[How many conferences would you say one should present at per year?]

I would say that more is not always better, and suggest that you carefully take stock of what you’ll get out of the conference. While hiring panels will discount anything that looks like resume padding, you did say this is a major national conference.

Some would go further. There was a document out recently with advice from a panel of early-career academics advising postgrads not to bother with postgrad conferences/poster presentations, conferences without published proceedings. That advice is rather stark, but in most humanities disciplines, it is primarily the publications that people take your measure by.

Take that for what it’s worth – I’m attending a (non-published) national conference myself in April, but have very specific reasons for doing so.

Best of luck in your program!

W.

 

Thank you for your thoughtful and warm response! And to all other responses I know I started this thread awhile ago, but I thought I'd update others and let you know that my advisor has the same sort of "stark" outlook about not bothering to go unless I'm going to get a publication out of it OR if it is the major conference in my field [which this was not; I ended up not going].

 

Ironically, I am in a similar situation right now in which I was accepted to a major conference but the paper I proposed is not my central project, I'm already getting an iteration of it published in an anthology, and the registration is WAY more than I thought it would ever be. No discount for grad students. So that's another hard decision I will have to make...

[Women's Studies (WGS)- 2013 Applications, Offers, Discussion]

Any thoughts (anyone) on the feasibility of programs in which a minor or certificate in gender studies is a goal, and the main program is American Studies, English, or African American Studies? I would really prefer a joint program, and I hear more opportunities are opening up for PhDs in Gender Studies.. but I have to think about my chances for next year if I don't get in.. does a certificate or minor carry much weight?

 

Hello! As someone who is in a WMST/FEMST/GNDST Ph.D program and hearing everything about the trajectory of the field, I would say that certificates and minors are carrying less weight the more that holding an actual interdisiciplinary Ph.D in WMST/FEMST/GNDST is becoming a thing. I'd say that if you did something else interdisciplinary like American Studies or African American Studies that it would help you get a gender studies-type job a lot better than would something more traditional like English. Conversely, if you want to be hired as an English professor, don't get a Ph.D in gender studies Hope this helps!

[How many conferences would you say one should present at per year?]

Hi all,

I'm an interdisciplinary scholar in the social sciences/humanities who just got accepted to a conference that took me by surprise [our panel got rejected from another conference, we applied to another one at the last minute, and literally 24 hours after we applied after the deadline, we were accepted]. While I know I can pull the paper together [i'm basing part of it on a book chapter that has already been accepted for publication, albeit in the distant future], I'm worried about the cost of flying across the country in April. I didn't plan this expense at all, I have no funding because I've already exhausted my allotted reimbursements for the year, and the original conference I applied to was in the same state as me [and thus far cheaper]. However, at the same time I think it would be very good for me professionally - it's a national conference and in one of my research interest areas.

All this comes down to: how many conferences do you think one should present at per year in the social sciences/humanities? I'm a third-year grad student and I've already presented at two national conferences this year, both on my dissertation research, and this third one would be about a side project. I'm also going to be in a much smaller conference in February hosted by my department at my home university. Do you think there is a point where conference presentations are overkill? Does having more actually cheapen the value somehow, or do you think it's a situation of "the more the better"?

I'm going to be asking my advisor all this when I meet with her, but I thought I'd see what you all had to say / how much you present a year. Not to stroke everyone's egos but for genuine feedback Thanks!

[Women's Studies 2011]

UCSB just emailed me to let me know that they've nominated me for a central fellowship, and provided that I get it, I am in with funding. I won't know the outcome of the university-wide competition until February, but they told me it has never been a problem in the past.

I was invited to the recruitment event in March, also, so if you've applied to UCSB, check your email inboxes.

update: aww, I just got a really nice note from a potential advisor at UCSB, just inviting me to keep in touch if I have any questions.

Hello,

I saw your posts on this forum and I wanted to say congratulations on your acceptance!! I am a current grad student in the Feminist Studies department at UCSB and I am super excited to learn about the newly-admitted students There are five total, for those who are curious. I just wanted to let you know that if you're worried about the cost of housing, you should apply online to get put on the list for family student housing. Since you mentioned that your partner would be moving out here with you, you qualify for the family housing. You also might be guaranteed access to that housing with your fellowship - I would double-check, but mine was. I live in the family housing with my wife, and another student in the department does as well. The waiting list can take a really long time, so you should do it now. It's of course ok if you change your mind later since you obviously haven't committed to any one program yet The website is:

http://www.housing.ucsb.edu/application/default.htm

Hopefully this post doesn't sound creepy or anything, haha! I just was on here a lot when I was applying to programs and thought you might want to know. Feel free to ask any other questions you might have!

[How'd the first semester go?]

