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Gara

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Everything posted by Gara

  1. Hi guys! Just wondering whether anyone has advice about exactly what I should be doing early in my grad-school career (aside from studying, of course). Specifically, I want to use this time to be proactive about establishing connections both within and outside of my small department. I'm hoping that, by starting early, I'll give myself a better opportunity and more time to build a strong CV. I'm currently a master's student, but part of my motivation stems from a desire to to develop a CV that will help me grab the attention of PhD admissions boards in a year or two. I have some specific questions which I'll list below, but I'd appreciate any feedback, regardless of whether it directly addresses those questions. Okay, here goes: Should I be joining organizations like the MLA now, or should I focus on groups within my department?Would anyone recommend becoming an officer in my department's graduate student association?Should I be submitting any (good) paper I write for publication, or is it better to wait for a call for papers that corresponds to my research?Should I rely on my professors to help with newbie publications, or is this one of those take-the-bull-by-the-horns scenarios? Reading these questions, I realize I sound a little like a politician; I'm not solely motivated by my desire to "get ahead." I love what I'm studying, and I love the work I do, but I'm also aware of Humanities budget cuts and increased grad school enrollment. Things are a little dicey in English departments right now; while I know it's entirely possible that I will fail to secure employment (much less tenure) at the end of this long road, I don't want to fail knowing I could have done more.
  2. Awesome, thanks! That's really helpful information. I've been hearing positive reports about the town from a lot of people, so that makes me feel a little calmer about accepting an offer from a school I don't know very much about. Good to know that Lawrence is a safe town, too, as this will be my first foray into living alone. I really appreciate the help!
  3. I'm getting ready to accept an offer from KU, and I wanted to know a little more about the area. Any info is appreciated, but I have a few specific questions: -Are some housing areas near campus quieter? (i.e. more geared toward grad students?) -Is on-campus housing something I should consider, or is that not a great idea? -Is there a diverse bar scene, or is it mostly college bars with sticky floors and drunk undergrads? -Can you park on campus? These are just a few of my zillions of questions, so if you have other insights or advice, I'd love to hear it. Thanks!
  4. Does anyone know whether Notre Dame is admitting any more English PhD students? There are three acceptances listed on the results board, and those people were notified in early to mid-February. I assume that, at this point, I'm just waiting around for a rejection, but hope springs eternal. If anyone has any info on what kind of numbers they're taking this year or whether I should abandon my candlelight vigil, could you post it? I've been having a series of bizarre dreams about being accepted to the program, only the school is a floating island in the middle of the ocean, or it's constructed of oddly tall buildings... I'm losing it. I would consider tattooing the Pope's face across my back if that would make Notre Dame's adcomm understand my desperation to be admitted to their program. Think I should mention that? Thanks! And congrats to the three who posted admission, I wish you the best.
  5. Go. I hate to say it, considering the massively ridiculous clusterf%*#! they've already put you through, but there are a few reasons I think you should put on a happy face and at least see where it goes: 1.) Funding is hard to come by. If you can potentially avoid the debt you'd incur by paying for the other dream program, you owe it to yourself to understand your financial options. 2.) An interview is often the best way to see if a program is truly a good fit. Meeting with professors and possibly talking to other students in the program will give you a chance to do a gut check and see how it feels. 3.) Options are good. At the end of the day, more options means a greater chance that you'll find the perfect program for you. If I found myself in this situation, I'd go to the interview, but keep in mind that the program has less-than-stellar communication, and that I already have an awesome offer from a dream school. This means you can go into the interview secure in the knowledge that your dream school wants you and *might* (fingers crossed) even fund your work. That being said, CONGRATULATIONS! You're in.
  6. I got my letter from Loyola yesterday, and Chicago is sadly not in my future. At least I've got an offer from another school with funding. I probably couldn't afford to live in Chicago anyway. See how I'm trying to convince myself it's all for the best? I think it might be working! Oh... wait.... no. It's not working. Only five more to go. I shall wait stoically. And with wine. Good luck to everyone.
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