[University of Tennessee-Knoxville]

Yup! Starting my MA in English Lit this fall. I visited campus in March very quickly, it seemed like a fun town. Now I'm trying to figure out where the heck to live >.< The issue is complicated by the fact that I'm in Japan and all the landlords I've talked to keep forgetting that and asking if I can "drop by" to fill out waiting list forms and do employment verification, etc.

I'm going for a Com and Info PHD. Most landlords seem to want you to visit and fill out interest forms, unfortunately, so I took a few days off work to run up and take a look at way too many apartment buildings.

What part of Japan have you been traveling/Living/teaching(?) at?

[Things you could have included.]

A photo - nay, a video - of me in period clothing doing Viking combat demonstrations. Photos of my Old Norse and Irish tattoos (yes plural). That I watched the sun set through the gap in the hills at Drombeg Stone Circle at the winter solstice. That I walked seven miles to see an early Manx church site, and almost nine for a Norman castle. That I poured out a bottle of Skullsplitter Ale into the Stromness harbor under the Northern Lights to honor the landvættir (nature-spirits) of Orkney. That I've watched the Secret of Kells like a gazillion times

I'm totally not even in your field but I think this is awesome. Norse mythology/religion/folklore/history is simply fascinating. /Minor folkloregasm

On topic: That I love folklore, backpacked around Japan while doing my masters portfolio, and even though I talk a little funny and am learning disabled it doesn't impact my abilities.

[Anyone ever confused by your profession?]

I've had three very different experiences. First, there was my undergraduate Anthropology Major with a focus on Gender/Sexuality. I think I've blocked out all the conversations on that one but the Anthropology questions were pretty standard. The Gender/Sexuality got weird and into personal business very quickly with a lot of strangers.

My Masters in Library and Information Science was often pretty funny, though.

PersonA: So you're getting your masters! What in?

Me: Library and Information Science!

PersonA: Really!? O_O That sounds so difficult!

Me: ... I'm studying to be a librarian.

PersonA: ...you need a Masters for that?

Through a course on Information Communication Technologies I decided that I wanted to pursue further education on the affect of ICTs globally and locally on communication and culture. Most of the time this actually gets understood--I just point out people's cellphones and the use of Twitter or Facebook (or whatever communication technology they prefer) and the light goes on. Occasionally, however, there's a brick.

Law Student: So you're applying for Doctorate programs in what?

Me: Communication--I want to study Information Communication Tech. Like...the use of cellphones and Facebook and how they change communication blahblah

Law Student: ... and you think you can get a job with that? That's useless.

Me: ... but the more you know about how people use technology to communicate blah

Law Student: Nope. Its useless. It'll be obsolete by the time you turn around.

Me: ... but... you've been using your cellphone to check facebook, comment, and like things since I met you, constantly, for the past 40 minutes. ???

Law Student: If I could use magic to do the same things I would. Does not make a bit of damn difference

Me: /gives up/

[Plan B?]

I'm starting to apply for more permanent jobs starting in March. I figure by then I'll know my chances of getting into a PHD program and I might as well. I just finished my MLIS degree and haven't doing any intensive work in a Library so I'll probably just go ahead and check that out before/during the next application season.

...and save up so I can run away to Europe. I haven't been that side of things yet and it sounds exciting.

[How do you prefer to receive an Admissions decision from a school?]

Email. I took a temp job in another city a few weeks after finishing my applications. It was unexpected and so... if they mail it I'm going to get a call from my parents saying they have forwarded it on and that would be hell on earth waiting.

So email. Website if necessary. Avoid the phone calls because composure may not be fantastic. I don't care if its rejection or acceptance--I'm for email all around.

[What's unique about you?]

Sorry, with all the talk of spiders I feel I must share this

I'm also afraid of spiders. I can also wiggle my ears and love to cook for large groups of people.

[What you think the adcoms are saying about your application]

My general thought for any of the schools I've applied to is:

Why is someone with a Library Science masters applying here? Does she think we put on puppet shows?

[Let's commiserate about things]

I have the same kind of problem but it's not only my family but mentors as well. They all seem so overly confident about my prospects. My family naively thinks I'm going to get into all the programs, but my mentors tell me that I will get into multiple choices. When it comes to my family, I keep trying to explain to them the reality of graduate admissions and that I would be happy just to get into one program. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate their blind confidence in me. I've managed to keep my expectations somewhat tied to reality, but I fear they (especially my mentors) will be disappointed when reality smacks me in the face and the actual results come in.

And, FWIW, I am definitely using the GC as support. Reading about other people's worries, concerns, and, in some cases, neuroses not only makes me feel better but also distracts me from my own.

Mine are kind of mixed like that. Originally, when I discussed the chances with my mom she was horrified. On the other hand, my recommenders/references have all been fairly positive. My friends, meanwhile, are all on the positive 'I'll somehow get into all my top choices brigade'--which is highly appreciated but unlikely. I really love the blind confidence...but I'm expecting that reality smack and have already braced for it for the next few months.