Superstitious?

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manicmaven

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So yesterday was my day off and what did I do all morning? I created a shrine. That's right...a shrine for Northwestern. I have pictures in it and candles and even my amcas application sitting in front of it. I light the candles and picture the adcom ignoring the fact that I went to unknown crappy undergrad, that my GPA is lower than average for the school and my MCATs aren't stellar. I picture them saying...gee...despite all of these issues with her app, she belongs here and they offer me an acceptance.

I'm also superstitious about having bought school paraphenalia when visiting for interviews. Seems like the schools I did this at, I got waitlisted. I won't buy anything from a school at this point.

Paranoid? yes. Psychotic? borderline.

Anyone else have rituals/lucky charms/superstitions they've developed during this torturous process?
 
i am also very superstitious. everytime the digits on the clock are the same, i touch the clock and make a wish. so at 1:11, 5:55, 4:44, i was wishing for med school acceptances. also, i haven't cut my hair since i've been interviewing. i've had good luck with this haircut, so why change it?

stupid, i know.
 
Originally posted by ilovetexas
i am also very superstitious. everytime the digits on the clock are the same, i touch the clock and make a wish. so at 1:11, 5:55, 4:44, i was wishing for med school acceptances. also, i haven't cut my hair since i've been interviewing. i've had good luck with this haircut, so why change it?

stupid, i know.


Gawd, what a great idea!!!! I knew there had to be a way to get all my fantasies to come true!!! 😀 😍
(heh, screw hard work from now on - I'm all set!)
 
Originally posted by manicmaven
duh.


If you were rich enough, you would be "eccentric" 😀
 
I was never superstitious (I actually looked down on people that were) until I applied to undergrads. Not having control over whether I was accepted or not (I had basically perfect GPA, SATs, ECs, etc and yet I still didn't get into the school I wanted) drove me crazy. So, I started 'gambling'. For example, when I drive down a street, if I have some really important thing on my mind, say a job acceptance, I'll say "When I get to the next light, if it's green that's good luck and means I'll probably get the job".

Of course I know that this has absolutely no influence on the decisions other people make, but I still find myself doing it nonetheless.
 
Manic,

You already know most of my "ideas" on luck and superstitions.

Some other things I did to improve my chances:

1. Carried around a Vermont quarter in my pocket until I got my acceptance letter.

2. I kept on repeating "UVM, UVM, UVM" anytime my mind became idle.

3. Anytime I saw something made in Vermont or a Vermont license plate, I took it to be a very GOOD sign.

4. Drank out of my UVM COM glass daily.

5. Went to church, begged God for an acceptance.

And that's about it....😀
 
Similar to how people do visualization exercises, I try to picture my adcom advocate @ my dream school fighting for my case & send this person good vibes (ESP). No idea if this works since still waiting, but I've gotten an interview from a school I'd almost given up on.
 
You know, I figure that these kinds of positive thoughts sent through the airwaves can't hurt. I'm reminded of those weird studies about how prayer/meditation can help patients who aren't aware they're being prayed for/thought of.

I also read tarot cards (not that I believe them - most of the time-but they are fun at parties), but I can't bring myself to ask them about this. Too scary, even if they are bogus.
 
youre all crazies! crazies i tell ya! all o' ya! crazies!

S 'the bells! the bells!' HamThis
 
Is the Chronic one of superstition, you ask?

And you know dis maaaaaaaan!

After the Chronic gets off work, he immediately purchases a six pack at the AmPm mini-mart next to the job site. Each beer is significant, and no beer goes unscathed.

5:10 pm M-F

Beer 1: Having just bought a six pack of Miller Lite cans (a true high roller), the Chronic selects the one whose logo is revealed on the greatest amount of viewable surface area. With ease and a respect unprecedented, the Chronic penetrates the can with his keys, so as to form a most perfect region for a shotgun. (The Chronic apologizes for how porn-iferous that sounded). Then, he faces in the direction opposite of the sunset (East, our faded one believes), and takes down Beer 1 in a split-second after muttering "What you got Miller?", all in the grandiose effort to effect prosperity.

5:30 pm M-F

Beer 2: The Chronic arrives at his current residence in sunny Southern California, and carries the now five-pack to the back porch, where he casually sips on Beer 2, all the while scoping out the ladies and weirdos that abound his beachfront property. He does this with one shoe on and one shoe off, to "stomp" the admissions demons from becoming too judgmental and critical.

