University websites

[electricland]

Why are they so bad?

I don't really expect an answer; I'm just curious.

I'm getting better at navigating them, but... bad. Ugly, hard to navigate, slow, full of frames and pages that print wider than 8 1/2 inches, occasionally springing new windows or blue-on-black pages on you seemingly at random. Actually I think McGill's is the worst; I couldn't find any listing of graduate programs at all, and all their calendar PDFs appear to have something wrong with them. Sheesh.

Also, can I just mention that graduate admission requirements tend to be incredibly threatening and scary? I'm starting to feel uneducated and lacking in community spirit, and I haven't even printed an admission form yet.

Anyway, I have a bunch of program listings now. It's not quite what I set out to get, but I think I'll have to highlight the interesting-looking ones and then track down some hard-copy calendars in a library, 'cos I certainly don't want to pay for half a dozen of them.

Comments

[king-mob.livejournal.com]

Because the university webmaster is someone who was hired in the mid-60s, has no technical skills, and cannot be fired. He or she was made the webmaster in 1994 as punishment by his or her boss, and the position just stuck.

At least, that's why ours sucks.

[electricland.livejournal.com]

That explains it then. (And hey, you think that's bad? I've seen far worse... see McGill, above. Hail, Alma Mater!)

I grant you they have a lot of information to convey, but some of them really aren't trying hard enough.

[valancyjane.livejournal.com]

Also, can I just mention that graduate admission requirements tend to be incredibly threatening and scary? I'm starting to feel uneducated and lacking in community spirit, and I haven't even printed an admission form yet.


God, yes. After just the little research I have done, I am convinced I wouldn't get into grad school at Dogcatcher Tech. Seems like you have to be a combination of Mother Teresa and Einstein. And I feel this way despite knowing several people who are in or have finished graduate programs who are a) not smart; b) not nice. Eeech.

[alierakieron.livejournal.com]

Take comfort - they let me in, after all - to two of them!

And yes, the websites make it all much, much worse. Except that when you apply online, you don't have to worry about things getting lost in the mail...

Excuse me if I've missed it, but what program type are you applying to?

[electricland.livejournal.com]

I'm still researching at the moment. Somewhere in the realm of planning, environmental studies, peace and development, and community education is where I want to be -- I'm still figuring out where, though!

This is my project for fall, so another February doesn't whiz past with its grad school deadlines and me saying "Damn... I should've done something about that."

[(Anonymous)]

Getting IN to grad school is the easy part. What's hard is getting out with the degree in your hot little hands, and with sanity and financial resources intact!

-L.