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miss-prufrock

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  1. Upvote
    miss-prufrock got a reaction from Norse_Medievalist in Updated Funding Packages   
    I thank you for this. This is extremely helpful and invaluable! You're a saint for having compiled this.
  2. Upvote
    miss-prufrock reacted to Dr. Old Bill in Tips for Applying to English Ph.D. Programs   
    ·       
    A few weeks ago, I was asked to talk to first-year M.A. students about the Ph.D. application process. I prepared a list of what I figure to be key elements, and I figure it might be useful to many on GC who are preparing to go down this path as well. I'm quite certain that some of these points are purely subjective and open to discussion / debate, but having gone through the process a couple of times now, these items ring true based on my experiences and observations.

    ----------------

    Others have surely told you about the state of the industry, so I’m just going to assume that you already know the “there are no jobs” spiel.
    ·        Others have also surely told you about how relatively difficult it is to get into a Ph.D. program—I have yet to hear of a program that admits over 10% of applicants.
    o   Because of this, if you are committed to applying to Ph.D. programs, I strongly recommend considering applying to at least ten. Even though merit is a critical part of determining who gets in, there is a very real element of “luck of the draw” which pure numbers will help to mitigate.
    ·        With that in mind, NOW is a good time to get started on your program research
    ·        Your first consideration when entering the process should be to determine what era you would like to study, and ideally a general sense of methodologies you want to employ. These elements will be reflected in the two most important components of your application: the Statement of Purpose (or SoP), and your Writing Sample (WS).
    ·        Some basics:
     
    o   The SoP and WS should ideally work together
    o   When thinking about potential areas of study, avoid proposing transatlantic or transhistorical concepts: admissions committees are still very much set up by period, and your application should be easily sorted into a field group (i.e. you’re clearly a Romanticist, or you’re clearly a 20th century Americanist).
    o   GRE scores, GPA, and other elements are important, but remember that the things you can control the most at this stage are the WS and SoP.
    o   Given the importance of these two documents, you will want to get as many eyes on them as possible as soon as possible.
    §  My SoP and WS were read and commented on by at least five professors and several fellow students, and ultimately went through at least six rounds of revision each—several of them top-to-bottom revisions.
    ·        There are multiple factors to consider when looking at programs. Some of the most important include:
     
    o   Are there multiple professors actively working in your chosen field
    §  By “active” I mean that you should be able to find publication credits from within the past five years—they need to be in touch with current scholarship.
    o   What level of financial support do they offer—not just the annual funding, but whether they fund in summer, and how many years of funding are guaranteed
    o   What courses have they offered in the past? What courses are they offering in the fall?
    o   What is the teaching load like, and how do they prepare you for that load?
    o   So-called rankings matter to a certain extent, but remember that those rankings are almost completely arbitrary. USNews rankings are helpful as a list of all programs offering Ph.D.s in English…and a very, very general sense of the strong programs vs. the less strong. But FIT with your interests trumps all.
    §  (E.g. the Strode program at U of A is highly regarded, even though U of A itself is somewhat less so)
    o   Location and cost of living. A 20k stipend will get you a lot further in Lincoln, Nebraska than in New York. And elements like small town vs. large city, cold vs. warm climate etc. are all perfectly valid factors when looking at programs. You’ll have to live in this place for 4-6 years, after all!
    ·        A few quick and random tips:
     
    o   It can be helpful to contact professors ahead of time to determine research fit etc., but it can also be quite valuable to contact current grad students to get a sense of the program and the environment.
    o   Remember that an important part of professionalization in a Ph.D. program is publication. More than anything, this means that before you go down the road toward application, give some serious thought to whether or not your writing and research inclinations have that kind of potential. And whether or not that’s something you really want to deal with at all.
    o  Also remember that teaching is a huge part of your job, and always will be. If you don’t enjoy teaching (or the prospect of teaching), you’d better really love the other components of your position, because there’s not going to be any getting away from it for many, many years.
    o   It might go without saying, but be very courteous in all of your communications with professors and other graduate students. And that courtesy should be sincere!
    o   Consider the total cost of applications: application fees average about $75, sending GRE scores is $27 (more if you need the subject test), and if you have multiple transcripts, that can tack on another $10. In other words, each application will likely be upward of $100. Given that I recommend applying to at least ten programs, you’re looking at a commitment of over $1000. There ARE fee waivers you can find, however.
    o   Forums like GradCafe are a good way to socialize with fellow applicants, and commiserate with people in the same situation. Just remember to take all advice you see on those forums with a grain of salt.
    o   Finally, there are NO SAFETY SCHOOLS. Just to reiterate, rankings are arbitrary, and almost every program gets ten times as many applicants as they can admit (let alone fund). As a result, you want to look at the best overall fit for you.
     
