BooksCoffeeBeards
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Posts posted by BooksCoffeeBeards
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*emerges from unpacked boxes*
Well, it's been two weeks, and I'm starting to settle in to the new place with my GF.
Jesus, Arizona is hot.
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I've donated, sold, or handed off SO many items, as well as clothing, during this packing/moving process. It's actually been a big relief since I will have to move mostly major furniture items (a couch, two IKEA book shelves, dining table/chairs, kitchen side table, and 4-drawer dresser), clothing, books, and DVDs.
I thought I was going to be buried in stuff, but it turns out...not so much.
How is everyone else's packing/moving business going?
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I lived in a small townhouse complex on the south end of town called Varsity Square. It's not within walking distance, but it is VERY quiet and very grad-student friendly (at least when I was there from 2007-09). I would say that if you're worried about avoiding undergraduates, it's going to be tough; it's better just to avoid the high-traffic areas when people usually go out for partying and drinking (Thursday-Saturday). After a while, you'll find that it's easy to avoid them or maneuver around them when you're out and about yourself.
My point is that it will be hard to avoid them since the population of the campus itself is about the same as the rest of the town. But, it can be done, and you can likely find your own places to do things in town, or a short drive out of town.
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1 hour ago, Neist said:
I'm just a lurker in a corner of the boards that hold little relevance to me, but..
Arizona State sounds like a great place! I love how forward thinking they are, and I'd love to have gone there if I could have actually studied what I wanted to there.
The school is super huge, though. Have you visited? It's a very big school. It might be the largest campus in the US.
I have a feeling I will LOVE it at ASU, but I know I'm in for a bit of culture shock. I went to two mid-sized public universities for undergrad/grad (Eastern Michigan and Bowling Green, respectively); in addition, I just finished teaching at a Univ. of Michigan satellite campus (Flint), where they have about 12 buildings total. 12.
That's about one corner of the ASU Tempe campus alone.
But, I think I will enjoy it immensely. Like you said, they are very forward-thinking there, especially at the graduate level. I'm also excited to work within a department that seems to have more resources than normal for a humanities department.
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I chose to attend Arizona State because it was the only offer I got
But for real, they were at the top of my list, just behind WashU-STL and CU-Boulder. They have an amazing Jane Austen scholar there who has already agreed to be my advisor throughout my PhD track! In addition, they have a good number of faculty who work with Critical Theory and Digital Humanities, which gives me a good group to work with as I blend DH with traditional aspects of theory and literary analysis.
The faculty have been nothing but helpful and supportive as I start the big move from Flint, MI to Phoenix. I am going to Skype the DGS and my faculty advisor next week to discuss more aspects of the program, my plans post-PhD, and anything they can do to help with the big moving process. It's been surreal in the best way I can imagine.
But, just like @HumanCylinder, I've been out of school for a while (7 years, to be accurate). I am worried that the transition to the other side of the classroom will be rough, considering how I am used to seeing myself as only an instructor (as far as my academic role goes). While I have complete faith that I can do this, I do have nagging worries, especially about bad habits from undergrad and my MA studies creeping back up...
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2 hours ago, EmmaJava said:
Hi everyone, thanks for all the congratulatory comments! @redjacobin, thanks so much for your decline, talk about a windfall for me. Crazy how the dominoes fall, isn't it? Well, that's it for me - I am committing to UVa and what can I say, it's been a wild ride. I'll let Purdue, DU and Mizzou know that they can remove me from their lists, if that is helpful to anyone. I sure hope so. I'm likely to sign off for some time only because my relationship with social media is kinda love-hate, but I have appreciated all the trench-like camaraderie and support and humor and you name it. Good luck to all, sincerely.
Congrats on having a program locked up!!
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I just exited a faculty meeting announcing my departure, regardless of the outcome of this application cycle. Then, I got to email everyone with a BETTER reason for why I was departing!
I shut my office door and cried, silently, by myself when i read the email. After 7 years and 3 applications cycles, with one waitlist 6 years ago to show for it, I was beginning to think this was a dead-end road for me. The amount of relief and joy that hit me has been difficult to describe, even over a week later.
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5 hours ago, sarabethke said:
I'm in at Mississippi!
HOORAY!!!!
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2 hours ago, HumanCylinder said:
I still haven't heard from ASU, so I was thinking of emailing the department again to ask about my status, or maybe just to let them know that they can remove my name from consideration if they are still in the process of notifying. Would you mind sharing who from the department contacted you about your admission?
I sent you a message with their emails.
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Just now, Neist said:
This might be college student sacrilege, but I've never been to an Ikea.
Oklahoma doesn't have one.
Oh that's not sacrilege; they're few and far between once you get away from the east/midwest/west coast.
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20 hours ago, sjoh197 said:
I like to use Wayfair.com for things like computer desks and coffee tables and office stuff.
I was thinking of doing this after I move, but there is also an IKEA right in Tempe...
*foaming at the mouth*
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I am starting my PhD in English at ASU this August. My girlfriend grew up in the Phoenix area before her family moved to central Illinois, and she's excited to go back! I've never been to AZ before (just NM a few times the last few years), so I don't know what life in the desert will be like after 31 years in the upper-Midwest.
