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rising_star

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  1. Upvote
    rising_star got a reaction from ThisIsCruel in What happens if no one is willing to write a LoR for you?   
    If you can't provide rec letters, you won't be admitted. I would contact those with jobs in different states and ask them if they're willing to write. Academics change jobs and everyone knows that you'll be writing letters for t hose from your last school while at your new one.
  2. Like
    rising_star reacted to ashiepoo72 in Comps!   
    I'm taking comps on Monday and had to post here...I can't believe that 4 years ago I was researching grad programs while trawling through GradCafe, and now I'm about to be ABD *fingers crossed*
    Thanks for all the support! This is the best community ever.
  3. Upvote
    rising_star reacted to ashiepoo72 in Do I honestly have a chance at a career?   
    1. You need to go to a program with good placement records, as everyone has stated. I would be suspicious of any program that doesn't have their placements on the website (and not vague, "we've placed grads at X University, College of Y and Z State." You want placements broken down by year, name and program, and if the program does not have it readily available online, email the grad coordinator and ask for their recent placements). Look at scholars you admire, people whose careers you'd love to emulate, and see where they got their PhDs (I'd focus on assistant profs first to see where they start out, then mid-career scholars to see if, when and where they move and if you could envision yourself working at a university like that). I believe that placement records, faculty publications and hiring, and funding are more important than rankings (US News is a good starting point but it's not that useful, and the NRC is woefully out of date).
    2. A 3.2 GPA won't necessarily lock you out of a good program if you have a strong writing sample with original research that shows your knowledge of the historiography and ability to make a historical argument, a clear and well-written statement of purpose that shows you understand fit, methodology and how to conceive a dissertation proposal (even if it will likely change in grad school) and a good GRE score. Do you have 3 profs who will write you strong letters of rec? If and when you apply, I would include MA programs as well. If you don't get into a competitive PhD program, an MA will make a low undergrad GPA less of a hindrance when you reapply. Languages are a good (necessary) addition to an application.
    3. Yes. You have no job security or benefits, adjuncts often have to cobble together a full-time workload at multiple schools, you won't have time or resources to do research and publish and therefore you will have a much harder time getting out of adjunct hell. It's not worth it if you can avoid it. I had an adjunct prof who chose to do it because her partner had a good job in an area where she wasn't offered a TT job, but by and large I'd say avoid it like the plague.
    4. Public history has more job options, but I don't know exactly what the job prospects are. I can't imagine they'd be worse than academic history, and I would bet money they're better.
    5. Minor in history if you can. Whether you do or don't, you can make the case in your statement of purpose that you want to do some sort of history that involves quantitative methods or the history of math/science. You just need to show how the skills in your major will inform your work as a historian.
  4. Like
    rising_star got a reaction from Adelaide9216 in Help for Ph.D. research proposal for scholarship... feasabilty & structure   
    That's unfortunate! It's an awesome resource that's been out there for a couple of decades. I find it gives really clear advice about what proposals need to do. Another good resource is the book Proposals that Work which I think is now in its sixth edition.
  5. Upvote
    rising_star got a reaction from dr. t in Should I do it?   
    I would move. A PhD isn't just about the seminars. It's also about the networking, being able to attend events on campus, gaining teaching and research experience, having access to the reference librarians and the stacks, etc. I think it's fine to live at a distance later in the PhD but early on, being close to your colleagues, advisors, and campus resources is often crucial. That said, you're putting the cart before the horse if you haven't even applied yet...
  6. Upvote
    rising_star got a reaction from dr. t in Starting a PhD or Reapplying?   
    It sounds like you've already made up your mind so I'm not really sure what you're asking...
    That said, you should be eligible to defer your federal loans once you're enrolled at the UK university. See here for more on that. Note that the term "deactivation" isn't one used by lenders. Also, not sure what you mean about the household income part. That might affect your repayment and your ability to for forbearance but it doesn't affect your ability to defer if you're enrolled half-time or more in an educational program. 
