25or6to4

Hey! I am a peer of @igetstuffdunn - hai frand!!! - and I absolutely agree with everything they have said regarding UVA. I am from Philly and had to make the UMD or UVA decision a couple of years ago (and am now in the process of finishing this degree and waiting to hear from PhDs.) Accordingly, if you want a second perspective on the UVA experience, please don't hesitate to PM me! Fwiw, I live on-campus (literally next to the Rotunda) so I can answer any questions you may have about on-campus housing/living. I am also 20th & 21st anglophone/global & transnational, if that falls anywhere close to your interests.

Might any have you all worked with Linda Kauffman, perchance?

Thank you so much, greenmt! The department vibe sounds amazing, which is great! And thank you for your 'reading' of UMD in terms of alt-ac stuff, lol. I seriously appreciate it. As it stand now, I definitely would prefer to stay in academics (and I will definitely, having read your thoughts, emphasize that strongly in my personal statement); good to hear though, that it is possible to forge other paths if needed.

This is fantastic to hear - I absolutely want a program that prioritizes academic professionalization. Heck, I'm writing this post as I sit in a hotel room in New Orleans as I (procrastinate) finishing up a conference paper for an 8 am panel tomorrow (so on my game today) .... that being said, I think it's awesome that UMD is aware of, you know, life and is supportive of students who ultimately decide alt-ac/non-ac is more suitable for their needs. I also had a few questions about teaching (having spoken to students at different programs than my own); I assume PhDs teach their second year, but I'm curious as to what they're asked to do in terms of a pedagogy class. I.e., my current university stresses THE pedagogy seminar in the fall semester, while other programs do it over the summer. Also, (again I am assuming here) how structured is the writing/comp class I assume is the first task of the new teaching PhDs? In short, tell me everything about the teaching of the youths, if you don't mind. I very much appreciate it!!!

And a thought has been formed! I noticed that (from the UMD website) the placement rate is pretty good for the department. This is great, as I would absolutely like to consider staying in academics professionally. However, 5 to 7 years is a long time and I've realized, from conversations with the PhDs in my department, that a traditional academic career is not always the best option, nor is it the only one. So, how is UMD is terms of alt-ac or non-ac career paths?

Thanks for the quick response, ProfLorax! I'm so happy to hear that the department is supportive - that is a big factor for me. All about that friendly department life. I definitely have some questions, but cannot articulate them particularly well at the moment - however, I will absolutely send them your way once I figure them out! Thanks again!

Hello, everyone, I'm a hardcore lurker who has greatly enjoyed the many conversations I've stumbled upon over the past few months - as application season bears down upon us, however, I figured I should reach out and see if anyone who currently attends UMD for the PhD or MA would mind sharing how they feel about the program? I won't be looking at the MA, as I'm in an MA program at the moment, but I'm really interested in the department for the PhD. I've tried to get as much info as I can from the interwebs/advisors from my department - I've heard, of course, only good things, and absolutely plan on applying as UMD is looking to be one of my top choices. I am curious, therefore, about the things one may not know - for example, what is the department culture ? This is hugely important to me and I'd love to hear the thoughts of anyone currently attending (or who knows something). I'm quite happy to PM anyone as well, if this sort of conversation is perhaps better had in a more private way. Thank you all in advance!

Hi RPCV Cameroon - I don't know if you've already figured this out, but I park my car in the Ivy/Emmett Garage (long term) and it's a couple hundred. Day parking passes are definitely cheaper, I just don't know how much so. Here is the actual link to parking permit info - http://www.virginia.edu/parking/permits/find/students/index.html