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On 3/27/2016 at 0:16 AM, Neist said:
Basically, yup. All new clothing. Usually name brand. Quite cheap. There's one close to my in-laws and whenever I visit I stock up on clothes.
I have 2 huge outlet malls within 30 minutes of me (both directions) - I'll be getting some more desert-friendly clothing from there before I move (and after I donate some older clothes I don't wear/don't fit me anymore).
Almost any store usually has a LOT of stuff on clearance this time of year too - hit those sections up and you can find some pretty professional clothing on the cheap too. I usually do that at places like Kohl's 2-3 times a year.
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I'm finishing up my last semester as a NTT faculty member, and then spending two months packing and working online (test scoring) before I move to Phoenix/Tempe.
In the mean time, I will be reading as much as I can, making a trip to central Illinois to help my girlfriend pack, and making some last rounds of visits to friends and family in Michigan.
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The only real issue I am having is coordinating the move from Michigan to Tempe/Phoenix.My girlfriend lives in central Illinois, and we have very different processes to go through to get out of our current leases. We can move early-to-mid June at the very earliest, and we both want to do that.
It's going to be a hectic 2 months...
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Well, I got into a PhD program finally!
Also, I submitted a proposal to a journal a couple weeks back and should hear about it anytime soon. I'm just excited I got the damn thing done in the middle of a hectic last semester.
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3 minutes ago, Need Coffee in an IV said:
I talked to my potential adviser today and she was so welcoming/friendly! I have an amazing feeling going to Texas Tech. I'm also happy everyone is excited! @BooksCoffeeBeards Yay, congrats! Weren't you nervous about hearing decisions back or am I confusing you with someone else. I'll also be in the southwest!
I was definitely nervous! This was my third cycle in 7 years, so I was feeling it a lot more than I had before.
I'm so relieved now I barely know what to do with myself...
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*cracks open a beer*
Looks like I'm heading to Phoenix this summer. ASU, here I come!
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Hi! I just got my acceptance to ASU today. I'll be going for a PhD in English Literature. I will be moving with my girlfriend in June!
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7 minutes ago, Wyatt's Terps said:
Aaaah! So happy for you, BooksCoffeeBeards! Like @mk-8, I've been keeping my fingers crossed for you all this time. I've heard some really good things about ASU...and if you happen to love sunshine or golf, it should be paradise for you. Congrats!
Thank you! (and you as well, @mk-8!) I think the sunshine will do me fine, after 31 years in Michigan (well, and 2 in Ohio for my MA).
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@hippyscientist and @Neist - I GOT IN!
Starting my PhD in English-Literature at Arizona State this fall!
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Claiming the ASU acceptance!!
- Dr. Old Bill, mk-8, EmmaJava and 8 others
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I just got an email from the DGS at ASU saying paperwork is forthcoming!?!?
IS IT FINALLY HAPPENING!?!?!?!
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4 hours ago, HumanCylinder said:
Wow, that is quite the gap in time. It's also interesting to know that they only took 7. I guess I am not technically rejected because the email I received essentially said they liked my app (though clearly not enough to make the official wait list) and are keeping it alive for some highly unlikely, 11th hour scenario. Ultimately, it amounts to little more than some type of "moral victory."
I'm not sure if you'd be interested -- I'm definitely still hopeful that ASU will come through this year -- but in case you apply in the future, both Texas A&M and Utah have recently hired people who work in digital humanities in addition to having strong 19th c. faculty. I also seem to remember Washington State having a digital humanities focus. BTW, I still have no word from ASU.
I will keep those schools in mind, should I apply in the future.
I am still holding out hope for ASU. I've had odd interactions with them the last few days. I had also inquired about their certificate programs in Critical Theory and Digital Humanities, and one of the faculty contacts for the Critical Theory program is also the DGS. He asked me a few questions about my PhD application too, and remembered my SOP, Writing Sample, and directed me to one POI I had mentioned. This was all between Sunday and early Thursday this week.
So, yeah.
- HumanCylinder and EmmaJava
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2
Evening Food/Dining
in Officially Grads
Posted
I downloaded this PDF a few months ago, and I'm already finding it to be helpful!
I have one evening class, but I also have two long days on campus where I take a morning class, and teach two classes from late afternoon-to-early evening. I can't stress enough what everyone is saying re: cooking, leftovers, a filling snack before/during class, or just being aware of all the options available to you and planning ahead. Luckily for me, ASU is right in the middle of Tempe, and there are some fairly affordable food options between my light rail stop and the buildings I need to go. But, that's not something I can do *every* day, and is only helpful if I am on a tight schedule that day, or am in between leftovers and a new set of meals.
Additionally, I would say make sure you also have water with you during the long classes. During my MA studies, I would only drink water since any caffeine jolt to keep me focused would ultimately keep me up well into the night, and I would be regretting it in the morning as I ran off to teach.
Above all, just get into a routine for preparing food and you should be set for evening class.