windrainfireandbooks

Yes, I agree. In the Humanities, class can be quite important. It also depends on the type of MA you are doing. In my program, we had two options: a thesis-based MA or a course-based MA. I did a course-based MA, so class attendance was really of utmost importance. That is not to say that my classmates and I did not miss class once in awhile for reasons like illness and conference attendance. For example, at least once a term, I missed a class to present at a conference. I discussed why I would be absent ahead of time with my professors, who were very supportive of my conference attendance and helped me prep my conference papers so they would be presentation ready. But, to really emphasize how important class attendance was for my particular MA, one of my dear friends and colleagues doing the course-based MA was denied admittance to our department's PhD program and the reason given by the department? Because she had missed class too frequently for a course-based MA student and, thus, the department questioned her commitment to her studies. Now, when she had missed class, she had missed for research reasons (a.k.a. to attend conferences or talks that were in line with her area of research), and she had only missed a few classes a term. Yet, as the department head told her, it was a course-based MA and, therefore, course attendance was crucial. Since she had committed to the course-based MA, she needed to commit to her classes first and foremost. That all being said, can you miss class once in awhile? You can. But do keep in mind that unforeseeable circumstances can happen that may prevent you from attending other classes in the future.

I am ecstatic to be spending the majority of my summer in the UK. During that time, I am hoping to sneak in some non-stressful-but-related-to-my-research-interests readings that I have been putting off because of work but have been dying to sink my teeth into. And I will be doing some Shakespearean acting and novel writing as well.

Thank you everyone for the well-wishes and, of course, for partying it up with me!

May I extend or re-start the party? Because I've been accepted to the Book History & Print Culture collaborative program at Toronto and I really think I am going to accept!

Thanks for the insight everyone. I appreciate it. As I said, I submitted this paper back during my first term as an MA student, prior to having received insight about publishing from professors, supervisors, mentors, and so on. I likely wouldn't have submitted the paper for the conference proceedings had I been asked to today. That being said, the paperwork I signed for the conference proceedings did say that I would be able to submit the paper to any other publications I desired. Regardless, this weekend I withdrew the paper from the conference proceedings. I really like the idea that the paper presents, so perhaps one day I will revise the paper extensively and send it off to a few reputable journals.

Oh my goodness! Fantastic, fantastic news!

That is splendid news - congrats!

When I'm in the UK this summer, I will be auditing some intensive Literature courses at a couple of unis as well. I think it will be a stimulating but largely unstressful (i.e. without the mental pressures I place on myself as a graduate student) means to get back into the swing of things after having two semesters away from the academy.