Katzenmusik

I can't remember if The Big U by Neal Stephenson has graduate students in it or not. But it's about university life, and it's pretty entertaining.

I've been buying all books assigned for classes (and a few for research -- but only the ones I think I'll refer to again and again). My home is completely overwhelmed by books! At some point I'll weed through them and resell the ones I don't think I'll be using in the future via Amazon or local used bookshop.

Wow. This is an awkward situation for you to be in, but I would say to avoid one-on-one contact with him, don't talk to him outside of work, and don't invite him over to your house. If he doesn't get your subtle "back off" signals (possibly as a result of cultural differences), you should tell him directly, in no uncertain terms, that you aren't interested. What he's doing isn't right on multiple levels (he has a family, he outranks you, you don't even want a relationship with him... etc. etc.). You don't want your life to swirl down with his.

I'm a second-year MA student. I would second or third Nature's Metropolis, Roll Jordan Roll, The Wages of Whiteness, and City of Quartz (not the usual "academic" type of history but an interesting work and a fun read -- and it's good to read something beyond the norm). Aside from those favorites, a few that I've really enjoyed have been Downtown America by Alison Isenberg, The Murder of Helen Jewett by Patricia Cline Cohen, Gay New York by George Chauncey, and This Republic of Suffering by Drew Gilpin Faust.

There's no rush for you to return to graduate school at this point. Why not work for 2 or 3 more years, see how far you can advance at your company, then apply for an advanced degree? You can also build up your savings account, which will help a lot during grad school.

You're welcome! I just noticed also that you asked if it was worth going to a school ranked lower than 50 for your history MA. YES, if it's less expensive or if it gives you funding. I cannot emphasize this enough! Think about it this way: 1) You choose to go to an Ivy League school for your history MA. You rack up crushing debt simply to have a prestigious university's name on your resume. You are definitely NOT automatically guaranteed entry to the PhD program (which is more likely to look on you as a cash cow than as a serious scholar). You end up competing with people from the state school down the road for public history jobs, because they are just as qualified. 2) You go to a funded (or less expensive), low-ranked program. You have a chance to demonstrate excellence in research and writing and make connections with professors who know others in your field. When it's time for PhD applications, you're ready. Or you could go work in public history without that pesky crushing debt stuff.

Which will make you look better? If you have lots of work experience (but no conferences, publications, etc.) go with a resume. Otherwise use a CV.

My advice is to apply to History and Public History MA programs, then go with the one that gives you the most financial support. (Funded and discounted MAs ARE out there.) Bonus points if the university offers a few museum studies courses, or if at least a couple of the professors have a track record of being interested in public history. Try to land yourself in the most welcoming environment possible. (Certain professors--perhaps even whole departments?--can be very elitist and disdainful of any historian-in-training who does not want to become a professor. They think of museums and other historical things geared toward the public as being light-weight, watered-down, and uninteresting. One clue: if the department's web site states multiple times that it prepares students to be professors and have academic careers, and that's it -- chances are, it's unfriendly to public history.) Museum Studies degrees though, in my opinion, are more limiting. Typically they lean either very theoretical (studying the role of museums in representing culture, museums and power, etc.) or extremely practical (you'll take courses on how to store objects, how to create an educational program, etc.). At the end of the day, you'll have a general degree, but you won't be a specialist in a traditional museum discipline, like science, anthropology, history or art history. The museum blogosphere is brimming with write-ups on the problems of museum studies programs -- here's just one example: http://museumtwo.blo...rams-spawn.html and another: http://colleendilen....ms-going-wrong/ If you get a degree in history, you're becoming a historian. Knowledge of history probably won't make you rich, but it is still a more portable and flexible subject than museology. With your degree in history, you can be a museum curator--or you can write books, do research for the government, work in an archive, create history podcasts, be a consultant for documentaries, etc. There may not be TONS of jobs in these areas. But they are all things you'd be more qualified to do than someone with a degree in museum studies. Furthermore, one would hope that with the more sophisticated understanding of history that comes along with intensive graduate study, you would be able to create more nuanced, interesting, up-to-date exhibits and be more skilled at conducting historical research. (This post is probably enraging any museum studies folk out there reading it. And I apologize! I'm being blunt rather than polite.) Finally, you can do museum internships over the summer no matter which type of degree you decide to go with. Internships are where you really learn the most, make contacts, have something real to put on your resume, etc. And very few jobs require a museum studies degree, specifically. Historical organizations will usually phrase the qualification as: "a graduate degree in history, museum studies or a related field." One word on public history programs. Many of them seem good, and for what you want to do, they may be ideal. But again, keep in mind that the word "public" may trigger some snobbish attitudes among academics and that many people out in the world have no idea what "public history" even is. That doesn't mean public history isn't worthwhile and valuable, though. If you have any questions, or if you'd like to read some more ravings by me on this topic, feel free to PM me!