Absolutely not! Grad school for me has been really draining, at least this first quarter. School reopens on Monday and I think I would have loved 4-5 more days of rest!

I think it's because I became accustomed to being worked into the ground at my undergrad, so I thought "grad school" would be somehow even more over the top. Then I thought it's because it's only my first quarter and it'll be harder later...

[$230,000 in undergrad debt!!!]

In general, I tend to agree with the few people who have said something else besides "DROP OUT OF SCHOOL NOW!!" It's really hard to get much work in this economy with just a B.A. in the social sciences, so with your type of debt, it seems that a grad degree would be a lot more helpful in the long run. But yes, please do try to get something funded [as if that's not what we all hope for!]. Good luck to you.

[Still not real?]

Wow... it's interesting to contemplate the vast differences in experience with this whole "what to call Professor ______" thing. I went to a small, private liberal arts college in which [undergrad - there are no grad students, of course] students and professors routinely call each other by their first names and in which students are pretty much afforded the intellectual respect of equals. My alma mater's environment is one in which students and professors form close bonds and in which professors openly thank students for providing insights in classroom discussions. Thus, for me it seems overly pompous to refer to faculty as "Professor _____" for an extended period of time. I start out by calling them "Professor _____", but as soon as they indicate otherwise [and I'm used to them indicating otherwise], I switch it to the personal preferred name.

As for all of this still not feeling real... yeah, it's kinda weird. It's also especially weird to be at a completely different type of institution - large-ish, public university - in which certain profs and grad students openly discuss undergrads as idiots incapable of higher-level thinking. As someone who just graduated from undergrad, and at an undergrad institution in which the climate was one of expected intellectual rigor and treating undergrads basically like grad students in upper-level courses, each day can be very mystifying and even frustrating.

[How'd the first semester go?]

I did great in two classes, though I am *still* waiting on a grade from my last class. Ugh.

So far grad school has been far *less* intense and engaging than my undergraduate experience. It is a bizarre feeling. I may create a separate thread to discuss this, but has anyone else experienced this?

[I got into a Christian school but Im SO not Christian]

I don't see why it should even be considered a problem. They're Christians, not lepers.

I can see a lot of reasons why it would be a problem, especially depending on how someone identifies and what type of "Christian" the environment seems to be. I personally would never apply to a conservative religious school or a school in a conservative religious area due to my own strongly-held progressive positions as well as my positioning as a lesbian and a married lesbian at that. Given the fact that conservative Christian environments can be extremely alienating [to put it mildly] for those who don't identify that way, I would definitely research the situation more. I agree that the original poster should determine how strong the environment is, how big the area is, etc. It would most definitely be a red flag for me.

[New York Times: End the University As We Know It]

As far as I'm concerned, it's a marketing failure. In a world where marketing has successfully convinced us that we need different kinds of cremes for our eyes, face, neck, hands, body and feet, why cannot the "smartest" professors of literature convince the public that drama, literature and poetry is enriching?

Because professors aren't trained to manipulate people's emotions and distort reality / make people feel bad about themselves for a profit, thankfully

[Santa Barbara, CA]

Suburbany.

(more need of a car)

Ah... yeah, I don't have one of those [a car]. So I'll be sticking to the places accessible by public transit / bike

[Santa Barbara, CA]

I recommend downtown more than Ellwood, the Mesa or Goleta. It's just beautiful and the most convenient. Some of the smaller towns nearby are just sad.

What do you mean by "sad", exactly?

[TAX REVOLT TEA PARTIES on April 15th, 2009]

Alternately, there's a same-sex kiss-in campaign scheduled at Starbucks chains around the nation on tax day as a show of solidarity for all the same-sex couples who get SCREWED by not being able to have their relationship status recognized by the federal government, thus being forced in many circumstances to pay more money in taxes than they would if they'd been recognized as married and able to file jointly. That's the kind of righteous protest I can get behind.

Link: http://www.samesexkissday.org/

[Another HELP WHAT DO I DO cry for help]

A! A! A! Follow your heart! Carpe diem!! It's YOUR life!

I agree with the other statements made by the pro-A people. Especially the part about how no one can possibly fault you for going with the better financial offer. Enjoy!

[USC/UCLA Super Showdown Fun Time]

Actually, I do have some advice that I recently heard from my friend who grew up in L.A. She told me that USC apparently gives out less funding for film projects - if you're going to be actually filmmaking - than does UCLA, which is why USC is often called "University of Spoiled Children": because they attract really rich students who can afford to fund themselves. However, if Film Critical Studies doesn't involve actually producing films, you can ignore this It might only apply to the MFA programs.

Ah yes, another thread depicting the psychological breakdown of a potential grad student. Only this one is clearly tinged with a rivalry grown over decades of mutual hatred... which is nice.

