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cowgirlsdontcry

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Everything posted by cowgirlsdontcry

  1. cowgirlsdontcry
    UA only took 5 Ph.D. students this year. There are a number of Americanists who are professors. I don't really know how they treat MA students outside the Strode program, but I don't believe any school is going to take the time to carefully consider and then offer admission and funding to a student, only to ignore them. UA took a long time to select students. I figured I was at the bottom of the pile on the waitlist, but they had no waitlist. They were simply being careful. I'm an older non-traditional student, therefore, I had another career in law as a paralegal/legal assistant, before gaining a BA/MA in English. I don't believe any graduate or professional program is going to coddle or cater to students. We are adults and quite capable, with a minimum of direction, of finding our way and getting through a program. I have just finished an MA and sometimes I felt like I was floundering around like a fish out of water, but eventually I settled down and understood this feeling of lostness has nothing to do with either the school or the professors. It's us, because we are unsure. From what the other GAs I worked with at NSU stated about feeling the same and what some of the younger professors said, it's part of the process. Grad school is no picnic. My thoughts about selecting a dissertation advisor are: I don't want to be just like anyone else. The person I need for advisor must be an Americanist, and someone who is flexible, allowing me to make my own mistakes and find my way with their guidance. It's very simple. From the first day, you start listening and looking for that advisor who is the right person. You will find them.
  2. cowgirlsdontcry
    I will start this fall Cotton Joe and will be attending the University of Alabama. The school where I received my undergrad & M.A. is a smaller state school in Louisiana that is a Tier 1 South Regional University. My plan is to find an Americanist who works in contemporary American literature or perhaps dabbles in Southern literature because McCarthy is a Southern writer (of sorts). I want as broad of an American education as I can obtain, as it widens the view I have of the canon and my ability to teach it. My personal research interests are where I hope to find my heart. I have other interests besides McCarthy, as I like to present at conferences and will be looking at publishable papers, so I do want to spread out somewhat. I spent a year at UMass as an undergrad exchange student. There was a senior undergrad class on dystopic video games. It sounded interesting but I'm not a very good player so thought I better stay away from it. I presented on McCarthy's Suttree at the Early Americanists' Conference this year. Suttree is in no way an early American text, but McCarthy uses the canon and there was a panel on Southern writers at the conference, so my paper was accepted.
  3. cowgirlsdontcry
    You say it yourself--that you "want to work in the non-academic sector." You don't need a Ph.D. to do that. Do you already have an M.A. in film or some associated field? If you don't have one, you can pick that up either where you live or through a state university's online M.A. program if you feel that would enhance your CV. Film studies at my school is in the English Department.
  4. cowgirlsdontcry
    I am in the South and will be attending a Southern university for my Ph.D. beginning in the fall. My M.A. thesis was on the disillusionment of Cormac McCarthy. I used a book from each of his periods to illustrate that disillusionment with American ideologies, as well as to a greater global level in The Road. It is my belief you must connect them back to whatever the writer is destroying the planet over, which means you need to go back and look at those issues in the present before the apocalypse. I don't think there is necessarily the particular genre you are thinking of, but rather much of it is post-modern and Americanists mix it up. I had a post-modern American lit class last year and out of the 9 texts, 3 were post-apocalyptic. A broad American background makes it possible to connect post-apocalyptic and dystopic texts with earlier texts. Have you considered The Road as a road trip and analyzing it against Steinbeck and Kerouac, or as a grail quest? Peter Heller's Dog Stars uses a LOT of The Road. As McCarthy once said, "books are made out of books." I once compared Defoe's early modern novel A Journal of the Plague Year to 28 Days Later in a paper. It worked -- same basic plot. My own method is to get as broad of an American education as possible, and narrow my research reading to my particular interests, which will lead into my dissertation as an expansion on McCarthy's writing.
