Jump to content

Liquirizia

Members
  • Posts

    31
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by Liquirizia

  1. Definitely leave out all high school stuff. Perhaps if your awards are highly relevant to your field, maybe add those to your Awards/Honors section, but realistically all high school related content should be left off. For reference, if you received your undergraduate degree and were applying to jobs, you shouldn't have high school stuff on it either.
  2. Hello colleagues in the humanities, I've read some of the previous threads on eReaders but they're all from around 2011. I'm particularly interested in updated information on quality eReaders as well as how they would function for someone in the humanities. Do you recommend using one or not? If so, which eReaders would you recommend? How is using an eReader in class? I'm in the languages, and I've heard you can find books in the target language for cheaper on eReaders and then you have the added benefit of a built in dictionary and can take notes more easily in the text. I'm very old-fashioned so the idea of using an eReader isn't particularly thrilling, but at the same time, neither is lugging around copious amounts of books. Any information on the great debate of eReaders would be appreciated.
  3. Northwestern - very safe (mostly). It's actually not in Chicago (unless you're going to their downtown campus in Streeterville area.) It's in a rich suburban town that feels very city-like called Evanston. I would watch out for where the Red Line ends at the Howard Stop - that part of town can be rough. Also, Streeterville is fairly safe, one of the more expensive parts of the city to live. Loyola - safe. This is in Roger's Park (plus a downtown campus for law?) - just south of Evanston. So be wary of the Howard area, as mentioned above. I lived in Rogers Park for a time and never felt unsafe, even though there were some random, brutal shootings of pedestrians. (A gunman just going up to a guy walking his dog and shooting him execution style). That happened in the park where I go running, but I didn't blink an eye. There was often police in the park thereafter. The areas closest to Loyola feel very nice and homey - it's a lot of students (not just Loyola students) mixed with regular Chicagoans of all backgrounds. De Paul - Lincoln Park with a downtown campus. Lincoln Park is a very popular, fun, nice neighborhood. I'd say it's pretty safe. Can't go wrong. Please, take all this with a grain of salt. Chicago is a city and every neighborhood has crime. Some more than others, but crime exists everywhere. It's a simple fact. I could tell you stories of crime in each of the above neighborhoods but that doesn't mean you should completely avoid them. They're still safe. Bad things happen everywhere is my point. However, if you're vigilant and know basic tricks to avoid becoming a target, living in any city (anywhere in the world), you'll be fine. For example, don't leave a bag sitting in your car in plain view - your window will get broken and the bag stolen, whether the car is parked (and you're absent) or you're present in the car driving and at a stoplight. Street smarts are make all the difference. TLDR: Northwestern & De Paul are very safe. Loyola is just safe.
  4. They say I say By: Gerald Graff Write it Up By: Paul Silva Chicago Guides to Writing By: William Germano
  5. You can explain that your circumstances have greatly changed and you need to decline the offer. Explain how grateful you are for his time spent interviewing you and considering your application - maybe add a little personal flair of something you discussed to show that this is a personalized email. And end with best wishes to him and hope to keep in touch or cross paths in the future.
  6. Well, I'm excited to let you all know that I'm coming to OSU in the fall! ?
  7. If you're applying to an English PhD, you will have to have proficiency in another language - meaning reading/translating (not having to be fluent in conversation by any means). This is common for any language PhD program. However, it is not necessary to have that before you start the program and programs often help you to achieve the proficiency. In any case, it seems you possibly already would have that proficiency in German or French. Since you're a modernist, Ancient Greek wouldn't be the one you would use for the proficiency exam. By all means, taking time to become more fluent now is always helpful and less stressful for you later. (That's what I'm doing currently - taking time to learn French now so that I won't be so stressed in grad school next year adding that to my endless list of things to do. We can practice together if you like!☺️) In terms of Comp Lit, you need to be fluent in 2 languages (in a addition to English). Since you're uninterested in your native tongue, you really need to hone German and French to be competitive in Comp Lit apps. Comp Lit is an extremely competitive field to get into. It's honestly much easier to get into a single language program like English. So if you decide that Comp Lit is your preferred program and you definitely want to begin in 2022, I highly recommend having some back up applications in English. Also, just rereading everything you wrote, I'd like to offer a suggestion. Maybe you've already thought about this, but reach out to people in both English and Comp Lit programs. Talking to them about the program and their experiences may really help you discover what's the best fit for you. I did that a while back and it was very helpful in deciding between Comp Lit vs Italian programs. People are generally really nice and willing to talk to you, too. Everyone has been in your shoes at some point.
