Ydrl
-
Posts
767 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
9
Everything posted by Ydrl
-
I'm with you on this in a way. I don't necessarily think it's conservative or violent to have people be held accountable for their actions. Especially considering one of the TAs in question got so coked up he cancelled his class the morning of... I'm personally okay with some drugs being made legal, but as long as they are illegal, maybe don't cancel class because of it. That's a disaster...
- 1,892 replies
-
- 1
-
-
- creative writing
- mfa
- (and 3 more)
-
Hopefully Ohio State's super early acceptances are a good sign for the season. ?
- 1,892 replies
-
- 1
-
-
- creative writing
- mfa
- (and 3 more)
-
Well, buckle up. There are some people I've had issues with at the program, and the first theme is that they're all cis white men, two are bi (this will be relevant), but the other five are straight. The second theme is that I've been the sole target in most cases. For reference, I'm nonbinary, pansexual, the darkest person in the program, neurodivergent, and have a host of health issues. Things that happened so far: Abandoned and stranded at a party because the two people from the program (who are TAs) who were supposed to give me a ride wanted to buy and do some lines of coke instead of take me home. Got a ride from a total stranger and was never given an apology. In fact, when I alluded to a wild party in class, one of the two guys took me aside and demanded an explanation for me alluding to a wild night despite me not giving any details. Told four people I thought I could trust, two who had completely normal reactions. And then the two white guys. The first guy told me said that unless I thought they had a coke problem not to tell anyone. The second guy, who is teaching me, told me privately that we all have vices and that reporting them would be petty of me. Then, in class, he had a small, impromptu lesson on pettiness. Been told to shut up a few times by one of the men mentioned above. A different teacher told me he couldn't do anything about it due to it happening outside his class/field of vision. One of my classmates, instead of giving me helpful feedback has called my work "lousy", an "accordion car crash", has explained that he would have done ___ because it's "better", and doodles on his copy of my work in class instead of giving me verbal feedback (something he does for everyone else). One of the two teachers talked to me when I was having a hard time due to some of these guys by saying that both of us are too intense for most people. The bi guys slept together, which whatever, but when I brought it up causally to one of them they gaslighted me so hard and made me feel like I was nuts despite other people telling me that this happened. One of them confronted me at a party in front of other people by insisting I made him uncomfortable by asking him questions that I never asked him. When I talked to him privately about it and told him that confronting me for things I never did at a party was embarrassing, he told me that I make him uncomfortable, but despite it, he still thinks we can be friends. While I don't think it's racially motivated (I've always been bad at detecting these things though) it's a disturbing trend to see the people who have issues with me versus the people that don't. It might be neurodivergent based, since the "intense" comment from my teacher came around. I know I'm not palatable to most people, but that comment confirmed my worst fears about what others think about me. I cry a lot here.
-
There's a miniscule window after you've been accepted to a program and before you commit where you can ask to be connected to current students. I recommend doing that to see who they're letting into the programs.
- 1,892 replies
-
- 3
-
-
- creative writing
- mfa
- (and 3 more)
-
So, I promise this is related to the conversation that's gone on so far. The experience you have at an MFA program is shaped by the people you're interacting with. Some people have great experiences at MFA program. Others, like me, have experienced the ugly side of these programs, and it isn't the curriculum that's the problem for me, surprisingly. The hubris and disrespect of some of the straight, cis, white male writers is mind boggling. It makes me wonder if much has changed in the writing world since "the greats" were writing. I'm going to say it now, and hopefully it doesn't discourage anyone too much: Poetry workshops are infinitely cattier and less organized than fiction workshops in my opinion. My fiction workshops probably aren't the pinnacle of respect and helpfulness, but some of my classmates in that poetry workshop are the definition of unprofessional, and unmotivated to help others. Find yourself a cohort that genuinely cares about your success as a writer and a person.
- 1,892 replies
-
- 1
-
-
- creative writing
- mfa
- (and 3 more)
-
What's everyone's top school?
-
It's definitely kind of hellish. Getting into a school and not receiving adequate funding is a blow I received during my last application season. Luckily I got a rare full tuition remission, but I didn't get a TAship, and I don't have much of an income from my writing assistant job at the writing center.