    Also, in thinking about the loans, I assume you're considering living expenses in addition to tuition since it's unlikely you'll be eligible for employment in the UK. I don't know much about the cost of living in Birmingham but I'd assume you'd need at least USD$15K to live on. Then there's the cost of books, travel to conferences and/or archives, etc. It's definitely a huge risk to take out those loans because it's entirely possible that you won't find any funding in the UK and will then need to decide whether to quit the program or continue taking out loans to fund your PhD.
  7. Upvote
    rising_star got a reaction from TMP in Ending with Terminal MA   
    Is it really impossible for one to do both of these at the same time? That is, couldn't one excel in the MA portion of their program while also preparing themselves to get into a better PhD program in the future? I'm asking because what came to mind as I read this is something which is increasingly common on the academic job market: people already in a TT job publish articles/books and/or seek out top grants so they can be more attractive and move to a different university. Thinking of it that way, it doesn't surprise me at all to see this happening on the graduate level.
    It sounds like you're going into this with a clear sense of what is important to you and why, which is great to see. I would make sure your advisors remain aware of your overarching goals (in terms of both research and career) so that they'll understand why you're doing what you're doing. Make sure that you're excelling academically throughout your MA, especially in your first year. If you can, make arrangements to see a counselor/therapist about your mental health as early in the semester as possible so that you start off strong. And if it isn't for you, don't be afraid to take a leave of absence from the program or to quit altogether.
    If it helps at all, I'll note that I did a MA at a school where I easily could've stayed for my PhD (you had to reapply but it was basically guaranteed if you were finishing the MA in good standing). I made it very clear to my MA advisor and committee that I wanted to consider all my options because the best thing for me career-wise would be to work with someone outstanding, get external funding, etc. The three of them wrote me strong recommendation letters and I got into every PhD program I applied to. I ultimately went elsewhere for my PhD and I don't think anyone was surprised. Now your situation is different since you were admitted to a PhD program but I do think clear communication is key regardless.
  8. Upvote
    rising_star got a reaction from TMP in Do I honestly have a chance at a career?   
    Honestly, not likely though this does somewhat depend on your specific interests in terms of time period and region. You haven't said anything here about what areas of history you're most interested in, which is a key factor in all of this.
    As has already been said, you need to focus on the things outside of class. Research experience is great but a thesis where you engage with primary sources is better. To get excellent rec letters, you need to do more than just do well in class. You might also see if you can present at a conference, do an independent study, work as a RA for a professor, etc. Oh, and take a broad range of courses so you can really narrow down your historical interests. Doing so will help you write a strong SOP.
    This probably varies from one person to the next. Personally, I would never work as an adjunct unless I had a full-time job which was fairly compensating me for my work. The wages are too low to survive and you'll be struggling. Check out Con Job on Facebook if you want some firsthand accounts.
    As @ExponentialDecay already said, don't choose a field based solely on job prospects. If you don't like it, you will end up miserable even if you're making good money. (And also, money isn't everything!) You may also want to brainstorm ways to combine your interests. For example, would you be interested in doing something like big data work with historical information? If so, consider taking a course or two in computer science and/or programming so you have the skills. Another quantitative areas with overlaps with history is GIS.
  9. Like
    rising_star got a reaction from NotAlice in Do I honestly have a chance at a career?   
    You're not going to be able to figure out all of this without taking courses, in all honesty. I would register for everything (so math, a language, history courses, etc.), with an eye toward seeing how things go and using the drop/add period to figure out which classes you truly want to be in. That's what the drop/add period is for so take advantage of it.
  10. Upvote
    rising_star got a reaction from Tigla in Starting a PhD or Reapplying?   
    It sounds like you've already made up your mind so I'm not really sure what you're asking...
    That said, you should be eligible to defer your federal loans once you're enrolled at the UK university. See here for more on that. Note that the term "deactivation" isn't one used by lenders. Also, not sure what you mean about the household income part. That might affect your repayment and your ability to for forbearance but it doesn't affect your ability to defer if you're enrolled half-time or more in an educational program. 
