Branwen daughter of Llyr

I have three - a dolphin on my shoulder blade, an elf on a mushroom on my ankle, and a Native American lizard on my lower back. All three can easily be hidden, although I don't mind if people see them. I used to teach elementary school ESL, and the kids got a kick out of them.

No, I wouldn't consider removing them at all - in fact, I'm thinking of getting the one on my shoulder blade re-done (it's nearly 20 years old poor thing, and fading a bit).
I also have a nose ring that I got in India five years ago, and I'm not considering taking that out either. I'll be that cool prof that the undergrads love for her hippie attitude (while attempting to hammer Middle English into their brains LOL).

I really don't think it's as much of a taboo as it used to be. It's just body decoration, after all.

Most of the posters above me have already responded to most of the things you were worried about, but here's my two cents:

I'm not from a prestigious program either - and I'm really not too worried about that part of it in my applications. I did well in my classes, I have a high GPA in English, and my profs remembered me after 9 years (the advantage of being a super-star student in a small, undistinguished program!).

The subject test - you don't have to teach yourself "literature". You have to teach yourself "cocktail party literature" - i.e. recognition. If you have a year to prepare, do the following: Read through Norton's British literature anthology, Norton's American literature anthology, and Norton's anthology of criticism and theory (Blackwell's anthology of criticism and theory works well as an addition). Make index cards and revisit them every few weeks. Make sure you can identify a writer's particular style (i.e. be able to differentiate between a poem by Pound to a poem by Williams). Make sure you can identify "catchphrases" in criticism, i.e. "imagination" for Coleridge, "signifier" for Structuralism, etc. It's a horrible test, but it's doable. Also, many top-twenty PhD programs don't require it anymore (Duke is one), and many of the other schools just want you to get a reasonable score in it (i.e. pass the 550-600 range).

I'll join in and say that you should definitely take a grad English seminar next year - I'm doing that this summer - it's providing me with the basis of a new writing sample, as well as a current recommendation (since I graduated from my BA in 2001). I'm taking an online course through UMass since I don't even currently live in the US - so it's possible.

If you want to improve your languages, do so! If you're applying for 2012, you have PLENTY of time to beef up your German (I'm squeezing in a year of Latin and maybe French for 2011 - it IS possible to do, even when working full time!).

I don't see any "failures" in your academic history - you are working part time grading UG papers - that's pretty decent!

Good luck

I don't know about that.

He's currently enrolled in two MFA programs (at the same time) - and from some candid shots - sleeping through both. He's also planning to enroll in two programs at the same time for his PhD.

Only a "star" can do that at Yale and get away with it. Us regular folk aren't even allowed to keep a separate part-time job in addition to our fellowship. And I can bet you a lot of money I don't have that we won't see him teaching anywhere, or writing scholarly papers, or presenting at conferences.

Even the Yale Daily News is mocking the entire thing.

Just hearing about this entire experience has given me an itch to remove UNC from THE LIST. I'm now terrified that a B and two B+ in my English classes at the last semester will kill any chances despite a 3.66 GPA.

On the other hand, their program is sooo attractive to Celtic medievalists...


f*ck (pardon my old french).

@MM - if they are SO numbers oriented, then... it's their effing loss. Seriously. You are one of the people I admire most in this community (and I'm not easily impressed ), and your dedication is exactly what grad schools SHOULD look for. Your positive attitude inspires me daily!

Increasing interest - YES. and that's the role of the teachers. The fact that there is SO much bitching on these very boards about the math tells me that there is something wrong with the way it's being taught. My initial reply was just that - you said something about the system being flawed, I agreed. I got pedantic, because you replied to that in an EXTREMELY insulting manner, misconstruing everything that I've written.

Yes, obviously some people fall in love with math and sciences early - but you yourself state that it's not nearly enough. You say one thing and then it's opposite - we both know that the basic fact is that most kids are not interested in math and sciences because teachers don't get them excited about it. Of course, there are many teachers who try. But even those good teachers are often stifled by a system that very rarely gives them the freedom to teach things in a unique and exciting way. Not enough time, not enough resources, etc. You state that it makes no sense that a country as rich as the US is lagging in STEM? Of course it makes no sense. The education system is NOT GEARED TOWARDS IT.

