fuzzylogician

Serious question: what would not accommodating look like (for a junior faculty member who can't exactly afford to turn students away)?

Two useful things: one is to be able to explain where you'll get the money for rent from and have documents to back it up (bank statement, loan papers). And second, be ready to commit to large deposits up front. Landlords are just going to want to know that you are trustworthy. If you can get referred through local friends (or friends of friends), that will help too. Ask around your future department, they might know about vacancies (e.g. someone who's graduating this year might have a lease that you could take over, and if the previous tenant was good, the landlord might be happy to have another one like them).

I know people who live their lives like that and get along great with other people who have a flexible definition of "10am" (or whatever). I have students who consistently show up for meetings a half hour late, even though I schedule both the beginning and end time of a meeting so if they're 30 minutes late, they'll only get 30 minutes of my time and tough luck if they had more stuff than that to discuss. I don't understand it, but they seem happy as they are. (I just can't be their co-author, and if I'm their advisor there need to be very clear ground rules about what's acceptable and what's not, as I've learned the hard way.)

Write the department admin and ask to be put in touch with current students. I'm sure there are people around who can answer your questions.

I'd talk to other students of this prof before reaching any drastic conclusions. If this is a habit, other students will have plenty of stories to share. People have varying reactions to this sort of behavior; I personally really dislike it when anyone is late or misses an appointment without notice -- I value my time and so should they. I take it as a sign of basic respect and proper behavior in the workplace. Others aren't as moved. It's a matter of personal taste. These things may have a tendency to correlate with other behaviors along similar lines that may be upsetting to you, like not replying to email in a timely manner, forgetting to read a manuscript or give comments before a deadline, etc. If it's an isolated incident, I wouldn't worry too much*. You never know what's going on in a person's life that might temporarily distract them. If it's part of a general pattern, maybe this isn't someone who's a good personality fit for you. It happens, and it's good to know early on, so you can find another advisor whose behavior doesn't drive you crazy. That said, I would still suggest maintaining a positive and friendly working relationship with this person; even if they won't be your main advisor, you might want them to be on your committee or be there for random meetings and advice on and off. There's a power differential so be aware if/when you complain to them. * Note: People are much less available in the summer. Especially at institutions that don't pay professors over the summer, there are those who (rightly, I think) take this as their time to concentrate on their own research and not read student work, reply to emails, do committee work, attend defenses, etc. I would still argue that if you scheduled a meeting, you show up. But I'm flagging this as a general rule, that people are less accessible over the summer and may be fully justified in that.

This is not the right venue for this kind of question. My advice, though, at this age, is to just let your daughter pick up whatever book she's interested in. No one wants to read vocabulary lists; reading something in one's area of interest is has a much better chance of sustained success. If she's just getting started, think about getting her a book that she's already read in her native language, so she can have an easier time getting into it. If she's more advanced, just let her pick whatever she wants to read.

Frankly jobs are so hard to get and there are SO many factors beyond getting the "best" candidate for the job (whatever that means) that go into making a hiring decision, that I would not hesitate to utilize any advantage given to me. Keep in mind that once you're hired, no one is going to know what box you did or did not tick in some form, so if someone wants to think you were only hired because you are a minority, they will go ahead and think that and nothing you can say or do will change that. Since you're dealing with the disadvantages that come with that status, why not make use of the tools they have in place to even the playing field? (disclaimer: not that I am all that sure that that legalese and those forms actually do anything.. but you never know.)

Glad to hear it -- thanks for the update and good luck!

