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Bleep_Bloop

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  1. https://yalealumnimagazine.com/articles/4255-conflict-in-spanish-and-portuguese-department This gives you an idea, without going into details. There have been years in which they have been unable to recruit a single graduate student. It really isn't much better today, though their enrollment is up. They have not hired any junior faculty to breathe new life into the department. There is not a single assistant professor in the department. The only new addition since the scandal broke (5 years ago!) has been a senior medievalist, which is hardly pushing the department in new directions. It's just very stagnant and intellectually conservative, and that's not even getting into the factions and conflicts.
  2. To state the obvious (someone has to), these are dark, dark days for academia. No one is getting jobs, absolutely no one. The job market has completely collapsed (there are currently 8 listings for Spanish on the MLA jobs board, across all fields in the country). If you want to be a professor, I'm sorry. Don't do a PhD for this reason. If you've lost your job, have nothing better going on, and want five years of funding then by all means do it but for the love of god cultivate a parallel resume and network throughout grad school that will help you find employment in some other profession once you finish.
  3. This isn't my area, so I can't say. The best advice to find a good fit is to browse faculty profiles online and read their research to see if it excites you. Besides some obvious markers like period, region, or genre keep in mind whether you would like to focus more on literature / cultural / visual studies because the field has splintered a great deal in this regard.
  4. This depends entirely on your research interests. For a Latin Americanist, Princeton, Columbia, or Penn. I would say that the exception to this is Yale, which it would be best to avoid regardless of specialization. I won't go into detail, but Google it if you're curious. There have been years in which they haven't been able to recruit a single student.
  5. Not different for professors vs. grad students, just follow their lead. If I'm unsure because I'm the one starting the conversation, I default to Spanish or Portuguese depending on their specialization.
  6. Assuming you have already been accepted at both, the funded PhD. This has little to do with prestige, you're comparing five years of funding to one. Furthermore, in academia, a masters doesn't count for much because it isn't a terminal degree. A Mst from Oxford may help prepare you for a PhD, but if you already have an offer from an ivy then I recommend you take it. An option you might consider is asking the PhD program to defer your acceptance for a year so you can take advantage of the Mst offer. I have seen this done.
  7. I actually commute from Philly to Princeton, so just a little shorter than what you'll be doing. It takes a lot of patience with SEPTA and NJ Transit, they don't coordinate very well and there are a LOT of delays because of track work along the Northeast Corridor. At the fastest it takes me 2 hours one-way, but I always budget 3 just in case. Most days it winds up being 2.5 with delays or missed connections when transferring in Trenton. I'm sorry to say that I really don't think it would be feasible to get from Philly to Rutgers in 1.5 hours via SEPTA/NJT. I still put up with it because I'm much more productive commuting by train than I am by bus or carpool, and I don't have a car. While it definitely takes a lot of time, at least I can get work done on the train. My recommendation is to invest in a good pair of noise-canceling headphones and a good portable battery / power bank. I should say that I wouldn't be able to do this commute more than three days a week, however. Most days I'm in Philly, working out of UPenn. I'm writing up my thesis at the moment, so I don't have to worry about being on campus for coursework or teaching. I typically travel once or twice a week for meetings, talks, lectures, or other departmental stuff. I try to collapse as many of these activities into my commuting days as possible, and my adviser has been really understanding about my schedule. During really packed weeks, or when I need to be on campus two days in a row, I crash on a friend's futon rather than commute back-to-back. I lived near campus for three years, so I was already "integrated" into the department when I began the commute. The only reason I left was because my partner got a job in Philly. It will definitely take more of an effort to have the same type of departmental life because you'll have to plan around trains and be very good managing your time, but there's no reason that you can't integrate to the same degree that you would if you lived nearby.
  8. I want to second both of these points, as they've been true in my experience as well. At every institution I've attended there's been an unofficial rule that the town police would not enter campus unless called for by the campus security. So all drug and alcohol violations went through the university and the students were safe from any legal consequences, except in the most serious cases involving, say, drug dealing. It's pretty typical.