It's not just my own experiences with math that I'm relating - I'm also presenting an attitude, quite widespread. As a teacher, I had very few students who saw any usefulness in mathematics. Why? Because no one taught them the usefulness of it. You may agree or you may not, but the dismal state of math and science scoring in the US (and unfortunately, Israel is most definitely sliding down towards the US in the rankings) compared to the world doesn't tell me anything about the quality of the students. It does, however, tell me quite a lot about the quality of the system that is supposed to be providing learning tools and knowledge.

I never said it shouldn't be important.

I said that as things ARE in the system (educational) it ISN'T important. I was merely quoting my student's attitudes towards math, which reflects not MY attitude, but the system they are learning it in.

People like me?? I'm one of the broadest educated people I know. I adore physics theory, I read voraciously about history, scientific history, physics theory, and I can even grasp advanced mathematical theory.

What I'm saying is, is that the educational system FAILS most students regarding maths and sciences. They are NOT taught as "practical" subjects. No math teacher I ever encountered EVER taught the practical applications of algebra. Most students are NOT aware of math and science's importance in their future lives - and that is a SYSTEMATIC failure. I never said they weren't important - I reflected the ATTITUDE prevalent here in Israel, as well as in the US. As I stated earlier, the fact that only ONE math class is required for college general education in most subjects (barring those who require statistics, the sciences, or math majors) illustrates my point.

The fact that you expect a 14-18 year old to go to the trouble to study something that is taught in an extremely boring manner, without any practical applications for their future (as it's taught, not as it SHOULD be taught) is a failure of the system. It is the same with any subject. Things that teachers got me hooked on early in life stuck, and I continued pursuing learning independently. Subjects that were taught in an uninspiring way were ditched. Some I got hooked on later, just by being a bookworm - for example, I started getting interested in mathematical zeta functions after reading Neal Stephenson's Cryptomonicon. I got interested in quantum mechanics when I read The Dancing Wu-Li Masters. However, if you would have asked me in my senior year in high school what I thought about advanced math and physics, I would have made retching sounds. Not because I don't have the mind to grasp it - but because none of my teachers inspired me to take an interest.

I love learning, pretty much of any kind. I'm not "major" oriented. I'm not saying that maths and sciences are not important. They are. However, since most people don't actually use them in their day-to-day lives, since they are not taught HOW TO, then the fields lag behind. You claimed that I'm blaming the system because I didn't do well in math. Well, yes I am. As an ESL teacher, it was MY failure if my students didn't grasp the material, not theirs. It was the educational system's failure as well, when the standards are dropping on a daily basis, no effort is being put in to devise alternative methods of teaching, that the textbooks are crap, and that I got penalized for introducing my sixth graders to Rudyard Kipling and challenging them to think. Kids need tutors when the SYSTEM fails them. Some kids can't afford tutors, and many schools don't have approachable teachers that students feel free to come to for additional help.

My only argument is that it IS a systematic failure, not that the subjects aren't important. And the systematic failure is reflected in many ways in the attitudes towards math and sciences in society. Most people feel they don't need advanced maths in their day to day lives. Guess why? Because NO ONE ever taught them otherwise, or taught them how to apply those advanced math skills in their lives. It's all a bunch of equations and rules that appear completely disconnected from just about everything else.

You said this, not me.



When I had a tutor, I got A's. As I said in my post before. However, you CANNOT expect a 16 year old, unless they LOVE mathematics (a rare thing indeed) to search out a tutor if they are NOT failing, by merely getting C's. And yes. It is THE SCHOOL'S responsibility to teach - not the student's responsibility to find a tutor. If a teacher CANNOT teach math properly so that at least 80% of his class understands what they're studying, it is a FAILURE OF THE SYSTEM.


Most people who are NOT IN THE SCIENCES / HIGHER MATHEMATICS do NOT NEED TO USE ALGEBRA / GEOMETRY / TRIG. They need ARITHMETIC. Big difference.


Yes, I do understand, since I AM a technorat. I was a network admin and am currently a technical writer. I never needed to use advanced mathematics for either. And I never said that math wasn't important. I DID say, that most people DON'T THINK THEY NEED ADVANCED MATHEMATICS. They may be proved wrong later in life, but as long as the educational system doesn't emphasize it, they definitely won't know it when they're in high school. Even most colleges require one math class for gen ed requirements, and usually you can substitute logic instead. I'm not saying that's the way it SHOULD be, I'm saying that's the way it IS.



I don't live in the unique academia bubble. I've been out of school and working in the real world for 9 years. And you need algebra for your finances?? You need ARITHMETIC for your finances. Not algebra, or trig, or calculus. No hidden "x" in your budget, no square equations, and gee, you don't even need to know the geometric formula for the area of a circle.