    Also, in thinking about the loans, I assume you're considering living expenses in addition to tuition since it's unlikely you'll be eligible for employment in the UK. I don't know much about the cost of living in Birmingham but I'd assume you'd need at least USD$15K to live on. Then there's the cost of books, travel to conferences and/or archives, etc. It's definitely a huge risk to take out those loans because it's entirely possible that you won't find any funding in the UK and will then need to decide whether to quit the program or continue taking out loans to fund your PhD.
  11. Upvote
    rising_star got a reaction from fuzzylogician in Should I do it?   
    I would move. A PhD isn't just about the seminars. It's also about the networking, being able to attend events on campus, gaining teaching and research experience, having access to the reference librarians and the stacks, etc. I think it's fine to live at a distance later in the PhD but early on, being close to your colleagues, advisors, and campus resources is often crucial. That said, you're putting the cart before the horse if you haven't even applied yet...
  12. Upvote
    rising_star got a reaction from E-P in Should I do it?   
    I would move. A PhD isn't just about the seminars. It's also about the networking, being able to attend events on campus, gaining teaching and research experience, having access to the reference librarians and the stacks, etc. I think it's fine to live at a distance later in the PhD but early on, being close to your colleagues, advisors, and campus resources is often crucial. That said, you're putting the cart before the horse if you haven't even applied yet...
  13. Like
    rising_star got a reaction from nushi in Rent or Wait?!!   
    @nushi, I would talk to current grad students and ask them if they think there will still be good rentals available if you wait until you arrive. 
  14. Like
    rising_star got a reaction from th2o in Should I Prolong My Graduation Date for a Higher GPA?   
    There's not much difference in a 3.69 and a 3.75 GPA, tbh. I would focus more on whether there are additional courses you could take which would better prepare you for grad school and post-grad life.
  15. Like
    rising_star got a reaction from QueDoisJeFaire in Do I honestly have a chance at a career?   
    Honestly, not likely though this does somewhat depend on your specific interests in terms of time period and region. You haven't said anything here about what areas of history you're most interested in, which is a key factor in all of this.
    As has already been said, you need to focus on the things outside of class. Research experience is great but a thesis where you engage with primary sources is better. To get excellent rec letters, you need to do more than just do well in class. You might also see if you can present at a conference, do an independent study, work as a RA for a professor, etc. Oh, and take a broad range of courses so you can really narrow down your historical interests. Doing so will help you write a strong SOP.
    This probably varies from one person to the next. Personally, I would never work as an adjunct unless I had a full-time job which was fairly compensating me for my work. The wages are too low to survive and you'll be struggling. Check out Con Job on Facebook if you want some firsthand accounts.
    As @ExponentialDecay already said, don't choose a field based solely on job prospects. If you don't like it, you will end up miserable even if you're making good money. (And also, money isn't everything!) You may also want to brainstorm ways to combine your interests. For example, would you be interested in doing something like big data work with historical information? If so, consider taking a course or two in computer science and/or programming so you have the skills. Another quantitative areas with overlaps with history is GIS.
  16. Upvote
    rising_star reacted to jrockford27 in MFA or PhD?   
    That depends on what you want to do with your life. Disclaimer: I've never done an MFA but have friends who have/are.
     To state the obvious, and something I'm sure you already know, the expectations between writing a dissertation and writing an MFA thesis are wildly different.  While it might depend on your committee, a dissertation isn't likely to satisfy your appetite for memoiristic writing (I had a bit of that in dissertation initially, but had to cut it to make room for... you guessed it, more theory and analysis). The dissertation form traditionally does not allow for a lot of stylistic experimentation or inventiveness, as its purpose is (generally speaking) to be a work of lengthy, rigorous, and original research that makes a contribution to, and is in dialogue with the field.  For better or worse, that has generally come to mean a very specific kind of work and specific kind of writing.  
    Of course, if/when I get to convert my diss into a book, I intend to restore the more personal, memoiristic touches, if my hypothetical editors approve. Fortunately there is a wide (usually very wide) gap between your dissertation, and the book you'll ultimately publish. But you may be delaying the gratification of realizing that goal for 4-6 years after you defend your dissertation. PhD time is glacial, it seems to me, compared to MFA time.
