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LittleShakespeare90

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  1. Upvote
    LittleShakespeare90 reacted to jadeisokay in OK, let's talk about UChicago's MAPH. I need some advice...   
    just want to throw in how much i appreciate everyone's perspectives in here and how helpful this thread is in making a decision. 
  2. Upvote
    LittleShakespeare90 reacted to Mikha in 2022 Applicants   
    I've seen mention of this series on the Chicago MAPH thread, but just so newcomers can find this more easily in the future:
    https://annehelen.substack.com/p/the-masters-trap
  3. Upvote
    LittleShakespeare90 reacted to belocali in Career Transition - Second Master's in MLIS? (Advice Appreciated!)   
    Hi folks,
    I'm currently finishing up a Master in Public Policy and have been considering pursuing a MLIS either this fall or in the next few years. My goal with Public Policy was to pursue work at local or state governments or in social science research (think tanks, etc), but I've been feeling a bit disillusioned and burnt out with this line of work, and am considering pivoting to librarianship. I have about 2 years experience in library reference and I've found this position really opened my eyes to librarianship.
    The following is a little bit about my education/work experience:
    BA in Human Development (mixed social science) - ~3.8/Phi Beta Kappa Master in Public Policy (MPP), by this June - ~3.7 Coursework in stats, research methods Original research for thesis on youth-based civic engagement programs  6 years of work in community-based youth organization 1 year middle school after school program front-line staff 2 years database management and auditing program documents 3 years office management, reception, data management and analysis, strategic planning, grant writing 2 years academic library reference service (UCLA) Further: TA-ing undergrads Tutoring HS senior for AP/IB exams ~1 year policy/community building work Does it seem like this pivot makes sense, given my experience? I would want to aim for public, community college, or state college (CSU) librarianship. Some of my favorite experiences throughout my career have simply been talking and working one-on-one with folks - teaching, sharing resources, as well as working on analyzing information, streamlining data collection processes, etc. I am hoping my MPP can complement my librarianship, given my experience with government data and analysis, statistical analysis, and conducting original research. 
    I can't afford to take another 2 years not working full-time, so I am considering the San Jose State online degree. I'm also working on volunteering at a local public library for public library experience. 
    Does this pivot make sense? Is there anything else I can do to prepare for an MLIS or career in libraries? I'd appreciate any and all feedback! :)
     
  4. Upvote
    LittleShakespeare90 reacted to xdfaddsbads in 2022 Applicants   
    I hear this from many of my already tenure track friends often. I have detoured in life from my MA being very fast track academic and debate coach etc- to then having kids having a contracting business, and the dreaded adjunct life. But to be honest the job market isn’t guaranteed in any field. Pursuing what your passionate about is important. If getting your PhD in English won’t hurt you, financially, then it’s worth chasing your dream. You could get paid more to teach at high school level, or teach at a variety of institutions or even *gasp* adjunct at better pay then with a MA. Which ain’t that bad really. Adjunct teaching is by far easier than other jobs I’ve held, waitressing, cleaning, or the bigger money maker residential contracting business I run with my partner. It’s a great flexible gig, and I think it’s always worth going for your dream. I am doing it also after a long time away. I think it’s important for academics who always want to lament on the terrible job market to reflect on what other careers might be like. And I can tell you they aren’t as flexible, rewarding or engaging. So basically yes you def should do it! In my opinion ?
  5. Upvote
    LittleShakespeare90 reacted to clara salmon in 2022 Applicants   
    Hi there! I thought I'd throw in my two cents along with the others here. I'm echoing the same things they're telling you, but maybe with a little more optimism. While some might say that optimism is misplaced, I think you can read into this what you will and heed everyone's advice/considerations as much or as little as you desire.
    Everyone knows about the dismal outlook of the job market currently, so there's no other argument to be made there. My professors had all said the same, too. That being said, if you are open to going for your PhD for the sake of the PhD itself - meaning the research, the experience, the environment, all that - and not necessarily for where that PhD is going to take you afterward, it's something worth pursuing. We can't expect to have a job in academia after we're done with this, and we have to possess that awareness otherwise we'd be in for some serious disappointment and disillusionment. But if you can afford it and it works with your timeline, there's no one to say that the experience isn't rewarding for what it is in itself. It's up to you to judge that. There's also many other job opportunities that can open up outside of academia as a result of going for your PhD.
    So, I guess my point is that if you choose to pursue it, you'll have to go in with this awareness and be open to pretty much anything. You definitely can't be of the mindset that you'll be in a particular place or job position by the end of it. It sounds like I'm just saying to lower your expectations, but what I mean is just that if you can find this experience worthwhile, you have the time, and it will make you happy to pursue it (being within the means that you've defined for yourself), then do it. It is what you make of it, nothing more but also nothing less.
  6. Upvote
    LittleShakespeare90 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.
     