  9. If I were in a one-bedroom, I wouldn't really care who lived in the building so long as it had a reputation for being quiet. I would not share an apartment with an undergrad if I could help it just because our lifestyles would be so different and we would have little in common. Though I would take a university owned and operated apartment with an undergrad over rooming with a rando from craigslist, hands down.
  10. Not sure if you're aware of all the battery problems that iPhone users have been facing, but be forewarned. I just had the battery replaced in my iPhone 6 (it was discounted because a number of users were threatening Apple with a class-action lawsuit). I still love the phone, though, and with the new battery it works (almost) as good as new. But before I got it replaced I couldn't go more than 5-10 minutes on a charge. Maybe I could fire off a couple of texts or e-mails, but it wouldn't hold a charge long enough to order a lyft/uber. I had it plugged into a portable power bank non-stop, and when it was unplugged it was basically unusable. This was after 2 years of normal use. From what I read online this was pretty typical. I'm hoping to squeeze another year out of it with this new battery...fingers crossed. I don't know if these problems are also affecting the SE? But all my friends who have the 6, 6s and 7 have had similar issues. I've also read about battery problems with the iPhone X due to wireless charging. Though I doubt you're interested in the X if you want something small and cheap.
  11. Yes, both grad students and faculty read, write and teach. My point is that the scope and intensity of these activities is so different that to equate them makes little sense. But by introducing this distinction a few posts back, you took this thread off track from graduate student life to faculty life. We don't even know if OP is necessarily pursuing a career as a professor (they ask about alt-ac options in the social sciences, suggesting they very well may not), so this whole debate is pointless and I'll leave it there.
  12. I don't mean to suggest that anyone has to work that much. I can only share my experience and lifestyle. I can work that much and not burn out because I'm really, really into what I do. I have friends in my program who do the 9-5 thing and they're happy too. When I was an applicant reading these boards everyone insisted on limiting "work" to 40 hours a week. I tried that and it didn't work for me. I think prospective grad students should know that there are many types of grad students. I know I don't have to "work" as much as I do, but I really don't mind it. My project is interdisciplinary and so I need to cover bibliographies across fields. I want to take advantage of my time in the program to read as much as I can because I know that I won't have time to do that once I start the TT grind. That's my choice, not a requirement. I don't think anyone here is claiming universal truth. It's good advice generally, but I'm not sure I agree with how it's framed. Obviously, being a professor is more demanding than being a student. But based on my conversations with faculty, I wouldn't consider the transition from PhD student to faculty as a sort of x+y in which you take all your responsibilities as a student and simply add the responsibilities of faculty. They're two different "jobs". It's not about just adding more work, but replacing some things I do now with others that are required of faculty. There are a lot of things you can do as a student that you just won't be able to do as a professor (which is why it's important to do them now). For example, reading as widely as possible (this is field dependent, of course. The bibliography will require much more time in the humanities than in the sciences because these are book and not article fields).
  13. I realize that this might seem excessive depending on personal habits and institutional culture, but I've been doing it for nearly 5 years and don't feel like my life is a hellscape. I have time to work out, cook, spend time with my partner, go out for a walk, and have a beer on a Friday night. A lot of people considering PhD programs ask me about hours worked, and I always feel weird answering, because I don't view (most of) what I'm doing as a job. For example, a lot of my weekend hours are spent reading and writing. I'm in a literature program, so reading theory and literature and jotting down my reflections would count as "work". But I would be doing this on any given weekend regardless, because it's what I enjoy. Whenever I'm reading I'm thinking about how I could teach this material, and start mapping out syllabi. That would also count as "work". Dropping by a conference on campus on a Saturday would also be considered "work". But I go, even if it means adding more to my schedule, because I love the intellectual dialogue. It's fun. So I don't feel burnt out, even though I'm technically "working" 8 hours on a Saturday or a holiday. Of course, there are things that definitely feel like work, such as answering e-mails, grading, organizing conferences, etc. That stuff I try to keep to what would be considered the "work week". I save the more pleasant tasks for the weekend so it doesn't feel like I'm constantly on the grind. When I started my PhD program I went in with the attitude that this was a job, and that I needed to keep track of my hours to prevent burnout. I tried to limit my work to 40 hours a week, as if it were a 9-5. This actually stressed me out more. I wasn't able to do everything in 40 hours, and my institution expects much more than what you can fit in between 9 and 5. When I was tallying up the hours it took me to finish everything, I was discouraged because the "hours worked" mindset led me to think that I was an employee clocking in 60 hours for slightly more than a subsistence stipend as "compensation". Meanwhile, I had friends working much less and making much more, spending their weekends traveling or going out. This was discouraging. After discussions with my adviser and other faculty members I changed my mindset and began to think of academia not as a job but as a lifestyle. At this point it's hard for me to differentiate between work and non-work. When I'm asked about hours worked, I try to put myself back into my original mindset (grad school is a job) so that I can give this person an honest answer. But I just don't care if I "work" that much...I don't need a hobby because reading and writing are my hobbies. And I'm happy with that. I was drawn to the PhD because I wanted to live an intellectual life, and that requires you to be constantly thinking, reading, and writing.
