AP

I'm in the humanities. I know people in other humanities disciplines (including English) who contacted faculty when applying. This is why I advised doing so. Of course, you know your field better than me so OP should take your point.

Well, my response is a little different. Only a little. You say you want to study the effect of X on Y in Z setting. However, as historians we are seldom equally drawn by X, Y, and Z. What's most interesting to you? The context? The effects? The object of effects? This may pose a difference between your research. If you don't know yet, that's ok. As @fuzzylogician suggested, talk to your advisor after you know what you want (or work with him/her to determine that). Then, you'll be in a good position to understand where you stand in relation to the other professor. Also, as a reminder, we historians use an array of sources with different methodologies. As part of the research that @Sigaba proposed, pay attention to these. The fact that professors do stuff does not mean that they are overarching. The purpose of our discipline is to build on each other's work. At one point you will have to contact this other professor. As far as I can tell right now, it is highly probable that he/she becomes a member in your committee. AP

Probably the AHA has those numbers. History departments have to submit some stats to them at the end of each academic year. I don't recall if there is gender information but you should look there.

I'm not going to repeat what other have said. I agree with their advice and I also think you should a. focus on your sessions, b. highlight your achievements, c. think long term. I was a little stroke by this comment. Unlike undergrad, grad school is up to you. Your advisor probably feels that he/she thought you'll be able to manage the "freedom" or autonomy but clearly you needed someone to accompany you a little closer, at least for sometime. This is not rare. Based on what you tell us, it feels that you are doing a better job than you think. If it takes a little longer, what's wrong with that? A very close friend of mine is a similar situation as you. He always gets very harsh feedback from his advisor (which turns out to be very useful) and I have seen him cry numerous times because EVERY TIME he gets an e-mail he thinks he should quit. Part of grad school is to grow, and growing hurts a little. Just take a breath, gain perspective, and then make small decisions that will help you stay on track and gain your PhD. Good luck!

Are you familiar with "the 7 habits of Highly effective people" by Steven Covey? It's a book, but I got to know it as a course in a school I worked. It changed my way of using my time. A good tip from this book is the quadrant (if you google the name of the book and "quadrant" you'll see it). It's a very well-known table (I cannot post it because I didn't find with the proper rights to redistribute). It has two columns: Urgent and Not Urgent, and two rows: Important and Not Important. Not Urgent + Not Important = trivia, some mail, phone calls, time-wasters, pleasant activities, Facebook, etc. Urgent + Not Important = the worst (for me). Interruptions, pressing matters, people that come with their urgent stuff but it is not urgent for you (eg, when they are missing a deadline), etc. Urgent + Important = Crises, Deadlines, Pressing problems, firefighting. This is our last weeks writing the dissertation. You want to keep these to a minimum. Not Urgent + Important = Prevention, production, relationship building, planning, creation and recreation, opportunities. You want to identify these priorities first and plan accordingly. Eg: I wanted to apply for grant X. Due date on day Y and I had to be ABD by day Z. There were two things I had to plan: the due date (a week after my comps) and being ABD on time (a month or so earlier than my cohort). So I wrote the grant application over the summer, had it edited and done by the time I started my comps (late Fall), finished comps and submitted grant with minor revisions, wrote my prospectus and defended two days before I needed to be ABD (just in case). I didn't get the grant but I definitely show myself how a good planner I can be if identify my priorities. Well, it's just ONE way, I hope it helps! AP

WHAT?! I mean, I am generous enough but your request could get people into trouble. Libraries pay for rights of access and if anyone discovers that someone has been giving you their account, they and the library could get into serious legal problems for granting access for people outside their subscription. In most cases, only students, faculty and staff have this kind of access. We could discuss for hours about whether this is right or wrong and how scholarship has not democratic access to resources. Yet, for the time being, I would be more careful about requests like this. An alternative is to request scans through your InterLibrary Loan office. You wouldn't have access to roam around but if you know what issue you are looking for, you can get a scanned/physical copy. I've had MANY resources I don't have access to scanned through ILL. Also, if this source is the basis of your research you may ask your library to purchase privileges. Finally, since you are in Montreal you may look at other libraries that may have access from campus. In my library, we have visitor stations from where patrons can access our electronic resources. It is not ideal because of course you want to be at home in your pjs doing research, but it is better than nothing and certainly better than asking for somebody's library account.