I have the same problem! Here's my strategy... 1) Make a long list of every single historical idea or theme that interests me. 2) Narrow the list down to topics I've been interested in years, rather than random flights of fancy. 3) Figure out which of those ideas have already been beaten to death by other historians, and rule them out. 4) For the remaining ideas, figure out which have accessible primary sources. 5) Gradually the list will shrink. Bring it down to two good choices. 6) Flip a coin. 7) If you are at all disappointed in the outcome of the coin toss, choose the other topic. 8) File away all the random flights of fancy for future inspiration.

With a car, I don't think you would miss that much -- most department events (at least at my university) are announced well in advance, and if people want to hang out at the last minute, there's no reason you can't just leave your car parked for a few hours more. It would be slightly more inconvenient for you to say, drop by the library or swing by to pick up a graded paper, but as far as social life and blending in with your department, 30 minutes away should not pose a huge problem. Edited to add: It won't be like undergrad where everyone is supposed to exist in a bell jar for a while in order to bond, make friends, and get along. It will be a bit more like commuting to a job.

I can relate -- I, too, was guilt-tripped into staying at a job I hated. I gave about a month's notice and ended up working part-time for about two weeks beyond that. Still, they acted like I was disappearing abruptly, leaving them in the lurch, quitting out of nowhere, etc. They wanted my employment to stretch on forever because it was more convenient for them. I was INCREDIBLY annoyed at the time. But a year later, it doesn't matter. They are still stuck in a horrible office pushing papers around and driving each other crazy. I am reading about interesting things, writing research papers, and preparing to enjoy a nice, long summer break. My life has diverged from theirs, and with any luck I will never encounter them again. The book starring them is closed, and I am on to the next adventure. Yes, you caved a bit--but soon? None of this will matter You'll have moved on to your future life, and this annoying lady will be but a hazy memory receding further and further into the past until you can laugh about all the ridiculous things you had to put up with at this preschool. Don't work a single moment beyond what you've promised. You gave a few extra days to be nice. After that, you're gone. Hold firm!

I'll be honest -- there is no career or graduate program that could be worth leaving my partner behind for years on end. Is there a reason you must go directly to the PhD from the MS? Would it not be possible to work a few years in between and let your husband fulfill his educational goal before you move away?

Can you do option #2 while also getting some language experience with Rosetta Stone or a similar program? (I haven't used Rosetta Stone myself, but I've heard good things about it... just an idea!)

Yes, it is a rough world out there for history PhDs, especially for the vast majority who don't have degrees from the most elite schools (though OSU's program is pretty well-respected I think.) Here at my program, we have PhDs coming down the pipeline who aren't getting tenure track offers and who made no contingency plans. Sadly I'm not sure what they're going to do beyond adjunct for all eternity. No one has a guarantee of a TT job after graduate school, and it's good that you have a realistic understanding of this before you begin. Perhaps you can strengthen your non-academic credentials while you're in your program, just to be on the safe side. For example, you could intern over the summers at museums or archives, or you could work in documentary editing. Here's a page with some resources and ideas: http://www.historians.org/pubs/careers/index.htm If you build up your public history skills, your history training is less likely to go to waste even if you don't land on the TT.

In my program the thesis is an option that almost no one ever takes. Apparently the professors themselves doubt the utility of the thesis -- it hovers somewhere between a seminar paper and a dissertation, between an article and a book. The thesis requires a lot of effort of everyone involved, and though completing one does demonstrate the ability to write at length in a timely manner, most people here just don't think it's worth it. Personally I'm going to try and make my seminar papers as shiny and perfect as possible so they'll be ready for publication or for PhD applications. The PhD apps only take about 20-30 pages of writing anyway, so -- there's another place where the thesis doesn't quite fit.

Ah, I quickly scanned the earlier posts and didn't see that you also recommended basically the same exact things (Toastmasters, breathing, practicing). Hopefully the OP will take our advice, now that two people have given it! :-)

Unfortunately they probably won't pay you any more than the other workers just because you have a BA. Since you don't need a degree to do the work, the extra education isn't really meaningful to them. In fact, since they know you probably won't be a lifer, they have less incentive to keep you happy. Definitely try asking for a little more than minimum wage on your applications, though -- it never hurts to ask, so long as your suggested amount isn't completely unreasonable. Chances are, for these big chains, you can even find the wages online somewhere. You can use that info to avoid low-balling yourself.

1) Many universities and towns have Toastmasters clubs. These exist for people to practice public speaking and get feedback in a friendly atmosphere. Try to join up! 2) Channel your enthusiasm into the talk. Don't build it up in your mind as an intellectual gauntlet to be run or as something you have to do to prove that you are smart -- just think of it as a way to get others as excited and interested in your topic as you are. 3) Slow down. Breathe. It's okay to pause or for there to be a moment of silence. 4) Do you have a web cam? Practice the talk in front of the web cam, review it, then practice again and again, improving your performance each time. 5) When you see other people speaking in public, take mental notes on their delivery. If they're bad, what is that they're doing which makes their talk all wrong and boring? If they're good, what exactly are they doing to pull you in? Absorb these observations. 5) You're in history. Consider working or volunteering as a tour guide at a historic site or museum this summer. I guarantee you will have improved your public speaking skills and reduced your nervousness by the time the summer is through -- you'll be an old hand! (I was a tour guide last summer -- at first I was just as nervous as you are, but now I feel very calm and confident when speaking in front of large groups.)