    Likewise, if you don't like teaching English comp, then you're going to have a rough go at most English grad programs. That said, I know many grad students who vocalize their dislike for teaching comp, and even teaching generally, and still seem to be successful in their programs.
    Based on your interests, it really sounds like the MFA is the way to go.  The best thing about the MFA in comparison is that it usually takes less than half as long as a PhD, and so depending on your age you'll still have plenty of life left to pursue a PhD if you want it. My PhD program is chockablock with MFA holders.
  17. Upvote
    rising_star reacted to faculty in I got into a program but my research interests shifted --am I tied down to a certain thesis?   
    You are not tied down at all. Students' interests are always changing. That only hurts them if their topics are not well-served in the department they select.
  18. Upvote
    rising_star got a reaction from bpilgrim89 in Building a CV after dropping out of college?   
    Honestly, I would focus on kicking butt in the coursework you do as you finish your BA and doing a thesis if at all possible. Doing those two things will show that the admissions committee doesn't need to worry about the fact that you took time off and will let you show that an upward trend in your GPA at the end. It should also help you get strong recommendation letters, which are a key part of your application. If necessary, drop the editorial internship or the book project in order to do an undergraduate thesis. The latter is the kind of research experience PhD programs are looking for, much more so than a non-peer-reviewed book.
    If there are any notable Afro-Caribbean lit scholars in the DC area (at GWU, GMU, UMCP, UMBC, American, Georgetown, or another school besides Howard), see if you can reach out to them and visit to discuss your interests during office hours. See if you can take a class with them at their institution or do an independent study through Howard with them. Again, it'll help you with your interests, with networking in the field, and potentially with a rec letter. (Do the same at Howard obviously but I wanted to add this since you're in an area with a lot of institutions.)
    Don't waste time/space apologizing for your GPA or time off. If anything, get your letter writers to address this. You want to focus on your strengths and why you'll excel in this particular program.
  19. Upvote
    rising_star got a reaction from Adelaide9216 in Should I do it?   
    I would move. A PhD isn't just about the seminars. It's also about the networking, being able to attend events on campus, gaining teaching and research experience, having access to the reference librarians and the stacks, etc. I think it's fine to live at a distance later in the PhD but early on, being close to your colleagues, advisors, and campus resources is often crucial. That said, you're putting the cart before the horse if you haven't even applied yet...
  20. Upvote
    rising_star reacted to imd in Going back to school at 36 but worried I'm getting too old   
    Hi Steven, 
    I will share with you my own personal experience. I apologize in advance if it seems like a long-winded post. I started my Phd last year when I was 35  ( I am 36 now, as well)  in a Humanities/Social Science program at an Ivy League College . I always dreamed of an academic career but due to family issues, I  had to work right after college. I had a great job, but I also felt completely apathetic, and I thought I needed to do something that makes me feel alive again. I decided to try out my luck and pursue this old dream. Of course, I had several worries not just because of age, and the dismal job prospects (I had for many years followed blogs about the misery of grad life and the uselessness of a Phd in Humanities) but I put all this aside and decided to focus my effort on pursuing this thing. Aside from the application process, here are a couple of challenges that I have faced:
    1. Whether programs will consider you or not: I am in the Humanities, I am afraid I do not have an answer for this specific concern in the sciences. It may be a challenge, because many people have to join specific labs/research groups and most people in sciences Phd's are fresh-grads, as far as I know. I did have this concern as well when I was applying. I tried to emphasize in my personal statement that the skills I acquired during my professional career (the responsibilities, managing teams and projects, budgets..etc) will basically help me get through the many years of the Phd. My program had many people in the 30's, this actually encouraged me to apply. You can check the grad student profiles on the department websites of the programs you are interested in, to get a sense of their backgrounds.
    2. The job market sucks: that means you really need to a get in a very good program if you want to have any chances of getting a job. By a good program, I mean the very best. Pedigree matters a LOT. One professor actually told me you did 50% of your job search by virtue of by being in this particular college. This was the top priority for me, I would not have left my very good job and salary if I did not know that I will end up in the best place.
