You are one confused Nucca.
Spurs fan or celtic fan which one is it?

@chic2pimp: I rep the two. Na bad thing to support two teams again?

I am just waiting for the playoffs. Patiently waiting. So much bad blood between LA and Boston here. That said, the second best team in the Western conference is the Laker bench. Hopefully the nuggets can get the job done this time.

WOW! you guys have an intense discussion going on here. I am a Spurs fan, but they have been disappointing for a while so it's a lil discouraging. However, I became a celtic after watching their 08 run. It was just amazing. I don't like LA. I consider them the real madrid of the NBA eventhough they manage to get wins from time to time. I am hoping the nuggets have the balls to actually end it for them during this playoffs, if Melo keeps his form. That said, Kobe is the best guy in the game right now, not Lebron. I feel next season would probably be one of the most exciting seasons ever with all the new free agents coming up. I am pretty sure Lebron would leave cleveland for the knicks or something and the east would actually load up to match the west. I want a Boston LA final again. KG, paul pierce and Ray allen(if he manages to get his form back) can do wonders.

I think it is still a little early to predict anything, because a lot of crazy things happen. however, I can't wait for the playoffs. exciting times!

I thought it was you lol. I like to think that I have a photographic memory even though it sometimes fails me. I transferred to Cornell, but I have only spent one semester there before going for this research internship that I am currently doing. Ithaca is too cold lol. I have been doing research for one year(well, It would be one year in April when I finish this). One of the main reasons why I took this research thing is that I realized that popsi was shelling out major cash for Cornell. I am not the only child, and my dad isn't a politician so I felt kinda bad. I am using this research thing to also figure out what I really want to do. I am also going to try transfer admissions for the last time, hopefully I can crack the places I want. Even if I don't, I am still pretty happy with my results so far.

I think I might end up in a management and engineering sciences type phd program. The ones at MIT and Stanford are pretty good. There is also a pretty good joint program at HBS. I am in the interview process for a particular internship right now. If I get this summer internship-which is a pretty big IF- then the path to a good MBA program would be easier. I am just trying stuff out to see what I might enjoy doing in the future, even though I know things would change. It's funny, I thought I would enjoy research so I feel angry at myself for even considering other options.

Carnegie Mellon is such a good school, it's in a nice city too. Princeton has a pretty good ChemE program, but its MechE is just decent, besides I have never really liked NJ. Such a terrible place.

Hey, sefago, If you don't like your results for this cycle, you could take a research position for a year and then reapply with better recs and SOP. That might also help you to narrow down your options better. It is a pretty crazy process, stepping out of it a bit can be of much help.

One question for you guys applying to phd programs though, do you see yourselves going the Phd -->> Post doc -->> Assistant prof route? I think it is pretty important to keep that in mind too.

This is a very interesting thread, probably the best one I have seen here.
@ Sefago, are you on College confidential? Your user name seems pretty familiar. Anyway, don't give up hope, things would get better. The good thing I have found with Academia is that, if you truly love it and are prepared to do what is required, you'll get where you want to go.
I have also been considering graduate school for a long time now, but I am just so torn between a lot of different options. I transferred away from my previous school because of lack of research opportunities. However, I have just recently realised that engineering might now be for me. I am doing really well actually which makes it a little problematic, but I have just discovered that I don't like Labs or Research very much. May be it's the research or may be it's Me! I don't know. I am thinking of a US medical school or even Law school. I am so confused that I have even started preping for the Lsat( the thought of debt kills me) while planning how I can rush through the premed reqs.

My line of action is to keep my gpa above 3.8 at the bare minimum so as to have these options open for me. I don't see myself running a lab someday so I think i might avoid that option. I had an option of graduating a year early, but I have basically scraped that option since I don't even know what to do. I am hoping an internship this summer world work that out for me.

As for the transition from hard sciences and engineering, I don't think it would be that hard froma chemical engineering stand point, atleast not like going from say physics to Meche. You do well, its just the applications aspect that might stump you a little at the beginning.

I urge you guys to check out Duke and Carnegie Mellon too, they are nice schools that go under the radar sometimes. I hope this cycle works out well for everyone.

Everything that has been said here is pretty much on point. I love how the guy before me said 'marry' a citizen you 'love'. arrangee lol. A lot of people do it here for the visa reasons. As a student on F-1 visa I have to say that it is not easy, the twenty hours a week I work self is just to keep body and soul together. thank God for scholarships and financial aid, if not, there is no way that my parents would shell out 50 grand for school. Having an uncle here also helps. It means I don't have to get an apartment or something like that till graduate school. I don't have a car but that is where having connections matter too, enough friends I can depend on for that. Thank God I am not interested in medicine, I can't imagine the pain international students have to go through applying to medical schools that might not even take you. Engineering all the way. All in all, I have noticed that the struggle is just for the 4 years, Phd programs usually give stipends and full tuition for graduate school, though getting in is not that easy but with reasonable determination it is not impossible(see talking about it like I have actually done it), fortunately for us naija peeps here, school work is not that difficult it just needs a little concentration. That's my rant folks, can't wait for 1yr to come chap chap make I commot from undergrad abeg. Happy Halloween!

hey guys!
i stay in florida too. daytona beacch its 45mins away from orlando. hav been lukin 4 naija peeps in florida too. u can get intouch wit me at checkmachuks@yahoo.com

hey, i just checked out your book. If the review is what is actually in your bk then it should be a very nice book. I am surprised though that you've just sold one copy. Even very bad books sell more than that. did u self publish? you should try finding agents abroad online who can try and represent your books. Most nigerians don't appreciate books published in nigeria( which is very sad.) anyway you can hit me anytime.

hey,
nice. I am gonna try and read your book, i am a writer too but i am still working on my novels. I have two that i am working on right now.