...

Cons:

• Snow - and apparently, lots of it.
• Just a more "aloof" vibe that I get from people there. Dunno...I'm strange.
• Possibility of funding only if not enough doctoral students are available.
• To my head, their lack of class caps at the Masters level and low level of admission criteria (GRE 900) just makes me wonder a little...
• The college website that I found listed it as being better ranked but less selective about its students...

The Florida State University @ Tallahassee (FSU)

Pros:

• Tropical weather
• A friendly vibe I get from people I interact with there
• Funding hasn't been shut out at all. The program co-ord said we will look into it after the first semester - that sounds so much more hopeful.
• Also, the website said that they were ranked lower than Bloomington, however, were very selective about their students. They *did* require even an admissions essay from me (one I posted an excerpt from here). Also, they have mentioned on their website that they are going to structure their final exams on the IUB model...so perhaps they will get up to IUB standards...whatever those are...

Cons:

• As far as any of the choices are concerned, it's pretty much out in the boondocks.
• Do I want tropical weather again? Though they said they do go below freezing in winter...
• Lesser ranked...according to that one website. But it does come up first in google search.

Tallahassee is a medium sized town...dunno what to think about that. I am led to believe the Southerners are more friendly just in general...or something...

*sigh*

There was a third place I had applied to: The University of Maryland in Baltimore County (UMBC)
That place is pretty much out though...it's an MA degree and if I want to come back and work in India, people will look down upon that. They prefer a fancy Master of Science...
They also said an outright "no" to funding since the program lacks anything of that sort...

*double sigh*

What to do? what to do?

I wrote to both Unis and they don't really hurry my decision. Perhaps I go check them both out after exams...
A possibility...

*triple sigh*

You know what could just randomly roll it completely though? (If you've been observant, I'm now inclined towards FSU, while IUB was the early favourite...based on rank and the such)
There's a possibility to get a job as a bus driver in IUB - for their college transit. Now that just sounds like so much fun!
They train you, give you your license and pay you. DRIVING A BUS!!! That WOULD be fun! (Good pay too! I wonder if the FSU has something similar. That would seal my decision then! hehehehe)

So yeah...now I send part of this rant to an aunt and see what her contacts in Education have to say.
If you have any thoughts, feel free to air them.

Oh and on a totally random note in closing: Now I know cockroaches will survive a nuclear holocaust.
The other day I managed to get one in my glass of water (don't ask how) and it lay on its back and I was like: "ugh!" and threw it out. The moment it was out of the glass, the thing got up and started scurrying away. heh!


In the next episode: An update on another thing that's keeping me busy and I'm excited about and perhaps a rant on ideation in the same!