  5. cowgirlsdontcry
    You should add Univ of Nebraska to that list. I have heard they have an awesome American Studies program focusing in Native American studies. UMass also has an indigenous people program; however, it's not connected to the English Department so their focus may be historical or anthro. Those are all great programs you have listed, but you don't sound sure about whether they have what you need. Because I'm interested in Southern Lit as a secondary interest to contemporary American Lit, I did not concern myself with ranking, but rather, chose to apply to schools that had programs in place where I could pursue all of my interests. You can also be sure if you apply to a school that doesn't have at least 1 or 2 professors in the area of your interests, they will wonder why you applied there no matter their overall ranking. "Fit" is something universities discuss. Applications are also expensive, with the cost of sending transcripts and additional GREs to universities over and above the cost each university charges to apply. I applied to 9 universities and it cost me approximately $900 or $100 per school.
  6. cowgirlsdontcry
    I was a Ph.D. candidate this season and was accepted at UA where I will be attending this fall. I am receiving my M.A. at a Tier 1 South Regional University (10,000 students) and attended here because I own a house in Louisiana. My interests lie in contemporary American Literature, and Southern Lit, as a sub-genre. UA has a large number of Americanists among its faculty, and from what I have read that's where some of your interests lie. As a non-traditional older student, I can tell you that you should go where your heart tells you to go. From the dealings I have had with the English Department at UA thus far, they are open and friendly. They let me know how much they liked and appreciated my application. I already feel comfortable with them and believe I will build a good rapport with my professors, whom I will be able to talk to openly about various research projects I have going on. When I was an undergrad I did an exchange for a year at UMass. The number of classes amazed me, but I can honestly say the professors at my home school were just as good. In fact, although the department at my home school is not large, our professors are very involved with the grad students. I was one of 4 GAs in the department (not a large department). Three of us applied to Ph.D. programs and all of us were accepted into programs. I say all this and come back to my early point--go where your heart tells you to go.
  7. cowgirlsdontcry
    My interests somewhat parallel yours, in that I like contemporary American lit and as a subgenre - Southern Lit. My M.A. thesis was titled The Disillusionment of Cormac McCarthy. It focuses on how McCarthy's disillusionment with American ideologies challenges them and calls for change in his three periods. In preparing for my thesis, I did a lot of research on the origins of these ideologies and how writers contributed greatly to creating falsehoods within and about the ideologies, so I was reading a lot of Puritan through 19th century stuff. I have been all over the American Canon doing research and will continue as I work on research for a dissertation. Where will you be attending Adornos?
  8. cowgirlsdontcry
    I am finishing up an M.A. and will be going on to a Ph.D. program in the fall. I an anxious about the move, getting furniture, etc. there, leaving my home here, which I own and I don't have time to prep for sale; and starting a new unknown program. The M.A. didn't produce this kind of anxiety. Same school as undergrad so no moving or worrying about the house. I was a little anxious about how the program differed from my undergrad program (a lot), but none of the other things. Everyone I've spoken to is super nice. One professor at the new university was my undergrad advisor, so one familiar face. I also know to expect another difference in expectations of work from the M.A. to Ph.D. I'm just trying to be relaxed and work at each thing as it becomes necessary.
  9. cowgirlsdontcry
    I think it would depend on the school and what you want to obtain a Ph.D. in--whether it is in the major you haven't completed. Ph.D. programs are also seeking people who have the tenacity to finish because the dropout record from such programs is rather high, and after they invest money and time in a student, they want them to complete their studies. Why don't you meet with your advisor and discuss your problem. They may be able to direct you to someone within the university who can help solve the problems you have.
  10. cowgirlsdontcry
    It's been a stressful semester of writing thesis, teaching and taking a class. I have to pack for moving, closing up my home, and then unpacking. Any reading I do will be fun, no-brain stuff, except I will reread Conrad & Jean Rhys for one of my classes. I wrote seminar papers on both of those books, so have already done two close readings. This will be a fun reading that refreshes my memory of them and reduces some of the new Ph.D. student jitters.