I'm in at USC and UCLA Film Critical Studies M.A. programs, and am bringing my family. I have collected a fair amount of information on both schools, but I'd love any opinions people might have about the film studies departments at both of these schools, or about the degree of prep that their programs offer for PhD candidacy to other schools. My specific concerns are about faculty (though my decision won't be primarily based on that), and I'd love any insights on personalities within the departments. For that matter I'd love any general opinions anyone could offer... Anything... Please...

[Writing Sample...and Should I Even Go For A PhD?]

I could comment on a lot here [especially that whole section on feminism and how we shouldn't be upset over the oppression of women throughout history because it was just due to their anthropological "roles" - wow!], but I wanted to comment on how you keep indicating that you can't necessarily stay within one field, Bethany. That's completely fine! Why not pursue an interdisciplinary field? My undergrad major is interdisciplinary and my grad program will be as well. I do a lot with history, but also politics, gender studies [which in itself is interdisciplinary], sociology, and critical theory in general. I think it's tremendously important to be able to think about things from the vantage point of more than one discipline - it gives you a much more cohesive idea of how ideas fit together. Once you do that, you begin to see how artificially divided up "disciplines" can be!

[Amherst, MA]

vannik said:

Best things in Amherst:

Bueno Y Sanyo {sp?} - Burritos are amazing

The Hanger - wings and beer are amazing

Moan and Dove - great beers.

Atkins Farm - Cider donuts. Don't know what those are? you will.

Northampton:

Really nice restaurants to bring a significant other

Tunnel Bar - best bar to have a non-beer beverage in Massachusetts (This includes Boston). So chill. Definately don't miss it

Dirty Truth - Like moan and dove but with good food and more beers I think. 120 minute dog fish head ipa and macaroni and cheese? I'm ready.

I like beer.

I think Autentica in South Hadley is actually better than Bueno Y Sano. Bueno Y Sano is inept at making anything actually spicy - I got their "wicked hot" version or whichever one is the spiciest, and I could just barely taste that it actually had spice, haha. Also, I agree that the boneless chicken wings at The Hanger are FREAKING AMAZING, especially the cajun ones However, I'm now boycotting their establishment after witnessing the degrading little uniforms they make their female employees wear, as well as my experience being sexually harassed by one of their drunk male customers at 5 o'clock in the evening. It's a very "boo yah!" sports-games-on-TV kind of place :roll: Atkins also has the best apple cider I have ever tasted - I didn't even used to like apple cider, and then I tried theirs, and... ohhhhh.

Also, Thai Garden in Northampton is the most amazing place in the whole world when it comes to chicken curry. Oh my god.

[Santa Barbara, CA]

Thanks for the info! It's important to know that it gets into the 80s and over

I live in the area (slightly south of SB) and go to the beach every weekend in the summer. My partner surfs, I stay on the beach and read, we both put our feet in the ocean, etc. In the not-summer, we usually go to the pool, not the beach, and yeah, you probably have to throw a t-shirt over your bathing suit in the not-summer, but even then, it's beautiful. It definitely gets in the 80s and higher mid-day, and regardless of the temperature, it's often perfect beach weather. Worse comes to worse, drive an hour or so south to Santa Monica, where it gets 100+ sometimes in the summer.

[Santa Barbara, CA]

The people here are very helpful I received a lovely message in response to my last question about grocery stores. I have another question. My wife is really concerned that the 60s-70s weather year-round won't be warm enough to go to the beach during the summer. I told her that people from all over the world come to SB's beaches and I showed her many pictures of people on the beach in bathing suits, but she gets cold really easily and had thought that the temperature in SB would be a bit warmer than 70s in the summer. Does anyone have any experience with this? Does it get into the 80s and higher very often? Is it warm enough to be on the beach and even get into the ocean during the summer months? She wanted me to ask to put her mind at ease. Thanks

[I received a financial aid offer but no admission decision]

So, I got an update yesterday when I found a letter from SFSU in my mailbox - they'd accepted me at the time that I told them to withdraw my application! The financial aid info was, then, definitely a sign that I had been accepted. I'm weirded out by the bureaucratic mess that seems to be their school - how did the department never contact me via e-mail, yet sent me a letter? And maybe they could've at least mentioned in their response to my withdrawal e-mail that they had actually admitted me... it's kind of awkward that they said nothing about it knowing that their letter of acceptance was already in the mail.

Oh, and they wanted me to take one additional undergrad class to be prepared for their MA degree, but the Ph.D program I'll be attending had no problem with my credentials / transcript... so random! Also, SFSU rejected my friend for their Social Work MA yet he was accepted by NYU. I'm not sure how any of this works.

