cloudyword

Thanks everyone for the cheer! I applied to the MA from BA! And @eadwacer, I know the cost might be a lot affordable than American private school but, compared to the average here in my country (about 2k for tuition and fees per year in a public grad school), it's still a huuuuuge amount of money. I'll have less struggle for my decision if I can know how likely it is for us (international students) to get TA-/RA-ship and other funding/scholarship/fellowship opportunities! (Or how to win lotteries, if that also works.)

I got an email from UBC yesterday, saying that the GC has offered me an admission. My first acceptance, hooray! Though I'm still waiting for other result turnouts, I've started to consider accepting this offer. (Only if the costs were not so intimidating!)

That's also where I've redirected my focus. I know I desperately want to see myself admitted somewhere fit and can thus develop my career sooner, but I also understand this "ticket" is only a small part of the long race. I don't know how many more years it'll actually take to get me in; yet, what becomes more important is to build up my strength and keep on the right track. Though, I've found it really difficult to stay positive and stick to the real work without fearing for more rejections to come!

Haven't posted for a while. I've got three rejection in a row and zero acceptance.... felt really disheartened for a while and quit my result-page-checking routine/obsession (probably a good thing). While I was indeed much remedied by the cheerful vibe here, as always, I was also thinking about how I could improve myself next time if I receive no acceptance at the end of this cycle. Dealing with negative emotions aside, anyone is up to practical change? I only have three things in mind: sign up for a Spartan Race, read on, and write on (then I'll force myself to stick to a balanced schedule). Anything else? Or any reading list/writing challenge/productivity tips/academic guidebook?

Glad to know you like it!

Well... I don't quite get it. I don't see how this is specifically American. I'm not an American, but I simply want to know how graduate system works in the U.S., which is also where I'm heading to. I definitely recommend you read Graduate School in the 21st Century! I have the same concern until I found this one book. It's dedicated to the humanities, and the writer himself is a faculty in English. It's not simply for graduate students in English programs, though. Some of the details/examples are drawn from departments like Art History, History, etc. Maybe you can take a look at the table of content and intro and see if such book interests you in any way. I plan to quickly go through it once and consult it later in details when I'm officially a grad student.

Thank you @Glasperlenspieler and @tvethiopia for the advice. Yes, I think I'll learn better with background knowledge first. I've been trying to figure out grammar rules (even French pronunciation, how naive!) simply by doing and re-doing my Duolingo sections. I guess it's time to strengthen it with more beef. Actually, I've been thinking about adding: 45. Figure out the big picture of the graduate years ahead. I'm reading Graduate Study for the 21st Century, hoping not to ruin my graduate life with stupid/rude mistakes. Most know-hows in the book might still sound vague and distant at this stage, but I do think a big picture of time-frame to graduation and workload to fulfill requirements in time would help alleviate my shock, if I ever get in. Any other useful guidebook/blog/article to read?

44. Start Duolingo. I guess we'll all be too overwhelmed to learn (pack in) one or more languages in the first two years. Any advice on other language learning tools?

I'll suggest you email to ask. I had some technical issue with my UCLA application, and the coordinator was willing to help check up applicant's status. I'm not sure about other Wisconsin schools, but UW-Madison would send you a confirmation email, saying that your application is complete.

Same here! I was quite relieved after I sent out last-minute applications. My plan Bs: applying to a couple of Master's, looking for job opportunities, planning some skill roadmaps, etc. But the anxiety goes the same: I should've done this, I've missed this deadline, I've got to learn this and do that, perhaps this plan will work, oh but that one sounds more tempting... what if this and what if that. I guess I have been thinking too hard on my academic trajectory and forgot how to enjoy life and embrace uncertainty.

Thank you @Wyatt's Terps for bringing up this topic. A couple of hours ago I asked a similar question here: Out of ignorance and anxiety, I was constantly checking if someone would offer some insight, especially when the following Trump scenario might make foreigners' situation dire. I was guessing it might take a few days for people to cool down and provide some strategic thoughts/analytical warnings for the aftermath. The election sensibility is also one of the reasons that holds me back from emailing my recommenders or contacting POIs since the timing is a bit tricky right now. I don't even want to risk asking my recommenders what Trump's presidency would mean to my application and my pursuit of higher education in the States.

I am not sure if it's proper to ask here, but I am a bit worried about it: If Donald Trump is elected President (quite certain now), how would his presidency affect graduate application, especially for international students? Times Higher Education has this article (https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/donald-trump-us-president-what-it-means-higher-education) coming out, touching upon student loans, tuition fees, and other policies. What else? Would American institutions less likely to admit foreign students due to policies or budget cuts? Would it be more difficult to get student visas? Or, would it be more likely to stifle international students regarding job opportunities in the U.S. during and after our study?