  11. cowgirlsdontcry
    Being a literature person, I read huge amounts during the semesters. This was a very stressful semester as I wrote thesis, taught a class and attended a class, all while I waited for results on my apps. If I read, between packing for the move and closing up my house, it will be fun pop stuff that is stress reducing. I do have a class in the fall with Conrad and Jean Rhys that is similar to one I took as an undergrad so may pull out Heart of Darkness and Wide Sargasso Sea for another read. Whatever I read, I won't be analyzing it!
  12. cowgirlsdontcry
    I have seen one university's English Ph.D. program that allowed the foreign language requirements to be fulfilled by ASL. Most want French, Spanish or German (sometimes Italian) as those are the languages where most foreign language essays and criticism are found according to a French professor at my school. I have a two foreign language requirement and have fully met the requirements on one and half of the second. I have decided to audit an intensive review of Intro to Spanish (2-semesters in 1) to get me up to speed before taking the necessary intermediate Spanish. Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and do whatever it takes. Don't wait too long to begin foreign language requirements as most schools require that to be completed before comps.
  13. cowgirlsdontcry
    I went back to school in 2011 for a change of careers. As I had done a paralegal program in the early days of such programs, it was done in a continuing ed classroom at Lamar University in Beaumont and I had to begin my degree from the beginning. Because I live in such a rural area, there really was not much chance for work during my BA so depended on both grants and loans to make it. I worked throughout my M.A. as a grad assistant in the English Dept. but still needed loans to make it. I have been fully funded with stipend, waivers of tuition, and health insurance at my Ph.D. program. As far as loans are concerned, I will be taking them out the first year in order to pay for the move, but that is it. I have additional income now that I didn't have in the past and my tuition is covered. Apartments are pretty pricey in the area of Houston where UH is located. I looked earlier as I applied to Rice and really wanted to move back to Houston. My daughter lives in far NW Harris County and I even looked out there--somewhat less costly. Depending on what your funding from UH is like, you may need loans throughout your degree. You don't say whether you are going for a Master's or Ph.D. and the length of time you are in grad school could influence your decision to get loans or not. Good luck!
  14. cowgirlsdontcry
    I have lived a 45 minute drive for both my undergrad and MA, plus parking and getting to the English building. Trust me when I say it gets old. I don't stay long at evening events because it's very rural all of the way and pitch black driving on a curvy, hilly 2-lane road. I don't want to live on top of campus for my Ph.D. but have found an apartment about 3 miles away, which according to Google Maps is a 10 minute drive in traffic, plus another 10-15 minutes getting around campus. be sure to add in the parking and travel time on campus. I had to be at an 8:00 a.m. class with my professor last semester and it was a nightmare having to get up by 5:30 and drive in.
  15. cowgirlsdontcry
    Nothing on the department site of my school said anything about an assistantship, but I had spoken with Grad Assistants in the Writing Center because I would do assignments in there as an undergrad. I had to sift through the various links on the grad school site before I found the link and application form to be awarded an assistantship. I received an assistantship for my entire MA and while there has been no waiver of tuition, I have received a 9-month stipend and performed all kinds of interesting assignments for the professors I was assigned to. I am teaching a section of comp & rhet this semester. I believe the whole experience improved my overall CV and was somewhat instrumental in my receiving a fully funded offer from a Ph.D. program. Having rambled all over the place with that comment, what it boils down to, is that sometimes assistantships for Master's students are not out there for everyone to see. You have to look for them, but departments depend on both GAs and undergrad student workers, so keep looking. My school is a Tier 1 South Regional School with 10,000 students, so not large at all. I own a home here that is mortgage free and did both undergrad and MA at the same school because of not having to pay rent or a mortgage. I will be moving this summer for a Ph.D. program.
  16. cowgirlsdontcry
    I have always been an English major; however, in my MA program, one of my classmates had an MA in history and was getting one in English to improve his writing skills. He seemed to have no problem that I could see. The fields you mention mesh very well with English. I have had thoughts of getting an MA in history after I finish the Ph.D. in English (literature) in order to teach context.