5:45 pm M-F

Beer 3: With the next-to-no buzz tacked on by the consumption of two beers that contain at most 3.5% alcohol, the Chronic meets his long time friend and accomplice Maryland Jane (she goes by Mary) for an "alternative" yoga and meditation session. Immediately upon the session's termination, Beer 3 is inserted into the funnel apparatus for consumption. However, in order to escape from the curses of the rejection lords, the Chronic does 15 jumping jacks before taking Beer 3 down.

5:46 pm M-F

Beer 4: This beer has no significance. Sometimes, the Chronic will sip on it. Sometimes, the Chronic will pound it. Sometimes, dat amazing cat the Chronic might pour it in a frosted pint glass. Sometimes, the Chronic might give it away because the funnel apparatus didn't go down so smooth. Whatever happens is the Chronic's decision.

6:00 pm M-F

Beer 5: This is the beer of all beers. People may disagree, but here is why...No longer can someone bum a beer off you, because you have just one left, and no respectable human being drinks your last beer. Thus, there is peace and harmony upon this beer's consumption. The Chronic will then make his wish for the day (ex. "Please let there be cool people in med school", "Please let there be a ratio of 75% to 25%, girls to guys, in med school", etc.), and open thebeer with his right hand. He then proceeds to the drink the beer left-handed, in three drinks, and three drinks only. Sometimes its three, and sometimes its six (that depends on how that funnel went for Beer 3), but either way, what I said is true.

6:15 pm M-F

Beer 6: This beer is often consumed on the way to purchase more beer and maybe a bite to eat, depending on how much money the Chronic has at the time.

As such, you can tell that the Chronic is very superstitious; in fact, he must now switch to a different website as the 16 minute mark for allowable SDN browsing is approaching.
 
sshhh. or I'll put a tarot hex on you.
 
damn - I DO THE SAME THING!!!!
i thought i was the only one.

Originally posted by memoryless
I was never superstitious (I actually looked down on people that were) until I applied to undergrads. Not having control over whether I was accepted or not (I had basically perfect GPA, SATs, ECs, etc and yet I still didn't get into the school I wanted) drove me crazy. So, I started 'gambling'. For example, when I drive down a street, if I have some really important thing on my mind, say a job acceptance, I'll say "When I get to the next light, if it's green that's good luck and means I'll probably get the job".

Of course I know that this has absolutely no influence on the decisions other people make, but I still find myself doing it nonetheless.
 
I always wear the same necklace to interviews...it was one that my dad gave me🙂 Maybe I should have adpoted some other rituals cause the necklace has only gotten me on waitlists. I need to do something that will get me off the damn lists. Maybe I will take a cue from Manic and build little shrines. Yes, five little shrines...better get to work!! 😀
 
Originally posted by DarkChild
damn - I DO THE SAME THING!!!!
i thought i was the only one.

Yah I've been doing this for years. It drives me nuts sometimes, because when it gets out of hand I basically just have to tell myself: "Don't notice anything!" Which is pretty hard to do. . .
 
Troutbum,
neville is my favorite tiny.
 
Manicmaven,
The fact that you understood the reference and also listed Neville as your favorite Tiny tells me that an adcom has just looked at my file and understood what I was all about, and an acceptance is on the way. Thanks, you just made my day!

:laugh:

Sorry, poor attempt at humor, I know. Glad to hear that there are more Gorey fans out there.
 
Originally posted by memoryless
For example, when I drive down a street, if I have some really important thing on my mind, say a job acceptance, I'll say "When I get to the next light, if it's green that's good luck and means I'll probably get the job".

Damn. I do this with traffic lights too. A couple of months ago I had a good run of greens and I felt good about being accepted to a school where I had just interviewed. I also do it with other things, like when I play solitaire on my computer. I tell myself that if I win, such-and-such is going to happen. I have tons of other superstitions. So many, in fact, that I'm know I'm OCD to some degree.
 
Originally posted by manicmaven
You know, I figure that these kinds of positive thoughts sent through the airwaves can't hurt. I'm reminded of those weird studies about how prayer/meditation can help patients who aren't aware they're being prayed for/thought of.


I've read those studies too.
True story: My father had quintuple coronary bypass surgery a few years ago and got too much anesthesia and did not wake up for three days. A priest walked in and asked if he could say a silent prayer for my dad. I said sure. The priest did his thing and left. A few minutes later my dad woke up. Now I realize it's very likely that my dad was going to wake up anyway. But you never know, do you?
 