How did you create a short list? What things did you take into account? I understand if these reasons are not purely academic, but I am sure you have academic reasons as well. For example, when I was deciding where to apply, stipend played a major role and sometimes outgrew scholarship. If I couldn't be guaranteed funding, I wouldn't apply because as an international student like yourself, I don't have access to student loans. In my experience, what makes a good justification is intersecting your interests with faculty work. Have you contacted any professor to discuss this? If not, you should. Yes, it's weird at first, but it works very well! I had several informal interviews with many professors before applying. As regard your "profile", I am sorry. I really don't understand why people display numbers to other people asking for an assessment. I have nothing to say here, I would feel very uncomfortable doing so. Finally, in your post you sound a little shy. Your grammatical structure -though perfect- lacks the assertiveness you need in your applications. And this is easy to fix. Instead of using "long" verb phrases, be more direct: Get the hint? Now, something I have learned from people that helped me with my application is: do not (I mean it: DO NOT) disclose what you don't have. Specialization? Don't worry, many people make it to grad school unsure of what they want. Show what you do have, be assertive and straight-forward (I love this word) about your application. Show that the best decision the admission committee will make is to accept you. (By the way, I know this was totally unsolicited advice, so my apologies...)

Aha, several things here. Did you have to write papers in your first semester? If no, I see how this is a sort of surprise to you. If yes, then how come you are thinking about this now? Do you want feedback? (It seems you do) Then ask for it. Professors have many things going on in their academic and personal life. Have you asked to any of the other 19 people in the courses if they got any feedback? If so, were you left out or was it a general thing? As @Sigaba and @rising_star mentioned, 20 is a large number for a graduate class (with some exceptions). So, most probably, professors will give you feedback only if you want it. You probably know this because you've finished your first year in a Master's, but as reminder: grad school is up to you. You shape your education, your questions, your scholarship. You have to be the lead in your own work. Yes, this is easy for me to say as more advanced than you and no, I did not believe this in my first or second years! But I look back, and it is true. Want feedback? Ask for it. The worse that could happen is that professors say no. I think you made a good point saying "I want to explore these theories further". Go for it!

Ask your advisor.

I also included the professors I wanted to work with and why. In the humanities at least, you have to be more straightforward about faculty and department strengths. I think that it went something like this: "... Professor X's approach to immigration from an A perspective will help me develop... Professor Y's recent book on B and its impact on C certainly shaped how I ask questions about B." I think I used very assertive tenses, like "wil" instead of "would probably". But again, this is only me, a tiny someone in the humanities Best of luck!

Great! BTW, most us (I think) gave this advice because either we also wrote endless papers at some point or we got this advice from someone early on and were able to avoid over-the-limit writing. In my case, I learned it the hard way, editing and editing, and now I am so used to write more concisely that I can focus more on scholarship and less on paragraph structure. It's a process, but a good one. Today it took you two days, tomorrow only one. Most importantly here, you listened to advice. You asked something hoping to get responses to reassure your view and, instead, you got the opposite. And you were humble enough to admit that view was erroneous and change it for your own good. That's, I think, a more important progress than editing. Asking and accepting advice from peers is what we do every day (think about tenure promotion, peer reviews, comments in conferences). You asked for help and you took it, despite your previous approach to writing. This is not easy to do because no one wants to admit they need help or guidance. But we are in grad school to learn. So, congratulations on making a better professional out of yourself. (I've just re-read this and it sounds very motivational, sorry!!! hahaha) AP

Correct. You only add stuff like this if you were runner up, honorable mention, finalist. And it depends on what. For a university prize I wouldn't include it unless you get it.

Why would you transfer funds? That's expensive. Besides, you'll need a SSN to open a bank account (at least I remember needing to do that before going to the bank). I had an international credit card and used it as much as I could and paid for it with my funds back home. I also brought as much cash as I could (not easy getting dollars) and also used them.

