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Tigla

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Everything posted by Tigla

  1. I highly suggest buying Foucault's works and reading them. I have read his book on state security/police and governmentality (Sicherheit, Territorium, Bevölkerung. Geschichte der Gouvernementalität, sorry I cannot remember the English version) several times, and I still do not think I understand his entire argument. Regardless, a lot of people (at least in my seminars) will say "Foucault says..." or "If we use a Foucaultian framework..." Therefore, understanding his work will help you grasp their comments and critiques better, but also you will be able to actually engage with those comments and critiques rather than brushing them off. Plus, it is Foucault. He is basically a buzzword for any research dealing with post-colonial states and center-periphery relationships.
  2. The Struggle for the Third World: Soviet Debates and American Options by Jerry Hough Stalin's Think Tank: The Varga Institute and the Making of the Stalinist Idea of World Economy and Politics, 1927-1953 by Kyung Deok Roh
  3. No. It merely means that professors are busy with other things and will more than likely not respond or have a very delayed response.
  4. At this moment, no. Most professors are just starting the semester and starting ADCOMs (if they are sitting on one this cycle). Typically, you should wait until the end of this semester at the earliest to contact POIs about next year's application cycle. However, most people will contact POIs at the beginning of next semester/late summer about the upcoming application cycle. Your timing is off, but you should contact a POI and discuss with them your ideas and plans, as well as their willingness and desire to take on another student.
  5. I already submitted an 8,000-word writing sample to them with my application. Now, they are asking for a second 8,000-word writing sample that is different than my first. That is why I am confused a bit.
  6. I received an email today which has me a bit confused. I'm applying to a British university and had to submit a piece of research as part of my application. Today, I received an email from the department asking to send a second piece of research in by Feb 19. Of course, I will send them another piece, but it seems a bit odd to me. Has anyone else been asked to send in a second piece of research?
  7. Breath a sigh of relief Call my fiancee and inform her that I will be moving with her too Grab a drink with the gang Wake up with a hangover because 1 drink become a night-out till 8am (Bars don't close in Berlin) Wonder why I was stupid Continue writing my MA
  8. Tigla

