KM3

I bought my Dell XPS at the start of my MA program and under a year after I finished, it has died. It had lots of the typical annoying PC complaints--blue screen, crashing, etc. I am using my partner's laptop right now because mine won't even turn on!!! (and I have and run antivirus). I am getting a MAC for my phD. Done with Dell, done with PC.

I wish people wouldn't pass judgement on other people's decisions, somehow implying that they have their priorities out of line by choosing to embark on training that will not only better their own future prospects, but those of their families as well. There are a lot of factors that go into making these decisions and they aren't made lightly or without much deliberation. They aren't "no brainers." I believe each person does what is best for themselves and their families, even if the decision itself can be agonizing to make. There are far too many variable and personal factors for anyone to devalue a person's decision to work towards a higher degree even if it means temporary separation. No matter who I have talked to, anyone who is not single has had to compromise or make sacrifices to earn a higher degree with a family or partner. My dissertation topic is fairly specialized and I only applied to a handful of programs, the closest of which are six hours from where I live now with my partner. Believe me, I am not looking forward to being apart for a year until she can move with me, but I understand it is the best for me to work forward on my phD and for her to plan her next career move/education move so we can build the future we want together. I am deeply sympathetic to anyone in that position. As so many have said, it's not about ending the relationship but a temporary separation. While not desirable, it's certainly doable. OP, I know it seems tough, but think about this long term. What is the best for your financial future together (I would say higher degree) and what about your emotional happiness? Your career has a lot to do with that. No one can tell you what is best, but if this is something you really want to do, I think your spouse should support it and help you figure out a way that it works for you both.

I'm checking in here because I'll be in Binghamton in about a month looking at apartments for my move in August. I've already had some advices about areas to look at (westside, southside, Vestal, Johnson City) and to avoid Sall Associates. Any experiences/input about Coolidge Properties? I know they have a ton of listings and their one-time only pet fee is a nice incentive. I'm looking for a place comfortable for one person and a small dog, heat/util. included. I'm also on the funded student budget. Of course, I'm hoping for a QUIET place/well-insulated against noise. Obviously, I'm a serious student--I can be an old lady about noise! I also want to avoid living environments with undergrads. I've done loads of research for places and the net is woefully thin on reviews (saw also to avoid Legacy Bay). I'm hoping that someone may have rented in a good (or bad) place and can either share their experiences or mention a place that isn't coming up on craigslist or all of the largely useless apartment finder websites I've been scouring. Any best kept secrets out there? Thanks in advance!

I'm actually going to call the DGS to accept and then mail a formal letter for my file. I will also call my new advisor to let her know. Conversely, I'm also going to call the DGS at the program I am declining (again, also sending a letter). Not only do I feel it's more courteous, but then they can more quickly offer my funding to someone who is waitlisted.

Ah, true. I didn't look at the original post date because I was doing some late night surfing and my eyes were getting tired--and I'm not sure if you are suggesting that I'm doing this on multiple threads. If so, the threads are still obviously getting a lot of traffic (and you're still reading them to notice, right?) Besides, a lot of the information people give on these threads is of general use beyond the original "shelf life" of the post since people go through this process on an annual basis. I really don't see what the big deal is. Anyway, hopefully my comment is at least partially useful to anyone who might read the thread, OP or not. ...and speaking of old...isn't KMD a band from the 80s or something??? Just trying to keep it light.

It absolutely matters. First (and perhaps most obviously), you would want to do an MA that would strengthen you as a PhD candidate. To that end, you want to consider the faculty you'd be working with not only for LORs but for how they can help you grow as a scholar. Whose work is really interesting to you or on the forefront of current historiographical trends? Thought-provoking methodologies? The right MA program fit for you makes all the difference. Personally, I know that I am completely different as an intellectual post-MA and honestly, I feel very confident and prepared to take on PhD work because I had such a wonderfully rigorous and stimulating program with a supportive faculty.

I think it's a good idea to contact faculty at programs you are interested in with the advice noted above. In my case, I had contact with by email with people at all institutions to which I applied and phone interviews with faculty at two of the programs. Those two are the ones that accepted me. I was able to gauge the "fit" factor with several of the people I talked with and, in one case, the POI was extremely helpful during my application process with suggestions and queries on my behalf. It's hard to gauge the importance of any one factor in the application process because it is such a chancy endeavor. In my case, I found contact with faculty to be extremely helpful.