     
  3. Like
    miss-prufrock got a reaction from MindOverMatter in Grad school and mental illness--how do you cope?   
    Hi, there! I actually spent a total of nine years as an undergraduate because I was diagnosed with bipolar II disorder, borderline personality disorder, and recently, OCD. I had to take leaves of absence.
    I've just started my MA in English a month ago, and I'm really grateful that Ive been stable for months now. I'm working part-time, and I also signed up for the part-time program in our university. I was just wondering if there are any people who have struggles with depression, anxiety, what have you. How do you deal with it as a grad student? What's a typical week for you? How do you get the support you need?
    I'd love to hear from you!
  4. Like
    miss-prufrock reacted to E-P in Grad school and mental illness--how do you cope?   
    Former manager here, so I'm going to put on my Manager hat.
     

     
    The vast majority of the issues I'm seeing on this thread - mental illness, physical disability, etc - are all covered by the ADA.  Your university is required to give you reasonable accommodations based on the ADA, and, depending on how long you've been in your program, you may be eligible for FMLA too.  So, contact your university's disability services and talk to them.  Also, talk to your doctors.  Here are some reasonable accommodations I've seen before due to medical issues:
    - Days off every so often for mental health episodes
    - Additional time to complete assignments
    - Help completing an assignment (for example, dictating an assignment)
     
