savay

I'll be in the Scandinavian lit department, but I'm also hoping to do some work with the Simpson Center for the Humanities and the Comp Lit department as well.

Congrats Little Earthquakes! Are you joining the English or Comp Lit department? I'll be starting at UW this fall as well.

I get so exhausted with hair maintenance! I kept my hair various shades of red for about a decade, but it got harder to keep up in the last year or two. It feels strange but nice to see my natural color again. I forgot my hair is naturally so dark! Something I did in undergrad that I'm really looking forward to doing again as a grad student is seeing trainee stylists. I was a hair model for Vidal Sassoon and got my hair cut and colored for free for a few years, but all the appointments are normally during the day which I can't really do working full time. I would show up, say do whatever you want, and a few hours later (the one thing is that it does take a little longer because they normally have to get work ok'd by their supervisor) I'd leave with an awesome haircut. There's a few salons that have training programs near my program, so hopefully that will work again. I've been going to some cheap barber shops in the interim but it can be hard to find a place that isn't terribly expensive in the city.

I have been loving this thread! I also got in and have accepted an offer and holy crap am excited! I was so anxious during application season and even though I was probably a little hyperbolic, my friends just assumed I would get in. It was somewhat frustrating to not have those worries taken seriously. And now they just give me a Congrats! and an I-told-you-so-look. This is what love looks like, right? @MarineBluePsy I have been scouring carryology's bag reviews lately -- they've introduced me to a lot of quality brands I had never heard of. May be helpful. I don't quite have 9 tubes of deodorant, but I made my own for awhile with coconut oil & baking soda and I have to say it worked really well. I've been too busy/lazy as of late to make another batch after I ran out, but if you're feeling adventurous it might be fun -- you can google recipes. I had a bit of a concern about guaranteed funding as well. As others have mentioned, some schools cannot put that in writing due to the nature of their budgeting process or union guidelines. My offer letter said something like "You will most likely receive further support in subsequent years..." which was a red flag to me. I brought it up with the department chair and he apologized that they couldn't outright guarantee me funding but that they'd never had anyone lose it who remained in good standing. Keep celebrating everyone! Happy Friday!

According to twitter -- a great way to start a sentence, I know -- it's #hugamedievalist day so here y'all go!

I feel similarly to @HopefulPHD14 -- I've been working full-time for 3 years since finishing undergrad and while I've managed to do a lot of interesting and fulfilling things on the side, I am so looking forward to a summer full of stuff I want to do. I'm quitting my job at the end of May (SO EXCITED FOR THIS), moving my stuff to the east coast to sit in my mom's garage, spending a few weeks in DC volunteering at a sort of exchange student leadership camp, then going to Iceland for July for a language program, and then maybe the Faroe Islands after that. Then at the end of August I'll be driving across the country to Seattle. I haven't made things easy for myself in terms of logistics, but I have a very...naive? sense that it will all work out. So many books to read in the interim!

I am a fan of Everlane's shoes: https://www.everlane.com/collections/womens-shoes Really nice construction. Also, doc martens has a line that they guarantee will last a long time and they will repair for free. http://drmartensforlife.com/ Maybe, not quite TA professional, depending, but I'll probably wear mine anyway.

@Finwë Somewhat similar to Neist's grad prep course, my school had some sessions on graduate school -- what it was, why you might want to go, and the application process. I would look for similar informational sessions within your department or a department in the field you may be interested in studying. If you have a faculty advisor, or a faculty member you feel comfortable with, scheduling some time to talk with them about grad school is also helpful. As your interests continue to develop, finding faculty at your school who are doing research you find interesting, reaching out to talk to them about next steps is also a really good idea. They may also be able to help you identify programs that would suit your interests when you actually reach application time.

