wanderlust07

Hence my not writing "all," or even "the area around Bloomington," although I will concede that "as a pancake" is more my a reflection of having long since been spoiled. For an alternate perspective: I grew up in the Midwest and have hiked (and driven) a great deal of these rolling hills (including the Appalachian foothills). I like the hills a lot. I am now, however, living in the PacNW, and I am just not missing the rolling hill version of altitude now that I've been roaming all up and down the coast. (The highest point in IN is less than 1500 ft, no? I know it's less than the highest point in Missouri, which is Taum Sauk "Mountain" at around 1700 ft. That is not a mountain, IMO, and any area in which people don't blink at calling it one is relatively "flat." I say this in spite of the fact that that area of Missouri is likewise full of rolling hills). It's pretty and makes for an excellent hike; I just prefer rugged. I am actually so spoiled by this that I am reluctant to leave for a better and funded program. It's a sickness. *shrug*

FWIW, I got a hard copy of the funding offer in my dept. mailbox today (no e-copy). They're working on it.

I should perhaps clarify that although I earn my keep by teaching comp., it is not my area of study. I do find it odd (and counterproductive for us) that what my students most often claim to want out of this course sequence is utility, and yet they very seldom envision any sort of contemporary (particularly digital) communication or their future careers as involving the written word or argument in any way. Nor do they see those things as involving a need for reading in any sense (not even in the sense of being able to pick apart manipulative advertising, political rhetoric, or any other type of loaded language or text--broadly construed-- thrown at them on a daily basis). They also tend to come in assuming that by college they "know" English (at least the native speakers do) and that the course is therefore a waste. I spend an inordinate amount of time jarring them out of that "I'm 18 and hip, and you are stuck in the Stone Age" mindset. "Utility" has been pitched to them as the thing they can "get" out composition class, but they do not necessarily believe it exists. This is doubly problematic. I actually think we back ourselves into a corner when we respond to charges of "uselessness" with assertions of "real world applications" in English. A lot of what we do has much broader and less immediately applicable "use" and capital than comma-splices (although, good lord, would I love to be winning that war), and I think that aesthetics generally are losing ground in higher education and American culture in disturbing ways (cue my "why I eventually dream of teaching at a liberal arts school" sidebar).

Thanks, lyoness! So, indeed, a rather absurd chain of conversations has it. It sort of makes me want to go outside, turn around three times, and spit, since I've yet to receive the email. Of course, today (as most days in Oregon) the good luck spit would immediately disappear into the rain.

Yet I struggle to convey the importance of this skill to ANY of my business or science majors in my intro comp courses. (They can't write a professional email worth a darn either). Riddle me that...

Yeah, far as I know (word from Mike yesterday) they are completely done sorting funding and are trying to get all the email notices out today, usual snail-mail to follow.