    So, if you're suffering from a longterm illness, whether it be a mental illness, physical illness, or are differently abled, know your rights.  Work with your school and your doctor to make sure that you use the resources available to get the help you need.  
  5. Like
    miss-prufrock reacted to CulturalCriminal in How do I develop future specializations (MA English lit.)?   
    So I am in your field. You have some interrelated interests, but are still quite broad. You might look at the lit threads for more on this, but right now it seems you’re quite broadly interested in American Studies (not a negative), but haven’t quite landed on a unifying methodology and/or specific period. That said, you just started your MA, so no worries on not having these spelled out. I’d suggest reading up on the various major Americanist lit, Film/TV, Culture Studies, and American Studies journals to see what folks are doing currently (American Quarterly, American Literature, Film Quarterly, Film Criticism, The Velvet Light Trap, Camera Obscura, and Journal of Popular Culture are what I can think of off the top of my head).
  6. Upvote
    miss-prufrock got a reaction from Neuromantic in Grad school and mental illness--how do you cope?   
    Hello there, @iwearflowers !
    That's so great to hear! One of my concerns is disclosing my diagnosis through the SOPs, but your progress and your strategies are so helpful!
  7. Upvote
    miss-prufrock got a reaction from Neuromantic in Grad school and mental illness--how do you cope?   
    Hello there. I'm so inspired by your intrepidity and by your story. I do hope that you'll see where your next steps would be for the MS/Ph.D. programs. Disclosing my diagnosis to my professors is a challenge for me, actually. I'm glad that you've been stable.
    As for the other symptoms, I can relate to this so far. I haven't been able to work on my grad school tasks since Saturday because of triggers. But yes. I do agree that we always have to keep trying.
  8. Upvote
    miss-prufrock got a reaction from Neuromantic in Grad school and mental illness--how do you cope?   
    I've struggled with bulimia in high school. And it's great to hear that you'll be graduating in May! I spent nine years as an undergrad, including two years off for a leave of absence.
    I don't think that the anxiety for responses is dumb! Not at all. I do hope that you're getting the support you need. I definitely struggle with the disappointment that comes with thinking of self-harm or suicide. I'm trying to learn how to be kinder to myself, but ha! It's a challenge every single day.
  9. Like
    miss-prufrock reacted to iwearflowers in Grad school and mental illness--how do you cope?   
    @Neuromantic - I’m also in the depression/anxiety boat and have found it super helpful to disclose the issue at work since it makes it possible to get the kind of support I need. That being said, I was repeatedly cautioned against disclosing in my applications because departments can see students with mental health issues as a risk. I ended up not mentioning the issue in my SOP but did talk about it during interviews. When I did disclose, I focused on talking about my determination, resilience, and coping skills and how those would translate into a PhD program. I also talked about how I was committed to staying in therapy/on meds during my program since I know it can be stressful and those are important elements in keeping me stable. This approach seemed to work well for me, as I was accepted at 5 of 6 schools I applied to, 4 of which were funded and 3 of which included competitive fellowships.
  10. Like
    miss-prufrock reacted to Neuromantic in Grad school and mental illness--how do you cope?   
    To everyone who responded in this thread so far, I commend you for your courage, resiliency, and strength.
    I was diagnosed with acute PTSD, depression, & anxiety during my transition from junior to senior year at NYU; I am a trauma survivor. I took two years off to rehabilitate and learn about myself again... I will be applying to MS/Ph.D programs in Neuroscience within the upcoming year and anticipate disclosing my disability (-ies) in both my application and interviews. I'm terrified. To cope in my current day-to-day as a researcher, I try to be as honest as possible with my lab mates- i.e. after a month, I disclosed to them and my PI. Everything has been steady so far.
    But my anxiety, imposter syndrome, and general fear is so overwhelming to the point of paralysis. I often spend time writing, making tea, and exploring the city (I'm from NYC) for self-care. Does it always help? No, but I have to keep trying if I want to be functioning enough if I want to work in high-stress conditions for the next 10 years.
  11. Like
    miss-prufrock reacted to lbar in Grad school and mental illness--how do you cope?   
    I just wanted to share this list of mental health resources for grad students that I found! https://scholarstudioblog.wordpress.com/2016/10/09/mental-health-in-academia/
    Other than that, I definitely need to take advantage of my school's free counseling.
  12. Like
    miss-prufrock got a reaction from abzbabz00 in Grad school and mental illness--how do you cope?   
    Hi, there! I actually spent a total of nine years as an undergraduate because I was diagnosed with bipolar II disorder, borderline personality disorder, and recently, OCD. I had to take leaves of absence.
    I've just started my MA in English a month ago, and I'm really grateful that Ive been stable for months now. I'm working part-time, and I also signed up for the part-time program in our university. I was just wondering if there are any people who have struggles with depression, anxiety, what have you. How do you deal with it as a grad student? What's a typical week for you? How do you get the support you need?
    I'd love to hear from you!
  13. Upvote
    miss-prufrock got a reaction from Noire et Étrange in 20th/21st C. Americanist Roll Call   
    I'm primarily interested in the 20th century--suburbia and sprawl, Asian-Americans, and confessional poetry. I'm starting out, but I am interested in performativity, disability studies with a focus on mental illness, religion, gender, and fandom. When it comes to the 21st century, I do have a focus on comics and graphic novels, as well as fandom. I do love Modern British Literature and Romantic poetry. Some of my favorites come from Japanese literature.
    Yes, literary theory is also a weakness, so I'd like to take the Literary Theory and Aesthetics course. I wasn't an English major as an undergrad; I only took lots of English electives and two Comparative Literature electives. And since I'm from the Philippines, I'd love to immerse myself in postcolonial theory.
  14. Upvote
    miss-prufrock got a reaction from CulturalCriminal in 20th/21st C. Americanist Roll Call   
    I'm primarily interested in the 20th century--suburbia and sprawl, Asian-Americans, and confessional poetry. I'm starting out, but I am interested in performativity, disability studies with a focus on mental illness, religion, gender, and fandom. When it comes to the 21st century, I do have a focus on comics and graphic novels, as well as fandom. I do love Modern British Literature and Romantic poetry. Some of my favorites come from Japanese literature.
    Yes, literary theory is also a weakness, so I'd like to take the Literary Theory and Aesthetics course. I wasn't an English major as an undergrad; I only took lots of English electives and two Comparative Literature electives. And since I'm from the Philippines, I'd love to immerse myself in postcolonial theory.
  15. Like
    miss-prufrock reacted to LibraryLivingJT in 20th/21st C. Americanist Roll Call   
    Hey all! Thanks for starting this thread!
    20th and 21st century Americanist here (mostly contemporary) focusing on race, ethnicity, identity, assimilationism. I also like to look at national identity and immigration.
    I enjoy doing interdisciplinary work that involves politics and history.
    I mainly work with 20th century and contemporary ethnic American lit.
  16. Like
    miss-prufrock reacted to Melvillage_Idiot in 20th/21st C. Americanist Roll Call   
    I'm mostly a dabbler Americanist - let's just read all of it, dammit! - but I lean pretty heavily into contemporary Southern and Western writers from the Modernist period to today. I did my MA thesis on really contemporary Southern Gothic authors (like, post-2010 contemporary) who live and write about characters outside the traditional South. At the PhD level, I'd like to do something with Appalachian literature, which almost nobody discusses and which really took off in the 1900s.
    My theory background is pretty weak, so I hesitate to align myself with any particular school of thought.  *severe Imposter Syndrome begins to kick in*
    Fun fact: When you announce to a room full of other English students that you do things with Southern Gothic, there's always this one Brit Lit specialist who really wants you to know how much they hate William Faulkner. Never fails.
  17. Like
    miss-prufrock reacted to Glasperlenspieler in Question on writing research on Chaucer   
    This is something you should probably ask your professor about. Regarding (1), some scholars see this as a useful way to look at literary texts, others do not. Still others (probably the majority) well think it depends on how you intend to make this connection. So there's no way for us to know in the abstract, whether this is a good approach for your paper. Run your paper idea by your professor and see what he/she says. Same goes for (2). Some professors are open to any citation style, so long as it's transparent and consistent. Others are sticklers and will expect you to use a particular one. If it doesn't specify on the syllabus, then it's probably the former, but it doesn't hurt to ask.
  18. Like
    miss-prufrock reacted to maxhgns in How do I develop future specializations (MA English lit.)?   
    I'm not in English, so I can only offer general thoughts. But here they are:
    You can cultivate areas of competence and specialization in lots of different ways, but they basically all boil down to reading and writing in the relevant areas.
    The easiest way to do those things, of course, is by taking or auditing lots of grad-level courses in the area, in related areas, or in cognate areas in other fields (e.g. for gender and queerness, look at what's being taught in women's studies and philosophy; for religion, look at the religious studies department). When you take courses that aren't directly related to your interests, you can still make contact with them by trying to ensure that your written work makes contact with your interests. So, e.g., if you're taking a class on Edwardian literature, your research project could be about religion or gender or (female) mental illness in Wooster and Jeeves. It's really up to you to make your studies interesting and relevant to your interests.
    Another easy way to build up competence is through your teaching or TAing assignments. These will force you to do some reading, often with a syllabus designed by someone who's already an expert, and force you to regurgitate the material on-command, extemporaneously, and so that undergrads will understand it. If you have some ability to choose your assignments or rank your preferences, then use that to explore new areas and shore up competencies that you otherwise haven't had the chance to cultivate. It's easier to teach or TA material that you already know really well, but that does a lot less for you with respect to developing your competencies. You'll learn more from teaching than you will from just reading or taking a class, so bear that in mind when you select your teaching assignments.
    You also cultivate specializations by giving regular presentations about them, and by publishing on the subject. So if you really want to be an expert on American suburbia, then you need to write lots of papers on the subject and present them to lots of conference audiences. This has the added bonus of introducing you to the networks of scholars with whom you'll have the closest contacts later. (Note that presenting at conferences is a lot like teaching; it's another way to get comfortable with regurgitating stuff on-command, extemporaneously, and accessibly. Writing papers has a lot of the same effects.).
    Finally, you can just sit at home and read stuff, and write papers on topics that catch your interest. This works, but it works best when it's reinforced by interacting with other people--especially by explaining things to other people, and answering their questions. So whatever you do, remember to interact with your peers! You're going to learn a lot more from them than you will from your classes.
     
