Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Ah, youth. Except not.

If anyone out there is longing for those blissful, starry-eyed days when you were just thinking about applying to grad school, you must go read Mouse (of Notes of a Neophyte)'s interpretation of the grad school Statement of Purpose essay. Every time I re-read it, I weep helpless, delighted tears.

My favorite paragraph:

You know what else I really love, I mean besides mint-chocolate chip ice cream? I really really really love this Really Exciting Thing That’s Happening In The Field Right Now but That You Hate Because It Was Inaugurated By Your Evil Nemesis Whose Name I’m About to Drop as My Personal Hero. I’m using the work of Your Nemesis, whose work changed my life and rescued me from the brink of suicide, to do toootally awesometastic research, well not really research so much as vague thinking, in Area You Hate. How neat is that!

And that last part, about awesometastic research (a/k/a "not really research so much as vague thinking")? Sounds curiously like what I've been describing in my fellowship applications!

Plus ça change, yo.

4 comments:

Hilaire said...

I was thinking exactly the same thing - my recent grant app sounded an awful lot like that, too.

Anonymous said...

You mustn't do this, dear. Too much attention addles my brain.

But, you know. Thanks!

Renaissance Girl said...

As it happens, sounds much like a book proposal too.

gwoertendyke said...

this IS hysterical--not unlike wee mouse at all!