Nyctophile

Um, yes. This is exactly where I am right now. I'm pretty much decided but I feel like if I start to make it official and decline my other options something bad is bound to happen as soon as I do. It's completely irrational but also terrifying. Still, I'm trying to be a big girl by just biting the bullet and writing the requisite emails right now.

I did an unfunded MA and I do think it was worth it. I had never heard of funded MAs before I got here, which sounds idiotic probably, but I had a huge gap between my undergrad and deciding to return to school so I was sort of starting from square one. In retrospect, I wish that I had done more research because who knows if I would have found a funded spot that would've worked for me. However, given the short amount of time between when I decided to apply and deadlines, my own personal circumstances (divorce, massive job stress, issues with my last year of undergrad that brought down my gpa, needing to stay relatively near my family, faculty fit etc.) my program worked for me. I was able to live in a lovely place, somewhat near my family, on a campus that provided the diversity I need with professors that were downright awesome. I really feel like my advisors are the reason I got into the places that I did this season. I have learned so much and I feel well prepared to take on the PhD. I was glad that I had the time to work on my ideas and interests when I was talking to some of the professors I've had the pleasure of meeting during my campus visits. I expected to be tongue-tied or not have anything to say to professors at prospective programs but I actually felt able to hold my own which went a long way towards deciding whether or not a particular PhD program is the right one for me. I also *just* woke up so I'm sorry if this is coming out garbled. {edited to follow proflorax's excellent example: my unfunded MA wasn't such a huge financial burden that I'll never recover. I'm also CA resident who took advantage of cheap in-state tuition, plus I also worked as a TA and a tutor, and my bf was living with me which reduced expenses. I also switched sub-fields based on my program, started as an aspiring Victorianist and transitioned to a focus on transnational anglophone literature and a bit of cultural studies as well. }

ran out of upvotes but yay horb and andromache!!

YAY!! I'm so happy for you! I predict that you will LOVE it.

I saw that! I'm so excited for you! I'm sure you'll find enough to compensate there. And truthfully it's looking like upstate New York for me....we can unite in our wintery misery.

Yay Fiz!!! Congrats to everyone making a decision. I have one more visit next week and then...we'll see.

i saw that one! i loves me some Christopher Walken. this made me smile today.... http://youtu.be/l3HYLLruJis

YUM. I've started a torrid affair with Ardbeg 10.

I was waitlisted but I haven't heard anything about the visit day. A classmate was offered admission.

i'm out of upvotes but hell yes to the above. apples had me cracking up! i'm usually a very focused person and i'm just in shock over how easily i get derailed lately. every time a new stage in this whole process begins i think after it's over i'll be fine but i'm not, lol. After I get decisions I'll be able to work, after I get an acceptance, a few acceptances, after I hear from my POIs at this school or that school...this time it was after the campus visits I'll feel better. But every time something else comes up to start the anxiety again. Don't mind me guys, I'm just letting the crazy get to me.

The campus was beautiful. I know something was said about the architecture being ugly or something but truthfully it was gorgeous. Clear, cool sunlight, trees everywhere (I love the smell of eucalyptus trees!), I mean, there were freaking BUNNIES hopping across the quad and butterflies floating over our heads. It was ridiculous. There seemed to be a lot of on-campus resources (different centers, places to study/eat/rest/etc.) and the campus is H U G E. The department took us to dinner and the walk from the department to the restaurant took about 20 minutes. The professors that I met were all incredibly warm and supportive, even the ones who aren't in my area were excited and encouraging about my project. The grad students were very friendly and eager to give us information and answer questions. That said, I was only able to meet one of my POIs and it didn't seem like a match made in heaven. I'm waiting to hear back from another couple of professors who weren't able to attend and then I'll make my decision. If you want anything more detailed, just PM me.

darn, hate it when that happens. :/ still the east anglia thing sounds super cool so at least there's that. I'll be hoping good things for your other 3.

me too! report back with what happens, m'kay?

I can't speak to the American living in Canada side of your question but from what I've seen, it will be more difficult to get a TT job (especially at a more prestigious institution) with a degree from any program outside of the country (except Oxford/Cambridge). I worked in the admissions office, the registration office, and in the office of the president at my undergrad university and I saw/overheard a lot whenever there was hiring going on. The degrees awarded at institutions outside of the U.S. are valued less than those awarded here. Also, after double-checking with my advisors to get a more current opinion (I love Canada and wouldn't have minded living there for a while) it just doesn't seem like a great idea unless you are able to publish in an elite journal or two or do something similar while in your program to raise your profile. If you are looking at teaching at a CC or in the middle of nowhere (which isn't a bad thing) it seems like it's less of an issue.

