klader

Hi, everyone! Just wanted to check back in and say that I finally found my thesis topic/what I want to study more closely. For those who may be reading this and who also may be lost on what they want to study in grad school, it happened like this: I was driving back to school at the end of my spring break. I had gone to the 4 Cs conference the weekend before and listened to a ton of great talks about a myriad of things -- listened to people who actually figured out what they were doing with their lives. I'd finally secured a thesis chair who was helping me parse through ideas, and as I crossed state lines, it finally HIT me. I don't know how or why, but I realized what, exactly, I wanted to research, and why I care so much about it. In a lot of ways, I'd always been interested in the general idea. I'd often think about it and read other people discuss it. I just didn't know it could be an actual research topic. I'd read about related things in a course the semester before, and when I got back to school and met with my chair, we agreed my ideas were doable. A few weeks later, I was filling out IRB forms. And now I'm doing my background reading so I can start the primary research in the fall. You all were right. It just happens, and you know when it happens. Thanks again.

I unfortunately don't know how to add people to chats, so could @lit_nerd, @Keri, @verjus, or @mk-8 please add @clinamen and @a_sort_of_fractious_angel to the chat?

I'm in comp/rhet, but my undergrad program was basically designed like a mini-MA program and I got so much out of it. I really enjoyed my time there and am very grateful. I learned things in undergrad that I'm learning again in my MA courses, and I got research and conference experience from working in the writing center, too. Gave me a great foundation to build on. I'm actually specializing in some of the same things my undergrad professors specialize in, and it's awesome because they're some of the leading scholars/experts and they're only a phone call away. They continue to mentor me and have been a great help to me by looking over conference paper drafts, letting me interview them for projects, offering to look over my PhD app materials, introducing me to people at conferences, alerting me of opportunities in the field, etc. Ah, I suppose I am just really nostalgic and happy with my undergrad experience. I owe my professors a lot for their continuous support and encouragement. I realize this isn't necessarily the norm, so I'm very appreciative. Schooling gets harder every time you go up a level, so it's understandable to feel insecure once you get to the next level. Despite all my preparation and support, I finished my first week of grad school and cried because I didn't think I was good enough. There's a learning curve, for sure, but you'll be able to navigate it and adjust. Honestly, I almost wish I had FAILED more in undergrad. I wish my profs had been harder on me, because it really hurt when I got my first paper back marked up in all red. I know I have a lot to learn, of course, but I wish I had been prepared for how harsh it can be sometimes.

Yes! My school is in rural Ohio. There's literally nothing around for at least 20 miles, so you can spend up to $900/month getting a place in town (or get a place about an hour away, pay normal prices, and drive a ton). My department does give generous funding, though, with the PhD students making a bit more than 20k with opportunities for summer work. Food and gas is cheap in Ohio, but cost of living can be high if you're trying to live in town.

I don't know about the south specifically, but my undergrad professors have explicitly told me to get my MA and PhD in states other than my home state if I want to end up teaching in my home state. They told me that at least when they screen applicants, they like to see some variety in one's educational and professional experiences (so, not all three degrees from the same school and apparently not even all three degrees in the same state). This probably depends on specific departments and people, but that's what at least my alma mater has to say on the matter.

I'm in this boat! I'm studying comp/rhet and want to stay within a 6 hour drive of my family in the Midwest. This works out for me because comp/rhet has a healthy presence in the Midwest, but there are a few programs I'd love to consider that are just too far away for me to comfortably live. A professor of mine told me that, when applying to PhD programs and jobs, you're allowed to be picky with one or two factors, like location and money. So you can absolutely only apply to programs in your geographical area, but you may have to sacrifice funding or prestige; you can only apply to top tier programs, but you may have limited say in where you'll geographically be. Not sure if this advice works for everyone and every single circumstance, but it sure has helped me think about where I'll be applying and feel better about being a little picky. This worked out for me during my MA (got into my top choice that's within my radius), and hopefully I'll either be able to stay at my university or get into another one that's even closer.