This thread is sooo nice after all this crazy. Like @jillcicle I also severely underestimated upload times. My first application (submitted ON TIME, but just barely) was then subsequently lost in the tech-ether for two days because, according to the University's tech department, "of system load times." This seems very suspicious for an application system, but, sure. I ended up having to send the saved pdf version to the committee. I was admitted anyway. Also had to do a skype interview, but in Danish which is not my first research language. At 8 in the morning. I somehow valiantly struggled through it, but in such desperation to actually stay on top of the conversation I was not strategic in my answers at all. When asked about school preferences, I completely side-stepped any attempt at graceful vagueness and told them directly that another institution was my first choice. Only after the interview was over did that answer catch up to me. My first choice, by some divine happenstance, happened to have such a late deadline that I managed to work out all of the kinks and actually submit a strong application two weeks early. It was via post though, which made me hold my breath the whole time, quite certain that USPS would drastically eff it up. They didn't though. But then, the USB with my language recordings didn't work... Luckily, the department admin was kind enough to accept them via email. very glad that part is done.

Bumping this thread for 2016 admits!

Has anyone here ever checked out carryology? I just stumbled across the site this week and I have to say, it really expanded my knowledge of bag brands/materials/things I never really considered about bags. I highly recommend checking it out. I'm moving to Seattle, so I've been looking for stylish laptop-accommodating bags that can also withstand the anticipated precipitation without destroying all of my stuff. I'm thinking about getting either a Mission Workshop, Trakke, or 78% waxed canvas bag. Anyone have any opinions on those brands/other waterproof bags I should consider? I've been using this bag for awhile now and while it's dual use as a back pack and over the shoulder tote is nice, the straps are really not supportive if I'm hauling a laptop and books which I anticipate having to do more of.

I've never heard of the Purple mattress! Thanks for the rec. I had a friend that got a tuft & needle (similar to casper) and really liked it. @rhombusbombus In terms of citation managers, I'd check with your university (probably the library) -- a lot of them have licenses for student use (probably zotero, seems to be popular with universities), so you may not need to pay for one out of pocket. Knowing that I'll be soon within a grad student budget, I've been focusing so much on buying products that last and are high quality -- I've become very thorough in my perusal of wirecutter/other niche site reviews. I just discovered carryology last week and all of the buy-it-for-life type sites, does anyone have any other sites that they use for trusted reviews?

I second @fuzzylogician's advice. Keep writing, it really does help -- even just nonsense. And also utilize any type of writing centers at your institution. I've heard a few different professors rec this book, specifically for research writing: http://www.amazon.com/Research-Edition-Chicago-Writing-Publishing/dp/0226065669 I also relied on Victoria Nelson's books on writers block while getting through my undergraduate thesis -- I realize that may not entirely be what you're up against, but perhaps helpful. Additionally, if you think your vocabulary/mechanics/sentence structure are not advanced enough or that it's less a structural issue and more just coming across as an upper level academic, one of the best ways to improve that is to read more. Ask professors or peers in your field about who they think is writing high level interesting research and then read their stuff, study it for the written aspect, not necessarily the content. Interrogate what it is about their construction and their style that makes their papers so successful, and find what approaches you can incorporate or modify in your own writing. Even fiction or non-academic non-fiction can help here too -- a good narrative is a good narrative, regardless of what kind of story it's telling.

If you can afford to make the trip, I would advocate for you to go. I understand being anxious and nervous as is, and that it can feel even more daunting in a situation where you want to make a good impression, but they're also allowing you to have the opportunity to meet with potential peers and faculty members. That's a really valuable experience to have when in the midst of decision making. I received two comparable admit offers, both that were good research fits for my area, but I felt so much more at home at one program than in the other. I wouldn't know that without visiting both departments. Because this is a stressful situation, I would also suggest that if you do decide to go you anticipate your needs as much as possible. Is there someone in your support network (friend, parent, etc.) that you could schedule a time to check in with via phone while on campus? Is there a certain activity that helps channel your nerves that you could practice while there, etc. You want to be in a position where you can really focus on the reasons for your visit -- meeting faculty, potential cohort, seeing campus resources; while managing your awkwardness so that it doesn't overwhelm your thoughts.

