Gauche
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Posts posted by Gauche
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I already know what classes I'm going to take, and I have a few ideas on when I'd like to teach (but I can't sign up for the times until August, so it's pointless to worry about it now). The big thing is completing my senior honors thesis. House hunting is also on my to-do list when I can find the time for it. Everything else just needs to be ignored until I graduate.
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Personally, I wouldn't pursue a PhD if increasing your chances to get hired is the only thing that motivates you to get one. Taking two years off sounds like a good idea because it would give you some life experience and time to think about what you really want to do. It sounds like the MFA program would suit you well. I would look into schools that have separate MA and MFA degrees and see if you can take Medieval Lit courses as part of your degree requirement. There are a handful of programs that encourage collaboration between Creative Writing and Lit students if you look for them. The program I'm entering in the fall is one of those.
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Ahhhh!! Remember the other day when I said I submitted proposals to a conference for the first time? Well, I woke up this morning to an acceptance email from PAMLA. Huzzah!
Congrats! I'm still waiting to hear back from a couple.
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^ My apologies for not being clearer in the first post. Yes, the Chronicle has forums. And the advice there can often be rather brutal, if nearly always well-intentioned. I sometimes feel that things get presented in an overly-negative light, but it's better to be pessimistic and have good things happen to one's self, than to over-estimate one's chances.
He speaks the truth. If the OP made a post there, he or she would be torn to pieces instantly.
Personally, I'm not sure if the OP is highly misinformed or is a troll. Most people here have given good input, so I don't have anything else to say.
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That does sound like a tough pickle that you're in. Try to see if you can answer this question: What is your ultimate goal? If it's an MA (or some time down the line a PhD) in English, then why do you want the degree(s)? Is it so you can find a steady job no matter what it is? or do you want to become a college professor? Can you see yourself happy with your current job in the next 10 or 20 years? Would you regret it if you didn't try for an advanced degree this early (I'm assuming) in your life or would you regret it more if you quit your job only to go through the obstacles of graduate school to find that you couldn't secure a tenure-track job in the end?
Personally, I would still pursue grad school especially if I were given the same package as you were given just because that's what I want to do, and I believe that's what I'm meant to do. But my mentor continues to remind me (not to be mean or anything but to be practical) that I'm still young, and I don't know anything other than academia because that's what's been occupying my life for the last several years. If I could think of something else to do with my life--anything--I should probably do that instead because there are so many grad students who think they will be part of the 50% who will not drop out of grad school, and then go on to be the 10% that manages to secure a tenure-track job. I don't know if fortune will smile upon me, but I'm willing to take the risks because I know I would regret it more if I didn't try. But I'm in a different position than you are, because I was not offered a steady job, and so I don't really have the motivation to put grad school on hold and try it again when I'm older.
And that was a long-winded response to what I really mean to say: do what matters to you now. If you feel more motivated to kick butt in a graduate program, go for it. If you think you will have that same passion for academia later on while you're settled in your full-time job, then put it off for later. You'll gain much more life experience, and you'll be all the wiser.
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Made it official last week: I will be attending the University of Kansas for my MA. Is it weird that after all the e-mails sent and the websites checked off the decision still didn't actually feel final until I filled out the Google doc? Regardless, congrats to those who have made their decision and good luck to those still pondering!
Nice choice! I'll be seeing you at KU.
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I was in the same boat as you a few days ago. I hadn't presented anything other than a paper that I basically read aloud and didn't have to worry about messing things up or sounding incoherent (as long as my paper sounded coherent). But I finally decided to present an overview of my senior honors thesis which of course couldn't have all been read, so I made an outline for it instead. It went very well. In fact, I would say it was the best conference presentation I had ever delivered.
But I'm not here to gloat. In fact, I was damn terrified about my presentation because 1) I only had 4 hrs of sleep in 48 hrs before my presentation; 2) I literally wrote out 7 pages of my presentation word-for-word during the couple I nights I stayed up before my presentation; 3) I really didn't have solid results to show. Just maybe some cool things to say. So how did I manage to make it successful? I turned the 7 pages into an outline and practiced 5 times in a row (between coffee and bathroom breaks) literally 3 hrs before my presentation. I also had handouts to share, and that helped provide a visual of my presentation (since I'm just not Powerpoint-savvy). I started by providing an introduction of myself, and how my research interests connect with my presentation. Since the conference was interdisciplinary, I defined some technical terms. I explained my project in general, the methodology of my research, why it was important, and the results that I anticipated. And that was it. Hope that helps.
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Take the funded offer. The MA ranks don't matter so much. It's what you do in the program and how you tailor that into your application that will get you into a top PhD program.
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If you're on a waitlist for funding, one of three things can happen for you to secure that funding.
1) Another student who was made an offer declines.
2) Another student accepts their offer but doesn't need/want funding and declines it.
3) The program finds more money to fund more students.