Is this program a PhD? I would say to try to visit the campus if you can and actually speak to faculty. I thought I had great fit at one of my offers and mediocre at another but after visiting the campuses those perceptions have flip-flopped. Professors don't seem to keep their faculty pages updated and what is listed there might not offer an accurate picture of what they're currently working on. I also noticed that some professors who didn't seem to be suitable as advisors from their websites had a lot in common with me or let me know they would welcome working with me when I spoke to them in person.

I agree with the starting early. EVERYTHING is going to take MUCH longer than you think it will. I started "early" and I was still scrambling for a few of the deadlines. I also support the unsub from frivolous emails suggestion. When decisions start coming out you are going to have a heart attack every time you get a new email. Do yourself a favor and take a break from the groupon/sales/advert type emails (or do a better job of filtering your email than i do). It will also make it easier for you to locate important messages coming from schools you're waiting on if your inbox is uncluttered. One thing that I didn't really think about that I wish I had was setting aside money for campus visits. I knew that if I got accepted someplace that I would visit the campus but I didn't think about logistics. Traveling to three campuses has set me back almost $1000. I'll get reimbursed for most of that but it would have been more convenient if I had planned for it. Other things that come to mind: limit who you tell about your phd apps. when decision time comes around you will get multiple questions, multiple times a day, from everyone you told. even though it's meant well it will drive you crazy. do your best to prep and study for the gre but know that in some respects, you just can't study for it. do what you can and then let it be. don't underestimate yourself. don't let anyone tell you not to apply somewhere that you want to. if you think you can present a compelling application then go for it. be very meticulous with knowing the application requirements and deadlines for each school and program. I've seen a posts from people who got the deadline wrong, or didn't realize a program required the subject test. I made myself a cheat sheet and it helped me get everything in on time. find people who have done this before. i made friends with the cohort before mine and they were INVALUABLE in terms of advice, encouragement, and anxiety suppression. they were able to give me current insight into several programs that i had interest in. find people who are doing this right now. when we began the MA, everyone in my cohort planned to apply but when application time came around no one I spoke with frequently ended up applying. Thankfully I had all of the lovely gradcafe peoples but having some IRL compatriots would have been nice too. contact current students. we talk a lot about contacting potential POIs on the forum but after a few campus visits I feel like the current PhD students are a better resource for all of the nitty gritty questions you'll have about the culture of the department and the flavor of the town. By all means, email a POI but also contact a current student, if you can. that's all i can think of at the moment. Thanks Kamisha for starting this convo, I hope it helps everyone applying next season!

my "poison" has switched from food to procrastination. i know i need to work on my thesis and i know i need to make a decision about a program. so i pull up everything needed to make progress on either of these tasks and then pull up an even bigger internet window and proceed to spend hours reading about the history of california, articles from buzzfeed and zergnet, browsing etsy, looking at maps of random locations among other things. But I excuse it because I'm always "just about to get off the internet and start working". I need help.

YAY!!!

darn! I'm sorry cbttcher. the travel expense is too great from germany? is there anything you're particularly dying to know or want more info on? I can ask for you and report back after the weekend is over.

Ok, I'm poking this dead horse... Who's visiting San Diego/Santa Cruz this week??? I'm curious to put some faces to some usernames.

It would be nice but it also seems sort of stressful with regards to expectations about producing research/book/articles. I'll probably do all that anyway but want it on my schedule not someone else's. Also, I just love teaching. It doesn't have to be TT at a big name institution. I'll be happy enough going back and teaching middle or high school. I even enjoyed the basic composition classes I taught last year as a TA. I need just enough employment to fund my curiosity.

totally agree with this. I never realized that my "sweet tooth" was basically a sugar addiction. i've been changing the way i eat and did a sugar detox when i first started. i dropped a pant size in two weeks (i'm also a larger person, so...). i was stunned when i tried regular peanut butter and it tasted like lard and sugar. when i had a sip of my bf's soda it felt like i was drinking floor cleaner. if you're having trouble dropping weight or feeling crappy in general i would definitely go with mmorrison's advice!

barbara kingsolver is my spirit animal.