Courtney Whited

English Literature

Question: For a fully-funded education and the chance to attend a new school, would you be willing to go down in rank if the other option was your alma mater?

Hello everyone, Just going to make a thread seeing who would be attending Oklahoma State University this Fall. I just made the decision yesterday, and I am excited for the opportunity!

I have yet to start my graduate program yet, as I will be beginning my MA in the Fall, but I am very open about my goals and very passionate about my interest in English literature. I've noticed that this makes me get tunnel vision most of the time, and I am not going to apologize for that. I will pull myself out to release stress once a week or once every week and a half, but my research, my work, and my future come first. Period. I say this because I know from experience that it causes problems for my dating life. When I am dating I am perfectly fine with only seeing my SO once a week, which most of my partners were not okay with. They wanted more of my time, more of my attention, and more of my energy. I'm not saying this is wrong, but it was not for me. Even one guy I dated who was in a graduate program to teach middle school didn't understand the time and effort I was putting into my undergraduate thesis, my applications, and my classes. So, what I am trying to say is that it depends less on whether or not you both are academics and more on what you expect out of the relationship. If you want a partner that you are around a lot--whether that means date night or just both in the same room doing your thing--then you look for someone who wants and can give you that. If you are like me and don't mind a more (probably not the right wording, but oh well) spacious relationship, then you should look for someone who is able to give you that without feeling threatened or ignored. It's about being open when discussing what it is you specifically need in a relationship.

I have made an official decision that I am incredibly excited about! I will be accepting my offer from Oklahoma State University! This means that I will be taking myself off the wait list for funding at the University of Tennessee. I weighed the pros and cons, and it seemed to me that, even though Oklahoma is ranked lower than UT, the opportunities that I would have if I moved schools instead of going to the same school twice outweighed the ranking system. Also, there are numerous professors at Oklahoma who I feel will broaden and improve my research. I will miss my professors at UT so much, but I just felt like it was time to move forward. The Oklahoma program is, also, teaching heavy, which I really like. I love my own research and being a part of the literary community, but I also want to teach and gain experience that will benefit me in the long run both personally and professionally. It is a bittersweet moment for me, as it will be the first time I move away from my hometown and the friends, colleagues, and mentors I made while at Pellissippi State and UTK have been so influential and have meant so much to me that leaving them is a very hard thing to do, but I have to make the decision that fits best with my future goals.

Oh gosh! Yeah, sorry about that

@Old Bill Thank you so much! I have heard great things about the program, and it will be my first time moving away from my hometown. I am ready for the new experiences it brings (I hope).

I was just accepted, but I will not be able to visit due to the drive being 13 hours from where I live. I am so looking forward to meeting everyone though!

I was just accepted with a fully funded GTA position to Oklahoma State University! I am so excited about this! I was also accepted to University of Tennessee, Knoxville, but I was put on the wait list for funding. I am going to look over my options (as in, seeing what my funding options would be at UTK if I a am pushed up off the wait list) for about a week before making my final decision, but I am leaning towards OSU right now.

@cypressknee That list of questions is incredibly helpful! Thank you so much!

The writing sample I used was about The Spanish Tragedy by Thomas Kyd. I connected Bel-Imperia as the mortal counterpart of Proserpine, meaning that--just as Proserpine begins the plot through asking her husband to allow her to send Revenge into the court--Bel-Imperia sets the plot going in the mortal world through her romantic involvements. I basically argue that this gives more female agency to the play than, perhaps, even Kyd meant there to be. I support this through lesser known myths surrounding Proserpine as a goddess that uses affairs and her sexual identity as a way to avenge her kidnapping and forced marriage. Through this I, also, explore the ways in which female sexuality was seen as an ultimate form of revenge in sixteenth/seventeenth century drama. It is amazing to hear all these theories and arguments. It definitely gives me a distraction as I wait to hear about funding!

I am going into the Masters program, but I have yet to hear about funding.

Hello everyone, I am started a graduate program in English literature in Fall 2017, and one of the schools I am considering attending is Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma. While I have traveled, I've only ever lived in Knoxville, Tennessee. I am just looking to see if anyone has advice about Stillwater, can tell me about the cost of living, give me a bit of information about the town's aesthetic, what there is to do, and the type of people that (generally) live there. I want to make sure that my personality is a good fit for the environment and that I'll be able to make a group of friends when I get there.

Has anyone heard from Oklahoma State University? I am getting anxious

I was debating applying to PhD programs directly, but I decided to go into the MA program first instead because I felt like it would give me more time to develop my studies and create a network for myself. I am very happy with my decision. I would wait for all your offers to come in before completely making your decision, but if you are leaning towards MA then I would trust your instincts. I know that there are a lot of factors to take into account when making these decisions, but I also think we go into this work because we love and are passionate about it (why else would we torture ourselves?) so taking the time to get an MA before a PhD wouldn't be the end of the world, in my opinion. That's just why I made the decision. I hope this helps!