When I started school I asked the same question and the advice I got was: choose one and stick to that one. By "one" they meant one between Zotero or Endnote. I chose Zotero. It is free, it has good extensions for word processors and websites, and it syncs online.

I'm with you, cranky and all.

Yes, BUT my problem is not that they don't listen to advice. I mean, it's up to them. You don't want to listen, fine, whatever. The problem is when these beings grow into advanced students and give TERRIBLE advice. Or they defend a thesis/prospectus/dissertation of VERY questionable quality without taking any advice from the faculty that challenge them. I would phrase it as people that come to school to show how much they know instead of coming for learning.

I think it depends, as some have mentioned, on the type of research and the percentage of costs you'd be willing to pay out of pocket. A couple of years ago I got funding for going to my research site. It was less than expected so I had to cut off two non-priority archives from that trip. Last year, I got funding for flights and managed to get free lodging so I only paid for food. Also, in my school we are funded unevenly over the summer (some students are funded three months, some are funded one or two). So you are sort of expected to use some of your stipend towards research costs (the rule of thumb is 50%).

I summarized my thesis into a strong article-length paper.

This has been a fun thread to read. In conclusion: If a professor asks for your paper in electronic form, just send it. If a professor asks for your paper in electronic form and you want to know why, just ask him/her. If you don't want to send it for any reason, don't send it and deal with the consequences. If you are not ready to deal with people's mistakes with a click, then move to Mars.

Rejections can be due a large number of things, many of which have nothing to with you, and many of which do. For example, it depends on the program you applied for, the professors available, your funding situation, your SoP... Also, it depends on the pool of applicants, on the competition of that year, and on the faculty priorities. It is hard to say why you got rejected because you provided information for what you should have been admitted. I don't know how you field handles this, but if you had any contact with any professor, I would ask them in which way you can improve the application for next year. They won't tell you much, but may be they drop a line or two. Also, do you know anyone that is attending grad school now? It helped me a lot have someone read my materials before I sent them. Finally, have you considered other programs? For example, and this comes from someone outside your field so forgive me if I am wrong, do you think TAMU committee would wonder why you didn't apply for their Qatar campus? The bright side is that you have experience for next time!

Hey, first of all, relax! Things always work better when you are relaxed. Second, read this forum on strategies and this post on some advice (by me, hahaha). Third, as far as getting a sense of accomplishment, set out a BIG aim (passing comps) and then work backwards in time setting little objectives that can help you achieve your aim. For example, read X amounts of books/reviews/papers a day/week. I wrote a lot of outlines for questions I thought I might get. So you can also set an aim as write three outlines by Wednesdays and Saturdays. And so on. All the best!

In the same way you would mention awards that you got but declined in your CV, I know people that include their being finalists for grants or even for some jobs! I guess it also depends on the field and the purpose of the CV. EG: I was awarded a "small" "rather obscure" scholarship, as @fuzzylogician described them. It was for going on an program in a place that now has become central for my research. The award shows that I have been going to this place frequently –even before starting a PhD– and hence, I am familiar with it. But yes, DEFINITELY include awards you GOT but declined because you GOT THEM!!!! (And congrats on getting them!!! )

