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circlewave

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  • Location
    DC
  • Application Season
    2015 Fall

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  1. It seems like part of the problem is the general commodification of education, which refashions students as consumers who expect to get 'something' for their money. If you're going against that attitude, persuading someone to pursue the liberal arts is a little more difficult, since it doesn't provide a clear cut path to a career or to a high paying job. In that light, a liberal arts degree can seem like a luxury item for people rich enough to not have to worry about servicing debt after graduation.
  2. Oh, you're correct about that. I was focused more on the "only hope" part. If you go in thinking that there's nothing else you could ever enjoy doing, and the stakes are a happy/unhappy life, it seems like an unhealthy burden to place on yourself which will make things that much more stressful during difficult times.
  3. This seems like a really dangerous attitude to take into grad school.
  4. The important part with the writing sample is to submit your best work, whatever that is. My personal experience - I was told to submit something that had "passed through official channels," just because the grad I received was proof it was quality work, whether that was a Thesis or a very good term paper. Doing a thesis might be a feather in your cap, but if you haven't done one, and you're an otherwise strong applicant, it's not going to hurt you.
  5. I think people have a perception of the humanities as the nonsense "SJW" strawman that's going to fill their kids' heads with radical "cultural Marxism," or they think it's like "Dead Poets' Society." They're alarmed or dismissive of the former, and kind of pat-on-the-head patronizing towards the latter. It seems like they value study of literature, but they have no sense of what that actually entails. Generally, I think they would agree that actual literacy and a knowledge of the Western Canon is a good thing, and people still value 'well-roundedness,' but they don't hesitate to assert that STEM is God. To be honest, if their kid's BA is costing them $50,000/year for 4 years, I don't know if I blame them...
  6. I keep a personal index on the title page or blank pages at the beginning. If I come across a passage I like, find crucial to the entire book, or may want to refer to for any reason in the future, I mark the page number and a brief description (eg. "Thesis Moment," or "Link to Heidegger" or whatever); that way I can refer to my favorite moments quickly or find citations quickly without having to dogear the book or fill it up with post-its or flags
  7. circlewave

    Pittsburgh, PA

    Bloomfield is inexpensive, centrally located (close to the fun neighborhoods of Lawrenceville and Shadyside), and has lots of bookstores, cafes, restaurants, bars, etc. It's go the additional benefit of having a good mix of young people (but not tons of partying undergrads) and also strong community of older residents. On top of all that, it's well-serviced by bus routes running all over town. I think it's the best neighborhood in the city for students.
  8. I think this is mostly what I'm feeling. When apps were going on, there was always something I could have been doing - "I've got free time? I could look over my writing sample again; I could revise my statement of purpose; I could reach out to a couple professors" and so on. I keep feeling like I should be doing something, but if I actually stick with that feeling and look into it more, I never actually know what that 'something' is. Maybe I just need to remember how to relax
  9. Now that the stress of applications, decisions, visits and enrolling is behind us, we've got a little chunk of time until Fall semester starts. I've gotten a few emails from the department about registering for courses and health insurance, but is there something else I should be doing to prepare? Talking to professors or preparatory work and that stuff? Or just sit tight and try to enjoy the free time?
  10. Would it give you unique research experience related to grad interests? Or is it related to your area of study in a special way (eg. looking through a special archive that's at some foreign university library)? If so, then it could be a big bonus for you. If not, that's fine. I imagine successful applicants both choose to go/not go abroad. I don't think it could possibly hurt you unless your grades tank during that semester.
  11. The program I was accepted to first, and am now attending specifically told me they were impressed by my efforts to research faculty and that the emphasis I put on speaking to professors was a mark of the genuine interest that programs look for. All I did was look at faculty profiles and skim a few articles to get a sense of what they were about, and whether there was a fit; it probably took less than 8 hours, spread out over a few days. So, based on my personal experience, entirely on board with that last part.
  12. Perhaps my comments were too much of a generalization. I think that taking on debt for humanities degrees with a solid and reliable plan for how that money is going to get paid back isn't a problem. But the thought of borrowing substantial money in the hopes of paying it back as a professor makes my stomach turn. As far as taking time off out of undergrad, that's intended just for the purposes of perspective and variety. Upon graduating college, I don't think it's a coincedence that a lot of people think more school is what they want to do, since it also happens to be what they're used to. It's not a requirement - if you grew up playing 'archival research' in the backyard and were born to deconstruct, then go for it - but I really think there's little harm in taking at least 1 year out of school simply to see what life is like outside of the academy...grad school is always still there if you come back.
  13. 1. Don't go straight out of undergrad. Take a year to do anything in the world besides English. It's only in this period of time that you'll know whether grad school is right for you. 2. Don't take on debt. 3. Don't take on debt. 4. Really - don't take on debt for a humanities degree unless you're guaranteed a job at your Dad's literary theory factory. I'd also include these questions for every applicant to ask themselves: 1. What do I want out of this experience? 2. What specific questions do I want to study? 3. Are there other jobs I could feel fulfilled and happy in? If so, why am I choosing this over those jobs?
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