If the funding doesn't come through, I suggest sticking it out with the MA for a couple years (if they guarantee you funding that long). If you really wanted to, you can stay a year and reapply and see what happens, but generally your application would be a lot stronger for PhD programs when you show that you've earned an MA, focused your research interests, and shown that you can handle graduate work.
Under no circumstances, do not enter a PhD program in English if it doesn't fund you. It's not worth getting into debt. If you've already received an offer this year, chances are, with more experience with graduate work, you'll receive more offers in the future that are actually funded.
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I know some undergrads who don't write a thesis but still get into top doctoral programs. Writing a thesis is definitely great experience to have before you get into grad school not just because it looks good on the CV or it helps to pull it out for your sample paper but because you will have to write a thesis in graduate school whether it's your MA thesis or doctoral dissertation. Working on an original research project such as a year-long thesis helps you understand what graduate work entails. It's not about writing 7-10 page papers following your professor's prompts anymore. You find what you're interested in and you build on it until you find something worth saying about it. And since undergrads don't usually have a chance to create original research, they tend to struggle a little when starting graduate work.
So in short, writing a thesis is definitely helpful for the experience. It looks good to be able to mention it just like being able to mention a publication or an opportunity to study abroad. If you can't manage writing a thesis as an undergrad, no sweat. Find something else that makes you unique and shows you're ready for grad school and focus on that in your application.
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You write an abstract (or proposal if you haven't written the paper yet) for the conference presenters so they can decide whether they think your paper would fit in their conference or not. You typically just read the paper you wrote for a course, thesis, fun, etc. during your presentation if that's the general practice at that conference. So if you present at a research conference or something, presenters would probably prepare a talk and a powerpoint to make it easier for the audience to follow their research. All of the conferences that I've attended that were dominated by English majors or catered to the Humanities all (except maybe one or two) had presenters that read their paper aloud.
In that case you think: "Oh, well, I'll just submit a paper I wrote for a class and read it as it is during my session!" Please don't read a paper without trying to cater it to listeners. Remember: no one will get a chance to see your paper. You will only get a chance to state your thesis once. Make it obvious. Saying things like "In this paper, I argue" or "I plan to" is good authorial manners. Signposting is key if you want people to ask you questions. I have a short attention span, so if I sit in on a session and I'm not captured within the first couple of minutes, I zone out and think about something else. And this is especially true when you're doing research on a book or author that the audience might be unfamiliar with. Try to make it as easy as possible for them to follow your argument so they can ask offer good feedback.
I also found that if you tell people it's your first time presenting or that you're presenting your thesis that's in progress and you would like some feedback that people feel more obliged to offer you feedback. Academics generally want to help other academics especially new budding scholars, so take advantage of that.
- Sursie, aGiRlCalLeDApPlE and ProfLorax
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If you can, get a copy of The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism. I haven't had a chance to really look through it myself, but a few of my professors have recommended it (and one actually gave me her copy).
These are also very helpful:
The Columbia Dictionary of Modern Literary and Cultural Criticism
The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory
The Critical Tradition by David Richter
Literary Criticism by Charles Bressler
The last two work very well together (and I used them for my Critical Theory class). Bressler makes theory much simpler than it really is and Richter provides essays from various literary theorists. If you're having a hard time grasping some of the terms, the dictionaries will help simplify them even more.
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Is there a minimum page number for a conference paper? Does it affect the possibility of having it published by the conference later if it's too short or too long?
Usually each presenter has 15-20 minutes to give their presentation. If you read your paper aloud (like most of the folks in English do), each page should take about 2 minutes to read depending on your reading speed. That would make each paper anywhere between 7 to 10 pages long. In some conferences, you might be restricted to less time (I'm thinking of the Sigma Tau Delta Convention that restricted every paper submission to 2,000 words, so for that I had 6 pages). In another research conference, the presentation time was short (10 minutes) but the paper had to be at least 10-15 pages long if you wanted it published in the proceedings. I don't know about general conference proceedings, but you might be able to look at the requirements on some of their websites. Just check out the regional conferences like PAMLA, and there should probably be guidelines for conference proceedings. You can always contact the conference organizers too if it's not available on the website. They're more than happy to answer your questions.
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Just a word of advice for those who are ahead of the game: I did the same thing in regards in looking through schools' websites and writing down pertinent info on a spreadsheet including placement info, funding offer, application requirements, etc., but it turns out it sort of worked out to my disadvantage sometimes because some schools update their info a little late in the season. I gathered all of my information during late spring through the summer for fall applications, and while I was applying, I noticed that a few schools changed the deadlines to unfortunately earlier times. So it's always good to do a last minute check on the websites in October or even November to make sure the information is current.
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Thank you thatjewishgirl! I'm actually from the West Coast, but I visited a few weeks ago, and it was a nice change of pace. I look forward to living there.
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I updated the document already, but it's official now that I'm attending the University of Kansas.
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If School #2 is canceling their terminal MA program, will that affect your funding? How long is funding offered for both schools?
