whitmanifesto

I'd like to clarify that I can only function on busy, if I'm not busy I swirl into a procrastination tsunami. The first year of my masters program wasn't that bad despite being very busy. I had a 20 hr appointment at my school, and taught as an adjunct for one class at my alma mater, plus 3 courses and lived 45 minute commute away. My program was not super intensive, mostly because I was already well ahead of my peers. I did take on a lot extra because I knew I was going to be applying to PhD. I started an ethnography project that ultimately lead to me working 60 hours with everything included, with a long commute. I got really sick because of the stress (which was mostly caused by the admin appointment and the commute). Now, I think the work load will be about the same, but Ill be living closer to my research now and with my partner whose also in academia. Money and administrative issues were my main stress-ers. The money will still probably be an issues, but with an academic partner, I think PhD life will be much more enjoyable. I didn't engage much with my cohort, I feel that would help lower a lot of people's stress if they have a strong cohort connection (assuming their cohort isn't competitive). What I've noticed is that many graduate students put too much effort into the coursework and teaching while forgetting you should be building your CV: conference papers, journal publications, and networking for service and teaching positions. Apply to grants, extra training projects and review for journals/conferences. Don't get too invested in your coursework and students. It's horrible to say, but you are only teaching 100, maybe 200 level courses and you are NOT AN ACADEMIC ADVISER, even though students will probably feel more comfortable with you than their actual adviser.

@surprise_quiche I'm always in Chicagoland! Is anyone else feeling the "senioritis" blues? I've been so depressed lately, and so busy. I'm hoping it'll dampen when I move into our new apartment. Anyone can add me on Facebook or Instagram (same username) my full name is on my academia.edu link so I'm easily searchable. It'll be much easier to meet up with people on there. Also, Comm forum should be more focused on coordinating our research and conferences! Anyone interested in critical media theory, especially about political economy of media focus, let me know. I'm going to try to restart a graduate student group within the conference in which I'm on the steering committee.

Really try not to be disheartened about being a waitlist, it's a stigma that shouldn't exist and once you're in the program, honestly no one cares who was first pick or not. You will not be judged differently. There's also no way for anyone to know you were waitlisted. Just look at the program for the aspects that drew you to apply to it, and see if you'll be comfortable there for quite a few years. Also, request for skype interviews, just remind them that you were not at the Welcome Week and would like to meet some people to have a more informed decision. Immediately reach out to the professor that showed interests, they probably were a strong ally to you on the admissions committee.

When you're in the area, let me know! My partner and I just got an apartment, I'll be moving to Hammond/Whiting in May, so we'll both be commuting a lot into Chicago.

Its not negotiable. It's a state school with a flat rate for all TA positions. The take home is about $1,800 a month, which is doable in the Chicago for a small studio. I will be staying over state lines though, because thats where my research population is. This is the .50 teaching offer, which can be increased to .67 teaching/research/professional aide and all the current graduate students said that if they wanted to find more work, it is definitely available. I plan on searching for it in the summer when I'm not doing field research. The department has multiple journals that will need assistant editors, lots of funded research projects and we are welcome to search for other work outside the department. The healthcare and benefits at UIC are very good and it is unionized. The pay was just increased and is predicted to be increased again next year. When I say it is not negotiable, it is only negotiable through the union. All GA's are paid the same rate. We aren't part of the union until after accepting the package and signing our paperwork.

NU sent out they're rejections today! I was one of them lol. I'm not surprised. UIC was my top pick!

@deshypothequiez I wish you luck! But I think you've got this! Hopefully we can plan some cross-university research projects for us Chicagoland researchers! I'm going to the Rawley conference this weekend as members of the Big Ten Academic Alliance, but unfortunately UIC is no longer apart of that coalition Anyone applying to the AoIR conference in Montreal? I'm applying to the PhD colloquium because I didn't have an appropriate paper to submit in time.

@deshypothequiez Do you know if that faculty member is more closely connected to the Communication studies program? NU is designed to be inter-sectional/interdisciplinary, so they may be more important to a cluster or something, maybe even connected to a specific grants or fellowship that doesn't exist anymore. Or to provide a theoretical perspective that is needed in the department for course work, but isn't really represented in the research. When I was applying I was interested in Goankar, who doesn't seem to fit well in the Comm department (a lot of English people in that section of the School) but make sense for the kinds of course that are required. What research are you looking to do there?

I just write to the GSD: " I am honored to have been accepted, but " EXPLAIN your other offer or research fit. " I will have to decline the offer." Or "I am sorry but I will have to decline the offer." And then thanked them and complimented the program. Wished them luck. Standard email format. I mostly think it's just important for you to email them quickly. They will appreciate that more. So will the people on their waitlist.

@E-P My program will cover costs of summer courses whether I teach or not, but doesn't provide a stipend. I plan on using the course for language requirements. (I have to learn Spanish, urgh).

Will it short change you for the year? I ish I could do this, but that's because I'm excited to move into the city. I don't think you'd be worse off, your probably be in class with more experienced students so you may have a better idea of what's expected than the start cohort. Those fall start classes usually are only the first years, so no one will know what the profs are expecting.

Both outfits sound fine, so I'd just go with what you think best expresses your personality. Its as much about them getting to know you as the other way around.

I will also add, what to wear is pretty different depending on the culture of the department. NU students weren't dressed up, but the university as a whole does a LOT of colloquiums that require nice conference wear. My partner, though is male and masculine presenting so it's easier, dresses nicely for those events and is expected to dress nicely when he teaches next year. My current program is relaxed, and so have been all the places I've gone too. Honestly, students have higher expectations on dress code that faculty. As a masculine-leaning presenting female, I've received negative reviews from students for dressing the EXACT same way as male instructors and not being "professional" enough. I now mostly have unnatural colored hair and have visible tattoos and piercings (septum) and it was important that my department be an open culture for that. UIC definitely is (I'm not the only person there with quite visible tattoos). I've noticed that health communications and political communications focused departments are not like this, but my research is social movements and some queer studies so my appearance is very much appropriate. I once went over dressed to a history visit to IU Bloomington and was really uncomfortable (the prof was in a tank top and shorts and I was wearing black slacks and a black shirt).

Ask if the colloquium has a dress code even though you aren't presenting, because usually those are conference clothing only (business casual) but for a general visit office closes are fine. No one at NU or UIC were dressed up when I visited. I sat with the entire faculty and most of the grad students and it was just normal academic wear (I wore a short sleeve button up shirt, chinos and Keds. Everyone else was wearing similar, with a sweater as well or a dressy top).

The Northwestern Rhetoric and Public Culture recruitment was today, so their recruits have already been sent out. I follow a few of the PhD candidates on Twitter and one of the posted about presenting research while recruits were present. I'm guess anyone waitlisted will probably be contacted next week along with the rejections (I assume I'm one of them).