Hey, @mk-8! You've got this ? I don't feel like I've gotten a ton accomplished either, but I'm gonna try and start fresh and prioritize my time. I'm trying to look at it not so much of what I haven't accomplished in my working part-time/being lazy but the opportunity I have to turn it around. My goal was to do a bunch of thesis stuff this summer, but now I'm starting to realize that my conference presentations and PhD apps come sooner, so I may need to reorient myself. I haven't done nearly enough reading, but that's okay. My chair just has very lofty goals for me and will have to understand what else I have going on. And @verjus, accountability is truly key and very important! I'm wondering if anyone wants to set up a pm chat where we can share our plans/goals and report back to each other every so often? I'd totally be down for that

Hey, everyone! I hope you're having a happy first part of summer ? I've gotten really off track ? I had this marvelous plan where I'd be reading for my thesis, working on my SoP and WS, and working on two conference presentations I'm giving in the fall. However, since I got out in May, my progress has been abysmal -- read maybe 30 pages of ONE book (I checked out like 15), have a draft of only one SoP for one school, and have a few slides/thoughts for one presentation. I've also been working at a part-time job, too, but I stopped so I can have more time for this. How can I better manage my time for the remainder of summer so that I make some solid progress on my apps and everything else? How are you all managing your time and getting stuff done?

@steve3020 I'm in a 2-year MA program and have a year under my belt already, but I'm not very fond of the papers I wrote this past year. They might have some potential, so I think I'm going to sit down soon and comb through each paper to see if I can reconstruct it into a solid writing sample. Or I may adapt a conference paper if there are more intriguing ideas. Honestly, I'm a bunch of "I may" and "I think" points because I'm already overwhelmed!

Housing and food are my biggest expenses, and I've experienced a few different ways to handle this... For the first 3/4 of the year I had roommates and I hated it. My rent was pretty cheap, but they'd also crank the heat and our electric bill would be outrageous. They were also loud and had friends over all the time and stuff. I was able to move units within my complex and I'm now by myself, but my rent has doubled. It's been okay so far since my rent was so cheap the first 3/4 of the year, but since I also have a car payment and insurance and other things to pay for, money will be tight and I'm gonna have to work off-campus this summer to pay for everything. My biggest advice is to definitely get a really accurate account of how much money you will need. If I'd have really thought about it, I would've waited out my move and found a cheaper unit next year (as opposed to just moving to one in the same complex and signing the lease for next year, too). I'll make it work because I have savings and an off-campus job to fall back on, but I don't think this was the wisest decision I've ever made. Food is another story... I don't have a problem cooking, but my friends always want to go out and I usually say yes because I want to spend time with them. Totally cheaper to make my own burger than to order one at Bob Evans, but it's the social experience that I'm paying for and that I really enjoy. It's important to be aware of that and to allow yourself to do that when you can (and hold yourself back when you can't). I've done a few "pantry challenges" where I just used whatever I had in my place. It saved me a decent deal of money. I usually walk into the store for a few things and walk out having spend like $40, so I need to work on controlling myself better. I also try to walk/take the bus sometimes to save gas and wear and tear on my car. I'm also less likely to get fast food or something if I'm not in my car, lol. And I usually am more tired and less likely to want to go out. Just some things I've been thinking about lately!

I'm biased, but Miami of Ohio is great because we have an endowed writing center worth millions and Elizabeth Wardle. Good and big things happen with Liz. Plus she's simply an amazing human being and professor. There's also a business writing center that offers some great WAC/WID opportunities, and there are assistant director of comp positions, too. I can offer a lot more specific info over pm, if you'd be interested! ETA: U Delaware is great, too. Melissa Ianetta is awesome and gets. shit. done. Very thorough, and funny too! I'm possibly applying there myself, although the program seems to be more lit-focused than I'm looking for.

Hey, all!! I just finished the first year of my MA and will be applying for comp/rhet PhD programs this fall. I've been MIA on this forum lately due to adjusting to grad school, but I found my groove and am ready to participate here again this application season. It really helped me out last year applying to MA programs. So far my tentative list is Miami of Ohio, Ohio State, Bowling Green, Syracuse, Purdue, Michigan State, and East Carolina. I'm still looking more closely at these programs, though, and will probably change and expand my list as I go. I'm also trying to get ahead on my thesis this summer, so this should be fun. Next year I'll have an administrative assistantship and won't be teaching in the fall, so that might help with apps? I will be very busy still, though. Just a different kind of busy.

