Alyanumbers

What program are you applying for? Mainly Comparative Literature PhD, but also: Middle Eastern Studies PhD, Comparative and General Literature MSc, Cultural Studies MA. Why grad school and what's your journey? I'm a literature student, and I'm mostly interested in the relationship between art, literature and society. My interest in current trends in Egypt has led me to consider researching similarities and differences with analogous periods in other countries. Grad school is the best place for me to do that. What challenges does your field present and what hurdles do you need to overcome? It's very interdisciplinary and heavy on theory. I need to strengthen my knowledge of literary theory, cultural/critical theory, and I'll probably do some art theory or film studies. I also need to gain better familiarity with non-contemporary Egyptian literature. What skills are you working on? I'm working on my writing; English is not my first language, and I want to better my prose for academic writing. I'm also reading up on theory. How are you keeping motivation and what perspective have you gained from the process? I'm trying to collect as much information as possible about each uni I've applied to, in case I get offers. It's kind of obsessive, but really cool to learn about each city I might move to, check out resources, and try to imagine what my life there would be like. The application process frankly helped me be that much more organised, and I got my priorities in order. I'm in the middle of my finals right now (damn exams run over a month!), but I still find the time to work on the skills mentioned above, and hopefully I'll do more of that over break in February.

Hah, I have friends like this too! "You're going to have your pick of schools." And while it's amazing that someone has such a high opinion of me, it makes me worry even more about disappointing them. But still, you gotta appreciate the small mood-lift you get when you hear that.

Agreed. I would add that funding is easier to come by in the US than the UK, in general, although you're in a field that generally doesn't suffer from lack of money (compared to the humanities, for example), so that won't be a major factor. If you want to teach college in the US, graduating from a US school is a safer bet.

Bright star.

Heading south.

I think the most terrifying for me would be getting accepted to a grad program, then failing a final, because it'd mean retaking it in September and graduating next year. ... Great, now I'm afraid to go to sleep.

Duty-bound.

I'm supposed to be reading L'Emploi du temps by Butor, and a book about folk lit in Arabic, but instead I've been rereading Camus (La Chute and L'Etranger). I've just bought new books last months, but I promised myself I won't read them during finals! I'm supposed to, you know, study.

I wish I could say the same. Now that my finals have started, my nightmares alternate between missing/failing an exam, and scheduling interviews for a time I wouldn't be home (never mind that my field doesn't even interview applicants). Every night is a new adventure!

Free man.

Furry hat.

Hello and welcome! Maybe you could still tell us about your research interests? Congrats on your two acceptances last year, all the same--this is still impressive!

Chicken wings.

wreckofthehope--Hello! I was intrigued by Chicago's program, as well, but I had to limit my US apps to 4, for financial and logistical reasons. But it certainly is very attractive. dollabills yall--I'm a little jealous of the "eng2011 roundup" thread! Hopefully, more fellow comparatists will come out of the woodwork soon. I didn't get the impression that language requirements were that rigid or essential to applications, in any of the programs I've looked at. But I'm basically you guys' opposite--languages are the strongest part of my application, and I feel other important components, like my writing or my undergrad work, are not very competitive. By the way, I'm mixing it up as well... I was advised to apply to the Middle Eastern and Islam Studies department at NYU, and do my comparative project within their Arabic Literature track. I'm also applying to ICLS at Columbia through Middle Eastern, South Asian and African Studies. Good luck to all of us, including any lurkers who might be around!

Hey there! Yeah, it seems we're the only ones on here. Either that, or Comp Lit is a really shy field. Where else have you applied? Or is it just Cornell? This is not my area at all, but I have heard they've got great faculty and resources for Gender/Sexuality Studies. What are your languages/literatures?

Frozen lakes.

Great war.

Good news.

Journal editor.

Embark is good, but it's very hard to locate stuff on it. If I want to upload my CV, for example, I have to page through it until I find the right page, unless I already know which page number it's at! At least AY lists everything by name in the sidebar.

Legal document.

Tree hugger.

I looked to my left. I immediately and fervently wished that I'd looked to my right. There was a large green tree. Its branches looked contorted from the wind, but there wasn't even a breeze. A single, luscious pear hung from the highest branch. Unfortunately for my starving stomach, the trunk of the tree was crawling with enormous spiders. Undaunted, I reached for the pear, and upon grazing it with my fingertips, it turned black, shriveled on the vine, and released a pungent cloud of milky smoke. "What the ...?!" - I thought and woke up. To my dismay, I discovered that the pungent cloud of milky smoke existed even in the waking world--at least, I reflected while pulling on my pants, the enormous spiders were gone. An old man puffing a hefty cigar stared over me and muttered coarsely, "it's time." I knew this was the moment I would have to pass the test and complete my training or else I would become a failure. I donned my imaginary superhero outfit, musty and faded, and headed to the front door. When I stepped outside, the wind was so strong it almost knocked me off my feet.

Rest house.