N0rd

KU Symposium CFP 2020 UPDATED.pdf

Hi everyone! I'm not sure if this is allowed or not, I looked for some posting guidelines and couldn't find anything saying I shouldn't share this CFP. I figured because the topic is so broad some people on here might be interested in it. The Graduate Students at the University of Kansas are announcing their call for papers for the 2020 Graduate Art History Symposium. The theme will be "Hindsight Is / 2020." We invite proposals for 20-minute paper presentations that explore some of the ways in which artists and/or art historians negotiate and engage with history broadly defined, as well as its lasting effects. We welcome proposals from current graduate students at the M.A. or Ph.D. level that address topics from a wide range of time periods and geographic locations, as well as object-based and theoretical approaches. For more information regarding the symposium and submission guidelines please see the attached call for papers. KU Symposium CFP 2020 UPDATED.pdf

This morning I'm moving into a new apartment in the same city as my school!

My standard advice for people trying to narrow down a selection of graduate schools to apply to is to always apply to a mix of "ambition" programs and ones you feel you have a higher chance of getting into. This is the approach I and several of my friends took when applying to schools and most of us were admitted to more than one university. Looking at your ambitions, being a mid-range university curator or gallerist says to me that you don't need a degree from a top range school to be competitive in the job market. Yes, those degrees would be nice to have but a degree from a big state school such as the University of Texas, Kansas, or Iowa would also make you a strong candidate. My field is early modern so I can't recommend any specific programs for Contemporary or African Diaspora. It's hard to say for certain what your chances might be of getting into those "ambition" school but the fact that you have a high major GPA helps you. As for the value of your museum experience it would depend on the program. I would recommend looking at the jobs the alumni have of the schools you're interested in. Some schools tend to view themselves as museum prep schools while others want to create professors and more traditional academics. Having experience in a museum would obviously be more beneficial at a school that trues to create museum professionals. And for your concern about registration vs curatorial I don't think that would matter too much, experience is experience and the fact that you have 2+ years in field at this stage in your career is impressive. A final thought: A lot of the admission process rests upon a strong statement of purpose/personal statement and your writing sample. Graduate schools like to see students who have a clear idea of who they are and why they want to continue in the field. This is also a place for you to make up for other "weak points" in your application. This is where I would focus a lot of your energy during the application process, especially if you have concerns about aspects of your application that you can't change.

It must vary a lot by field then. I'm in the humanities and it's quite difficult to get direct admissions to a PhD program.

In the United States you can become a PhD student without first getting a Master's degree although that's definitely the less common route. My brother graduated with a BA then took a year off then applied directly to a PhD program. He did a little extra coursework to "catch up" but did not have to pursue a Master's degree as an intermediate step. I, on the other hand, am attending a combined MA/PhD program in which I'll spend two years working for a MA, then petition for continuance in the PhD program. I know there are a lot of other schools that offer both and MA and a PhD where students finishes the MA and then must apply for admittance to the PhD program.

The best advice I can give you is to definitely pick interest over prestige (especially because both of these programs have solid reputations worldwide). Grad school is an intense experience and being in a spot where you don't like your coursework/professors/etc will make it a hellish experience. Reflect on your past experience in courses you didn't like or felt neutral about compared to those classes you loved, I know I personally burn out so much quicker in courses I don't like I can only imagine this becomes exaggerated in a grad school setting.

I got similar advice as this. One of my undergrad advisors told me there was some opinion that the Courtauld doesn't adequately prepare students for later study in the US as it's a 9 month degree versus a two year degree for US based MA programs. It is worth remembering that the structure of the Courtauld MA program is very different from that of a US based MA. While the Courtauld is an rigorous program, you have a very narrow field of study and generally MA programs stateside have an emphasis on a general understanding of art history. That being said, I do believe that the name of the Courtauld carries a lot of weight and it would be beneficial if you apply to a PhD program later. As a side note I was admitted to the Courtauld this cycle but ultimately decided to accept an offer of a funded MA/PhD program in the US so I've spent a lot of time weighing the pros and cons of the Courtauld.

I applied to a mix of top ranked programs and "safety schools" and got into one of each. I decided not to attend the top ranked program for a number of reasons. Primarily the funding I received at the other institution, but also I knew I would be much happier at that institution. It was much closer to friends and family, had a wonderful environment to study in, and I felt like I could see myself being friends with the current students I met. I know there is a great deal of pressure to attend the highest ranked program you can get into (I definitely felt that during my application/decision period) and it's hard when you see so many people on here attending top ranked programs. I think you've already addressed your own concern though. If you have the option to go to a school in a location you like, with a good advisor fit, and that will make you happy school ranking should not matter. The most important thing is that you're comfortable with your decision, no one wants to spend 5+ (very intense) years at a school they don't like. Also, take a step back and look at what you've accomplished. You got into a grad program!!! More than one by the sound of it. This is an accomplishment very few people achieve and you should be proud! Not only do you now get to attend grad school but you also now have a choice in where you go.

I would definitely recommend talking to a counselor, and consider meeting with a counselor one on one and looking into couple's counseling. My current university offers both of these services and maybe yours does as well, or they might be able to refer you somewhere affordable. If you love her like you say you do and she loves you it's worth working on your relationship to see if there's ways you can improve it. I am also not a relationship expert, nor am I married but I can tell you right now that no one should feel like their significant other is ashamed of them or should be made fun of their abilities. Having a strong support system is incredibly important, whether or not you're in grad school. I would recommend reaching out to trusted friends or family members who know more about you and your wife to get their perspective on the subject and also just to get general emotional support from them. I wish you the best and hope that no matter what you remember that you absolutely 100% deserve to be happy and healthy.

I got my final decision letter today and was finally able to commit to the program I've chosen to attend. Officially a grad student!

I'm visiting the program I'm planning on attending and all of the current students and faculty are incredibly nice and welcoming.

It must vary by school. I'm on a waitlist and they told me they hoped to have an answer for me before April 15th but could make no promises.

I love my Swissgear laptop backpack! It's a pretty sleek design and it has a professional feel to it. It also has a doctor's bag style hinged opening which makers it really easy to fill with books, notebooks, snacks, etc. I carry all my course materials in it for 10 hour days and have plenty of room. It's a really durable fabric so I think it will hold up well over the years. I also have a long term shoulder issue (one of my shoulder blades doesn't sit in the right place) and this one doesn't cause me any pain (provided I don't over fill it).

I use a laptop when taking all of my notes (I like that digital notes can be searched quickly), I think a lot of this ability comes down to self discipline and practice. For hard days/long study sessions I also use a browser extension called Cold Turkey. It's a free download and lets you create customized lists of websites you want to block and will stop you from being able to access them during whatever window of time you set (which could be 5 minutes or all day). There's a free version and a paid version depending on how flexible you want your blocks to be. I just use the free version which lets you pick what websites to block and for how long. In the paid version I think you can set break time so if you want to allow yourself an hour to watch Netflix during the day you can.