Originally posted by manicmaven
I also read tarot cards (not that I believe them - most of the time-but they are fun at parties), but I can't bring myself to ask them about this. Too scary, even if they are bogus.
I feel the same way about my tarot cards. I have asked them many things (for what good it does), but there is no way I'll do a reading about whether I'm going to get into med school or not! Whatever the reading says, I think it will completely psych me out and I'll never get in. That, and if I don't get in this year, I don't want to know until my last rejection letter comes.

And I carry a 1980 quarter with me to every interview. I arbitrarily chose it as my lucky quarter a few weeks before interviews. Now, it must prove itself.

Sometimes, I think I'm mental.
 
i used to take this cool stuffed pig with me to swim meets, but i never won a race. so i didnt take him with me to my interviews. i like numbers - i feel good about my NYU chances (for getting off of the waitlist) because i interviewed there on a day that was a prime number. I also like odd numbers. I really like 343 too.
 
every time as i board a plane i have to touch the outside of it. else, we are destined to crash. neurotic, perhaps...but it has worked so far. just make sure your not riding with me the day i forget to do it. haha
 
whenever i look at this thread i get stevie wonder's song "superstitious" stuck in my head (in and of itself, that is neither superstitious nor weird). 😉

i do the stoplight thing, and i also touch the outside of the plane for luck. i've also been trying to think only happy thoughts about med school for fear of jinxing myself.

neville is also my favorite tiny...i have "n is for neville who died of ennui" in my cube b/c i'm sooooo bored at work. 😉 😀
 
I definitely got superstitiuos after being a distance runner in high school. We all had lucky sports bras and even lucky underwear. And it seriously got to the point where if I wasn't wearing both items I had a horrible race. Then I did crew in college and found rowers to be just as superstitious as runners. But great things happened with the lucky underwear... of course, a pair of underpants doesn't last forever so I had to go and buy another pair in the same color and designate it the lucky pair. So far so good. I will definitely be wearing it on April 26 for the MCAT. Glad to see I'm not the only one with crazy superstitions on here.
🙂
 
I was driving on the freeway and actively debating in my head the pros and cons for going to my state school, UW, or to Columbia should I get into both. The decision was really racking my brain and a few days earlier I had asked for a sign. Anyway, I'm driving along and all of a sudden a large semi truck with a trailer enters the freeway and gets right in front of me. And there on the back of the truck are two huge letters: "UW". I think it might have been a freight company or something. I was too much in shock to find out. Regardless, I think it was a sign from God. I'll know in a week if UW is truly in my future.

When you're searching for answers, sometimes you just have to read the writing on the wall, or the back of the truck as it were in this case.
 
Every time I drive under a tunnel, I hold my breath and wish that next year I will end up where I will be the happiest and most successful.

I also try to force myself to dream about which school I should go to by telling myself to do so while I am at yoga.

I also make sure to wear a sexy push-up bra to all interviews. (Maybe that's not supersticious, just smart)😉
 
Originally posted by kcol22
Every time I drive under a tunnel, I hold my breath and wish that next year I will end up where I will be the happiest and most successful.

I also try to force myself to dream about which school I should go to by telling myself to do so while I am at yoga.

I also make sure to wear a sexy push-up bra to all interviews. (Maybe that's not supersticious, just smart)😉

Oh crap! I just realized that this last post was my thirteenth! I hope that isn't a bad sign!
 
Originally posted by azpremed
I definitely got superstitiuos after being a distance runner in high school. We all had lucky sports bras and even lucky underwear. And it seriously got to the point where if I wasn't wearing both items I had a horrible race. Then I did crew in college and found rowers to be just as superstitious as runners.
🙂

AHHH! I ran in high school and college and I did the same thing...I always had to wear this certain pair of underwear (don't worry, washed the a$$ sweat off after every race) and sportsbra. This girl I knew had to wear these red undies because they were her "FIRE" pants. Made her go faster 😉.

Also, I always had to drink a certain amount of water and a certain amount of gatorade/powerade/etc. and only half of a powerbar, could never finish those damn things. I'd always change my socks before putting on my racing flats and/or track spikes. Then, I'd always re-tie my shoes to the point where I cut off the circulation in my feet.