    Like I said, I'm not in English so I'm not much good on the recommendation front. But it looks to me like the interests you've listed above are pretty specific, and likely fall under broader subfields in English literature. So the trick is to identify what those subfields are, and then to search out the journals which are best in those subfields (while keeping sight of which journals are good generalist venues, too). Keep track of which journals publish the kinds of things you're reading; those are going to be your target journals. Keep track of where the articles you're assigned to read in class (or that you're assigned to teach) are published; those are going to be your target journals. Look at where people who have the kinds of career trajectory you want (grad students, postdocs, assistant, associate, and full professors) are publishing; those are going to be your target journals. Look at their CVs, and see what kinds of things they did to get where they are/to the place where you want to be next, and emulate their trajectory as closely as you can.
    As for access... that's almost entirely a matter of the journals to which your institutional library has access. I don't know what the academic world is like in the Philippines, but the odds are that if your institution has a graduate program, then its library will have access to some or most of the main journals in that field. If not, then Google around--lots of people post drafts of their papers on their websites, on academia.edu, etc. If the article in question is a chapter in an edited volume, it will often be available through someone's course website--especially if it's a famous one. Similarly, academic books tend to be available online (although this is usually a violation of copyright), provided you know where to look for them.
  19. Like
    miss-prufrock reacted to Bumblebea in Question about Gender and Sexuality Programs and Personal Statements   
    Just an FYI: If you're applying mainly to English literature PhD programs (and not theater, film, or women's/gender studies programs), you will have to specify the time period you're focusing on. So based on what you've said here, you'd be interested in post-1900 (maybe post-1945???) US Literature, with a more specific focus in gender/sexuality and film/drama. 
    PhD programs sort applications by time periods. 
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