I will be spending my summer at two intensive language programs, related to my grad study. These programs are both located at universities overseas, and while one has a small travel stipend, the other can offer no scholarships. After gaining admission to my top choice I discussed procuring some additional funding for this summer study and my Department Chair was positive about the possibility of having some funds to allocate. He asked me to send him a proposal -- nothing too extensive, just a one-pager. I have a budget to include, but I was wondering if anyone had a useful proposal template or outline I could use. Thanks!

I'm not sure what kind of language requirements your PhD program may have, if any, but summers are good times to work on those as well. And you may be able to use that short time effectively as in an immersive program you can learn a lot in a short amount of time. There are quite a few options out there for summer language programs as well, and depending on location they may offer travel stipends. I'll be spending my summer at two of these programs, one has a government funded stipend and I've managed to most likely secure some additional funding from the grad program I'll be starting in the fall.

My research is in a few different fields: contemporary Danish & Icelandic literature, Nordic cultural identity & globalization, poststructural ethics, and narrative identity/subjectivity theory. I can justify almost any enjoyment of pop-culture from the Nordic region as research. Which is dangerous. It's been a lot of Danish tv dramas (which truly is amazing television -- happy to rec some if interested) / Icelandic films lately -- "I'm brushing up on my Danish/Icelandic." Also been listening to a lot of Icelandic 90s hip-hop. There's a big Taste of Iceland event coming to Chicago this month, sponsored by the Icelandic government, featuring concerts and talks and food events. So much research to do! Any longreads on Lit Hub or Flavorwire or Jacobin are all "research," particularly if they in any way touch on translation, literary essays, lit crit, Nordic lit or Nordic culture. I've also been reading a lot of Norwegian literature lately. Any type of Nordic baking... easy peasy. I really need to appreciate the Austrian impact on Danish baked goods by making pastry. Yes. I really do. The Punk Singer was such a lovely documentary. I do a lot of zine stuff in Chicago, and lately I've been working on one about death and grieving and its narrative effects -- very tangentially related to my research interests, I suppose. @lesabendio - In the Le Guin/Butler vein, you may enjoy Johanna Sinisalo's work. She does Finnish speculative fiction. I just finished her book The Core of the Sun yesterday, which is set in near-future dystopian Finland and examines gender norms and a welfare state gone haywire with an extra does of capsaicin addiction thrown in. This is another thing I have justified to myself as research.

@hellatrangsty I love this reevalutation strategy! I will definitely keep this tucked in my back pocket.

I got my first acceptance at work. A week before my visit to that school I commented to a coworker about how it would be great if I could hear back from my top choice soon so that I could start making decisions. She said I'd hear back on the 25th of February, though they told me letters go out around March 15th. "That would be nice," I replied. The 25th comes and I'm a couple of days away from my visit. We're talking about a project and she reminds me that I'll hear back from my top school today. In the afternoon I'm in the lobby of our building talking to another coworker, when I check my email, and there it is, my acceptance to my top choice. I immediately head up to my floor shouting my coworker's name. I had such an adrenaline rush that evening. Two days later and a voicemail pops up on my phone. It turns out the Graduate Studies Director of my top program had actually called a week earlier to let me know of my acceptance, but for some reason it didn't come through on my phone and the voicemail got very lost. I prefer to think my coworker is an oracle.

I'm creating this thread as, of yet, this topic is not really covered in these forums. Understandably, there isn't a flood of applicants into this field every year, but on the off chance interested prospects are on gradcafe I think this thread should exist. I'll be starting my MA/PhD in Nordic Literature in the fall of 2016 and would be happy to talk about programs in the field both in the US and abroad. Áfram Norden!