[Santa Barbara, CA]

HelloFem,

The campus is big but the offerings are immense. I was a German/Econ major and every department has its superstars and most are accessible if you put in a little work. It's like disneyland for book dorks. I loved undergrad at UCSB.

The downtown is very compact, and you will know everyone up and down State Street in about 3 weeks if you live downtown. After a year or so, you might think SB is too small

Thanks for the input Your "Disneyland for book dorks" comment made me smile!

Do you [or does anyone else] have any info for where is the best place to get the cheapest possible groceries? Preferably near family housing and accessible without a car? I'm hoping every grocery store isn't ridiculously expensive... so far I'm guessing that I should avoid Gelson's and the all-organic place

[I received a financial aid offer but no admission decision]

So I applied to San Francisco State University, and they have not made any admission decisions. This morning I received an automated email announcing my financial award offer is now online through their student portal. I logged in with the login info given to me awhile back when I submitted my app. There it was, my financial offer! But does that mean they are going to accept me? What is typical of this situation?

I don't want to have any false hope, yet.

HA! This is so funny, because I finally decided to withdraw my application from SFSU [i'd already accepted an offer from a Ph.D program in the UC system, and my application at SFSU was for a MA] when I got the *same notification* later that night! I'd sent out a graceful e-mail to the department chair and graduate advisor about how I was withdrawing, and then voila, it said I'd been awarded a specific grant as well as a combo of work-study and grad loans. I had previously assumed I was on the wait list, and then when the department person e-mailed me back to thank me for notifying her of my withdrawal, she didn't mention at all what my status had been up to that point. Now I'm really wondering what was going on. I guess I was admitted, especially because they'd given me a grant, not just loans... it's all a bit murky. A teeny part of me wishes I'd held out until I knew exactly what they were thinking, but I already knew I wouldn't be going there and I wanted to help out everyone else on the waiting list. I think it'd be tacky of me to ask now, though, haha.

Good luck with everything! It does seem like they admitted you... it makes no sense otherwise. Unless it was solely loans...

[UC Santa Barbara [UCSB] '09]

Nice to meet you, psi*psi and porkchoppie My wife and I will be finding somewhere in family housing... which reminds me, I need to e-mail them about that. I'm supposed to be able to secure it based on the stipulations in my fellowship package. My latest question is where to find the closest and cheapest groceries near family housing...

[UC Santa Barbara [UCSB] '09]

Congratulations on your funding package, that is fantastic! And rare this year apparently. I unfortunately got word that that there won't be any money for me from UCSB, which is disappointing because I felt very positive about the school and the department, but luckily I have other options and I suppose the silver lining is that this makes the ultimate decision just a little bit easier.

Thank you, synthla! My wife and I are very excited. Where will you be headed to? That's too bad about UCSB, but I'm glad you have other options. I feel so fortunate to have options!

[Women's / Gender / Cultural Studies 2009]

How would you rank gender/media/cultural studies programs? Anyone want to take a stab?

-UC Irvine- Culture & Theory PhD

-University of Minnesota- Comparative Studies in Discourse & Society PhD

-UC Santa Barbara- Feminist Studies PhD

-UC Davis- Cultural Studies PhD

-UCLA- Women's Studies PhD

-Rutgers- Feminist Studies PhD

-UC Santa Cruz- History of Consciousness PhD

-Northwestern- Screen Cultures PhD

-Brown- Modern Culture & Media PhD

-University of Michigan- Screen Arts & Cultures PhD

-USC Cinema Studies PhD

-NYU Media, Culture & Communications PhD

(Feel free to mention others I have not included)

In terms of gender programs, I really think it's hard to rank them when there aren't all that many to begin with. I was just looking at the National Women's Studies Association's website, and they were saying that they're not really into ranking the programs because a.) it's kind of antithetical to the discipline's holistic approach as a whole but b.) because programs that put out less than 500 Ph.Ds a year don't really have official rankings. I think that each of the programs have their strengths, and it really matters what you want to focus on / who you want to study with. For instance, UCSB is only starting their Ph.D in Feminist Studies this year, but they have some great, well-established people in their department, and they're really strong in gender and sexuality, which is exactly what I do. I didn't apply somewhere like Berkeley, even though they have Judith Butler, because as a whole the Rhetoric program doesn't fit the way that I want to approach sexuality studies. So again, I think that in this field, it's really more of a matter of individual fit and interests.

That being said, I seem to come into contact with a lot of interesting History of Consciousness people from UCSC when I'm reading random things I looked into applying there, but they didn't have anyone I could work with and it seems like their department is badly funded. I also know that Indiana is supposed to be great, especially with their history of being a stand-out, well-established program, but there is no way in hell that I want to live in Indiana for the next 5-6 years. So there are many variables involved!