  14. While ageism obviously exists in academia as in any industry, I really don't think it applies in your case. Reverse ageism (being "too young") would not be a factor in denying a PhD application. The opposite is more likely: a department might not accept a PhD applicant because they are too old (say they are worried about their job placement and can't imagine a 50 year old recent PhD landing a tenure-track job). I haven't seen it happen, but I wouldn't be surprised if it did. The age range in my program goes from 23 (straight out of undergrad) to 37 (coming in with two MAs). I think you're confusing age and experience. Someone coming straight out of undergrad is not necessarily young, people graduate at all ages for any number of reasons.. Applying straight out of undergrad might hurt you, but only if you don't have the same grasp on the field and bibliography as someone finishing an MA. Your job in the applications is to prove that you are widely read in literature and theory, intellectually curious, abreast of the current debates, capable of performing archival research if necessary, competent in whatever languages necessary, capable of asking the right questions and designing a thesis quickly, etc. Whether or not you're still in undergrad is irrelevant. If you can prove that, they won't care whether or not you have an MA. You might feel that you're at a disadvantage because you are young, and this is perfectly normal. You might have less experience than other applicants because older students simply have had more time to read and think. Of course, this is assuming that these older students have been spending all that extra time studying. Given that you transferred from STEM to French in your third year as an undergrad, you probably lack this experience. How much literature have you had time to read? How much theory? Criticism? Historiography? You can't expect to take two years of classes in literature at the undergrad level and expect to launch right into your dissertation or teaching. An MA sounds like a logical solution because your profile suggests that you lack coursework in your field. Also, keep in mind that "repeating" coursework later does not mean taking the same classes over again...you're simply taking more coursework. It is not at all a waste of time and will only make you a better scholar because you will be more widely read. Graduate coursework is not the equivalent of undergraduate coursework, so you are not "repeating undergrad all over again". Also, you wouldn't be repeating your undergrad experience because you spent 3/4 of it studying STEM. Finally, 30 is not old for academia at all. In my opinion, ageism starts to be a factor when tenure-track applicants are 45-50+ because hiring committees know that these applicants (regardless of experience) can't have as long of a career in the department as someone coming in at 30-35.
  15. Yes, I distribute that time over weekends and holidays. I will work every day, though the number of hours varies. Less on a Sunday, for example, when I need to run errands.