I didn't blow it off. I said I wasn't great at math in high school, got a tutor, and got better at math. However, I have never needed to use it since, despite being in Hi-Tech. I am not an engineer, nor a programmer, and I never particularly wanted to be. Even when I thought about pursuing an MBA, it was on the marketing side, and I know how to build a budget (NO, I wasn't taught that in high school. I was taught that by my mother).

You asked about the system? That's what I answered. The basic fact is, most kids DON'T get "into" math and sciences due to BAD TEACHING. When I had good teachers, I learned. When I didn't, I didn't learn. simple as that - and considering I'm not the only person who didn't do well in math in their school years, and didn't particularly care - that says something about the system, doesn't it?

Unfortunately, most math teachers suck. I'm not terrific in math (or at least I wasn't in high school) due to one reason - no one ever explained it to me properly. I'm one of those people who has to UNDERSTAND something very well in order to succeed at it - so if I don't get the underlying logic, I don't do well, no matter how much I try to memorize the rules. When I had a private tutor who explained things to me, I got A's. People, after all, are individuals, and every single brain has slightly different ways of processing learning and information. I was actually really decent at Algebra and Calculus, until I got a different teacher in High school - and I can tell you this - the system is NOT equipped to teach math in various methods so the entire class can "get it."

Since it's a basic fact of life that most "pedestrians" will never use calculus or algebra again (let alone geometry and trig) unless they pursue a sciences degree, while ALL people in a literate world should know how to read and write, the focus is definitely not on math. At least 5 of my students (whom I taught English, not Math) kept saying about their math classes that they'll never use it - after all - they don't need an equation to count the change they get in the supermarket. However, they were VERY willing to work on their English skills (ESL that is), since it's such an important part of being in a global community and for future work plans.

Perhaps if class sizes are reduced, and teachers with more patience and a deeper understanding of math theory start teaching high school, scores will improve. There is very little to get excited about in memorizing "math rules" - but if you teach the underlying exciting stuff as well, you might get some more students really hooked on math and sciences.

Good luck -

I've been out of school for 10 years, and after last years application season (applied to 4, got in nowhere) I've decided to apply on a MUCH wider scale (and am applying only with a BA so a history of accepting from my program is really not relevant - I graduated in 2001, after all! I'm sure lots has changed since then). Costs are going to be high, but so be it. I WILL BE IN GRAD SCHOOL IN 2011 IF IT KILLS ME (the other option is remaining a technical writer, which will also kill me ).

I hope 5 is enough for you!

no, I'm at the APs for the holiday - I'll try to get to it on Friday or Saturday - between my own revisions and the essays I have to check for my stupid GRE students who can't seem to fathom how to formulate an argument and what are FACTS (just today, I checked on essay that claimed that Galileo's ground-breaking theory was that the earth was round, and not flat in support of their thesis, while another student stated quite seriously that Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. didn't want to point an accusing finger at society and "rock the boat", they "only had a dream they wanted to share with the rest of humankind". hrm. I'm seriously concerned about the level of general education in this country.) My SAT students, however, are doing much better. They have now managed to NOT MAKE ANY ERRONOUS fact writing in support of their argument 2 essays in a row!

The writing sample is a piece of scholarly work (usually a research paper), ranging from 10 to 25 pp (depending on the program you are applying to), which shows your scholarly and research capabilities (obviously, your writing level, as well). A 1 page thesis proposal is definitely NOT considered a writing sample. I don't know how important the writing sample is in the sciences, but in the humanities and most social sciences, it's paramount - one of the most important parts of your application.

I actually have to agree with diethc0ke here - despite my personal weakness in American lit - after all, most American undergrads are required to take at least one British lit course while at school.

During my undergrad, while I was exposed to some American lit (in an intensive 6 credit upper division survey class required of all English majors), most of my focus was on British - perhaps due to the time period I focused on - there aren't any American medieval and renaissance writers . I perfectly understand that there are time constraints and a limit to the courses that an undergraduate student can be exposed to, but I think that even in the British system, requiring one course in American lit as part of the undergraduate degree is warranted, just as US schools usually require at least some exposure to literature written across the pond (and no, it's not necessarily canonical literature). Considering that there was a lot of cross-influence between the literatures of the US and Britain it makes sense to have some exposure and study of American literature in some capacity. While I agree that perhaps that course shouldn't necessarily be a course specifically on DuBois (I am very weak at African-American lit myself), it could be useful to have a class on slave narratives in general - considering that early slave pamphlets and stories were published in the UK as early as post restoration 17th century, influencing and shaping the abolitionist movement - and within that include the American side as well.