I wouldn't think colloquia make any place unique. Every department I know has those. The ability to take classes elsewhere might be, but: (i) make sure that it actually happens in practice, not just in theory. You wouldn't want to say you're excited about taking courses with/talking to [blah] if the department actually discourages that, or it's just not done. That makes you not a good fit. (ii) Assuming it's done, the question is why those courses or scholars in other departments matter for you. That's the thing that would be important to spell out to establish fit. Other things to consider are methodological approaches, access to particular resources, an appealing structure of the program/the funding, relevant extra training (do they have a certificate you'd like? do their students often go for a semester abroad, and that's something that would be beneficial to you?). Beyond just the few scholars who might be potential advisors, what makes the program as a whole a good fit? Is it the right size? In a good location? Allows lots of collaborations, which you like? Insists on having a second project beyond the dissertation which you think is good because you are interdisciplinary? I'm making stuff up here, but I hope you see where I'm going with this.

I think you have to take him at his word, you're not going to get anything better. Keep in mind that he didn't have to say anything about your performance, he could have just sent you the generic "there were many good candidates, it was a hard decision" kind of email that doesn't say anything specific about you. He chose to give you more feedback, which I think you have to take as a positive sign.

Best you can do is try. Are you asking because you've been out of school for this long? If so, you might want to mention that as part of the request, otherwise indeed professors might tell you that you should find someone with a more current opinion of you. And even so, yes, some of them might not feel comfortable, especially if they don't remember you well, but I don't think you have much choice than to ask, and you don't have anything to lose by doing so.

You're never going to get interviews across the board. If you're getting a healthy amount of interest, it sounds like your job materials are doing their job and there's no need to do a serious overhaul. As you say, that can be very time consuming, and sounds -- in this case -- like it will only have diminishing returns.

First job ad for a serious job in my field was just posted today. It's on. Again.

Yep, I've never done this and can't help, but agreed that a thread could be useful. I just want to make sure you don't rely solely on this thread (happens occasionally on this board and doesn't seem healthy). It's important to make use of all resources

This seems like a good early conversation to have with your advisor. You want to have a relationship where you can ask them these questions instead of being secretly stuck and asking internet strangers (great as we are!). I've never done comps so I don't have advice on that, but I do want to flag that this is precisely the kind of question you have an advisor for. So once you've spent some time digging around, I think the right next step is to go back to them and ask the very good questions that you asked here. Since you're just starting, it might be very hard for you to identify essential pieces from less essential ones. Part of the process is simply being exposed to literature through classes and assignments, but you haven't started doing that yet so it's perfectly reasonable that you're not sure. So, I would take this opportunity to establish a healthy communication channel with your advisor where you can admit to not knowing things and asking for help figuring them out (which is precisely what you have an advisor for anyway!).

The thing is, the question you want an answer to is not one we can help you with. This is a personal decision. I can tell you which city I prefer, but you're not me so it's not clear that that's too helpful. You can try and look at more objective measures -- which one is more expensive? which program offers you better funding? which program offers you better post-degree opportunities (which, of course, means you need to know what kind of opportunities you might want, because they will likely be different for the two schools and which is better depends on what you want!)? which program is better ranked (and does that matter)? One thing that sometimes helps me is to pretend I have made a decision. Spend a day thinking "I am going to X!" and see how that feels. Does it feel right or like you made a mistake? How about the other option? At the end of the day, sometimes you just have to make a choice. Both options sound good, and since none of us can see the future, you will never know what the other road might look like. You just take the one you chose and invest your energy in making it the best you can, not in speculating about things you can't change.

This post, like most of your other recent posts here, makes absolutely no sense. Is there a point you are trying to make, other than your apparent impatience and negativity?

Hello there, please don't cross-post the same question multiple times. I've removed your other posts. To get responses, you might want to ask better questions. Asking which is better, NYC or Boston, is like asking which is better, pizza or a clam chowder. It depends on so many factors, not least of which is plain old personal taste. What are *you* looking for? What's important to *you*? Both cities will be very expensive. Both have a lot going on. Both have good public transportation. Boston is colder, NYC is more crowded. I could go on, but I don't see the point. As for the programs, again, what are you looking for? You can ask about their placement record, and presumably they might set you up to work in different locations, so that's something to think about. What specifically do you want to know? Not to mention, you already have a thread going with lots of opinions about both schools, so why ask again?

