One interesting story could be about the unique design projects students undertake. For example, there might be a project where students have to redesign an old industrial area into a sustainable community. They face challenges like working with limited space and strict environmental regulations, but in the end, they come up with innovative solutions that combine functionality and aesthetics.
Another memorable experience could be the field trips. Students might visit historical architecture sites around Atlanta or even further afield. They get to see the real - life applications of the theories they learn in class. For instance, they can study how different materials age and how the design has held up over time. They can also interact with local architects and learn about the local building traditions, which is really enriching for their own design work.
Well, some people talk about the horror of the never - ending group projects. You get grouped with people who don't pull their weight. For example, in a CS project at Georgia Tech, one student ended up doing most of the work while the others in the group just showed up at the end to get credit. And then there are the horror stories of the campus ghosts. Some students claim to have seen strange apparitions in the old buildings on campus late at night.
One way is to focus on other aspects of your application. For example, if you have strong research experience or relevant work experience, highlight that. I knew someone with a low GPA but they had worked in a top - notch research lab for two years. They were able to get into grad school because they could show their practical skills and knowledge gained from the lab work.
One horror story is the never - ending workload. I had a semester where I had to read countless research papers, write multiple long reports, and prepare for weekly presentations all at the same time. It felt like there was no end in sight and I was constantly sleep - deprived. Another is dealing with difficult professors. Some professors were so strict that they would nitpick every little detail in your work, even if the overall idea was great. It made getting good grades feel almost impossible.
A common one is the stress of thesis writing. You spend months or even years on it, and there's always the fear that your advisor will reject it. For example, I knew a student who had to rewrite their thesis three times because their advisor kept changing their mind about the direction. Another is the lack of funding. Some students struggle to pay for their studies and living expenses, which adds a huge amount of stress.
I'll tell you about the never - ending workload. There were weeks when I had to pull all - nighters just to keep up with the assignments, readings, and lab work. My advisor kept piling on more tasks without considering our other commitments. For example, I had three major papers due in the same week along with regular lab experiments. It was like being in a never - ending cycle of stress and exhaustion.
Plagiarism accusations can also be a horror story. There was a case where a student accidentally included some text without proper citation. It was a genuine mistake, but the university took it very seriously. The student had to go through a long and nerve - wracking process of investigation. Even though he was eventually cleared, it left him very shaken and made him overly cautious about every little thing he wrote in his papers.
There was a group of grad students in my program. They were all working on different aspects of a big project. One of them accidentally mixed up some data, which initially seemed like a disaster. But instead of panicking, they all worked together to re - analyze everything. This incident not only strengthened their friendship but also led to a more comprehensive understanding of the project as a whole.