fartsmeller
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Posts posted by fartsmeller
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I work with modern French (my focus is on the Maghreb), so I can't speak to early modern French. However, two years of French at the undergraduate level and 9 months in France, as well as a paper drawing heavily from archival work in France and French secondary sources, did the trick. I got into my (decent) PhD program without an MA. Mind you, I also put a lottttt of time into French on my own. It was my hobby. French reading, youtube videos, speaking with natives on Italki, etc., are how I spent a lot of my time after work. I should also say that I'm a heritage speaker in Spanish, and that did help in understanding French at the structural level.
Good luck! It's fortunately a language that has a lot of learning resources out there.
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8 hours ago, Eve Nicholson said:
I am finding it hard to get accepted as an older person for a PhD. There are older people (I heard of one of 75 years last year who just achieved a PhD and wrote a valuable piece of scholarship.) If bias of older students were a provable, it would be illegal, but anything can be thought up not to accept you. Most of us older people were brought up to regard university as a place for knowledge, learning and research first and if you were younger perhaps a career. Not having chosen a career in academia, if you have the mind (and the money- you are not even taking from someone else) to study, there should be no barrier. I am 66 and last year got an MA from a prominent university. Am I now to be told- "go home and watch 'Loose Women' on the TV, granny?" I think bias against the older person is insulting. 60 is the new 40, people are living longer (and having to work and pay taxes longer to pay for others.) For heaven's sake, if we have a useful piece of work to do, why are we discriminated against?We do not regard it as a hobby. Sitting in the British Library or LLW or British Museum looking at documents, I have no use for my designated elderly activities.bingo, walks in the country, WI.
Good research IS the job, ( as is conscienciously doing ones job throughout a lifetime and paying for the education of so many). It is a sorry thing to read from so many about this prejudice, because we have a passion for our subjects too.
I am so sorry for your anger and frustration, but this has not been caused by older students. tOur useful research, is possibly enriched by the insights of many jobs we have done during our lives.
I think what some of the others are rather poorly trying to say is that you can't approach the PhD program (at least the better ones) simply as a hobby. In your statement of proposal, you will need to identify a historical problem, how you plan to address, and why it is important that you address it. If you can do that, and not just say in your statement of purpose that you are doing this for self-fulfillment purposes, then I don't see why you don't stand just as much a shot at admittance.
Honestly, a lot of programs (knowingly) let in young people that probably don't have much of a shot at tenure-track at jobs afterwards. Those TA positions need to be filled, after all. I don't see why this would be any different.
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1 hour ago, villageelliot said:
Looks like I spoke too soon. Just got an email from my POI at William and Mary--I've been accepted to the terminal MA and waitlisted for PhD. Not the news I had hoped for but definitely heartening considering my rejection from Johns Hopkins. A formal email should follow in a few days according to my POI so hopefully the MA will be somewhat funded (though I'm definitely not counting on it).
As you already hinted at, this could be a blessing in disguise if you don't already have a master's.
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16 minutes ago, historygeek said:
I've been checking my application portals every hour, refreshing my email, watching my phone like a hawk for potential calls from POI... help.
27 minutes ago, DanaJ said:I'm refreshing my e-mail every 5 minutes at my desk in the Grad Assistant office, plus keeping my phone by my side at all times! It's painful!
Just want to chime in and say that one should be really trying to avoid this type of behavior. This might be a good time to practice a skill (that is, waiting patiently and unobsessively) you will need to get through grad school. There'll be times when you're waiting to hear back for (many) things but need to give your full attention to present tasks. Even if you are still being productive, it just isn't healthy to keep refreshing your e-mail (or gradcafe). Take it from someone who can get obsessive when anxious and has gotten better at avoiding this behavior. My waiting periods have become less of an emotional rollercoaster.
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38 minutes ago, TexasTiger said:
I would assume within the Western Hemisphere anyone who studies Native American history does well
Funny you say that. I was going to include that, but I didn't want make my post longer. Yes, budding Native American historians tend to do well, though a lot the courses blend into the American Studies department (which is a very good department). A recent history PhD graduate landed a job in American Studies at Rutgers this past year, for example.
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1 hour ago, youngblood79 said:
Hi everyone! I was curious if anyone could share their thoughts about the University of Minnesota. I was admitted into their History program. I'll figure out more about the program in the next couple of weeks, but I wanted to hear what other people about the program? Is it a solid school to get into? Will I struggle for employment afterwards? etc.
I am graduate student in the program. Like with a lot of programs, I would say it depends on what area you are studying.
This link should help you understand where the program (along with other programs) is strong and where it isn't so strong: https://www.historians.org/wherehistorianswork
In short, we do best with focuses outside the Western Hemisphere. A decent percent of people do the pre-modern period and find jobs in academia.
If you have anymore questions, feel free to PM me.
Applications 2019
in History
Posted · Edited by fartsmeller
Way too much thought being put into this. The message @historygeek wrote is a fine example if you are declining.
If you are accepting, usually you just email the department head letting them know and asking what you need to do moving forward.