Thank you @perpetuavix for assuaging my fears about living expenses! I'm moving from Chicago and deciding between U Wisconsin & U Washington -- I've been offered a TA/RA position at Washington for the same $$ as your current package. Money goes a lot further in Madison and even Chicago than Seattle, so I've been a bit nervous. U Washington is my first choice, but I've been worried about cost of living. Are there specific places you'd recommend looking for housing in addition to Craigslist, or specific property managers? Also, @compscian as someone who has only lived places where snow is your biggest concern rather than tornadoes or hurricanes or earthquakes or landslides, etc., I'd check out this article below. It tempered a lot of the hype from the New Yorker article. http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2015/07/kathryn_schulz_s_new_yorker_story_on_pacific_northwest_earthquake_geologists.html

@hilbertmonkey Thanks for that great guide! I'm headed to Madison this weekend and was definitely planning nice jeans and jacket, but then some other threads made me second guess myself. Glad to know I don't have to break out my iron anytime soon.

I had to do a Skype interview with the Chair of the department and another professor in my secondary research language (Danish) -- which let's just say is not my strongest spoken tongue. And because of their schedules we had to do it very early in the morning and I am not a morning person. I was dreading it. So much. I could understand the bulk of our conversation, but replying in kind was absolute torture and ridiculously embarrassing. My limited spoken vocabulary became apparent within the first minute. Fortunately I made it very clear in my application that it was not my primary research language. I was putting in so much effort to just follow the conversation that I had no ability to be strategic or intentional with my answers -- being understood was my only priority. They asked which program was my first choice and without thinking I mentioned a different school, realizing with dread after the fact that I could have been a bit more diplomatic with my answer. Ugh, I managed to get accepted to the program with a decent offer, but I still don't like to think about that interview.

Hey @bugabooo congrats on the Roosevelt acceptance! I'm not sure what kind of budget you're looking at, but you should definitely be able to find a one bedroom less than an hour away. I would recommend looking at the Bridgeport/Pilsen area to start -- it's close to the Red/Orange/Green lines on the CTA which all stop at Roosevelt and in the loop, and are generally very affordable. It's a gentrifying area and like most of Chicago a very segregated area. I lived in Bridgeport my first three years in Chicago and really liked it, it's very residential, neighbors will actually say hello to you on the street, and you can find decent apartments with yards. You may also be able to find something in the South Loop/Printers Row area as well, which would allow you to be in walking distance to campus. The neighborhood tends to be more pricey, especially as you approach the loop. You also might be able to find something in University Village or the Near West Side -- this part of town caters to UIC, so I imagine there may be some student friendly priced housing. You could also search on the North Side as well. Lincoln Park, Lakeview, and even Uptown and Edgewater would get you to campus in under an hour -- if you get an apartment close to the Red line. The North Side tends to be a bit pricier and whiter. I've been living in Uptown for 4 years and am very happy here, but it's generally considered a rougher neighborhood. For the first two years I commuted to the south side every day by train (even further south than Roosevelt) and didn't mind the commute. Lincoln Park and Lakeview are a little too...fancy for me, but the neighborhoods do have a lot of amenities. Finding pet friendly housing in Chicago is very doable. You may be asked to pay a fee though. I would recommend looking at craigslist, padmapper, and domu for housing searches. There are also some apartment finding services, chicagoapartmentfinders and apartmentpeople. Basic info on chicago neighborhoods: http://www.choosechicago.com/neighborhoods-and-communities/map/ I'm happy to help with any questions you may have. Chicago is a great city and I'm really going to miss it.

@floatinggreenskull Yes, yes, yes. My situation is a smidge different (I'm not moving from my hometown, and it looks like I won't be moving across the country) but yes. After all the hard work in just preparing an application and then waiting out the decisions, and then interviewing and getting accepted and preparing for a visit, it's of course very gratifying, but also invites a small amount of grieving. It's become so much more tangible, which is exciting and thrilling but also reminds me of all the things that simply have to be taken care of to get there and of the realities of leaving. In fact, though it subdued some anxiety around the "can I even do this?" and "am I qualified?" questions, it makes me want to hear back from all of my schools as soon as possible so I can start making actual decisions, haha. No rest for the applicant, I suppose.