Lola Wants

I'm currently reading, At the Dark End of the Street: Black Women, Rape and Resistance--a New History of the Civil Rights Movement from Rosa Parks to the Rise of Black Power, by Danielle L. McGuire. I know that is quite a long title but I have no control over that. I am enjoying it and it gives a new perspective about Black women in the Civil Rights Movement that is rarely discussed..

I am currently in a Master's program and at the beginning of the program I discussed my topical interests with my advisor. My interests happened to be subjects that my advisor received their Ph.D. in and I expressed that I wanted to get a Ph.D. in this same topic. My advisor told me that I would be introduced to scholars in this field (this hasn't occurred yet) and given guidance on my journey of applying for the Ph.D. This person is on sabbatical for the school year and we have not spoken until recently. However, we scheduled a meeting to catch up on our respective endeavors. I am anxious and nervous about revealing that my subject interests have changed and I no longer want to do graduate work on the topic we initially discussed. I'm wondering how I can convey my change in interests without looking like a flip flop or offending my advisor. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

So, he had an old name and got rid of that because of stupidity and now he continues the same stupidity under a new name. Gotcha. Comically stupid isn't the word to describe it but I'll keep that to myself.

Have you not realized that you're the only ignorant person on this forum using the word nigga to refer to other people?

I found an overly critical article of the Grad Cafe and its participants. I thought it was interesting and amusing. http://www.slate.com/articles/life/culturebox/2012/04/grad_school_admissions_grad_cafe_exposes_gen_y_s_job_search_angst_.single.html

What topics are you interested in within the realm of Library Science because that figures into where you decide to apply. Are you interested in archives, youth literature, information systems etc.?

I have discussed this topic before with a professor who was close to me and it was relayed to me that it was unprofessional for TA's and students to fraternize on a certain level. This professor was speaking from personal experiences as a graduate student and as an academic. I was also told that while there is nothing legally wrong with this practice, since the undergraduate and TA are both consenting adults in the relationship, it was frowned upon by colleagues, and stirs up gossip amongst other graduate students (ammunition that could be used against you). This person discussed how professors would question your professional ethical character with the mindset that if you're a TA and dating a student what would prevent you from dating a student when you become a professor (and we all know that's an even larger no no in the academic community). Of course there are exceptions to this rule, however, the moment you decide to date a student you do not know if you will be treated as the exception. The question you should ask yourself is, are you willing to risk losing the respect of your future colleagues and your peers by dating a student?

One of the best books I have read about the implementation of "pure" free market policies in countries outside of the U.S. is called the The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein. A substantial portion of the book focuses on these policies in different South American countries and how Milton Friedman was responsible for influencing the leaders who conformed to these free market standards. The book also describes the role that the Ford Foundation and institutions such as the University of Chicago played in training Latin American students who would eventually enact these strategies under some of the most brutal authoritative rulers in their home countries because without force they were not accepted by the general populace. Klein contends that these free market policies were pushed through only because of the "shock" citizens experienced during events of social upheaval. The book also gives snippets into free markets in Asian countries and other parts of the world as well. Be aware that Klein's book, while supplying a litany of sources, heavily focuses on the damaging effects of the implementation of these policies on citizenry, their economies and how it eroded democratic practices. In other words, be aware of the bias although it is thoroughly supported with sources. Finally, Klein is not considered an "academic" so I don't know if that will influence whether you use it or not.

What errors? Thanks for warning me about the errors too. Thanks. That's exactly what I'm looking for, learning methods that are staples within the academic community. Translating science related passages might be a horror though, no offense to the grad students in the hard sciences.

I hope you're being facetious about this arbitrary scale.

I didn't know you had to be a doctoral student to give advice to another doctoral student. I didn't know my status as a master's student rendered my advice null and void to a doctoral student. I'm so sorry let me step back into my place.

Thanks. I will be getting that book. Thank you. I will check out those websites. You all were very helpful.

Thanks for the advice Oceansize. I wanted to stay away from studying in a foreign country since I cannot afford it at this time. Why was Rosetta Stone horrible for you?

I would like to re-acquaint myself with French (I took a year and a half as an undergraduate and forgot most of it). It's strange that I have retained the syllabic pronunciation of French words although I've forgotten much of the vocabulary. I wanted to know if anyone has suggestions on the best French software programs or books that can help improve reading proficiency. I want to be able to demonstrate competency in French when I apply for a Ph.D. Also, if you would like to add other linguistic methods that worked for you outside of software programs or books I would love to hear that as well.

I definitely understand the self-doubt and the bad thing about it is that it never ceases! I lead a discussion in class this semester and it was horrible. I literally cried afterwards because I felt I had done so terrible. Another professor assured me that my academic career was not over and that I should take steps to do better next time. It was made clear to me that being able to accurately assess my work was a good quality and that I was fortunate enough to have it. Critiquing yourself is normal and it should be done because it is through this self-analysis that you improve. Your advisor will not always be able to tell you what you did wrong so it is good to be able to recognize what you are doing wrong or right. You seem like you are on track in terms of your grades and the completion of all the steps for candidacy so I would not linger too long on this self-doubt. Good luck to you though!