    3. Financial: Never do this unless you have full financial support from your program! And even if you do, this will definitely be a HUGE compromise. If you are professional, then you will have a very different standard of living and lifestyle. You will live on an allowance, the stereotype of a poor grad student running between events for free lunches and scrapping to make ends meet at the end of the month, is a painful reality! and unless you put your heart and soul in pursuing this then this will hit you the hardest! By all means try to make it break-even, do NOT dip into your savings (if you have any). I am single and I do not have any dependents, if you have a family or any dependents, you need to think thoroughly of how the financial aspects play out. 
    4. Don't expect to be able to pick where you left off at the tender age of 23. Going back to study at the age of 35 is one of the hardest things I ever did in my life, and I am struggling with it. I was at the top of my class all my life and now I am finding it hard to keep up with everything and everyone. It's not that learning slows down as you grow older (although some studies actually prove this) but the set of skills you have acquired over your professional career is very different than that required for Academia. To acquire a new set of skills at this age is harder. It will take longer to finish things, to comprehend things and a lot of self-confidence and motivation not to feel like an imposter, but you can make up for that by working harder than everyone. Again, you have to be willing to put 100% of your heart and soul in this experience to make it work. And at times it will be frustrating but other times totally exhilarating. 
    5. Everyone is younger. I never realized that I am "old" until I actually started this program last year. This is frustrating, I am single and I did not realize before coming in Academia that almost EVERYONE is younger than I. In the Humanities, my sense is that people usually start their PhD's around the age of 25-28 and in Sciences I guess around 23-26. And while it could be great to hang around younger folks who have different set of challenges, I simply feel I am past many of theirs. I do have a tonne of friends though, and I have an active social life, I try not to make this matter, but it's always at the back of mind (maybe that's just me!)
    But on the other hand this could be something good, for example, I have travelled a lot and I have worked for 12 years,  so now I don't feel this huge pressure to finish ASAP  to go out to the "real world". This actually makes me focus more on my studies and on producing better quality research. I also cope well with the cynicism and the petty drama of Academia. By the age of 36, you have experienced enough in life to know how to handle such situations and not let them get to you.
    5. This is a horribly narcissistic and lonely enterprise, it is very personal. It will test your very essence, your mettle and intelligence and sometimes you may realize you have reached your limits (and for me this was the scariest thing!) you will have to prove yourself all over again and again because everyone around you will be younger they may not be able to grasp what you are going through. The cliched adage of  "fake till you make it" never felt more true! But again because it is a personal enterprise, every little success feels like a huge triumph and at the age of 36 it is incredible and fascinating to feel again to be able to learn new things and create new things
    Now, I have painted a very bleak image. But let me tell you this: So far, I think this was the best decision I ever took and I feel alive more than ever. I have concerns of course about my job prospects, but I am in a better position than my colleagues because well if worst comes to worst, I will just go back to my old career. Also, because it feels harder for me now at this age to go through those challenges, I feel even more persistent to make it succeed more than others around me. Every little win feels like a huge accomplishment. 
    Best of luck! 
     
     
  21. Upvote
    rising_star got a reaction from psstein in Ending with Terminal MA   
    Is it really impossible for one to do both of these at the same time? That is, couldn't one excel in the MA portion of their program while also preparing themselves to get into a better PhD program in the future? I'm asking because what came to mind as I read this is something which is increasingly common on the academic job market: people already in a TT job publish articles/books and/or seek out top grants so they can be more attractive and move to a different university. Thinking of it that way, it doesn't surprise me at all to see this happening on the graduate level.
    It sounds like you're going into this with a clear sense of what is important to you and why, which is great to see. I would make sure your advisors remain aware of your overarching goals (in terms of both research and career) so that they'll understand why you're doing what you're doing. Make sure that you're excelling academically throughout your MA, especially in your first year. If you can, make arrangements to see a counselor/therapist about your mental health as early in the semester as possible so that you start off strong. And if it isn't for you, don't be afraid to take a leave of absence from the program or to quit altogether.