I really appreciate all the above sharing from @Staara304 and @DogsArePeopleToo, since not everyone is comfortable with telling his/her own "special story" when the academic world demands such toughness and politics to appear "professional" and "competitive." And, yes, I also agree with @AP that playing victim card would not get us any further. The reason why I started this post, however, has its practical purpose, and it is nothing close to the kind of useless complaint displayed for the sake of some feel-good moments. Either from showing compassion or sharing practical information, I am trying to create a space that encourages young and inexperienced would-be grad students, including me, to not be deterred from our dream. Unlike @AP's footing, some of us have no access to academic advice, no one to read our SOPs, cannot see a model to follow suit, etc. Simply put, we just don't know if it is going to work for someone like us. Perhaps we will have more things figured out once we get in an academic circle when resources are more available, or perhaps we will gain more confidence once we are connected with a like group. Or perhaps not. What does it matter? It is at least worth the try, casting out HELP signs or stupid questions in an anonymous forum, seeing if any experienced grads or some like-persons would kindly offer their advice. I don't see this kind of question any more irrelevant than questions like "How to select POIs" or "What if my GPA isn't good enough." Isn't this board there to connect and to help one another? Yes, everyone is fighting against his/her own odds, including those who are supposedly born with better cards at hand. I guess my intention is quite simple: I hope at least in this cyberspace, we are allowed to ask for help and support when anyone needs it; no one should be shamed by not knowing how to master something or overcome some adversities. There is nothing wrong to show weakness and be human. (I guess even know-all-and-conquer-all professors have their struggles, too.) It's not like we're going to faint at conferences or explode when confronting other future tasks in grad school. I believe we are all tough and persevere enough to come to this life path. It's just a slight push we need from one another to eventually reach the point where our voices are heard and papers are cited. Last but not least, I think this is the kind of dialogue we need!

Hi folks, I came across this article (http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/03/the-problem-with-the-gre/471633/?utm_source=atlfb) from the Atlantic earlier this morning and could totally relate to it. Does anyone also have trouble scoring high due to lack of resources and affordable coaching? I would like to hear from your experience and how you all manage to overcome it!

Thanks for the heads-up alert! I hope I can also know more about these "unspeakable secrets" in other English programs in case I dive into a wrong place... I know graduate experience might vary, but I am trying to avoid possible down-drags that'll make me-- a woman and person of color-- an easy victim. I haven't experienced such a personal assault myself, but I've witnessed something similar happened to one of my TAs. Finally she had a mental breakdown and left (or she was forced to leave, I don't know). As for #4 and #5, should I still be worried about unexpected financial burden even if the program offers a 5-year financial package to every admitted applicant? Any suggestion and alert would be appreciated!

Hi folks, I've had both TA and RA experience for 2-3 years during undergrats (because back then, our department did not have grad programs yet). This experience was half bliss and nightmare for me because of all the hard work and challenge it required. My questions are: 1) How do I subtly mention my TA/RA experience as a bonus in my SOP, even though this is not exactly the same as how RA/TA system works in the U.S.? (I did not have to teach classes, only led in-class discussion at times.) Would it strengthen my candidacy for Ph.D entry directly from BA? 2) Is it necessary that I secure my professor/boss whom I worked for as one of my recommenders, and make sure that s/he writes about my TA/RA experience? Would it worth the risk when s/he is not that reliable/willing/available? Any comment would be appreciated!

I'm also taking that exam, unfortunately. You can find some tips from here: Or, you can visit the following websites/blogs (I found some of them from the above thread and collected others from elsewhere ): The best to kick-start with: http://lasr.cs.ucla.edu/alison/hapaxlegomena/WhatsOn.html Recommended reading list: http://faculty.goucher.edu/eng215/recommended_GRE_list_copy.htm Historical intro: https://vademecumgre.wordpress.com/ World timeline: http://www.timelines.info/ Very brief norton notes: http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=litgre&keyword=Norton+notes&filter=all Supplementary timeline / tips / resources: http://www.thejunkbox.com/gre_study.html The John Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism: http://litguide.press.jhu.edu/ I only bought Cracking the GRE Literature in English Test, since I already have most Norton Anthologies at hand. I guess The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory would be useful for quick reference if you have the budget for it. I don't think it is possible to read them all.... so I guess I'll at least finish the recommended list (the 2nd link), familiarize myself with literary movements and historical backgrounds, and read through A-list poetry in the final month of my test. Hope this helps!

