forever_jung

OP, I wanted to answer your original question- if you haven't been scared away by this thread! I started my master's program with a focus on British Literature, particularly in the long 18th century. However, when I started teaching composition courses as a teaching assistant, and took the required course, I found that I was hooked. There were lots of reasons why: I love teaching; I enjoy reading/writing about pedagogy and the classroom; I could continue applying critical and cultural theory to my work; studying rhetoric made sense to me. I also found that, in contrast to literature, there truly isn't a hierarchy as to what to study. I could look at any text and analyze it rhetorically- if I wanted to take Fanny Burney's journal and analyze it for theories of disability at the time, I could do so. If I wanted to take a bawdy play and analyze the audience reception to it, I could. Both of these relate to literature and even the time period I originally came in to study, but as a literature person I was encouraged not to do these projects (which, admittedly, could say more about the faculty I was working with than literature itself). My point, though, is that in rhetoric you can still connect to literature or media studies, if you want. Which leads to the other reasons I decided to make the move to rhet/comp. I felt that literature is very hierarchical still, and I felt limited in what I could study and what would be accepted for publication, or what will endear me to departments and faculty. I have a disability that has influenced some of my work, and when I still had a literature advisor, she told me I shouldn't do a PhD program because of it. And maybe that is true for literature, I don't know. But as I transitioned to rhet/comp, I suddenly felt like people were seeing me as a whole person, not as some academic machine. My experiences with disabilities were welcomed into the conversation rather than something that would mark me as a "liability" or whatever. I could be an academic with a disability, and my differing perspective has helped, rather than hindered me. My last point, which I suppose connects to some of the points above. I have personally found way more rhet/comp faculty and students "on the ground," protesting, advocating for students and contigent faculty on a variety of issues, doing things like participating in National Adjunct Walkout Day, setting up professional development for adjuncts and fighting to make sure it is paid, etc. I want to be part of that fight, and to advocate for students. As it says in our office, "the working conditions of our faculty are the learning conditions of our students." So that was my experience, and the reasons why I switched. The one thing I'd say to someone considering switching is to really reflect why. Is it because you are truly passionate for the field and maybe just unsure how to enter it? Or is it a "plan B" because there seems to be more jobs? If it is the first, come on over! If it is the second, I'd advise against it. As ComeBackZinc reminds us, while this subfield might have more jobs, it is certainly no guarantee that you will get one, particularly in the TT. As for your interest in comic studies, I do think it is an up and coming focus! In fact, the next issue of Composition Studies is going to focus on Comics, Multimodality, and Composition.

Not sure if this has been addressed already, but I couldn't find anything in my browsing. As April 15 draws closer, I haven't had any movement on my wait lists. Meanwhile, I have been accepted at several places, and I have one that I am about 90% sure that I will be attending in the fall. However, the only thing that might disrupt this is if I get accepted at one of my wait listed schools. So, what do I do if I sign a contract by April 15 at a school, and then get an amazing offer off the wait list at another? Can I even consider these wait listed offers if I have signed contracts? Is it frowned upon to possibly accept a wait listed offer after signing with another school? This is honestly the only thing that is holding me back from signing with my 90% school. Ugh. This is hard. Any thoughts?

LCB, are you going to the Louisville visit day next week? If so, I'll see you there!

A couple of things I thought while reading through this: 1. I don't believe direct grad PLUS loans are capped. You can borrow up to the school-determined cost of attendance. (https://studentaid.ed.gov/types/loans/plus#am-i-eligible-for) However (per the 2011 debt ceiling agreement thing in congress) grad PLUS loans are unsubsidized. That means that interest accrues from the moment you take out the loan, no matter your financial situation. (I worked in financial aid for a year...) 2. In my opinion if you do a MA, you need to get teaching experience with it. I wonder if we could do some sort of survey of those with prior teaching experience that get into PhD programs with funding, because my suspicion is that programs want prior teaching experience. 3. Like Kansas, the University of Nebraska-Omaha has funding for their MA! And even though the deadline for a TAship has technically passed, I know that the deadline is going to remain open because, I heard, there were not enough applicants to fill next year's cohort. so...if anyone reading this wants to apply you still have a chance

Question: Are there any rankings available that looks specifically at composition and rhetoric? Thanks

Me too! I am trying to adhere to the no news/good news policy, but it was weird to see all those English PHD admits a week or so ago. It is encouraging that the visit day (if they coordinate all the English visits at once) is awhile away from now-still have some time.

Oy. I applied for the Joint English and Education program and haven't heard anything, which I am not sure if that is good or bad (I am having a bit of a wait list extravaganza this season) . Are you English Language and Literature? When is the visit weekend? And congrats on the fellowship! They are high on my list, so I do hope I hear sooner rather than later.

Along the same lines as the poster talking about K-state, I am just about to graduate from the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) MA program, which was an excellent experience. The list of funded MAs that is linked above doesn't specify between U of Nebraska Omaha and Lincoln. I can't speak for Lincoln, but UNO offers a funded MA, and the deadline for the Teaching Assistant application is next week. Just saying I guess this is to say that getting a local MA is sometimes a really great thing- you can build up your CV, refine research interests, and perhaps even get college teaching experience.

Trying to grade while waiting to hear news...

Hey! I was accepted to Louisville, and had a question for those that have lived in the area...I have a rare chronic illness and will need to find an excellent rheumatologist and hospital system in which to do infusions. Any suggestions of places/doctors I should check out, or people I should stay away from? Thanks so much!

Congrats on Minnesota (and Purdue, too)! I did my undergrad in St. Paul (Hamline University) and LOVE the area. If you get a chance while you are there, eat some Pizza Luce for me And I'll be at C's too- it will be nice to get away from the midwest snow and cold!