I'm a comp/rhet MA at Miami of Ohio, and all MAs -- comp/rhet, lit, and CW -- start teaching in the fall of their first semester. We have a two week teaching practicum before the semester starts and a 1-1 load our first year and a 2-1 load our second year. We teach a comp course the first year and can apply to teach a themed advanced comp course our second year. I was really worried about this coming in, but it all worked out! My first semester teaching went better than I thought, and I really enjoy teaching!

Oh, yes. I am aware! That's all very true. Thanks for your input. I think I'm not in terrible danger, though, because we have slowed down and I've actually gone several weeks without a drink (and without the desire to have one). So that's good! We actually just talked about this the other day re: self-care. We realized that we tend to just end up at this one particular bar on Fridays, so we're trying to find other ways to relieve stress that are, er, easier on our livers.

I don't, because they handle their admissions separately. Sorry!

Someone asked about Miami of Ohio comp/rhet recently, and from what I know, acceptances are out and the student recruitment is March 8, 9, and 10. Slightly larger cohort accepted this year. I'm there now for my MA, and I'm happy to answer any questions about the program! We've got some great faculty (Liz Wardle, Jim Porter, and LuMing Mao, to name a few), and there's some interesting work being done in WAC and intercultural/comparative rhetoric. I've loved every minute of my time here thus far and can't recommend the program enough (okay, shameless plug over. But do pm me if you want to know about the program)

Oh, yes, @bhr and @Wooshkuh It wasn't clear in my post, but I meant that the one lit theory requirement is very fair since it does introduce you to other theories yet doesn't force you take literature classes. There is indeed is a lot of overlap vis-à-vis theory!

Yes, required lit courses is a very important thing to consider. I'm in a similar boat as you, @Wooshkuh. I don't want to take any lit classes because, frankly, I don't feel well-versed enough -- my undergraduate degree was strictly rhet/comp and my MA (though technically an English degree) allows me to strictly study rhet/comp. So, basically, I've never studied literature formally beyond high school. My school's PhD program does require a lit theory class, but they don't require you to take literature courses unless you want to/it fits with your research. I value that in a program (one that doesn't force you to take a blend if you know what you really want), so I'm also using that as a determining factor when I apply to PhD programs next year. Definitely makes sense for me, too!

The people in my program who applied to Michigan State's WRAC program (PhD) already received their acceptances/rejections. Hope that helps somebody! And good luck to everyone!

Hey everyone, I just finished my first semester of my MA program (comp/rhet) and am getting ready for my second one. I did well enough my first semester -- got As in my courses, got decent-to-good teaching evaluations, presented at a national conference, got into the QRN at Cs, and really learned up on my rhetorical theory. However, I still don't know if I've found my heart's desire re: specialization. And it scares me because I still don't know what I want. It all seems so daunting! The PhD students are doing such awesome, groundbreaking work and here I am with vague writing center interest and fascination with classical rhetoric and its influence on our modern-day practices. I don't know if any of this (and the scent work I've done) is all that important to study and present/publish on. I like it, but I don't know if the things I researched for my courses truly MATTER in the field and don't know how to join all the conversations happening around me. It matters to me, but I don't quite know how to frame it and sell it, or how to get myself in these conversations to show the connections I've made. Will this get easier? I know I don't have to worry about specializing and publishing until my PhD years, but how can I figure out what it is I want to study in intricate detail and attach my name to? My biggest fear is that I'll never figure it out and that I'll flunk out since I won't be able to publish. Any thoughts, advice, anecdotes, etc. would be very helpful! Thanks.

This is an interesting discussion! Fwiw, I'm in rhet/comp, which usually requires you to apply for and earn your MA first/possibly separately and then apply for the PhD (either at your MA institution or another). There are some BA - PhD programs (I'm thinking of Penn State and Ohio State), but most all people I know in the field earn their MA and PhD separately (and at separate institutions, though some stay with their MA institution). So, that's something to consider, too. I'm a first-year MA in classes with second -year MAs, first-year PhDs, and second-year PhDs. Yes, we're all at different points in our graduate education, but we read the same stuff, talk about the same things, and are held to the same standards. I like it, really, because even though it's damn intimidating, they push me to be better and to work harder. Re: cohort, my institution groups all incoming students (in every concentration) who are new to the university in a practicum sequence, so we're all in a cohort and are very close. The ones who started their PhDs after just finishing their MAs at this institution don't feel like my cohort because they were already there (and because I only see them in seminars whereas I see the others in practicum, too). There is one person who came back for the PhD after previously finishing the MA at this institution, so I consider them to be in my cohort since they can relate to us adjusting ourselves to grad school. I definitely agree there's a difference in MA and PhD SoPs. I had no idea what I was talking about in my MA app last year, really. I mean, I knew my field decent enough and had some VERY general research interests, but I would have been the laughing stock of PhD apps if I had done it because my immaturity in the field really showed (even though I arguably had more experience with rhet/comp than is standard). I felt scared during wait time, too, and just stopped thinking about it. I busied myself with my last semester of undergrad and had fun because, hey, the apps were in and my grades didn't really matter as much. What's done is done, and what will come will come. Hang in there!

