sarabethke

Questions: Just because a professor no longer publishes on Milton doesn't mean he wouldn't be able to direct a dissertation or serve on a dissertation committee, right? He still has that expertise. Or is it the fact that it's not recent and he no longer knows the current conversation which would make that professor not that valuable?

I definitely think Middle English moreso than Old English. Chaucer especially, and I noticed a lot on Shakespeare. There were passages with 10 comprehension questions, which was a lot. My strategy was to skip around, first going for the ones I felt confident about and circled the ones I skipped so they'd be easier to come back to. I actually left a lot blank because probability aside, I'm a terrible guesser. If I couldn't narrow a question down to two or three choices I didn't guess. I got 63rd percentile, which isn't fantastic, but it was what I was going for based on UT's "minimum" 60th percentile.

I've been feeling the same way lately, but in my MA program. Wondering if I should even apply for a PhD because it's easy to become disillusioned with the process. Couldn't write even a five page paper because I was just done with all the work I'd done the last several weeks. Last week was good though. And this week is okay too. I took Prof's advice (though before she offered it) and just did something for myself--started to read a book just to enjoy reading again (Book Thief). I only got about 100 pages in before I had to go back to my school work, but it took a weight off. Also went out of town that weekend (missed a conference I was supposed to present at because I misscheduled everything) but had a lovely time in a beautiful new city. I second finding something for yourself. Ask for an extension on the prospectus if possible.

I took it Saturday as well! I was RELIEVED at all the Middle English And there were like ten questions for several reading passages. I also found it helpful to do the ones I knew first and come back to spend time on the passages. There was one shortish poem I didn't understand at all, but after working through the ten questions a couple times it eventually clicked! The good thing about that though is that even though it's time consuming, it's comprehension rather than identity. You can stare at an unfamiliar passage as long as you want and never figure out who wrote it. In the last 5 minutes, after I knew I couldn't answer any more questions, I counted up all the ones I skipped so I could figure out my best possible score (although there's no way I got all the ones right that I answered). But it makes me feel better knowing that even with the amount of questions I skipped (54) it doesn't screw me. So happy to have that out of my life. 6 weeks for test results? I'd be happy to hear past takers tell me the results come sooner than that...

Thanks 1Q84. Sometimes I find it hard to prioritize tasks, and I know that's something I need to work on. Thanks for the advice! And, mostly, for hearing me.

I'm a week into the second year of my master's program and I'm having a little trouble figuring out how to juggle everything. I'm taking one graduate level course way outside my area and there's a lot of online work I have to do for that. I'm sitting in on a senior capstone course and doing a graduate level independent study off of that (which is great because I love the subject but I also foresee it being difficult to prioritize the supplemental work because it's not so structured). My third class is a class to support my first year of teaching, so it's easy enough and the new Director of our writing program is amazing, but then we're required to take a tenth credit hour which is turning out to be ridiculous and research heavy...despite being a one credit course meant to support our work tutoring in the writing center. I'm also auditing a French course so I can improve my speaking ability, and teaching (thankfully only) one composition course for the first time. Plus puppy and gym and GRE Subject test in two weeks and personal statement and conference and polishing a writing sample and other PhD application nonsense. I am seriously struggling.

When I was looking into Oregon it seemed to have a lot of what you're looking for--I've an interest in folklore too! I want to say University of Pennsylvania has something along those lines as well, and it's a really good school.

As far as funding goes, I'd like to point out that even if you don't get funding through your department, there are probably a lot of opportunities across campus. I chose to do my MA with the huge likelihood of having no funding, but secured a graduate assistantship as part of my school's distance learning initiative. Not only was my tuition waived (in and out of state), but I got a stipend and health insurance. Pretty much the same perks you get as a teaching assistant in the English department. I know a girl in my department who didn't go for the English GTA position at all and chose to work at the Native American Cultural Center as a GA which gave her full funding. This year I'll be a teaching assistant in the English department, for which I'm thankful because it will give me the teaching experience I need for PhD applications, but my point is it's okay if you have to spend your first year doing something else and there are funding opportunities you might not be considering!

I never went to Sam, so I don't know what they know but as someone who grew up down the road, Huntsville's kind of lame. The Woodlands is a good 45 minutes away by interstate, so it's possible but not that comfortable. However, there is A LOT more going on in The Woodlands. That said, you could live in Huntsville and weekend in The Woodlands--less commute, still lots of play!

The latter! I'd appreciate some recommendations. And yeah, I have the Princeton Review book--I'll try to be prepared!

I'm thinking UOregon, UCDavis, UCSanta Barbara, UTAustin, UTKnoxville, Rutgers, and Indiana. I'm looking for an English program with opportunities for medieval studies through either emphasis or certificate at a school that also has faculty who work with Old French. Of the above I think only Knoxville doesn't qualify... Regarding the subject test--does that mean it's not as important to recognize works or authors? And probably takes longer because of all the reading comprehension?