justpayingthebills

Hi there, was wondering if anyone else out there is finishing up the PhD and thinking about realistic alternative paths. I am finishing up a Humanities PhD in a field with very grim employment prospects. I have been wrestling with the idea of leaving my program throughout the process but have finally (by the support of loved ones), made it to the end. I have also applied to several positions and had no luck so far. I have never had a frank conversation with my committee about my doubts, and they presume I am going to continue in academia no matter if "my first year on the market is rough." Anyone else in this situation-- i.e., afraid to tell their committee they are leaving academia? Does anyone have any advice? Best of luck to everyone out there in the same boat, and to anyone who decides to continue or decides to leave. <3

I see this is a post from last year, but if you want to chat about grad programs in German Studies, feel free to PM me

not sure how exactly it works for sociology, as i am in a foreign languages phd, but some things i wish i had looked into: courses recently offered (a lot of departments list courses from YEARS ago, which may give a false impression); current research interests/productivity of faculty (again, they may list expertise in a field and then you find out they have moved on to a different trend, leaving you isolated); general lifestyle considerations (where would you like to be geographically, what are the people at that university like-- in that sense it can be good to email current grad students); hiring records of the department if at all possible to obtain; does the department in question have active links to other departments/institutions that would be meaningful for you (i, for example, wish i had known that my institution did not, at that time, offer a certificate in feminist theory). these are some general considerations i wish i had looked into. a campus visit can be invaluable in getting a sense for the vibe and atmosphere, as well as the diversity of the department.

just writing to say i sympathize fully. i find this especially irritating as someone who went from doing my BA in a very strict public university where one could get a D or an F, to an elite private school where D's don't exist and F's just mean the course gets deleted from the student's transcript. it's not asking too much to expect these kids to know how to use spell check or, like a user above suggested, visit the writing center. it's disrespectful to you as an instructor to have to read that. on a similar note, i just want to vent that it's also infuriating when the prof who ISN'T DOING THE GRADING grants students extensions without consulting, gee, i don't know, the one doing the grading? solidarity my friend.

Anyone interested in graduate programs in German Studies and looking for some advice, please get in contact with me. I have lots to say on the topic.

Interesting question. Mine began hugging me once I passed my prelim exams. It seemed to be tied to progressing up the ranks. Not sure how I feel about it

Apologies if this has been asked previously. I am a PhD student asking this question for concerned grad students in my department. Our dept chair has been very vague about granting credit for MA classes completed at a previous university towards fulfillment of course requirements for the PhD. Our department handbook has nothing pertaining to this issue. I have been in the program for some time and watched certain students receive credits on what seemed to be an ad hoc basis (I came straight from BA so I never pursued this). We are a small humanities department, and the faculty have suggested that they won't be able to grant those credits from prior MA's because if they did, enrollment by grad students in our own department's seminars would be too low and would threaten our department's stability. Hence, grad students have offered to take those courses as audits to keep up enrollment, but also to reduce stress so that they can pursue coursework that may be more relevant to them. What is it like in your department? I get that this varies very much by dept and uni. Any suggestions for counter-arguments to the faculty's reasoning (re: low enrollment)? I think grad students should be able to take the most relevant courses for them, as humanities PhD's are taking longer and longer, and any time that can be applied to one's own research interests should be seized. Also, MAs in the US are very expensive, and continuing to ignore MA credits will continue to deter students from joining. I would really appreciate any advice. Thanks for your time.