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artist_lily

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    English Ph.D.

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  1. Emphatically seconded on the Harner book. I'm already attending, and my research methods prof (a very eminent, old-guard medieval scholar) recommended this book to us immediately. It's a must-have. Good call, poco_puffs!
  2. Penn State is supposed to have one of the best Rhet/Comp programs in the country. I would definitely recommend checking out their Web site and program!
  3. AWESOME. As a life-long practicing Catholic, I do think Mother Mary would approve -- this is our FUTURE, after all!
  4. Haha! Love this idea -- if you come up with something, make sure to let us here on GradCafe know; a WWJD-type "reminder" bracelet for grad school is DEFINITELY something I could get behind. As it is, I've got notes-to-self galore, but I'm sure nothing -- nothing! -- will stick once I'm (to borrow a Sedaris phrase) "engulfed in [grad school's] flames"
  5. I definitely empathize with your concern regarding not being a T.A., joro; it's almost impossible not to compare yourself with others in your incoming cohort and to question where you stand. I got into my program off the waitlist -- and worse yet, judging from the Facebook statuses of my incoming cohort, everyone else in my cohort seems to have already met each other at recruitment weekend (yep, the recruitment weekend I wasn't invited to!). Talk about awkward... I hear it in my head already: "Who's THAT girl, and where did she come from? Oh, she must have been a runner-up..." Is it me, or does grad school bring out all the insecurities that could ever possibly exist in one person?
  6. Love this thread! Good call on starting it, poco_puffs. I think I'm going to steal a couple of yours to add onto: 1. Try to complete at least 75% of the assigned reading. (Can I be completely honest and say that it makes me feel a LOT better that this is one of your -- that is, poco_puff's -- goals, too? I recently read in a graduate student guide something to the effect of that if you ever, ever skimped on a reading assignment in undergrad, you should not be considering grad school in the humanities. That sent me for a nosedive -- sometimes doing it all really ISN'T humanly possible. I'm relieved to hear that I'm not the only literature student who occasionally finds it hard to keep up!) 2. Attend as many happy hours, study sessions, lunch hang-outs, and department socials as I'm lucky enough to garner an invite to. I have a tendency to recede into myself, and I'm hoping that I can avoid that this year (the coming six years?). 3. Like coyabean, I want to focus on the end-goal, rather than letting trivial concerns like departmental politics, intracohort gossip, and external negative voices interfere with my work. I don't want to have a one-track only mind, but really, what am I there for? And what am I doing? 4. Remember that I deserve to be in the program and that no matter how inferior I personally think my work is, it's been validated by several scholars whom I truly respect and whom I strive to emulate. Because if anything's going to kill me this coming year, it's the self-confidence thing... I've never had very much of it, and it's hard to imagine it improving (or even staying level) when I consider the mighty talent by which I'm going to be surrounded. Whew! Now to copy these down and post them in a place where I won't forget them come the first day of orientation...
  7. I have the same sort of nerves plaguing me right now, suspechosa; I have to say, it's nice to see that I'm not alone... even though I wish we both felt totally confident and prepared for these sorts of forced social get-togethers! What I've done to help me "psych up" for orientation is bought two highly-rated "socializing" books: one's called "Conversationally Speaking," and the other is "How to Talk to Anyone: 92 Little Tricks..." I'm currently in the process of reading both of these in order to help me feel more confident for when August rolls around; while I don't think these books will entirely do the trick, they ARE helping to ease my nerves and give me some ideas of how to start conversations with people (so that I'm not the wallflower across the room -- my usual role ). As for Facebook, my cohort has all friended each other on the site and are writing back and forth occasionally. While I realize social networking isn't your thing (and who can blame you?), I would recommend getting involved, even if it is reluctantly. People in my cohort have been sharing valuable information regarding orientation, housing, and teaching via the site, and though I'm not too involved in "talking" with the other incoming students, it will, I think, make it easier to meet people at orientation. That being said, I think the advantage of social networking in this case is only temporary; I imagine that once we all get to campus and there's no longer a need to share that kind of information (or socialize via an Internet platform), the edge will go away. Do what you feel is right for you, and remember that once you get there, everyone will see you for the intelligent, kind person you are -- after all, you got in because you DESERVE to be there!
  8. Awesome! Thanks so much for posting this. New shoes, here I come!
  9. Wow! Is there a catch somewhere, joro? Have you already gotten money back? I used Bing cashback before, but at that time all the places I shopped at seemed to offer around 5-10% cashback. Now 40% on Endless?! When I went to the Endless Web site, it even let me add Dolce and Gabbana sunglasses to my bag and showed a prospective 40% refund! It seems to good to be true -- but since it's Bing and Microsoft (and Endless), I know it must be. Right?
  10. Great article, poco_puffs; thanks so much for sharing! I particularly liked the reassurance that even if you're dressed overly professionally on the first day, the worst that they'll think of you is that you're committed and serious. I mean, how true can that be? Of course we're simply going to look committed and serious. Or at least that's what I think until the voices in my head start saying, "Yeah right! They're going to think you look like a ridiculously nerdy professorial wanna-be who doesn't understand the grad school climate!" Yikes. And I thought the application process was the hard part!