The writing sample is a piece of scholarly work (usually a research paper), ranging from 10 to 25 pp (depending on the program you are applying to), which shows your scholarly and research capabilities (obviously, your writing level, as well). A 1 page thesis proposal is definitely NOT considered a writing sample. I don't know how important the writing sample is in the sciences, but in the humanities and most social sciences, it's paramount - one of the most important parts of your application.

His publicist stated to the Yale Daily News that even if he accepts the offer from Yale, he'll still be pursuing an additional degree from elsewhere.

THIS IS BULL. I have nothing against actors pursuing a higher education, but 2 PhDs simultaneously?? WHAT THE F*CK WAS YALE THINKING!!! He won't be able to teach, research or do anything scholarly like everyone else in his cohort.
Also, I hate the idea that just because he's a celeb he gets to break the basic rules of PhD study - THAT is your full time job, and you're not even allowed to work elsewhere part time if you're funded.
And if he's not funded - well, I thought Yale funded ALL entering PhDs. So suddenly you can buy your way in??

I'm all for pursuing an intellectual life. But if that was truly the case, he would dedicate himself to ONE program, take a hiatus from movies, and really devote himself to the whole kit and caboodle. On the other hand, when his publicist is claiming that he'll be pursuing an additional degree at another school, while still making movies, it means that the whole thing is a load of bull. That's one whole spot this year that a SERIOUS scholar could have gotten, not one that generates "I love you" catcalls during the Master's Tea.

And if he sends his assistant to classes as claimed - ugh. Bad enough if he's in class and asleep. An assistant - ugh ugh ugh. And if his fiction is anything to go by, I'm sorry, but that's not exactly what I would think as Yale material. Personally it stings worse since I loved Yale's English program and really really wanted to go there. Now I'm not so sure. If a program that I REALLY looked up to will degrade its scholarship to accept a movie star with no serious scholarly investment, what's the point in going there?

What I've learned (and am implementing for 2011):


When in doubt, ask, ask and ask again. My main problem in the 2010 app round was being woefully ignorant of the entire application process, what an SOP should look like in my field (IT IS NOT A PERSONAL STATEMENT), the language training that I need to address, the extent my writing sample needs to be a unique piece of scholarship that is publishing-worthy, and so on.Approach the entire process in an organized manner. To select schools, I created a word table for each school I was interested in - including application deadline, professors of interest in the program, what my SOP should focus on research wise and fit wise, pros, cons, and personal fit on a scale of 1-10. My 28 school table has now been narrowed down to 16 PhD programs and 3 MAs, and will soon be cut down some more. Once the final choices have been made, an excel will be created with the exact requirements for each program, core SOP ideas, and a checklist of stuff that needs to be created/sent to the school, and by what deadlines.Range more than the obvious choices of schools - I've found some programs that I LOVE that were far from obvious choices, both location-wise, and reputation-wise.Spend a LOT of time researching schools - I chose the four I applied to for 2010 in a somewhat random manner. And although I'm applying to three of those schools again, I now know that they are good fits for my research ideas, and my SOP will reflect that (one of them I'm not applying to again - not a good fit for me).
Apply widely: despite being much more confident in my overall application for 2011 than I was last year, I'm still applying to a wide selection of schools that have a good fit to support my research interests - the competition is tough, and as the economy continues to tank, more and more people are applying to grad school.
Prepare emotionally: the application process is draining, exhausting, and can be frazzling beyond belief. I hope I'm better prepared for it this time (without Prozac LOL).
Thinking long and hard about research interests and be creative while thinking about them: All I can say is - thank god I didn't get in this year. I've focused my research interests and have come up with some really interesting new ideas in the meantime - which in turn has opened up many schools that weren't such a good match with my previous research ideas. My current (very broad) topic came to me after watching the end of "Kingdom of Heaven" with Orlando Bloom, and then having a discussion about the crusades at work. You never know where that absolutely great idea will come from!

