ZeeMore21

I really appreciate this qbtacoma, thank you.

Given that your last post was headed with "Zeemore," I understood your entire post as directed toward me, my mistake. Given that this is a public forum, I can give advice anywhere I feel like I am able to. It is because I disagree with you that you now have an issue with me being in a field outside of History...and you have yet to explain why you made such a generalization of the OP's post. Because the OP is studying African American history, and I study this in combination with African American cultural studies, yes, I am qualified to give advice.Because I am familiar with the professors the OP mentioned, again, I thought I could be helpful. And since I have had a successful admissions year, I am very eager to give any tips I can to help others in any way. Obviously, people don't have to take my advice if they don't think it would be helpful, but that doesn't mean I won't give advice in the first place. I actually don't see how my advice is less helpful than yours, if we can even call that your initial post advice in the first place. I responded directly to what the OP was asking. I don't think you would disagree with advice I gave in a previous post to the OP, that one's personal statement and writing sample is important. Whether it is a English graduate program or a History graduate program, this is advice can be helpful. I am not saying that what is found on this forum is the model for how one should conduct themselves in an academic setting. However, I do understand that this is pretty much an informal setting, and people usually let down their guard here.

I actually don't believe I need to rethink what field I am in, I will be just fine. Yes, I do find connections between my identity and what I study, and I also have the academic credentials to establish myself in my field. Like I said in the post you just quoted, I was curious as to why you felt that race and identity "figured so prominently" in the OP's post...though the OP only mentioned it briefly. I thought your statement was a gross generalization of the OP's post. The main point of the OP's post was to ask for advice about his qualifications, perhaps he used his identity and gender as a simple introduction....I have seen countless posts on this forum where posters new to GradCafe introduce themselves giving basic, personal information. To add on to what you just said, I also think that how you ask a question is just as important.

And also...I doubt that if the OP did decide to include his background in a personal statement that he would start his personal statement the way he started his original post. There are ways to discuss your background creatively and intellectually in your personal statement, where you are drawing interesting connections between your background and your research interests. And Strangelight, I definitely do understand what you are trying to say...I just think that Sigaba came off very rude. Race and gender actually took up one short line in the OP's initial post...there was no reason to accuse the OP of filling up his entire post with his identity. That clearly isn't true. If Sigaba was actually curious about why the OP introduced himself the way he did, there could have been a non-accusatory way of asking a question...and I am sure the OP could have provided an explanation if he wanted to.

I guess this is all on a case by case basis. Personally, I don't think that addressing one's identity or background should only be constricted to "informal settings"...I don't really think that there really has to be this binary of formal/informal...and I don't know how helpful this binary is to begin with. Perhaps you could elaborate on that Strangelight. I actually did include my identity in the opening of my personal statement, because it was important enough to be there. I am a child of West African immigrants, and this background definitely led to my interest in black migration studies. I initially was too embarrassed to include my background in my personal statement, but my adviser actually encouraged me to include it. My identity actually has been a significant part in my intellectual development and academic growth, so I definitely think it was wise and helpful to include it in my personal statement. Given that I had a fairly successful application season this year, I don't think including my identity in my statement was negative.

Definitely! I have friends outside of school who don't understand that reading and writing actually take time....they assume that studying English Lit is a piece of cake. I think you advice definitely encourages me not to shut all doors...perhaps dating someone outside of my field might be something to think about. Thanks for your help!

I do understand Timshel I actually only have experience dating others from school, which is why I am thinking that dating outside of school might be something I should think about. While someone from academia might understand what I am going through as a doctoral student, I am also sure that there are people in the outside world who can also be sympathetic. Again, because I don't have experience dating outside of school, I am leaning towards meeting people who are not in academia. I know that for myself, I do get caught up in everything school-related, and forget that there are people who actually exist outside of academia who are just as smart, interesting, fun, and intelligent as those who are in academia.

For the most part, I use Amazon to purchase school books. If there is a book I need that I know for sure that I will not keep it, I borrow the book from the library.

Hi lantern, I really am so sorry about your loss. I definitely agree that the grief you have over loosing someone is not a blip.....I lost my grandmother 7 years ago, for example, and I think that grief can be circular....there will be things that trigger a sharp feeling of grief even now, especially with all of my memories. I guess the only advice I can give you is that yes, the grieving process will be hard, but definitely make sure to share this grief with others...talk to a counselor, or a pastor if you attend a church, a mentor/adviser, or even your friends and family. Don't try to do the healing process by yourself.

Thanks for the advice everyone, really. While I do know of people finding successful relationships online, I don't think online dating is for me. I think I will just stick with meeting people through social activities.

Since you are applying to doctoral programs, but if so, I would say that you should add about 4 or 5 more schools to your list. Given how competitive graduate admissions have become, applying to only 6 schools would be a bit risky in my opinion.