Do you know this illustrated guide to a PhD? http://matt.might.net/articles/phd-school-in-pictures/ I like it a lot because it makes an important point: A PhD is about specializing in something very specific and very narrow. You seem to have a different trajectory that's more geared toward breadth than depth. That's perfectly fine, nothing wrong with that (no cynicism here!), but it's just not what a PhD is about. The field you've chosen is also one that requires a good deal of practical work before you're a strong candidate. So I think for now @ZeChocMoose offers you very good advice: get some more practical experience (along with some counseling, I think). Be more flexible in where you live, especially keeping in mind that what you save in transportation costs you may be spending away on rent (the DC area is expensive!). I think you should only apply for a PhD from a place where you're focused and motivated, not drifting into it. I also think you should only be applying if you can accept that it might then be the last stop on this particular train, and you'll have to get off at the end of the PhD road if you can't find work in your profession -- a quite possible eventuality. A PhD makes you eligible for certain jobs, but it makes you overqualified for quite a few others, and it's also time taken away from working and gaining other experience. All of those factors should go into making the decision. Whatever it is, I think this coming cycle should be a time where you look for more practical experience and a stable job, not a time where you should be applying for grad school.

Disclaimer: non-English-specific advice here. The most important goal of the writing sample is to show your research ability and your writing skills. It's not as crucial that the paper be on the topic you want to study in graduate school, but it does matter that it's within your discipline so that there should be readers on the adcom and in the department who can evaluate it. It's generally safer to submit an existing piece of work that's been graded by a professor, where you can integrate his/her comments into the work. That also means that one of your LOR writers can address your writing sample directly and praise it, where relevant. Writing something new from scratch is more dangerous, unless you can get feedback from a professor on your work. But as long as you make a strong, sustained, and well-research argument, it shouldn't matter that it's on a different topic than your current interests.

I don't doubt that you're capable of doing PhD-level work, but from your writing it doesn't sound like a PhD is a good career move for you right now. I think you are much too focused on the joy that a doctoral program will bring you, and I doubt that any program could measure up. Grad school doesn't generate instant happiness, and neither does a job as a university professor. I think it's important to be realistic and realize that getting such a job is incredibly difficult. For someone who's been drifting and has done three masters degrees, I think it's a concern. I didn't read anything in your post that convinced me that you should actually do a PhD. You don't sound focused on a particular field or question; instead, you're attracted to a mystical perfect job post-PhD that doesn't exist. It's important to realize that a PhD is a long and difficult road, and that the majority of people who go into it will not get a job as a professor. Don't go into it only to get that outcome, because it's just not realistic. I think instead it might be a good idea to do two things. One is get help improving your mental health. The other is try to think about career goals, broadening your sights beyond academia.

1. Should be possible, though this is one of those things that I wouldn't want to have to test myself. You should consult with the International Students Office at your school to confirm. 2. If the CBP would want anything from you, it would be going into Canada, not coming back. When you come back you only see US immigration officers. There's some new fee you may have to pay if you're flying in (but not if you're crossing via land), so make sure you check that ahead of time. What could happen is that an airline or bus/train operator gives you trouble because of your expired visa, but since you go through immigration at the airport (going back), that shouldn't really be a problem. 3. It should be possible, but (a) it could take time both to get an appointment and then to actually get your passport back once your visa has been approved, and (b) it's generally not advised to renew your passport in a third country.

There's nothing else you can do but try. I'm sure your email will be polite and thank them for their help in the past, and explain your current plans. I'm also sure you'll give them plenty of notice and offer to provide any relevant documents they might need. Most people will be understanding. Since a letter already exists, it shouldn't actually be that much work to tailor it to this year's applications, since I assume basically nothing's changed in how well this prof knows you. I'd say, go for it, you have nothing to lose.

You know none of that was in your post that I replied to, and even then it's advice that's already been given. But this discussion is really not going in any positive direction, so I propose to end it here.

Which is great but has exactly zero relevance to the OP's question. But good for you.