  11. Good point. Walking to campus, or even from one end of campus to the other, can be hard on feet (and on heels), depending on how often you're doing it. Now that you mention it, I may purchase some cute flats or comfy shoes to wear not even on the days with nasty weather, but just for every day, in order to avoid the discomfort or need to re-heel shoes regularly (like a previous poster, for whatever reason I seem to be really hard on my shoes). As for makeup -- and specifically make-up that one can purchase fairly inexpensively at Target or Walmart -- I've had good luck with L'oreal Infallible Foundation. It claims to last the whole day, and in my experience that's been fairly accurate (though I do do a bit of a touch-up at the end of the day if I'm going out for drinks or dinner). And no fear if you're not used to wearing much make-up: in my opinion, this foundation isn't heavy at all, but in spite of that, it does a great job of concealing imperfections. Also look out for Maybelline -- there are a couple good foundations in their line (I particularly like the Instant Age Rewind... not that I need it at 25, but I think it does the best job out of all the Maybellines I've tried! ). I haven't ever had any luck with CoverGirl -- too orangey in my experience. Good luck!
  12. Thanks so much for the helpful replies, ladies (and gentleman) I definitely feel more at ease knowing that others are curious about these same issues, and I think the advice to dress as you would for an admissions visit is probably just about perfect for the first day. The "uniform" of the female grad students at Cornell is also an excellent suggestion, as it's stylish without being overdone -- and I think I might even be able to pull it off! Suppose I need to go shopping for some cute flats now (maybe peep-toe ones like yours, choidy)... Regarding matcha's question about winter footwear, I would second joro's comment: buy some practical winter boots, and change once you get into the building. If you're going to class in your department's building, you're likely going to have an office (or at least a cubby) in that very same building where you will be able to store your "outdoor" footwear. I have a close friend/colleague who taught me this principle well: she would wear Wellingtons or other similarly unattractive boots while in transit on rainy and snowy days, only to change into absolutely gorgeous, but reasonable, high heels the second she stepped into our building. No one ever knew the difference... in fact, I think there were many who wondered how she managed to pull off such style in the midst of such nasty weather! That being said, I'm still going to invest in a pair of semi-cute-but-practical boots to get me through those days when changing footwear mid-morning just isn't an option (i.e., days on which I'm teaching and won't have a place to store my wet boots), but I think all in all, buying a pair of "outdoor" boots and a pair of "cute-but-practical" boots, in addition to your regular heels and nice flats, should address most all winter footwear needs. Hope this helps!
  13. Thanks so much for starting this thread, OP! I, too, was closely following the other similarly-themed thread, but like you, found it geared more towards the men and was hoping to find something that spoke to me as a female incoming graduate student. That being said, like other posters have noted, Express, Gap, Ann Taylor, and NY&Company have some great finds, regardless of whether you're looking for neutrals or some flattering colors to brighten up everyday outfits. I, too, have been doing the majority of my shopping there lately and have managed to pick up some great pencil skirts and sweaters for this coming fall (as I am also a high school English teacher, they double in that regard -- score!). As I've been buying this professional wear, however, I've started to wonder: Are female grad students truly expected to be wearing heels and pencil skirts to class every day? Or are these "professional" outfits more for teaching and perhaps conferences or presentations? I have always thought of the graduate student life as a bit of a bohemian/artsy jeans-and-a-cool-sweater type existence, and I'm worried that I am going to look completely out of place if I show up on the first day of orientation in my (reasonable-height) heels and slim skirt (despite the fact that, like Victorian Tess, dressing up is kind of my thing). What are you all planning to wear on the "first day" and thereafter? Are you going to wear professional attire exclusively, and on the first day of orientation at that? Or do you plan on being more casual and only breaking out the cardigans and skirts when there's a special occasion on the horizon? *As a side note, I didn't have a chance to visit my program, so part of my uncertainty stems from the fact that I have NO IDEA what current graduate students there dress like. If anyone has any experience in this regard, that would be really helpful, too. (Somehow these questions make me feel like it's freshman year of high school all over again... )
  14. I've never seen a site with reviews of graduate programs, per se, but I did find collegeprowler.com helpful for obtaining general information about different universities (and towns) that I was considering. Though the site is geared toward the undergraduate crowd, making some of the reviews or 'grades' irrelevant to us as graduate students, it nevertheless has some terrific first-hand information on things like parking, weather, and the local atmosphere (again, just leave out the reviews submitted by and designed for the beer-guzzling undergrads). Hope this helps, and best of luck in your application process!
  15. Hi all, As the application process winds downs, how are all of you going about thanking your advisors and mentors for their help during this difficult year? I handwrote thank-you notes to all of mine after they had submitted their LORs and have just recently followed up with them via e-mail regarding where I'll be going, but I'm unsure as to whether a second "hard-copy" thank-you note is in order (likely) or whether giving them a small token of appreciation (chocolates or something similar) would be appropriate. (I've read on other forums that gifts for LOR writers are generally discouraged; as it's now after the fact, however -- I'll likely never be needing their endorsement again -- and as I have fairly close relationships with 2/3 of mine, I'm wondering if this situation is any different.) Any suggestions or tips? What are others doing? I feel so hesitant to let the whole thing go by without any further acknowledgement of all they've done for me, but at the same time, don't want to appear too over-the-top! Thoughts would be very much appreciated!
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