My God, I'm a freak.
 
ok....some of you are starting to scare me. ummmm......i would try to stay away from the psych specialties because it would end up being like the blind leading the blind!
 
Wow...I thought I was the only one! 😉
Well, not lately so much, but then again I'm just preparing to apply. When I was a kid, I think I was borderline OCD--I used to have all kinds of rituals, like I could never turn off the radio in the middle of a song or something bad would happen, and I've built a few sort-of shrines in my time. Those feelings kind of faded as I got older, but I guess I still kind of think about things like that--"if I look at the clock again before 10 more minutes have passed, I'll get a bad grade on the test", things like that. Judging from this thread, the med school application process may bring it back full-force. One more thing to look forward to! 🙄

on a side note--I'm so happy I finally figured out the avatar thing! :clap: And it only allowed me to procrastinate for about an hour to find a good pic and get it to an acceptable size.
 
Im so glad to see that I am not the only one who does these crazy things. :laugh:
I started by buying something from all the schools I interviwed at, like a keychain or a shirt.
Then when I went on my new york interviews I stoped at every chruch I saw and prayed to god that I would get to go to medical school. I also asked my parents to pray for me.
Finally, in the past month in class or whenever I was board I would touch the key chain of my top choice school and pray to get in.:laugh:
Also when I'm on an airplane I do the sign of the cross before we take off, and so far its been all good😉
 
xaelia,
I always thought you were a girl. Weird how that happens.

So good to hear I'm not the only psycho out there, folks. I read my tarot cards last night and they came up looking good. Only one card I felt iffy about...the knight of swords...don't like him much.

I have never done the outside of the plane thing, but it sounds like it's something I need to start doing. This might be a bad thread to start...like anorexics reading about different ways to diet. OCDers find different ways to obsess. Too many new ideas.

wolferman, I don't think the gods of admissions could get any clearer. Husky-bound you are.
 
I cross out the letters on stuff I read for my top school, until I can read it like 3 times. Then I visualize the adcom meeting and saying "Lab-Rat21 is waiting for a decision from us, I absolutely loved interviewing him."

Then I check my email only on exact intervals of half hours, like 1:00, 1:30, 2:00, when I have been off I have gotten junk mail or bad news (like a cheap Emory email rejecting me) I mean not even the 37 cents man, what is that? What if I am completing a rejection letter scrapbook, I print out the cheap email, with no school logo or anything...

This has not really worked for me, no acceptances yet, but I am open to new psychosis, I mean ideas.
 
I am not that superstitious until this year.

I really loved my interview experience at Mount Sinai. When I got back home I realized that I had an extra token for the subway. The tokens have a hole in the middle of them. I put a chain between the hole and as I am typing I am wearing a token from the "New York City Transit Authority". On the other side it says "Good for one fare" . I always think its good for my one fare back to Mount Sinai.

The other weird thing was that yesterday I was driving and the car in front of me had a license plate alumni thing from the University of Pittsburgh and I live in Florida. Well I got waitlisted by them so I guess that didn't mean anything.

I always tap a plane before I get on it and it always pisses off the flight attendants. I don't know why, maybe it scares them or something.
 
Originally posted by PelicanMan
I really loved my interview experience at Mount Sinai. When I got back home I realized that I had an extra token for the subway. The tokens have a hole in the middle of them. I put a chain between the hole and as I am typing I am wearing a token from the "New York City Transit Authority". On the other side it says "Good for one fare" . I always think its good for my one fare back to Mount Sinai.
That is so sweet! Reminds me of how I make a point this year of picking up every single penny I find. Got a whole stack of lucky pennies in their special place on my shelf of admissions stuff.
 
Originally posted by azpremed
I definitely got superstitiuos after being a distance runner in high school. We all had lucky sports bras and even lucky underwear. And it seriously got to the point where if I wasn't wearing both items I had a horrible race. Then I did crew in college and found rowers to be just as superstitious as runners. But great things happened with the lucky underwear... of course, a pair of underpants doesn't last forever so I had to go and buy another pair in the same color and designate it the lucky pair. So far so good. I will definitely be wearing it on April 26 for the MCAT. Glad to see I'm not the only one with crazy superstitions on here.
🙂

I think that's common among distance runners. My team also had tons of people who had lucky sportsbras. For interviewing, I wear my lucky underpants (white with little navy blue elephants). They have brought me plenty of luck, but still a wait list from my top choice school. 🙄
 
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