    FAFSA question

    You only fill out the FAFSA if you are seeking student aid (loans) from the US government. Otherwise, ignore it like the plague.
  9. I went to Germany and took a language course for 2 months. It was a great way to keep my brain in the academic mode, but still get away and do some sightseeing. Plus, I was able to scout out my apartment for the academic year, which was extremely helpful.
  10. I would focus on what you want to study. From there you can figure out which languages are important and what the best/optimal universities are for your field. In your case, International business is dominated by English, however, knowing French and German will greatly help you. French is essentially the second langue franca for international organizations, while German will be useful in Europe due to the size and importance of the German economy and business environment. However, you could very easily replace German with Spanish or Chinese if you want to take a more international approach. Another issue you need to pay attention to is Brexit, especially since you are only a sophomore. The next two years will be chaotic for Europe. At the moment, the UK is still part of the EU and functions as if nothing has occurred. Unfortunately, by the time you are ready to apply to programs, you may have to decide whether you want to study on the continent or the islands. Additionally, funding structures may change rapidly when you apply, which could make one part of Europe more attractive. In short, pay attention to the political news this year and next year because it may radically change your future.
  11. @Bana81 The universities I, as well as khigh, listed above offer a plethora of degrees in English. In terms of history degrees, you will need to get a bit creative because history, as a field, remains a bit nation based which causes most programs to be in the native language of the country. With a little luck and research, however, you will find plenty of programs ranging from area studies to straight history classes that are either taught in English or partially-taught. Unfortunately, most programs will advertise themselves as English only, but in reality, you will need at least B2 language skills in the respective country to truly succeed in the program.
  12. That is the exact opposite of what I have heard. My professor gained access to the Chinese archives and is doing a research visit this summer. Another professor from my program returned from a visit to the Chinese archives 3 months ago. Both of them said that the archives were becoming more open for histories before the Cultural Revolution. After and during the revolution is a different story and will be an issue until "regime-change."
  13. Interviews will start appearing next week and usually trickle out until mid-February. An interview can be given for a lot of reasons; as well as not given. On the one hand, interviews go to strong candidates that the department wants to talk with and engage with. This is important because most programs will have roughly 20-25 students who are ideal fits for their program, however, the program can admit a maximum of 10-15. Therefore, the department needs to cut the pool in half for banal reasons. On the other hand, you may not receive an interview, but be offered admission to the program. However, receiving an interview is a very good sign and should be seen as an opportunity, rather than a guarantee of admission.
  14. It depends on what field you want to work on. What are you looking to study exactly? Below will be my general list of universities that have English programs. However, you need to remember that most of these programs still require some knowledge in the native language in order to succeed. European Union - University of Leipzig, University of Flensburg, University of Copenhagen, University of Maastricht Global History - Free University of Berlin and Humboldt University of Berlin (this is my program) General History (no specialization) - University of Leiden and University of Amsterdam New Programs - Heidelburg University, University of Vienna (heavily German based), a university in Paris (I cannot remember the name at the moment), etc.
  15. Global history and commodity histories (making a reemergence) have been gaining traction in the past decade. Studies of the Brezhnev era (ranging all scopes) are starting to be published because of archive access. Communist China is slowly starting to open its archive access, too. In general, there will be a lot of histories about the "East" and "South" published over the coming decade because of archive access and younger historians challenging older assumptions, which were partially based on American and Western archives.
  16. I would not be sending anything to the ADCOMs or any university. It can be seen as unprofessional, especially since the deadline past and the ADCOMs are starting to meet. The unfortunate part of academia is that deadlines and advances in your career may not always line up. I had a similar situation, however, I did not list "in review" because I did not want to appear as if I was CV-packing. Instead, I spoke to my recommenders and had them update their LoRs just prior to them submitting. My recommenders were extremely excited that my article was "accepted" which they could point to as further proof of my capabilities.
  17. Saw my fiancee for a month! We had not seen each other since July because we live on opposite sides of the world.
  18. Most ADCOMs have not even met yet. The select few that have begun the process of sifting through applications are merely starting. I would give it a couple of weeks before even considering emailing anyone at the university. If you are going to email someone, do not email your POI. They are most likely not on the ADCOM and will not be of much help. In fact, some professors may see an early/anxious email about the department's decision as unprofessional. At this moment, I would remain patient and talk with your professors and colleagues at your current university.
  19. Most ADCOMs are starting to meet at the moment. In the next two weeks or so, interview invites will be distributed and held throughout the last half of January and the first half of February. Typically, decisions don't start appearing until the last week of February and most of March. Although, some universities try to start the process before the holiday break which can speed up their timelines.
  20. As minuto said, declining an interview is basically shooting yourself in the foot for that specific university. However, universities/ADCOMs tend to be a bit flexible with interviews. I have been told (through emails from my POIs) that my interviews would more than likely take place over Skype, if I am given one, because of the cost of flying me to the USA from Europe on short notice. Maybe something similar may apply to you since you will be traveling during "interview season." In the end, this should be discussed with the university and department that wants to interview with you. Just make it very clear that you are not declining an interview.
  21. All that means is the department is reviewing the application at the moment. The initial phrase/stage is meant to ensure that your documents are in order and do not need to resubmit any. Now your file has been given to the department and a decision will arrive in 6-8 weeks (typical timeframe for UK universities).
  22. Tigla

    Readability

    I will most definitely second TMP's last two posts. I'm currently working in an archive in Germany and translations are key. Although a direct translation may make sense, the question remains does it capture the meaning of the original? Unfortunately, that is the current problem with a lot of literature in my field and I could go on for hours about it. More important, however, is TMP's last post. Word limits are a killer in grad school and the professional world. If you want to publish anything, hitting word limits is a must. Last year (at the beginning of my program), I sent out an article for publication and was denied before editing because I was 3 words over the word limit for the CfP. This might be an outlier, but it taught me that word limits will be the bane of a historian's existence for the future. Learning how to cut fluff and 'fanciness' (as my advisor recently described it) while conveying the proper message is a tricky and difficult skill, but a necessary one.
  23. The first snow of the year!!!!
  24. Talk with your husband and fellow faculty members. Avoid the leaving aspect, but try and figure out whether a PhD is necessary. If it is seen as a necessary and critical step then leave the PhD door open, however, if it is more of a CV item then it becomes a purely personal and familial decision. That is where you and your husband need to decide whether a PhD fits into your future plans and ideas.
  25. I applied to the History PhD program at Vanderbilt University. You better buckle in for a wait. I was told that interview invites would be distributed in mid-January followed by decisions in late-February (unlikely) and early-March.
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