  16. This depends on the culture of the university. At mine, there is a wide gap between undergraduate and graduate students. It would be strange for the two to mingle. There is not much of a divide between MA and PhD students. Graduate students are certainly at the bottom of the pecking order when it comes to resources at my university. Undergraduates are at the top of the hierarchy (they are the customers), then faculty, then graduate students. I am nearing the end of my program. In the first 3 years I worked 60-70 hours between coursework, research, and teaching. Then in my fourth it dipped down to 50 because I was finished with coursework and teaching, and focused exclusively on writing. In the 5th year I went back to 60-70 because of job, fellowship, and grant applications balanced with dissertation writing. It is very unlikely. The program is structured that way for a reason, the faulty are (usually) aware of our human limits. Taking more than the suggested amount of coursework is possible, though you will likely be overwhelmed and perform poorly. Likewise, you will only hurt yourself if you rush your dissertation. Conferences and research stays (I am in an area studies program) permit me to travel quite a bit, both within the country and internationally. I spend at least 1-2 months in Latin America over the summer for research every year. Admittedly, I don't have much time to travel when it's not work related. Also, research-related travel is funded by grants. I would not be able to afford much international travel on my stipend alone. But that doesn't mean that I don't combine work and a bit of fun on all my research trips. This depends on your region and how generous the stipend is, in addition to spending habits. I live on the east coast in a major urban area and while the stipend is enough to live comfortably, I can only save a little each month. I've presented at 5 this year, though that is high and due to the fact that I am on the job market and want exposure. I've also organized a conference this year to, and have done so once per year while in my program. I typically presented at 2-3 a year throughout the program. Of course. It can be challenging, depending on the institutional culture and the amount you are expected to work. But with some time management (and a very patient and understanding partner) it is definitely possible.
  17. Assuming both programs are equal (i.e. you think you could be happy and get a good education in both places), I would take the funded offer. Balancing full time work with the program would really put you at a disadvantage if you're going to apply to PhD programs after the MA. You wouldn't have anywhere near as much time to read or write. If you're not planning on pursuing the PhD, then I suppose that's not an issue. Even if the stipend is on the lower end, it frees you from having to work. Your time will 100% be your own to focus on your academic career.
  18. Interviews (whether over Skype or in person) are common at top programs. Not every department will conduct them. If the program doesn't state whether or not they interview, you can check entries in the results page from previous years to get an idea. If you are invited to interview you can expect questions regarding the work you have done and the interests you wish to pursue. Depending on the faculty member and their familiarity with the topic, questions about your work/interests could be specific or not. Programs will want to know why you want a PhD and why you are interested in them specifically. Interviews are often used to see if an applicant that looks good on paper would fit in and be a good student/colleague. This is also a time to ask any questions of the department that you might have. You should take advantage of the opportunity to determine whether or not you could see yourself there for 5 or more years. This is especially true if you interview on-site. Visiting the department allows you not just to ask students questions directly (some will be more honest than others in their replies), but also to observe the dynamic between students and faculty (this will say a lot about what you can expect so keep your eyes open).
  19. My department is mac-centric. I bought a macbook pro when I started my program a little over three years ago. It's the only computer I use (writing, web browsing, light photo and video editing using photoshop elements and imovie), but the battery is slowly starting to decline and I might just use a recent bonus to upgrade. The battery holds for less, and it takes longer to recharge. I'm not entirely convinced that I need to buy another pro, but I'm unsure which would be more appropriate: the macbook or the macbook air. There's a $400 price difference, but I've been told that the macbook air is slowly being phased out by Apple (I've read that processors are two generations behind, making it slower even though it has a great battery). Can anyone speak to the benefits of the macbook over the macbook air in terms of overall quality, but especially speed and battery life? Worth the extra money?
  20. This isn't a red flag against the Department, but I would warn people off from applying to Madison, or to any program in the UW System. I'm originally from Wisconsin, and have had family that worked for UW. I basically grew up there. I realize this might be TMI but it's difficult to communicate just how furious I am (and many locals are) about the state of the University of Wisconsin. In 2016 $250 MILLION was gutted across the UW system, and the humanities have been hit the worst. When this was first announced (Scott Walker sought to cut $300 million), there was a mass exodus of academics from Wisconsin, including my own mother. A friend applied to the Classics department at Madison last year and was only guaranteed 2 (maybe 3?) years of funding. The department tried to woo her by saying they were "confident" she wouldn't have a problem securing funding for the remainder of her degree, but given how unstable the local politics are, and how hostile Scott Walker is towards education (he himself never finished Marquette University, leaving after a controversy regarding his campaign for student body president), she was smart not to risk it. The governor has also proposed to formally remove the "Wisconsin Idea" from the university's mission statement, and his government de facto controls the board of regents. Bad, bad, bad. Sorry to be such a downer, but I'm really bitter about how this asshole ruined an amazing public university system in the blink of an eye. And largely just for conservative posturing in hopes of a presidential bid that subsequently flopped in about 3 months.
