theregalrenegade

card shark

The best part of Microsoft Office 2010 is OneNote - I use it to organize ALL my notes. Just recently I dumped everything into Dropbox - love it! And I use Zotero for citations, but sometimes I'm not impressed with the organization or formatting.

I will probably be taking my comps after this fall semester. I'm scared, but like you mentioned, I'll have a ton of great texts under my belt. When I had a history theory class last semester, the prof said our exams would be set up like comps. It was killer. Our final was a a three-hour session where we had to choose one of two all encompassing essay questions to write on. I thought for sure I wasn't going to pass, but I managed to get a B+. I was happy with that considering it was a methodology course that was notorious for giving ulcers to MA and PhD students alike!

One of my friends in classical history who I had no doubt would do just fine, didn't pass. I never found out the whole story and what happened to her. What happens if you don't pass, btw?

Awesome! I'm a worksheet fiend - I try to make them for everything academic.

I guess I basically said the same thing, Emelye. I was too busy writing the post to check other responses :-)

I'm glad you brought this up, strangefox. I'm almost into my second year as a MA student and still struggle with the best way to read texts, scholarly articles, reviews, and the like. I read slow, but it's mostly because I'm trying to summarize in my head AND jot down relevant notes. It's hard to move forward when you are constantly writing. Everyone's got some great suggestions. I try to read in 30 minute bursts since I start getting vertigo if I focus my eyes on something too long (I know, weird). I also forget to eat and drink if I'm too into my studying. So I set a timer for 30 minutes - read, take notes - and then give myself about 10 minutes to get up and do something physical or other chores, like laundry, dishes, or walking to the mailbox. I have a worksheet that I found on a defunct study skills website (adapted by David Rudge) that I use sometimes when reading. I continually tweak it to suit my needs. I'm pasting it here because I don't think we can attach word files. It's too lengthy, yet I think it works well if cut down a bit. If anyone wants it, I'll be happy to send the file to them. CITATION HERE PART I. WHAT THE AUTHOR REALLY SAID TITLE OF ARTICLE / REVIEW AND FROM WHAT JOURNALS, ETC: AUTHOR(S) OF ARTICLE / REVIEWERS: TOPIC / SUBJECT: MAIN CONCLUSION / THESIS: MINOR CONCLUSION / THESIS: SOURCES USED: TERMS: List any terms or concepts that are unfamiliar or appear to be important. If the author provides a definition, be sure to write that down too. Circle any you feel need clarification or discussion. Important terms Definitions EVIDENCE: List any evidence the author provides for the main conclusion. Each of these may appear as a sub-conclusion of its own argument. If you spot evidence in favor of a sub-conclusion, list that as well and identify which sub-conclusion it supports. Circle any that you feel need of clarification or discussion. 1) EVIDENCE FOR MAIN CONCLUSION 2) EVIDENCE FOR SUB-CONCLUSIONS AND SUB-CONCLUSION SUPPORTED IDENTIFY OTHER PERSUASIVE ELEMENTS. Were there any other aspects of this article, such as the way it was presented, its use of examples, the author's writing style, etc., that made the article persuasive or non-persuasive? SUMMARIZE, using the evidence you found above, and how this evidence leads to the main conclusion. State points directly rather than "he says" or "it's about." (Don't evaluate the argument here.) SCHOLARLY DIALOGUE, What are the criticisms the reviewer has of the text and / or author(s)? CONTRIBUTION TO THE FIELD, How has the work contributed to the work already out there? Is it positive or negative? PART II. - WHAT I THINK ABOUT THIS FIRST REACTIONS. List or write up any reactions you have to the article. Do you agree with the author? Why or why not? WHERE DOES THE AUTHOR GO WRONG? Remembering the argument you found for the author, identify what part of the argument, either evidence or the logic linking the premises to the conclusion, you think is mistaken. (Even if you agree with the author, play the devil's advocate by identifying what you consider to be the weakest point of the argument.) WHAT IS THE STRONGEST PART OF THE AUTHOR'S ARGUMENT? Again, identify one part of the argument you think works well. DEVELOP YOUR OWN POSITION - State your own position on this issue and sketch how you might support it. (If you find the author's argument compelling, suggest another way one might support the same position.)

I guess I'm not really sure how work study works. I have been granted an allocation of $3000 for work study for the Fall 2011 semester according to my university website. I've looked at the UNLV job board specifically for work study employment and they say I'll need a letter provided by the bank verifying my work study status. I haven't received any letter yet. Is this normal? If and when I do receive this letter, and find employment, do they pay me weekly, biweekly, etc. like a normal job?

Not starting in the fall but would love to hear how it goes for you. I'm considering applying in 2013 for my doctorate in history. Good luck and congratulations!

Congratulations! I know it's been a while since you posted this, but since no one gave a final reply, I thought I would. I've been seriously considering applying to the UK for my doctorate in 2013 and am gathering as much information as possible. This thread has been wonderful. Hope you have a great year! (check in from time to time and tell us how its going if you can!)

I've taken classes in anthropology, art history, and literature - and have found interests in them all. This fall I'm taking an 18th century English art history course and a Gothic literature course that I'm really excited about. I'm hoping to get some inspiration there. In the meantime, I read everything I can get my hands on that looks interesting and keep a running list of interests and questions. Hopefully, something will jump out. Thanks for the support!

I like it! I've started something similar, but was getting impatient. Great strategy though :-)

I have taken a historiography course, but it wasn't exactly in my area of study. We are at the mercy of whatever historiography courses are offered at the time. I took one on the French Revolution, which definitely is connected to 18th century Britain, however not my where my interests lie. I'm in the midst of an independent study over the summer and my professor has helped me explore some those interests/options, but nothing is jumping out or leading me anywhere.

I'm having problems with tangents. I seem to be running off on them whenever I start a project/paper. I have particular interests in my field, but I'm not sure what will be my ultimate focus, especially when in comes to my Masters thesis. I find everything within my field so fascinating that I can't seem to funnel anything into a specialization? Or my interests just don't have any common themes. My professors are encouraging me to get cracking on a topic for my MA thesis and I'm feeling pressured. I want to choose a topic that will have some relevance to what I will eventually do my PhD work on. But, doesn't that mean I'll have to have some idea of what that will be now, too? When during your courses of study did you choose a focus for your studies and how? Was it an "ah-ha" moment? Or did it flow naturally from your classes and/or projects? How many of you changed your minds repeatedly? I'd love to know what all of your experiences were like.

Thanks, Jane. I'll check it out.

I'm wondering if any of the "speed reading" programs out there are worth it for graduate students? Anyone have any experience with speed reading? If so, which programs did you benefit from or which ones were a waste of time?