  8. I literally just got accepted to Ohio yesterday (for a PhD in Italian), and now I have no idea what to do. Can I ask what helped you all choose Ohio?
  9. If you have been accepted to programs this year, you will likely be accepted next year. Clearly, you are a qualified applicant. Taking a year off won't harm you; it will only help you. In my opinion, the debt is not worth it. It's not like you're going into CS where you'll be making 6 figures after you graduate. A career in the humanities will not be fruitful in the beginning, if at all. My advice is to learn from this application cycle to create an even better dossier for the next cycle for PhD programs. It'll be easier next year anyway because you've already been through it. Taking a year off will also give you time to get work experience as well as extra money that can go towards your existing loans and be saved for retirement (start now). The work experience is more valuable than you might realize. As you mentioned, the PhD programs you wanted weren't accepting applications this cycle so it is better to wait to be in the right program than to be in the wrong program earlier. Grad school is not something to rush. Yes, these programs are cash cows and what's worse is that the professors know it and will treat you as a second class citizen because your only purpose is to fund their PhD students. You want an enjoyable as possible experience in grad school. To achieve that, you want to be a prioritized student. You especially don't want to carry the burden of financial stress every day. If you're funded, you can at least sleep at night. Finally, I wanted point out that you didn't need to hesitate on applying due to not having a thesis in your application. I'm sure it will make your applications next cycle even more competitive, but you could've been an excellent applicant without it this year for PhD programs. I applied without a special thesis and have gotten into multiple PhD programs this cycle. I only have a BA. I think you deserve to be more confident in yourself.
  10. I'm surprised no one has gotten back to you. I'm by no means an expert on this, but here is what I suppose: If you start publishing research in medieval history that can help with the career change. Shows your change in interest is serious. As for languages, depending what languages you already know, learning new ones could be a breeze. You'll need to know Latin and ancient Greek to do a wide range of research. Knowing English already helps a bit for learning Latin, but knowledge of any Romance languages will really make learning Latin easy. Greek will be a little more challenging, but it's doable. I'm speaking from a Western point of view. If you're talking about Eastern history, I know much less about the languages involved. However, if you're thinking Western histories, you can really get into other languages depending which location you're focusing on, like Occitan. In any case, I think anything is possible. The switch is not as drastic as wanting to be a CS professor so I think it is feasible. In a lot of ways, it makes you more versatile for jobs because you could be an expert in both and can fill in where needed.
  11. UIUC's CS program is top notch. I wouldn't even hesitate. Sure you might think the location isn't as "cool" as LA, but the people at UIUC are amazing, and there is plenty to do there, too. Also, this thread below has a similar topic. Not sure if you've already seen it. Could be helpful.
  12. Liquirizia

    Eugene, OR

    Seems that there hasn't been a lot of recent responses from current residents of Eugene in this thread, but I want to take a shot in the dark anyway. Does anyone know what typical single bedrooms/studios cost in Eugene? I've been looking and it seems to range from 900 to 1.5k seems to be the range, but I'm not sure if I'm using the best search tools (Craigslist, Zillow, Trulia). What are the best ways to find housing? Also, how affordable is this city on a humanities stipend? To me, it seems more pricey than I expected. If I want to live alone, most of my stipend will go to rent alone.