  21. I'm ABD and applying to a TT assistant prof job in the humanities (language and literature department) at a research university, for which my work is objectively a good fit. However, I'm debating between two possible writing samples. The first would be a chapter of my dissertation, which is directly related to the specialization the committee is looking for. The second pertains to a side project that is in a parallel subfield (one of the secondary specializations the committee is looking for). While it's not as relevant as the first, it is forthcoming in a top-3 journal. I'm getting conflicting advice from committee members...some say that an application with a sample that isn't directly relevant to the ad will certainly get tossed in the reject pile. Others say that having a peer-reviewed article, especially one in a top journal, looks far more impressive to the committee than simply submitting a dissertation chapter. Does anyone here have any advice? I'm leaning towards the dissertation chapter to highlight my fit...the article will still be on my CV of course. I'm just not sure if submitting a diss chapter as a writing sample weakens the application overall.
  22. I'm curious: couldn't you have put an embargo on your dissertation so that it can't be accessed online? Or is this timeline including the embargo? I'm in a book field and embargos of about 4-5 years are quite common, while the author expands the diss into book form.
  23. I've heard of this before and am curious what others think. Don't mean to hijack the thread, might be worth starting a separate one on this topic. Briefly, though, this sounds nice, but naive. Try convincing your hiring or tenure committee of the "slow academia" movement and see how that goes...
  24. Yes, there is hope. I have a couple of colleagues who identify as slow readers and writers. One thing to consider is that "slow" is obviously relative. Have you talked to anyone about this? It might not necessarily be helpful or appropriate to compare, but you might be surprised to find that many others work slowly too. Talk to someone you trust or think would be objective. People like to show off their "productivity", but I have a hard time believing most when they brag about their workload because almost everyone who does so either exaggerates or doesn't work very effectively (i.e. a lot of that time is spent on Facebook, daydreaming, or performing menial tasks that serve as procrastination tactics). Also, there are many different reading/writing styles among successful academics. Some read slowly, but thoroughly. Others skim and re-read strategically when necessary. The same is true of writing. Some revise while writing. Others write a lot quickly and don't worry about revising it until later. You might not always have the time to read everything slowly and thoroughly (like when you're preparing for generals/comps, and often during coursework). But slow reading can be a very helpful tactic when you're preparing the dissertation and addressing the core bibliography. Again, the same is true of writing. There will be moments when you need to write quickly, and others when it will be more advantageous to really focus and work slowly. What I think takes time is acquiring the flexibility to adjust your reading/writing style as appropriate. But that's what grad school is for! I would estimate that most people don't come into grad school with these skills. Your coursework is obviously intended to teach you the content of the field, but it also teaches you (though not explicitly) reading and writing strategies. I don't have anything specific I can recommend you, this just happened to me throughout my coursework. You find ways to cut corners. Your note-taking strategies evolve. You get more comfortable just scanning a document for key terms. You know when to simply read the introduction, conclusion, and first/last sentence of body paragraphs and when to read everything in detail. As you become more experienced grappling with the current debates and core problems of your discipline you spend less time thinking through complex ideas that you were encountering for the first time as an undergraduate or masters student. You just get faster with experience.
  25. I understand you mention 'preliminary' research, but I feel obligated to give a disclaimer and say that I think it's certainly too early to start thinking about applications at your stage. However, it wouldn't hurt to simply browse the faculty pages at different departments. You can start with some well-regarded ones (NYU, Princeton, Columbia, Penn, Berkeley, Duke, Cornell) and look at publications and current research projects to identify scholars who share your interests. This not only will give you a broader idea of what's going on in the field, but what departments might be a good fit for you in the future. Take some notes, track down books or articles that appeal to you, and read some of them over the summer. Edit: Just wanted to add that given your interests (which admittedly are very diverse) and your language background, perhaps Comp Lit programs would interest you as well.
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