Ok, I recently completed my MA in History with the PhD starting in the Fall and here's my two bits. (I'm numbering the above questions). 1. Depends. You can definitely overstretch yourself and if you are new to grad work, take a semester to gauge the work load. Know how much you can do and how much personal time you are willing to sacrifice for putting in extra work on top of the enormous work load already on your plate. I held an executive position on a grad/faculty interdisciplinary research board and helped to organize two conferences (CFP, panel selection, budget, the works) while earning my MA. These things are always good for the CV, but were an enormous time-suck, making it very stressful to do while working on everything else. 2. My advisor once told me that anytime you write a research paper, you should consider publishing. Once you've got some of your research done, definitely seek out CFPs--good way to see where the discipline is headed and make potential networking contacts. I suggest sending work to conferences where possible to present your work, network, get a sense of where your scholarship fits in with the other research and see what others are working on. 3. I just recently sent my first publication abstract out, so I'm not much help here. Any ideas where you would publish/what journals seem in step with your research/methodologies? I would talk with an advisor about it. You definitely have the right idea.

I strongly disagree with this statement's content and tenor. Getting less than a 500 in NO way means you "have no business being an academic" or that departments will "cringe" when they see your application. Some people find math difficult and it ONLY reflects upon their math aptitude, not their overall intelligence. Personally, I got a low score on my math GRE and I had no problems finishing my MA with full competitive, merit-based funding at the top of my program or being accepted recently by two excellent PhD programs with full funding.

Possibly a stupid question, but I'm just one my first cup of joe today... Is there any sort of ranking that has been done by area of study....like say, Americanist? For example, I know one of my choices is highly ranked because of its overall ranking in another field (so clearly, that has been ranked). Also, general poll....what is more important: prestige or advisor fit?

I noticed that people said Vestal/Binghamton is a small community. What's the gay climate like there? Safe? Accepting? Any gay culture? Also, how does the job market look for SOs to relocate? (Medical/nursing, if that helps) Any big hospitals up there? Thanks!

I earned my MA in Akron and I will honestly miss living here. Some of the best areas to live in are part of Highland Square (AVOID ANYTHING LEASED BY SQUARE MANAGEMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and Wallhaven. I would avoid anything east of and including Rhodes. Also, rent around the bars with caution. Summertime saw a lot of crime on South Highland. Highland Square has a great, vibrant bohemian feel. I highly recommend Angel Falls coffee shop, Aladdin's, Mr. Zub's (BEST sandwiches) and Square bar (it's a gay bar, but has an "everyone welcome" feel). Chin's on Balch has great Chinese and Cantonese food. The best ice cream is not at Mary Coyle's in the square but further down West Market at Zack's Fire and Ice. Nervous Dog Coffee is next door and also very popular, but I personally prefer the coffe at AF. Stan Hywet---a gorgeous Tudor-revival museum home and a must-see--offers a summer farmer's market. Local rock legend, Rachel Roberts plays weekly in town. Talented and sweet as pie, a real genuine person. Downtown, the nicest restaurants are Crave and Bricco, both excellent. House of Hunan has great sushi. The neighboring towns of Fairlawn and Montrose have almost anything you need. Also not-to-be-missed are Luigi's pizza (expect a line to start forming out the door when they open!) and Chrissie Hynde's Veggieterranean--an upscale vegan restaurant. Akron also has a lot of neat galleries. Campus is medium-sized..you can easily walk across it. There is a campus shuttle, but I've never used it. The cost of living isn't too bad, but living with roommates definitely helps. You can find prices all over the board. My sister has an apartment in a nice area (English Market or something like that near Nervous Dog) and it's a two bedroom, two bath for 600$. Hope this helps! I've been glad to call Akron home while I was here.

To add to my earlier post, I have noticed that the political climate for gays isn't so hot. No form of partnership is legally recognized (marriage, civil union or DP) and even though it's been added to the current anti-collective bargaining bill, the language banning public institutions from offering DP health benefits was passed years ago (2008). I did read online that MSU is offering a pilot program to get around this ban by defining beneficiaries as "other eligible persons"--a non-union member of the household who has resided with the MSU employee for 18 months, making every effort to provide an inclusive environment. That said, it's rough knowing that while attending graduate school, your partnership would largely be unrecognized or protected.

higheredgal, I've been looking at MSU's gay climate as well. There was a report done on MSU and gay student life (I don't have the link, but I found it on the lgbt campus group's page). The overall takeaway from the report for me was that MSU seems safe and tolerant for the most part. There is a gay group for grads that does social things like bowling. This was a plus for me since I would be moving to a new area and leaving all my friends behind. I also know that there are "gay neighborhoods" like Old Town, but don't know much about them. Old Town has three gay bars, but they seem to cater mostly to a male crowd, with only one once-a-month lesbian night. I'd be interested if anyone has futher information on this!!