Great questions. Yes, we have all asked them and responded them but I cannot see the hurt in doing it again 1) Apartments: I first asked other grad students that contacted me. Nobody helped much. I went into the university graduate student housing page/whatever and found that they offered off-campus furnished apartment with roommates. In your first year you want to do well in school and adjust properly to the new lifestyle. So I figured that not worrying about furniture, leaving close to campus, and having roommates was a good idea. It totally was. My roommates helped me a lot adjusting, and I was so close to campus that I did not need to think about getting a car yet. Also, I checked for grocery stores, pharmacies, and post offices within walking distance. Finally, no huge moving out when I left at the end of the year! By then, I decided I wanted a car and hence needed to pay less rent. So I got a car for my second year and moved in with a friend -again, I didn't get any furniture-. 2) International students' stuff: There is usually an office for international people on campus that helps with more "legal" matters. You have to report to them when you get to the US and they are the ones that sign your I-20 and help you with tax returns. In my school we also have an office for international students that focus on social events, adjusting, and the like. They receive "used" kitchenware, small appliances, etc. from leaving students and give it for free to other international students. Hence, reach out to both these offices to know more about how to better adjust to the US. They usually have comprehensive guides in their websites that you can start reading now! 3) I arrived in the US a month and a half before I was going to received my first stipend. I didn't bring all the cash with me, but in total I had saved for a month and a half worth of stipend. That's how I worked it out. I bought a couple of things on Amazon to have here when I arrived (sheets, towels, some toiletries). As weeks went by, you more or less begin to sort out what you want/need and what you can get in your nearby store and what you can't. The second thing a bought was a bike 4) Avoid credit unions for opening a bank account. Go to your campus, search the nearby banks and the ATMs on campus and chose a "real" bank, one that has branches elsewhere. For example, I travel often abroad for research so I wanted a bank not with branches abroad but with alliances at least so that if ANYTHING happened, I could go to them. Last summer, something did happen and I could solve it from this associate bank overseas. With cell phones, that's a different story. I've had two less known companies and they have worked VERY well. Because of my frequent travel, I needed an unblocked phone so I could use it overseas. My best investment thus far! 5) You should be paying attention to trimming your clothes/accesories. I remember being cautious about what I wanted to bring because a) I wanted to feel at home (so I brought some decorations) and b ) I wanted also to have some "old" clothes. You'll get rid of them eventually As a result, I sold a lot of clothes and furniture and that went into my savings account for that first month. 6) Don't rush. You have time to decide. Make a list of priorities and solve them accordingly. For eg, as I mentioned my first year I didn't want to deal with teaching, that's why I applied for schools that did not require teaching in our first year. Picky, I know, but the uprooting and cultural shock are intense enough to add classroom responsibilities. Another of my priorities was to be able to get to and from campus easily. It worked out because in my second year I could decide where to live once I had actually lived in this city. 7) Rely on other people. You are not the first nor the last international student in your school, your town, your department (hopefully). Use the resources available. Search for forums, communicate, ask, and ask a lot. I have learned that you already have "no" as answer so you might as well ask for help. Yesterday, for example, ten people came to help us move. Ten people could have stayed in their pools and decided to help out. You will build this relationships upon giving and asking, so might as well start now! AP

I'm a bit confused between your advisor and "them". Is "them" the rest of your committee? And by "committee" you mean what exactly? I ask this because my exams committees of first and second years changed in my third year, and my prospectus committee was very different from my dissertation one. At least in my department, committees do change, and I know people that changed primary advisors. You should ask people in your program so as to see how to tackle the situation. My intuition tells me you should talk these things over with the DGS. He/she is in charge of making sure no one gets offended if you change advisor (or anything else). Also, remember we are adults. If people get offended, you cannot do anything about that. I'm also confused by your second to last paragraph. As I understand, you want to change topics. Have you been writing grant applications? The evolution of your interests should be reflected there and your "committee" should be reading those. In this paragraph, however, you seem to resent other things besides their indifference. I'd go smoothly here. I don't know how your e-mails look like, but maybe you could revise these (and use all those responsibilities to your advantage)? EG: Dear Professor X, bla bla bla. I am writing to request a meeting with you to discuss my work as I move forward in the program. As I have been exposed to colleagues, methodologies, and other faculty, I have though more about issues such as bla bla bla. This means expanding my previous interests into bla bla bla. I'd love to hear what you have to say and bla bla bla. Or something like that (use "positive" verbs). But, again, I am not entirely sure I completely understand the problem. On a side note, sabbaticals are regular among faculty. You probably realized that many professors are on sabbatical at any given time. Some, for resting because they had a lot of responsibilities lately; some others, for finishing up books/projects. That said, I am sure there has been a misunderstanding with your advisor as he/she thought the year would go one way and apparently it didn't. Did you talk things over before the sabbatical started? Eg, with my advisor we agreed I'd send everything to another professor first. (I wouldn't look too much into the auto reply e-mail). Hope it helps a little bit!