     
  7. Upvote
    LittleShakespeare90 reacted to snorkles in Academia Is a Cult   
    This whole post comes across as just another form of proselytizing. I am truly sorry that academia disappointed you as it will many others, but please consider that the people here are intelligent enough to question these issues without needing to watch someone sell their brand in a TED talk. 
  8. Upvote
    LittleShakespeare90 reacted to jm6394 in How important is the math/quantitative GRE score for English PhD's?   
    head of admissions at a school with a top-20 english program told me they truly do not even look at or consider the math score
  9. Like
    LittleShakespeare90 reacted to tony_flow in How important is the math/quantitative GRE score for English PhD's?   
    I scored in the 20th percentile. I got into every program I applied to. Absolutely does not matter in your application. To be honest, the low math score might even be a little endearing to an admissions committee full of English department people who are also terrible at math
  10. Upvote
    LittleShakespeare90 reacted to Wimsey in September Subject Test   
    Hello! I thought I would create a thread to see who will be partaking in the joys of the GRE Lit test. Perhaps we can share resources/tips/encouragement as the time draws closer. I'd love to hear from past test-takers, too.  
    For my studying, I am taking notes on the Norton anthologies, supplemented by a couple of encyclopedic companions to English literature. I started perusing the Nortons earlier this year, but my studying has been sporadic until a few weeks ago. I also own the Princeton Review book but have not devoted much time to it, since I don't plan to take the PR and ETS practice tests until next month. The study process is simultaneously enjoyable and overwhelming. I appreciate the opportunity to review major writers and works, but I am still not very confident in my ability to apply my knowledge to the actual exam.
    Wishing everyone luck on the test and in other application endeavors!
  11. Upvote
    LittleShakespeare90 reacted to jschool2019 in Anyone still waiting on NYU?   
    I was accepted to Literary Reportage today! Anyone else heard back?
  12. Upvote
    LittleShakespeare90 reacted to adamski in EMPOWERgre + Magoosh = GRE Victory; 331, Verbal 96th%   
    EMPOWERgre + Magoosh = GRE Victory; 331, Verbal 96th%   I’ve stopped by this forum a number of times along the way, and I've been looking forward to being in a position to share a success story here, so I am amped to be in a position to do exactly that.   Official GRE:  Math 165 (90th percentile) Verbal 166 (96th percentile) Total 331   My starting score: 294 (eww)   The tools I used:   EMPOWERgre course I can't even begin to emphasize how absolutely awesome this course is. I wonder how different things would've been had I not found it. I guess the course is relatively new so the word isn't out there is much as it is for some of the other courses, but EMPOWERgre is ridiculously better than any other course I encountered, and unfortunately I had quite a bit of experience seeing what's out there.   Magoosh flash card app on iPhone I'm really surprised that Magoosh shares this app away for free. It's clean, easy-to-use and really helpful to memorize vocab on the go I take a moment at lunch, Or ride my bike somewhere and spend a few minutes reviewing vocab.   Manhattan Prep 5 MST’s - these tests fill a void. There just doesn't seem to be enough for reliable practice test material out there. majortests.com is a joke. Little quizzes, and they're advertising them like practice tests. How is that not fraud? So the Manhattan tests were essential to measure how my ability was coming along over the course of my prep.   GRE power prep tests - it's really not fair that there are only two official practice tests. Obviously since these a real test they are the truest measure of performance. Fortunately, I had one saved for near the end of the course so that I knew I was in good shape for the real thing.   Manhattan Prep 5 pound book - a really useful source for practice questions. It almost seems endless so once I learn the tactics and the content I would do practice sets out of the book and I felt that really helps reinforce what I learned in the course.   What Made A Difference: EMPOWERgre - I'm actually shocked that everybody isn't talking about this course. It's just leaps and bounds better than anything I've seen, including the Kaplan course that is 10 times as expensive. Here’s what I liked about it: it’s an on demand course so I can watch the lessons when I want to. The price is absurd ($59 a month) compared to other options out there. It covers the content and the strategy. The x-factor is the instruction. The instructors have an awesome energy that breeds confidence, and they didn’t just show me the content they showed me how to implement it. For example, on math they show a strategy called test it. It’s a totally different way to approach the questions that makes it faster to get the answer. They show you what to look for to know you can use test it, and how to use it. I must have used test it at least 8 times in each math section. I showed it to two of my friends who are just starting out, and it blew their minds. I’m happy I got the score I want, but it’s kind of stupid how I just found out about it on a whim. This is the course anyone prepping for the GRE should take. Period.   Be Open Minded (don't be stubborn) - when I began prepping had an idea of how I thought it was supposed to do each of the question types, but by the time I master the question types, I was approaching them entirely differently. See you have to keep an open mind to be able to adapt reproach and implement what you learn in the training.    A Short-Lived Passion - while I was prepping I kind of got obsessed with the test. It became, really I should say I made it my top priority. As I've learned in college if you decide to eight something you will. If you have to do something you might as well have a great outlook about it, and the GRE is exactly one of those things.     What Didn’t: majortests.com - Everything I touched really worked, except this. If this is all you use, there’s no way you could be prepared for the real thing. They just offer small practice sets and call each one a test. What are they getting out of that?    All in, I'm so relieved to be done, and thankful that I was able to get a score I'm happy with.    I hope this helps!
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