  13. I don't know if you feel the same way, but I love organizing/reorganizing. It's an oddly satisfying activity for me. Sounds like you're doing lots of good productive things before school starts! ☺️ I tried to look into courses at the university I'm most likely going to, but there was nothing I could find. I only know one required seminar I have to take in the fall. Lots of well wishes for moving countries! I've only ever moved abroad for short living experiences, nothing as long as grad school. I know it's always a long, tough, stressful process with visas, finding housing, etc. Depending where you move in the US, the housing process can be easy. It's the big cities that are often a bit more complicated with application fees, etc. Smaller cities you can find places with ease. I'm sure current students in your program can help you figure out which neighborhoods are best to live in.
  14. This is a great post; thanks ProAtOverthinking! My current rough plan is: Reading as much as I can in my field - research (articles/books/etc.) as well as Italian lit. Trying to write in Italian everyday to get back into thinking in it. I need to learn a 3rd language so I've been studying French now to alleviate the burden later. Once I know what courses I'll be taking in the fall, I plan to reach out to those professors for the syllabus and start reading things ahead of time. During the pandemic, I figured out what type of routine best fits me now - I like to workout in the morning, start working soon after, work until dinner, and then my evenings can be spent however I need. I think big meal preps on the weekend have been helpful to keep my weekdays productive - not losing time to cooking. If people haven't figured out their ideal routine/lifestyle, the summer would be a good opportunity to experiment. I plan to move 1 month prior to starting school. TBD still. I've been digitally tidying - cleaning up my computer and getting it organized. Creating good systems of organization for school. I start drafting a CV - not much on it, but hey, it'll be easy to add to in the future now. I took the Coursera course "Learning How to Learn" so I might revisit that. I also plan to look into Coursera courses on writing and hope to take something to help improve my writing. That's all I can think of for now. You mentioned looking for housing, and my general plan for that is: Figure out what neighborhoods I want to be in. (Talk to current students/professors to assess this.) Check out Craigslist. Check out the Facebook page for students searching housing at my uni. Find out the realty groups and check out their listings.
  15. I would wait for the financial package to come out before accepting. This season I was burned by one school. They accepted me and led me to believe they would fund me. I was planning to accept, but after a month of waiting, they finally revealed they weren't going to fund me. Luckily, I have another option, that overall is a better fit, but had I accepted prematurely, I would have been more devastated.
  16. Disclaimer: My background is in Italian, not French. I don't know a ton about UNC but I did apply there. I went to UIUC as an undergrad and studied Italian in the FRIT dept. I don't know the French profs, but I know Rushing who is Ital/CL prof who does some work on French. He is amazing, btw. Anyway, info that could be useful for you: Funding can be hit or miss. They really don't have money. I applied to a PhD in Italian this year at UIUC and one of my profs emailed me right away to say "Apply to FLAS... there is too much uncertainty with COVID." It's a little late to apply to FLAS for next year, but that might be a source of funding for you in the future. Also, if you're coming in with a MA and starting the PhD, not starting with the master's you should be able to have more funding. It's those master's years that are the least secure. Also, be prepared to teach/TA French language classes. TAing is how you'll be funded. I've heard talk of the language profs wanting to get students in the habit of applying to fellowships externally, but it hasn't been done often historically. That might change. Also, it seems summers are not funded and there aren't tons of opportunities. You might make a little money for teaching in the 3 week FLIP program. I know many of the Italian native of the program just go back to Italy for the summer. The FRIT department is fairly close in terms of grad students - lots of beautiful friendships and support. They certainly have a lot of fun. ? Outside of the program, UC is a wonderful place. Very cute, extremely diverse for a rural location, and "micro-urban." Cost of living is DIRT cheap. It really is an affordable place to live. There are trains and busses to Chicago so it's easy to get there without a car. Getting around the UC area is easy by bus, walking, or biking. Everything is very close.
  17. I know it's not the same as Information, but I'm still waiting on results from the Italian program. I interviewed back in the first few days of February, and haven't heard anything since.