  17. cowgirlsdontcry
    This semester is the last of my M.A. as I will graduate. I teach one class this semester, have one class, and have written an entire thesis this semester. Defended it last week. I had to manage time and did ok. Am a little behind in grading, but will catch up soon. I am one of the ones who will have a 2/2 schedule plus 9 hours both semesters, for the first year, as I still have some foreign language requirements to fulfill. I am taking loans out this first year and that also requires a minimum of 9 hours for fulltime.
  18. cowgirlsdontcry
    I have full funding at the University of Alabama for my Ph.D. studies. I'm just saying, I'm not getting a Ph.D. in English for the money. It's more about me and teaching. As I said, "I doubt anyone gets a Ph.D. for monetary gain." There are many ways to make a pile of money and that's what Concordia was talking about--not the funding for the Ph.D. itself. This is a second career for me, I was in law the first time and decided to do something that's not quite as stressful for the rest of my life. I have outside income and am not concerned about a tenure track job. Just want to teach others what I love best and do research/writing.
  19. cowgirlsdontcry
    This is my thought, but I don't believe it's unique. I doubt anyone gets a Ph.D. for monetary gain. In many ways, it's a very personal degree, as we set our minds in competition against the subject. In some fields, such as English (my field), a Ph.D. is designed to solely produce an academic and scholar. Scholarship and philosophical thinking are part of every civilization, necessary to keep the barbarians at bay. In the sciences, the additional knowledge is needed in research. One can't teach upper levels of higher ed. without a Ph.D. Just my thoughts, but not unique.
  20. cowgirlsdontcry
    I will be at UA Tuscaloosa--just down the road on the main campus.
  21. cowgirlsdontcry
    I would add this thought--what is your TOEFL score? Your ability to understand abstract thoughts in English and express them is very important. I teach Comp/Rhetoric (freshman English) and have several international students. It is a constant struggle for them.
  22. cowgirlsdontcry
    This semester, I am teaching one class for 10 hours (office hours/grading added) and work 5 hours for a professor and 5 hours in the English department office for a total of 20 hours per week. I have one class and thesis hours this semester. It's been very busy. Would you be working 20 or 30 hours per week? A lot of people work fulltime and take grad classes, so I suppose it can be done. It just seems like a lot. Best to look at your RA contract. Some contracts won't allow any other work on campus without special permission.
  23. cowgirlsdontcry
    I am finishing up my MA in literature this semester. I have worked as a GA throughout the 4 semesters, attending class with my professor and working with his students on papers. I took the pedagogy class that leads to teaching last fall and now teach my own section of Rhet/Comp II this semester. As a result, I will have a 2 class teaching load in the fall at the Ph.D. program I am entering. It is my understanding that students in the program who have no teaching experience will work pretty much as I did throughout my MA or in the writing center for one year. During summer, I will attend an orientation and teaching survey week, prior to the beginning of class. At the new program I will be entering it's a 2/2 structure with nothing in the summer.
  24. cowgirlsdontcry
    I just looked at ABF and I'm not sure this will work. I live in a teeny little town in the middle of nowhere. I drive 45 minutes one-way to get to school. ABF couldn't even give me a choice of someone to load the trailer (just an unload) and an estimate of 1 hour to unload with just two men, which I don't believe for an instant. It was either ABF or someone like them that I used the last time and they way under-estimated both the amount of space I needed and the time to load/unload. It's going to take someone who knows what they're doing. The armoire weighs about 250 lbs and is 6' tall. It's not the moving itself that worries me, it's the lack of experience in the people loading/unloading. I have to think about this some more later as I'm prepping for my thesis defense on Wednesday.
  25. cowgirlsdontcry
    I have nice things, including a top of the line Maytag front loader W/D. I could not begin to replace even the smaller amount I'm taking with the costs saved by not moving anything. I'm having separation anxiety about getting rid of so much in the first place and need to have some familiar things around as I start a new life, because everything else will be totally different.
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