Get used to this feeling. XD

Good luck -

I've been out of school for 10 years, and after last years application season (applied to 4, got in nowhere) I've decided to apply on a MUCH wider scale (and am applying only with a BA so a history of accepting from my program is really not relevant - I graduated in 2001, after all! I'm sure lots has changed since then). Costs are going to be high, but so be it. I WILL BE IN GRAD SCHOOL IN 2011 IF IT KILLS ME (the other option is remaining a technical writer, which will also kill me ).

I hope 5 is enough for you!

So I finally got my subject test scores back about a week ago.

Not a thrilling score - 630, but not too horrible, either (80th percentile). For someone who's been out of school for nearly 10 years, it's really not too terrible.

However, my two top choice schools (because of their program) are Harvard and UCLA - so I'm up against some big guns. Obviously, the subject test score won't hurt me when I'm applying to Southern Methodist - but Harvard requires a minimum of 650 (at least so they claim on their website). The question is - to retake the test in November (and study my ass off yet again, this time focusing heavily on criticism and american lit - my weaknesses) - or to just let it lie??

yes, yes, I know the SOP and writing sample are really what count. But I wouldn't want to not get accepted just because of the stupid subject GRE (a horrible, horrible test!!).


Advise welcome!

Branwen

So I finally got my subject test scores back about a week ago.

Not a thrilling score - 630, but not too horrible, either (80th percentile). For someone who's been out of school for nearly 10 years, it's really not too terrible.

However, my two top choice schools (because of their program) are Harvard and UCLA - so I'm up against some big guns. Obviously, the subject test score won't hurt me when I'm applying to Southern Methodist - but Harvard requires a minimum of 650 (at least so they claim on their website). The question is - to retake the test in November (and study my ass off yet again, this time focusing heavily on criticism and american lit - my weaknesses) - or to just let it lie??

yes, yes, I know the SOP and writing sample are really what count. But I wouldn't want to not get accepted just because of the stupid subject GRE (a horrible, horrible test!!).


Advise welcome!

Branwen

I'm teaching at a private school.

This topic always cracks me up because Muslim women in a good deal of the Middle East and the Arab world don't change their surnames. Also, if you look at Spanish (and colonial Spanish) naming customs, a child is given both its mother's and father's names. The female medical doctors I know and the med students I used to know kept their maiden names if they got their M.D.s prior to marriage and only used their husband's name if they were married prior to receiveng the M.D.

A friend recently told me that she thought a colleague's husband was a weak man because he took his wife's name. "Why?" is the only question I asked her.

I, personally, would never change my last name. I've never fully understood why there's even an expectation that I would. I'm no longer anyone's property and I really don't have any literal property give to anyone as part of an inheritance.

This is very much a cultural, status quo kinda of thing. Even my Middle Eastern-American and North African-American male friends (just to clarify that they grew up in the States) think it's odd that women change their names. Practically every other male I know who was raised in the U.S. can't imagine a wife not taking his name.

*** On a separate note, I really feel as though that Bush administration name change policy did more to hurt gay couples than anything else. Hmmm.

Stroke, I would have no problem with the whole thing - except for the preferential treatment issue. The fact that he's planning to pursue a second degree at a second institution, while still making films somewhat belies the "serious student" aspect of the entire thing. I really have nothing against someone pursuing a PhD - I'm mainly pissed that he gets to do things differently because he's famous.

Even Prince Charles left all royal duties while at school and was just a regular student. If someone wishes to pursue a Yale PhD - well then. Take it seriously and pursue a Yale PhD. If us plebs must dedicate ourselves full time to the endeavor, shouldn't everyone?

Stroke, I would have no problem with the whole thing - except for the preferential treatment issue. The fact that he's planning to pursue a second degree at a second institution, while still making films somewhat belies the "serious student" aspect of the entire thing. I really have nothing against someone pursuing a PhD - I'm mainly pissed that he gets to do things differently because he's famous.

Even Prince Charles left all royal duties while at school and was just a regular student. If someone wishes to pursue a Yale PhD - well then. Take it seriously and pursue a Yale PhD. If us plebs must dedicate ourselves full time to the endeavor, shouldn't everyone?

I don't know about that.

He's currently enrolled in two MFA programs (at the same time) - and from some candid shots - sleeping through both. He's also planning to enroll in two programs at the same time for his PhD.

Only a "star" can do that at Yale and get away with it. Us regular folk aren't even allowed to keep a separate part-time job in addition to our fellowship. And I can bet you a lot of money I don't have that we won't see him teaching anywhere, or writing scholarly papers, or presenting at conferences.

Even the Yale Daily News is mocking the entire thing.