  18. Of course! It's my pleasure. Ah, Dubai, that will be a bit of adjustment in terms of winter! I think a lot of winter is actually mental. You can get through it by staying positive and wearing warm clothes. The Scandinavians say, "There's no bad weather, just bad clothes." For me, that's very true. My suggestions would be wearing "long underwear" under your pants and wearing lots of layers - you can always take layers off if you're too warm. Better safe than sorry. Also, it can be windy in Chicago any time of year. So windbreakers make a great layer. That's good the scenery suits you. Many of my friends come from mountainous places, and they always complain how flat Illinois is! Lucky for you, your school is in the heart of downtown. It's very safe there. You'll be very close to Millenium Park and the museums. It's a nice area. It's busy during the day with working people and tourists but gets fairly quiet at night. Perhaps you're biggest danger could be someone trying to pickpocket you. I feel like they usually target teenagers on their phones though. Thank you! I'm moving for grad school, too. Haven't decided which school yet (still waiting to hear back on a few more). But regardless, I'm getting out of Illinois! Very likely to be the west coast. ? Wishing you lots of success in the move and in school!
  19. Congrats on the acceptance! That is so exciting, especially for it being a top choice! I know it is hard not getting to visit the city. (Currently dealing with the same issue actually.) The experience gives so much precious information that doesn't transmit well over the internet. As you mentioned, the internet can also be quite polarizing. I will do my very best to give a fair answer. While I am a native, I've lived in other places (including abroad), which has informed my opinion of Chicago to be less biased. As an international student, you should feel at home. Chicago is so diverse! You can find food from anywhere, friends from anywhere, etc. It's truly a treasure. Transportation - honestly some of the best you will find across the US. It's called the CTA and the trains are specifically called the "L" because it runs in a Loop. The red and blue line runs 24/7 and they cover a lot of the city. The other lines run roughly 4am to 1 or 2am. The blue line takes you to/from to O'Hare airport. They are very reliable and come often. Transferring lines is generally very simple, occasionally you might have to leave a station to cross the street to get to another station, not typical though. The buses are great too. A lot of people are scared of them because they're "more dangerous." But that is just not true. They have lots of different schedules though. You can check it out: https://www.transitchicago.com/ Safety - ugh, this is a tough one. It is a city, and like any city there is crime. There was a brief interlude where we were the murder capital of the US, but honestly, if you avoid certain areas, take precautions/be aware of your surroundings, don't do stupid stuff (like get blackout drunk and wander alone at night), etc. you'll be fine. If U Chicago is the school you're going to, stick to campus. The surrounding areas can be a little dangerous at times. We can get into this more if you like. It's truly no different than living in other major cities though in terms of safety. Owning pepper spray never hurts (you). Scenery - some of the most beautiful architecture the US has to offer. Lots of gorgeous skyline views. However, there is a serious lack of nature. We have no mountains or even hills. There is Lake Michigan which is a major attraction in the summer (but also beautiful in winter). You can enjoy the beach or kayak on the Chicago River. There is a nice bike/run path along the lake (Lake Front Trail or LFT). There are some nice parks scattered throughout the city. Lincoln Park being the biggest, I think. Not sure what other scenery you are interested in, but let me know. Weather - it has the lake effect so there will be more snow than other parts of Illinois in winter. It has big temperature swings. It's very cold in the winter (sub 0F a few days, not often) and very hot in the summer (highs in the 90's F a few days, not so often). We joke a lot about how sometimes we skip fall or spring because it goes from freezing to warm in a matter of days without easing into the seasonal change. Overall, the weather is very manageable all year round. Winters aren't that bad unless maybe you've never experienced winter before. General notes - Chicago is the 3rd biggest city in the US, but one of the more affordable cities. NY and LA are notoriously expensive. You can find some cheap rent in certain neighborhoods. I lived in Rogers Park, and my rent was 750 for a 2 bdr. Groceries aren't absurdly pricey unless you shop at certain places like Whole Foods. You can find good prices at small family-owned grocery stores. It's a bike-able city, some areas less than others, though. There is plenty to do in Chicago in terms of activities/events. Lots of concert venues, museums, theaters, etc. Ice skating in the winter, Lollapalooza and the Taste of Chicago in the summer. Typical city stuff. It's also a spread out city. It's shape is a big rectangle along the lake with an easy to navigate grid system. Please don't hesitate to ask follow up questions. I'm happy to help. ?