I'm also on the same boat, and it took me a long, long time to figure things out. I hope I might be of any help. And please correct me if I am wrong! In general, it'll be easier for people who can talk to insiders-- professors or current graduate students in the said field. They know things that you cannot read from program pages and POI publications. They might also help you narrow down (or redirect) your research interests. So, try to reach out, starting from professors with whom you've taken classes before. Currently, I do not have access to any kind of mentorship. I'm trying to navigate my way out by doing the following things: 1. Build spread sheets: program fit & POI fit I have a long list of schools/programs from US News ranking. I go by program to program and faculty after faculty. On my program fit sheet, I have information such as financial support, placement, resources, etc (anything you care about being in that department and living in that city). On my POI fit, I have faculty name, research interests, major publications, classes taught, recent graduate students and their dissertations, etc. I haven't finalized my list yet because getting to know one program and even one faculty does take time. PS. Sometimes you can find professors' blogs. They write about their research, their teaching and other personal things. Blogs give you a better sense of whether your research interests, opinions and values align with them. 2. Try to narrow down I majored in English during college and had considered applying to other fields/disciplines, such as Sociology, Cultural Anthropology, Ethnic Studies, etc. for my next degree. I dismissed some of the thoughts by learning them the hard way. I've already taken some would-be-interesting-and-related courses before and knew by heart that I would still prefer literary approach to study issues that concern me. I also considered Cultural Studies, Ethnic Studies and other closer fields once, but I crossed out these options because I found out that these departments are smaller and cannot afford financial coverage as strong as that of English departments. Also, I might have some disadvantages in the academic job market if I'm not from a traditional English department. I'll have to prove that I have solid knowledge and pedagogy skills to teach literature classes otherwise. (This depends on what you want to do after the degree. ) Now I'm settled with the direction. Continue with my crazy spreadsheets. Less confusion. 3. Get familiar with the background knowledge Then I browse through wiki, books, encyclopedia and journals to get a big picture of what has been done/said and what is going on right now. I found one useful advice from the book Clueless in the Academe: join the conversation (learn and know what scholars are doing now), rather than "interrupt whomever is speaking and launch into an unrelated discourse about whatever happens to be on their minds." Building on existing research is more realistic than thinking out some genius project from scratch. Reading these things keep me thinking, writing and revising my big questions: What do I want to study? How? Why? And why is it important? My everyday research reshapes these answers. 4. Look into what you already had With the new stuff that I've learned and background knowledge I've accumulated over time, it's clear to know where to go. I recognized that I've formed certain preferences-- questions I've always asked, arguments I tend to make, and theorists that I agree and disagree with. Next, I'll look into course works I've done before and pick one that's the closest and strongest to rewrite. I still have several big questions and would-be research projects in mind, but I have to either piece them together or single one out for my SOP and WS. In this stage, I'll try to tailor my application materials to fit my dream programs instead. Overall, it really takes a lot of time researching for fits, thinking about your research focus and writing for SOP and WS. Sometimes you'll have to be more patient and less anxious (well, I know it's hard not to). What I do is talk to friends (or just myself) about what interesting things I've read today and how they relate to my would-be research project. The most important thing is to track down on those thought transition moments (I keep quick log and build systematic spreadsheets). What's equally (or more) important is to reach out... I've sent two other emails to (a bit more distant) professors who could possibly help me and one more to follow up one professor who agreed to help but... well... hmm. Okay, I'll wait. I guess I'll keep fighting down my anxiety and helplessness until I can get some insider to talk to me or even have a glance at my SOP! Let us all enjoy the pain we've wholeheartedly undertaken until it pays off someday.

I can totally understand your situation there. I'm also from a humble background and have been dealing with this half-awkward and half-confident moments during my school years. Actually, I found myself even more unrelated after I went to college, as a English major, and later on won a scholarship to study in the US. Since not everyone from my hometown can have the luck and privilege to go to college (plus pick some major that does not seem to be immediately lucrative upon graduation) and to compete for a selective government scholarship, I assume this is normal that I would not be surrounded by people who share or understand my background. But in any case, I am used to it and proud of what I have achieved so far, even when I'll have to go slower and bumpier. My peer was shocked that while he was already admitted to UCLA with generous funding, I just started my application for the Fall 2107 cycle because I needed to work and pay for ET$ exams, house rent (I moved to a city where libraries are available) and other upcoming application fees. It took me some years to realize and to embrace what fuzzylogician said: it is not easy for people to understand the world beyond their own experience. So, on the personal level, I think this is totally fine. I am glad that difference exists and perhaps I should be grateful that I have something else to say because of my socio-economic and cultural backgrounds. On the professional level, however, it really bothers me when teachers or classmates dealing with issues narrowly... In that context, I am uncomfortable and upset to see how they betray or ignore genuine humanities concerns, about human sufferings, inequality, underrepresentation that we practitioners should be sensitive enough to acknowledge. Well... I am not sure how your situation would benefit your career (but I am sure that you've gained enough strength to build resilience and perseverance against all odds later in life), but as a English major myself, my experience becomes an impetus; it compels me to delve into certain research topics as I decided to embark on my academic journey (that is, if I got admitted). Building network and finding company outside of you cohort might be a good idea. Personally, I love talking to people from all walks of life. I talk to random strangers like bartenders, baristas (I think they are the most accessible), seniors on the bus, etc. and sometimes they teach me things even if they don't have a Ivy degree. Or, I just go for a run or random evening reads to find peace. Hey, by the way, you don't have to go shopping with a running pal. Perhaps you can look for activity-specific company; in that way, you'll be able to do what's enjoyable with them and leave the rest to yourself. In any case... I just want you to know that you're not alone. Best of luck for everything! ;-P

This might appear a bit late, but let me know if anyone is taking the GRE literature test this October and would like to team up to crack it! I hope to spend more time on my SOP and WS in the following months, and it's probably the case for most applicants out there, so... I guess a study group would be more efficient to get this standardized test done. Anyone?