nyghtfalls

wanted to comment on placement... rather, it's more of a question! :-) doesn't your future placement depend on how incredibly sexy your own research is, rather than the school you attend? obviously, the PhD program you choose to attend can mediate placement in many ways (i.e. if you are a hard core demographer, places like UMich, UPenn, UT Austin and Berkeley will definitely provide you with adequate resources), however, I was under the impression that your job placement depended on you and your research? in any case, migrationdude, i would definitely go with the "feel" of the school. some people say funding, and i agree, but really a five year fellowship is a five year fellowship and if you happen to have a couple of these going on for you, then i would say "big ups!", and move onto the next criterion. this is just my opinion, but once you get to the top 10 or 20 PhD programs, I feel the smaller details come into play (i.e. being able to read articles on a beach as opposed to a coffee shop in the dead of winter). the biggest factor for me is the campus feel and the PEOPLE (faculty included). personally, i don't like being in cohort or at a school with people who might always feel the need to qualify themselves. i also enjoy a "chill" atmosphere with serious but very human people ... that would be how i decided on a school, but that's me. but beware my perspective: i often live the dreams of fools. :-)

lol... just thought i'd ask about people's interests outside of graduate school. i suppose a part of me feels strange posting this as most people have told me that there is no life beyond your course work and research in grad school. Eeek! Scary for me, because i am simply in LOVE with fiction writing and would like to publish soon (although the agent will prob drop my manuscript like a booty on the dance floor). Fav movies? Mine is Sin City, Ninja Scroll, The Dark Knight, and many other awesome flicks. i'd also like to study video game design and become an independent vg developer sometime down the line. Anyways, that's a small part of me and my moonlighting life... :-) anyone else wanna post their hobbies/interests/quirks? also, is it unrealistic to expect to actively engage in other intellectual/recreational activities outside of graduate school while also kicking ass in your research, etc?

the social theory reader by charles lemert is fantastic! it pretty much has any to all the readings you would need to jump start your knowledge of social theory. Big names in sociology include, Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, Max Weber, Goffman, George Herbert Mead (who taught Goffman), Bourdieu, Cooley and many more. Remember that sociologists pull from many different fields/studies (i.e. economics, education, anthropology, psychology, women's studies, etc) so you may have to branch out to understand the different theories in certain areas of Soc. If you get the reader though (3rd edition) you should be pretty set. the official title of it is: Social Theory: The multicultural and classic readings by Charles Lemert. Good luck, and welcome to the field! :-)

i don't know about anyone else, but i am very much looking forward to having a veggie garden and a pet cow in Madison! Yeah!

hello there! i was the one who posted the UIC admit. There was no indication in the email of when they would be sending out other notifications, but the open house/visit day is on March 2nd. hope this helps at least a little, but if you need to know anything else, let me know. a friend of mine got into CUNY grad center, but he has only heard informally, so im not sure what's up with that process.

YAY visit day! im soo nervous.

i might work in a think tank, or do some consulting. for me, the PhD is an ends unto itself because i want to have the highest degree possible and keep my options open. really, what job (outside of academia) would turn down an applicant with a PhD? im still considering where i want to be... i think i'd like to be in academia, but im not quite so sure if i'm ready for the politics... but i guess that's the way any job goes! :-)

for those of you who are crazy nervous about funding and such, EMAIL BOB FREELAND. don't explicitly mention funding, but say that you are flattered, warmed, whatever to be accepted into Madison and ask his advice on how to proceed from here. i did this in a pleasant email, and got a whole LOAD of information about my professors, resources, AND which fellowship I am being considered for and where they are in the process. I didn't receive a university fellowship, but i am being considered for another one. (they didn't tell me about this in my original acceptance email). Dr. Freeland is very warm and kind and so utterly helpful, and without knowing it, completely calmed my fears about funding. also, if you are a minority student (like myself... I'm Black), then contact some members of the MRRC (Minority Recruitment and Retention Committee) expressing your undying love and respect and interest in being at the Sociology program at Madison. I'm sure they'll be delighted to hear from you. hope this helps everyone, and congratulations! I hope to see ya'll there no matter what our other grad schools may say to seduce us, lol.