louisamae
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slouching reacted to a post in a topic:
The Trump Effect
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slouching reacted to a post in a topic:
The Trump Effect
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The Trump Effect
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The Trump Effect
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The Trump Effect
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The Trump Effect
louisamae replied to Dr. Old Bill's topic in Literature, and Rhetoric and Composition
@biyutefulphlower Certainly, certainly--the humanities will definitely need us/you, and other thoughtful teachers/thinkers--and that's what I've been trying to remind myself of. There's also something to be said for doing the best work you can where you can make the most progress. (Still, I can't help but feel like I could be putting in the grunt work for a more at-risk sector, yadda yadda yadda. I think my feelings also stem from the reality that so many sectors/communities/services are under siege right now, and I'm not sure where to begin (which is also why I'm trying to begin with what I know best--museums, etc.). Realistically, I know the usefulness of a risk/threat hierarchy has its limits, but still...Sigh...) -
The Trump Effect
louisamae replied to Dr. Old Bill's topic in Literature, and Rhetoric and Composition
Jumping feet-first into this convo because it's something I've been thinking a lot about. I have definitely been amongst those thinking that perhaps a PhD isn't the right move considering the US's swift demise into a fascist state--not out of fear for the humanities/higher education (though, Betsy Devos will be the death of public education, which poses an immediate threat to higher education/tenure), but rather, for fear that my time and energy might be better spent elsewhere. I'm having a hard time justifying spending the next 6-8 years in a classroom. Of course, I know the bulk of my PhD work will be with an eye towards decolonizing museum spaces, etc., but even that feels trivial at this point. Feels like we need boots on the ground, not heads in the clouds. Though I'm sure my pessimism is getting the best of me, in some regards... -
feelthebern16 reacted to a post in a topic:
Fall 2017
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Small Axe is amongst my favorite journals (though they work broadly on Carribean lit, art, visual culture). They consistently publish challenging and thoughtful (and often wonderfully poetic) crit.
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If anyone else is interested in developing an antifa-feminist-health-clinic-on-wheels as an effective Plan B, let me know!
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- admissions
- admissions season
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feelthebern16 reacted to a post in a topic:
Fall 2017
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Has anyone else been watching our nation devolve into a fascist state for the last few hours with the crippling dread that maybe a PhD isn't the best move right now...(amongst other crippling-dreads)?
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- admissions
- admissions season
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I believe the UCB interviews were more formal than they have been in years past, but I'm not entirely sure if they are a requirement for admission the way Northwestern/Stanford/IFA interviews seem to be.
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@Mazinha88 No, it wasn't! Sorry for any confusion
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@Popmochi I'd rather not say publically (sorry to be weird, I'm a bit cautious about these things!), but feel free to DM me. RE: your second question: I imagine the specifics of who gets asked what varies from program to program--and even professor to professor--but I mentioned being committed to a specific theoretical lens, and the professor asked me to speak to how I see that approach as one native to my research interests. I think it's common to be asked, at least in some regard, about your methodology. All my well-wishes to you, too!
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@Mazinha88 & @ArtDance20: I'm not sure Berkeley does interviews, but Stanford does--it looks like those invitations will be going mid-February? I had a brief phone interview earlier this month and I was almost exclusively asked to speak about my statement of purpose and proposed research questions. I would recommend that you know that document like the back of your hand--and of course, know exactly what you want to study, why, and how you plan to do so. Understanding the stakes of your research questions seems key here. Also, listen, listen, listen--to what they're asking you and what they're saying. I think I started the phone conversation feeling super formal and was giving somewhat canned responses to the Professor's questions. As soon as I loosened up and started really listening to what the Professor was asking (and therefore, what they were interested in with regards to my Statement), our conversation became much more natural, and I think much more successful. And ask your own questions! I asked a handful of questions about the Professor's research and pedagogical approach, and our conversation took off in those moments.
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With regards to the differences amongst fields, I mostly meant that you're less likely to hear back from Modernists/Americanists (not that you should be more cautious in reaching out), though that can also be said of any scholar (in any field) who presumably has a lot of interested applicants. @MaytheSchwartzBeWithYou That's awesome that you saw such enthusiastic responses from your POIs! For what it's worth, I'd also recommend people be thorough in reading their POI's pages before reaching out...some of them specifically ask students not to email them/to direct their questions about graduate studies to the DGS. Worst case scenario, you've explicitly disregarded your POI's request and quite possibly ticked them off in the process, all within your (presumably) first interaction. That's obviously the worst case scenario, but it's well within the realm of possibility. I'd just be cautious and thoughtful, as I'm sure all of us here are. Also, I definitely second getting in touch with grad students in the programs. It's been one of the most helpful/insightful things for me, and definitely guided my decisions in where to apply/who to name as POIs.
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I was advised that unless the department specifically encourages you to reach out to faculty within your area of interests, its best to let your application speak for itself. That being said, I've also heard that this varies widely amongst fields...i.e. Modernists and Americanists often don't speak with prospective students just because of the sheer number of applicants, but a scholar of, say, Northern Ren might be a lot more willing to chat, considering their field is relatively niche. This is all hearsay, of course. I reached out to one professor whose work had pretty strongly influenced my UG track (and whose department recommended applicants do so). I received a very pleasant but brief reply.
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@feelthebern16 One AH department straight up says, "Our department will email you regarding your application status after the deadline. Please don't email the department in that regard" so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I've reached out to the other...here's hoping everything's ok! TBH, I don't think it's a big deal. Everything's showing up as "received/verified" in the individual item checklist, so I have a feeling it's just that the department hasn't updated the status yet. (Obviously I vacillate between feeling very anxious about these things and entirely blasé, but so be it...just part of the process, I guess...) Thanks for the well-wishes! Best of luck to all of you! ~crossing fingers for us all~
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Certainly. I've heard that in the past, these things aren't updated for quite some time (and that generally, if you've paid the application fee, the Department will reach out to you if you actually are missing any materials), but can't hurt to be extra-cautious. Definitely would help my nerves...
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Does anyone else have a lot of anxiety about application "status" on online portals? Some of mine still say things like "materials needed" or "incomplete," despite also saying they've "received" all required materials (GREs, transcripts, etc.)...I know this probably just means that the school hasn't updated the status, but I can't help but worry...eurgh.
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Thanks a million @fuzzylogician ! Helps clear things up.