Right now, since you're looking at MA programs and you plan to attend a PhD program when you finish, the two most important things I would personally worry about is 1) funding and 2) opportunities that are available so you can thrive in a PhD program when you finish. Also, it would be nice if either programs have a thesis option since it would be a great chance to get experience in working on one before working on your dissertation.
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Looking at your post again, I realized you were accepted into MA programs as opposed to PhD programs. In that case, consider the following: Do these schools also offer a PhD? Do you want to get your PhD from these schools? What is the process for MA students to get into the PhD program? Is it a formality to reapply or is it a feeder program, etc.
If you plan to do your PhD at either schools, the stuff in my previous post still apply.
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To sum it up, #1 school has the name and would give you a better boost when you're looking for a job, but school #2 sounds like its reputation isn't anything to scorn either. Both offered you funding, but you would live comfortably at school #2 and on top of that, they really want you since they were willing to increase their funding to stay competitive. School #1 also doesn't sound like a very good fit as opposed to #2 as far as research interests go.
Personally, I would go with #2. But the choice is yours. What are you willing to sacrifice? Would you rather live comfortably or hope that the reputation of another school would make you more competitive when searching for a job? If a tenure-track job is your goal at the end of this, what is the placement rate for both of those schools? Where did they place their students? Do you want to teach in a top 20 when you're done or would you be happy at any school? Would you even do well in school #1 if you don't have someone you can work with or at least have interests that closely match your own? Does school #2 offer opportunities to make yourself more competitive when you go out on the job market by the time you finish? Think about what you really want from a program, what you're willing to sacrifice, and your goal by the end, and then decide.
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I was checking my email in the library, and I had completely let my guard down and found an email from the DGS unofficially accepting me to the program.
The second one was when I was walking to the parking structure, and the DGS of my soon-to-be alma mater told me they were going to accept me into their program.
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Firstly, huge congratulations on all of your acceptances and best of luck to those of you still waiting for news!
Just a quick question about the magical, mystical "fit" element: in your SOP, is it wise to focus on a single academic doing research that floats your boat in a department, or should you maybe reference two or even three? It feels a little risky to hone in on one person alone, and in some cases I think I'd be thrilled to work with either of two profs who are doing closely connected work in my area...
You shouldn't focus on solely one faculty member, but if there is one that really does closely fit with your interests (and I mean like the best possible fit ever), it probably wouldn't hurt to talk more about them compared to the 2-3 other faculty members who can supplement your research. In my case, since it was hard to find someone with my specific field, I was thrilled when I found one particular professor who matched with my interests almost exactly. However, I was afraid this person was going to retire, so I didn't focus on her as much and brought in two other professors that had similar interests as well.
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You have a moral obligation to attend School B since you've already accepted, but it's still possible for you to back out of the deal. Just explain the situation, and they should let you off the hook, especially if it's early. Whoever is on the waitlist for School B will be ecstatic too.
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I really need them because of the number of potential field sites for my research. I can't do anything about it until I have an official @ku.edu email, and I don't know when that'll happen.
You should be able to create an email at KU. I haven't formally accepted their offer yet, but I managed to do it.
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Maybe this deserves its own thread, but I'm curious as to what specific interests people have. I have 2 major areas, if you like, which I think I will probably tailor my SOP to depending on the program.
1. Place and the construction of race and personhood in Early American and 19th / 20th Century African American literature
2. Race, aesthetics and form in 20th / 21st century African American and Ethnic American lit ( with a particular interest in mixed-race studies - I'm a bit in love with Michele Elam at Stanford - and short fiction )
Secondary interests include: humour and representations of race and gender in American culture (from lit to stand up); and, contemporary black female short fiction (ZZ Packer, Danielle Evans, Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche, Edwidge Danticat, etc).
I feel like squishing these things together to come up with one clearly defined interest is going to be really hard, so I'm not sure yet if I'll try.
What are you guys all hoping to work on?
I don't really belong in this thread because I was somehow successful this year, but I just wanted to share that I'm also interested in mixed-race literature though in 19th-century American lit.
Also, you should know that it's okay if you're still deciding on what you want to focus on and how to tailor your statement of purpose to reflect a focused interest. In fact, at this time last year, I was in the same boat. I was worried because I wasn't really sure if my interests were focused enough and I was bouncing between early American literature or 19th/20th-century American literature. It wasn't until a few months into my senior year that I realized what I really wanted to study, and it just came naturally. So don't fret yet. You still have time. Besides, your two areas are pretty similar. If you can, try to take a class next semester in one or both of those areas to see which you like best. And try to remind yourself why you are interested in those areas. For me, I realized that my biography contributed to my research interests, so keep those kinds of things in mind.
Tuition Waivers
in Literature, and Rhetoric and Composition
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It varies by program. For one of my waivers, I was told to apply and click on a box (that popped up once I informed them about the waiver), and I didn't have to pay the fee at all.