    If it helps at all, I'll note that I did a MA at a school where I easily could've stayed for my PhD (you had to reapply but it was basically guaranteed if you were finishing the MA in good standing). I made it very clear to my MA advisor and committee that I wanted to consider all my options because the best thing for me career-wise would be to work with someone outstanding, get external funding, etc. The three of them wrote me strong recommendation letters and I got into every PhD program I applied to. I ultimately went elsewhere for my PhD and I don't think anyone was surprised. Now your situation is different since you were admitted to a PhD program but I do think clear communication is key regardless.
  22. Like
    rising_star got a reaction from Adelaide9216 in Got my research project "destroyed" by committee   
    I understand perfectly well why those in the community would be asking why Adelaide wants to know. My confusion is around others asking those questions. You're talking about building trust but why does anyone need to build that level of personal trust with a thesis committee member, someone who doesn't identify as a member of the community the OP wants to study. To be clear, the real part I was taking issue with is the idea that someone who is a person of color must only study their community, which is what a committee member said to the OP. As I stated before, no one has ever held white and/or male academics to that standard so it seems ludicrous to me to hold a person of color to it. 
    I have zero issue with Adelaide or anyone else taking the time to build trust with the community they want to work with. Indeed, as a trained social scientist, I believe such trust-building is fundamental to any successful project, particularly one which is community-based or collaborative. But, when you say what you said above, it sounds like you do want Adelaide to engage in some personal disclosure, even though you've previously said that isn't required. 
    So, if you're at a conference and someone tells you they work with rape victims, do you then ask them "were you raped?" There are plenty of reasons why people may study something which hasn't intimately affected their lives. There are also reasons why someone may not want to disclose a personal connection to a topic (if there is one) to a near stranger. I can think of a number of examples based on people I know of both of these. For example, I can think of a Latinx colleague whom everyone assumes (based on physical appearance and/or name) must be the one who teaches Ethnic American Lit but who actually focuses on British literature that's 300+ years old. Should that person change their focus to something to which people might assume they are more connected to?
    In general, I'd exercise caution in trying to force people to disclose things or (as is the case with the OP) try to force them to only study or focus on communities they are a part of. And I'd also tell everyone that you aren't obligated to fully disclose why you're doing what you're doing to any academic. We all have reasons, many of which we don't talk about in favor of giving a pat or trite response. If someone I don't know asked me "why this topic", they'd never get the full story. 
  23. Upvote
    rising_star got a reaction from historygeek in What happens if no one is willing to write a LoR for you?   
    If you can't provide rec letters, you won't be admitted. I would contact those with jobs in different states and ask them if they're willing to write. Academics change jobs and everyone knows that you'll be writing letters for t hose from your last school while at your new one.
  24. Upvote
    rising_star reacted to Sigaba in Help for Ph.D. research proposal for scholarship... feasabilty & structure   
    Perform a literature review of your topic. Develop an understanding of how ongoing debates over various aspects of your topic have informed subsequent research and debate.
    Concurrently, perform a literature on your discipline. Develop an understanding of the "big picture" issues that are driving the profession.
    Through patience, diligence, and thoughtful reflection, do what you can to (a) establish a conversation among works on your topic as well as (b) a conversation among works about your discipline as well as (c) a conversation between (a) and (b). Your analysis of conversation A should reveal unexplored/unanswered questions. Your analysis of conversation B should reveal the received wisdom of your intended profession of what it needs to do to remain relevant. Your analysis of conversation C should reveal how your contribution to conversation A will move the needle in conversation B.
  25. Upvote
    rising_star reacted to hats in "if you put my name right after your name, I'll put your name right after mine" (wtf)   
    This is a person who already asked you something ethically dubious....is that the first person you want to put your trust in right now?
    I can see scenarios where this would make sense—they hinge on him not knowing this norm and now being sorry—but also, you know, are there any other warm bodies in your general vicinity you could collaborate with?
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