Congrats!! Tough call, indeed. Indiana is a fantastic school (I'm not sure of where they are in your subfields, but I do Vict. Lit and would kill for the post to reach the West Coast and put me out of my misery), but I do believe somewhere buried in their department page is info that funding in the first year or so can get squirrelly. I would personally pay more attention to which institutions are known/strong in my subfield and placement records than overall ranking, or which schools have scholars I really really want to work with (at least for the PhD). Re the MA: Funded MAs are an excellent choice, and they will put you in a much stronger position when you reapply (with the exception of a few schools who really prefer to promote from within and so discourage applicants who already hold an MA). It would give you time to develop and refine your scholarly interests, work on your writing, attend conferences, be on committees or take other service positions, etc. All of this is excellent professional development, and might make the idea of reapplying seem less horrific. If you're not going to rack up debt while doing it, and the programs offered suit you, I definitely don't think it's anything to sneeze at, esp. if either of those programs is known for tracking its students into the PhD (the good thing about this arrangement is that you can still apply other places as your MA comes to a close w/o looking ungrateful). Re. the PhD: It's a sure thing. It's Indiana. Have you visited any of these schools? That might influence how much you're willing to take on in the way of debt. There might be some fellowships or outside sources of funding still available for next fall, but my guess would be that that ship has pretty much sailed. If you're not sitting on a mountain of undergrad loans, though, one year is really not terrible. I sort of feel like the pros of Indiana don't need much reiterating. Cons: ? Lots of Indiana is flat as a pancake? Re. Insurance: I'm not sure whether your first post means the MA offers what might be better insurance or they might offer insurance (or if this is even important to you), but either way--if you are not offered insurance as part of a TA or fellowship at either school, you should still be eligible to buy into the regular group plan at the uni (and pay the premiums out of pocket). Wading through the relative costs of this is usually a beast, but unless you have ongoing health problems, the things that matter will be the fine print for stuff that is unpredictable and expensive (is there an annual deductible? How much? Is there an annual cap on benefits? How much? Is there catastrophic coverage? Are things like in-patient procedures and surgeries covered? ...ad nauseam). Possibly mundane things like prescription coverage, if it includes dental or eye care (if you want/need either), etc. If you do wind up with a TA position, you may be on a different/better plan than the school's main one (by virtue of having a union). ---I would look closely enough to make sure you can live with either plan and then not let it make or break the decision (barring serious health needs). I sort of feel like this is a thing most students don't pay any attention to until the sh!t hits the fan, and by then you won't be in any shape to go digging through the legalese, so pardon the excessive info.

Maybe it's like an airline and they deliberately overbooked, knowing/gambling that some people would not show up for check-in?

Yes--although I often think I'm batshit insane for doing so. I took some time off and "worked" (at various entry-level, retail, etc. blah jobs) for two years before coming back for an MA--long story, never mind. I'm certainly not sorry to be back in school, but I've been moving around so often and living out of boxes for so long that I often worry that I'll always have one foot out the door. Applying at all the first time was a total crap shoot, for which I was woefully under-prepared after being out of academia. Applying for PhD programs in English this round has likewise been a crap shoot. Even if I successfully complete the PhD, 6 or so years from now, getting a full time, stable position in my field (let alone something tenure-track) will be...you guessed! A crap shoot. I am setting myself up to enter a field in which there have been--for a long time now--far more qualified professionals than the economy or the academy can support, and this means that it is inherently unstable. At middle age, I could still be living like I am now: taking longer and longer to unpack after each move and playing the shell game with my debt. And yet...and yet. There is so much I love about this work: Being pleasantly surprised by that kernel of new and original thought or a witty turn of phrase in a struggling student's essay. Those minutes in front of a white board when my paper is still an inchoate mess of colored notes but is...almost...there--if I just jiggle the pieces a little bit longer. The chaotic cascade of old books spilling over my office desk, too large to ever be read cover to cover but promising infinite discovery. Lunch with fellow students that somehow degenerates into philosophical debates, and knowing that no matter how vehemently you disagree, you will all still be friends the next day, because vigorous debate is a healthy necessity in academia. Late night grading parties that plummet off the cliff into sleep-deprived insanity, leaving you all laughing hysterically on the floor, with jokes that will keep you afloat for weeks and make zero sense to anyone else. The smell of coffee in the morning before teaching, because my office mate got there first. Freedom to pursue topics of interest and importance to me, rather than those set by others. Hitting command+s and being DONE. I would be SO bored and miserable doing anything else. Masochistic? Quite possibly.

I'm sure he would--Mike is very nice--but I'm awkwardly placed at the moment and would prefer not to kick the hornet's nest too often. Thanks, though. I'll take comfort in the fact that the emails apparently haven't gone out.

Congrats to those admitted! Did any of you actually get the email? Those of us applying from within the program had to apply hardcopy and so can't check status online. NOT happy.

Ah. This. Generally, once your foot is in the door, it's possible to apply for funds within the department (or university wide) for things like specific research or conference travel. They are more competitive at some schools and in some fields than others, and a current grad student is a good person to ask for this info. I'm not sure how available it would be for something like a regular series of summer coursework at the university (for which you would ordinarily be paying them tuition), but you could ask a current grad who has presumably filled those requirements.