Thanks for providing some examples runonsentence! I definitely feel a lot more optimistic now : )

I really love this idea...thanks!

Hi everyone, I normally stay away from very personal topics, like dating and relationships, but I genuinely would like advice on dating while in graduate school. I currently am single and am wondering about how I go about meeting people in a new city and new school. From experience, I definitely will not be doing any inter-departmental dating, but I am kind of thinking that I might want to stay away from dating students in general. I think it would be nice to date someone who is out in the workforce...it can get tiresome thinking about school 24/7, and it would be nice to have someone who is outside of academia who can put things into perspective for me when I am going crazy over a seminar or a paper for example. So, I would really like advice on how I go about meeting someone who could potentially be a significant other. I am a female who will be 24 in a month, so marriage/having a family has been on the back of my mind...I hear too many stories about females in academia who have regretted sacrificing their personal lives in order to excel as a graduate student and then as a professor. One of my old advisers even scared me into really thinking about how I want to go about finding a husband and raising a family- she told me that although I am still young, I am a female so I really have to have my personal life planned out fast if I want to be able to balance academia and a love life/family. This is a bit stressful! Although graduate school and having a career are definitely important to me, I do want to be able to have a personal life and find happiness outside of academia. So again, if anyone can help me out with this dilemma, I would be grateful! I've been a bit embarrassed to bring this subject up, but it has been weighing on me, so I figured I would put this out there. I'm also sure there are others who may have a similar question.

That's great that you were able to weed down some schools, fit is definitely important! Not trying to be a salesperson for my school but you should definitely look into Vanderbilt if you are considering going into Southern literature. The Southern Agrarians actually came together at Vanderbilt, so you can only imagine how influenced the English department is by southern literary history.

I agree with The Hanged Fool here...I would definitely cut out the "I wanted to do ------ ever since I was a child." It's a big no-no from what I have heard from my own advisers..members of the admissions committee will more than likely throw away your application if you start your personal statement with that line. Wanting to study something since childhood doesn't really prove that you are actually capable of studying that subject at the graduate level, or working in that field as a scholar/professor. Plus, that line just sounds way too cliche/juvenile to be included in a serious document such as a personal statement for graduate level work.

Hi cquin, will be rooting for you this upcoming application season! When you say that you only applied to top tier schools, what ranks were these schools? Were they all top 20?

I still don't think the OP has to include the fact that last year's rejection made him/her understand that he/she "wasn't enough." Not getting into the program last year doesn't mean the OP wasn't good enough, but perhaps his/her strengths/qualifications weren't strongly articulated. With this in mind, it may not be helpful to spend anytime in the personal statement addressing weaknesses. The personal statement should really be about explaining why you are qualified for the program, and you should give strong evidence supporting this argument.

Will be relocating in 2 weeks! Very excited to be in a new location and around new people! Classes don't start until Aug. 24th though.

Hmm...don't really get the whole connection between paranoia and being in an English department that you are trying to make, because there isn't any. I will leave that comment alone. But again, I don't really see how a personal statement could be all that goofy...it is here that you are basically explaining your intellectual growth/development while also explaining why a specific program would be helpful to you. I'm sure admissions committees must take this document seriously. And again, I'm sure every school weights different components of the application package differently.

I wouldn't regret taking French just yet...it depends on what islands you would be studying, since there is both Haiti and Martinique.

I actually am still not a member...I plan on applying for membership as soon as I start my doctoral program this fall. I really don't think being or not being an MLA member will make or break your application.

I actually got rejected last year by the same school that I will be attending this year. I treated my rejection as though it never happened. It was a new admissions cycle and I was competing with a different group of applicants...I saw no reason to bring up a prior admissions cycle. Between the rejection and the time I re-applyed to the school, I definitely felt like I had grown both academically and professionally, and I think my personal statement reflected this naturally. There was no need to actually state that the previous rejection inspired me.

Thanks for clearing that up starmaker, I am not in the sciences, so I was going on what the other science posters were saying. I personally am glad that I don't belong to a department which treats MA students totally different from doctoral students....it makes the department feel much friendlier and way more collegial. This definitely is just my opinion though, perhaps there are other doctoral students who prefer that type of rigidity and division. I just am still a bit confused as to the value of such a rigid division.

On no, Morgan18, you didn't cause any stir. I was simply giving an opinion that perhaps you might want to consider the overlapping of all of these subjects. You can definitely take what I am saying with a grain of start...I am in Cultural Studies, not History, so perhaps you are coming from a different methodology. I was just thinking that perhaps acknowledging overlap would make you a more well rounded scholar. Like I said before, you definitely don't have to concentrate fully on race, gender, and sexuality....but I don't see how you will be able to avoid entirely issues of identity, I'm thinking of the area of religion as an example. As for the second half of my comment, I wasn't gearing that to you, but another poster here.