  20. Ask and you shall receive. I grew up in Chicago area so I can try to help you.
  21. Also, forgot to mention that many CS start ups have been born out of UIUC. Just to name a few -- Malwarebytes, Farmville, YouTube, PayPal.
  22. I really resonate with this sentence. I've been with my current partner for a bit over 3 years. He is an engineer who is a "T" in Meyers Briggs - very logical, not emotional at all in decision making. Our story began like yours. We met in my senior year of undergrad and his first year of grad school, destined for long distance. After I graduated, I was moving ~2 hours away from school. We started the relationship with an honest conversation about the future. I said I had no desire for a long distance relationship, and he was okay with it. However, when the time came to separate, we had another talk. We realized we liked each other a lot and wanted to try long distance because we felt the relationship was worth it. So we tried it. I won't lie; it wasn't easy. Being who he is, he requires less social interaction than I do in the relationship. So we had different expectations at first which led to some turbulence. However, we talked about our needs and figured out solutions to make the distance work. We stayed together in distance for almost 2 years. With the pandemic, we now live together and have for the last year which has been amazing. However, I'm starting grad school next year, and there is an extremely high probability we will be doing distance again -- for maybe 6 years even. He is almost finished with his PhD, but has not decided what career to pursue after - industry vs academia. If he chooses academia, we are certain to be separated. It only gives me anxiety when I ponder the reality of it for too long. But with the uncertainty of so many things right now, I simply don't think about it because I cannot predict the future. I'd rather not waste time thinking about it. I'd rather focus on the present and cherish every moment I still have living with my partner. Honestly, I could go on forever on this topic, and I was intentionally vague on a lot of things because the details would make this post a novel. I'm open to expanding on anything though. Let me know here or in a DM.
  23. UIUC doesn't always get recognition, but when it does, it's for CS (and engineering and business). The Champaign-Urbana area is better than it seems. I wouldn't discount it. Cost of living is dirt cheap. If both offers are equal in terms of funding (relative to cost of living in the area, of course), then you have a lot of questions to ask of the programs and yourself. I would consider the following as a starting point: How were my previous collaboration with UIUC? Were my colleagues people I like working with? Were there any red flags? Which school offers a better academic fit as well as social fit in terms of professors - this may take some talking to each university. How supportive are the faculty? Are their advising styles going to match your needs? What do current students have to say about the program? Are they miserable? Are they happy with their progress? What is the average time to finish the PhD? If one school seems to have a longer estimated PhD time, what's taking students so long to finish? How much does location matter to me? Not at all? A lot? Do you have to TA every semester or are there fellowships to give you a break? Or can you get an RA instead of TAing?
  24. It's totally not fair. I agree. Just take her comments with a grain of salt. Perhaps surround yourself with people who will congratulate you and get excited for you, which will help balance the lack of support from your mom. I'm in a similar boat -- my parents are not happy about me applying either. But their reasons are less about me moving away and more that I will be forever poor and hungry (perks of being a humanities scholar). Last year was my first time applying - I didn't get in anywhere and her response was, "Well, it wasn't meant to be. It wasn't going to happen. So when are you getting another accounting job?" I have built a support system in friends (not my family as you can see why), and I think that is so important. I hope you have supportive friends! Mine pushed me to apply again and helped me stay positive. Now, I have actually been accepted to some programs this year. However, my mom still isn't happy and was even surprised I would apply again. I didn't let her get in my head and, I hope you can keep positive too! You definitely have a supportive community here at Grad Cafe!
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use