I agree about the importance of good chairs. I started this year with a $20 "task chair" from Target, which I used in front of my computer. My attempt to save money by getting a cheap chair COMPLETELY backfired, because after working on a paper for a while, I'd feel like my entire body was screaming out in pain, and I'd ache for days. In fact I stopped using my nice, big desktop computer because I couldn't bear the task chair any more -- instead I'd curl up in bed with my tiny netbook. A few months ago I invested in a higher quality, ergonomic desk chair. It cost $300, but I feel like I'm sitting on a cloud. It gives me more stamina and energy for academic work. In short, don't skimp on the chair! (And by the way, just because a chair looks big and leathery doesn't mean it will be comfortable after 5 hours. Look for a chair that's recommended for all-day work, not one that just has an "executive" appearance. Here's my chair: http://www.officedep..._cat=2000000361)

This is a great thread. I'll add a few things: 1) Gregory Semenza's book "Graduate Study for the Twenty-First Century" is excellent for humanities folk. It has motivated me in many ways to make the most of my time during the MA. Read it!! 2) Don't blather on with personal stories during class discussion. Keep your comments focused on the course material and avoid derailing the whole conversation just so you can chat about your ancestor who was in the Civil War or your visit to the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, or whatever. Yes, now and then a personal story is appropriate, but keep it short. Avoid becoming "that person" who only wants to talk about him/herself. 3) Participate in department events, like end-of-semester dinners, important guest lectures, and so on. You don't have to attend every single thing, but be a presence so that others know you care about the department and are taking advantage of the resources offered. 4) School is now your job, so you should treat it like one. Do not miss class without an excellent reason, do not turn in assignments late, do not whine about the grades you are given. (I've seen other first-years making these types of faux pas... they tend to be here straight out of undergrad.) 5) Advice above re: sleep is great, even if I haven't taken it myself. You might barely function with four hours of sleep each night, but give your brain a chance to rest with a good 8 hours so you can work at full mental capacity!

I agree with the above comments. You chose this university, along with its location and prestige. You can't be expected to uproot your whole life just because your adviser is moving, especially considering you're interested in working with the other faculty. It sounds like you're a good student, and he wants to keep you around because you help him and/or because your success reflects well on him. But at the end of the day, you have to do what's best for you... not what's best for your adviser.

OP, here are a few possible scenarios--perhaps they are far-fetched, but it's all I can think of: 1) The professor sent the letters, but they were somehow lost in the international mails When you contacted her, she felt like she had already done her part and was too busy to re-send and go through all that hassle again, so she disappeared. (Question: did you provide money or materials for her to drop them in the mail for you? If not, perhaps this was a factor.) 2) The professor never wrote the letters out of sheer laziness or thoughtlessness. As the time drew near, she got embarrassed that they hadn't gone out yet, so she told you she had sent them, planning to use the "lost in the mail" thing as an excuse. Then she disappeared. 3) She mailed your letters, then went on leave and dropped out of university contact for a while. She wasn't aware that the letters were lost until it was far too late to do anything about them. 4) The "cultural differences" explanation, though you didn't mention what country she is from. Is it possible that she didn't know that for American PhD programs, these letters are crucial? Perhaps she didn't realize the importance and blew it off.

Oh man, I hear you! I have been known to tell the "crazy ice-breaker" story, only to be met with silence or a comment like: "Yeah...um...I don't think I could top that." But then if I DON'T tell those stories, I think I come across as an uninteresting person and boring conversationalist. A conundrum, to be sure. I agree with you, that to REALLY get to know people you have to share some of the unvarnished parts of yourself, some honest opinions, some harmless but interesting gossip...anything to break the polite small talk decorum. It sounds like your cohort just isn't ready for that. But perhaps give it time. Maybe grad school will eventually break them down a bit.

I had to make this decision last spring - and I turned down three expensive, unfunded Ivy League MA programs to attend a lower-ranked state school that offered me full funding. I can say that my professors are great and are fully connected in their fields. I have no doubt that I am improving as a historian and learning a great deal from them. I am absorbing all I can, and I will be prepared to apply to PhD programs down the line. Do you want to be saddled with $30,000 or so in debt just for the sake of prestige? Imagine all the other things you could do with that money. Plus, there is no guarantee that your Ivy League MA will feed into an equally elite PhD program. Could you produce quality work at Northeastern? Check out the professors, their connections, and so on, as others have suggested. See if you can be put in touch with a current grad student who can answer your questions. Ask about where alumni go after the MA. If the answers are satisfactory, I say take the funded offer and run with it!

Here are a few summer jobs that might be preferable to fast food: * temping (doing mundane office work) * working as a tour guide or other summer program staff at a museum or historic site (I did this last summer before grad school -- great experience!) * paid summer internship related to your field, if you can get something * camp counselor * check out http://www.thesca.org/ - they have some really interesting summer jobs in a variety of fields. Just throwing some ideas out there! I have worked a many terrible jobs in my time, and by far the WORST have been in food service. So good luck finding something better!