- 1,892 replies
-
- 1
-
-
- creative writing
- mfa
- (and 3 more)
-
What schools were at the bottom of the list? Just curious
-
The Florida schools are pretty cheap to apply to which was awesome because I like being warm with full funding haha.
-
Can't get any funding without the fafsa I'm afraid
-
I am the king of acquiring hobbies. It's normally a problem, but during times like these I rotate between them. Drawing, coloring, painting, crocheting, papercrafts, making clothing??? Idk I'm not bored, but my wallet hurts.
-
It's not too late to do that, but I would do it soon. On the application itself there's a section that makes you list your schools. You can only list 10 schools that you're interested in sending a FAFSA to. If you have other questions, feel free to ask because I just did mine a week and a half ago.
-
@MDP are you fiction, poetry, or non fiction? Just curious.
-
Currently reading a book of poetry called Sleeping and Waking by Michael O'Brien. This book is an especially good lesson in taking sentences and cutting off the fat and connective tissue. I'm enjoying it so far. Also just finished At the Drive-In Volcano by Aimee Nezhukumatathil as well after getting a recommendation from here last year!
-
These things happen. And I've had all my apps submitted since early December. The problem is I wrote something that two of my professors say is the best poem I've written that they've seen. And it isn't in any of my manuscripts...
- 1,892 replies
-
- 1
-
-
- creative writing
- mfa
- (and 3 more)
-
@koechophe thank you
- 1,892 replies
-
- 1
-
-
- creative writing
- mfa
- (and 3 more)
-
@MDP the person you just interacted with is a known troll from last year. I wouldn't bother commenting on their posts. They pop up under different usernames after they get banned, so if you see the same speech patterns and tags of me and Mr. Visser, feel free to ignore them.
- 1,892 replies
-
- 2
-
-
-
- creative writing
- mfa
- (and 3 more)
-
@mrvisser you ready to pick out our singular Austin apartment lol? Also, side note, I'm being published in a magazine (March 2022)! I found out yesterday morning!
- 1,892 replies
-
- 1
-
-
- creative writing
- mfa
- (and 3 more)
-
If we both go to U Washington or Michener, I'm getting you a drink (or food if you don't drink) because that was excellent.
- 1,892 replies
-
- 1
-
-
- creative writing
- mfa
- (and 3 more)
-
For some reason, I'm not flipping between the "best or worst poems I've written" issue. I know these are the best, even if I don't feel all that attached to some of them that are technically sound and representative of my writing style. It's good you aren't that stressed about the SOP because it's really just a small window of you as a person. Spending time on your sample is so important, and I hope everyone here is doing that. My apps are going slow, but they're still going. I decided to cut down my schools to 6 so I'm way less overwhelmed.
-
How's everyone doing on their applications?
-
In my opinion, it depends on if it's financially responsible for you, and how much you can bend your budget if fiction means a lot to you, these things can get pricey. There are many colleges that will let you take fiction course work in addition to poetry. If that's what you want, just look for those schools that allow some amount of cross genre exploration (UNH does this). And I'm still putting together my sample, will be going over the basic contents tomorrow, and editing it until mid November (except for Iowa which will be earlier due to mailing it in). I didn't know if I would have three recommenders until yesterday, but now I can start my applications way later than everyone else haha...
-
I've heard some things about funding that aren't great tbh. My friend had applied, gotten half tuition remission initially, but had also gotten into an Ivy league school for an unrelated degree so they went there. Halfway through their degree at that university, then UNH emailed them a TAship offer though they didn't send in any new material. As for my full tuition remission, it's probably pretty uncommon. The classmates who have mentioned their funding to me (despite me never asking) have mentioned half tuition scholarships.
-
@mrvisser Despite everything that happened with last year's admission and forum troubles, you're back. I'm glad you're trying again.
-
I'm not entirely sure if this will make sense, but most of your feedback and a good majority of what you learn comes from your classmates. I don't feel like I'm learning very much, and my feedback is only okay. Don't get me wrong, the people here are very nice which I appreciate, but my friends are nice, and I need to learn.
- 1,892 replies
-
- 1
-
-
- creative writing
- mfa
- (and 3 more)