Ah, I feel ya on the conference response time! I've been lucky to hear back on-time or even early at a few of them, but I've also gotten the "we need to let you know a month later because we have so many proposals" message. I understand that it takes time and these people are doing this all on top of their other responsibilities, but it sure does build up the pressure. I just started grad school (MA in comp/rhet), and at a program like mine where there are more PhD students than MA students, I sometimes feel like I have to keep up with all the PhD students, which can be stressful and disheartening. Some people are getting things published and have their research fully fleshed-out and headed in a pointed direction, and I'm over here like, "uh, I don't really know what I want to research yet; I'm still figuring out how to write at a graduate-level let alone publish something." I know that's fine and that's all anyone expects of me as a first-semester MA, but I can't help but wish I had it figured out so that I could be on par with my friends, who are mostly PhD students/candidates.

I know that Michigan State's comp/rhet PhD deadline was yesterday and that they've traditionally alerted applicants before the winter break. The MA application is then due on the 15th of December and they let the MA applicants know mid-late January (got my MA rejection January 20th-ish last year). I don't know about other schools, though. I didn't hear back until early Feb - mid March for the rest of the programs I applied to (with all the acceptances happening in February and the other rejection in March).

Thank you both so much! I really appreciate it. And I will try to set aside some time this weekend to just relax a bit. I have talked to other students in the program, and word on the street is that this professor is just the toughest one in our department. They've said that a lot of people have gotten their writing/ideas torn up and that some have indeed gotten Bs in the class, but the professor is just like that. They say it's like a different standard with this prof, and that this standard might possibly be known by others in the field (I mentioned I was nervous of having a low grade from this class for PhD admissions). I met with the prof today and I feel a lot better. We had a great chat about my paper, I have a better idea of how to frame it, and I know it'll all be okay and that I just have to buckle down and get the draft written (and then revise, revise, revise!). Other professors have even offered to work with me on my prose once I get it written, so that's encouraging, too. The first year indeed is an experience. I wasn't prepared for the pure emotional drain, but can one even be prepared for it? Here's hoping it gets better.

Hey All, I'm wrapping up my first semester of my comp/rhet MA, and I am in full-blown panic mode. I've been doing well enough in my two rhetorical theory courses and am writing about two things that interest me, but I can't help but feel inadequate and like I'm going to fail (huzzah, imposter syndrome). My professors love my topics and think I'm on the right track (they're due in two weeks), but I'm literally shaking as I'm typing this because I still have no idea what I'm trying to say, exactly, and how (even though I have some solid research and a few mainish points). One professor is notoriously picky and has been marking me down for my writing style (too verbose, not concise enough, etc.). I've been making good progress (which my professor has noticed and praised), but for this 15 - 20 page seminar paper, I just fear that I'm going to screw it up terribly and get a B (or worse) in the course (even though I currently have a solid A with participation built in). I'm going to meet with the professor soon and get some feedback/advice, but what else can I do to get through this? Not gonna lie - I feel really bad about it (even though I was originally excited about my topics). I've been keeping my head above water up until this point, but for some reason, I'm just crumbling now (which I know is normal....). I'd appreciate any advice here, or any stories of how you've overcome your insecurities and the hell that is the end of the semester. It's just... rougher than I thought it'd be, and it makes me question if this is really what I want to go through for the next several years of my life (dramatic, I know, but that's where I'm at!). Right now I plan on stepping away from my writing to clear my head a bit, and hopefully it'll be better tomorrow? Thanks in advance.