wildviolet

It really depends. This wasn't my case when I got my MS (with thesis) in Science Education from a local state university. The MS program was geared towards working professionals, so all Science Ed courses were offered in the evenings. Because I chose the secondary option, I took graduate level courses in Chemical Engineering. We didn't have to take the GRE, but we had to interview with 3 of the 5 Science Ed faculty because they wanted to make sure the program would be a good match for our goals. Of course, getting a Master's degree counts towards salary advancement. But, I would say that 90% of my cohort members (about 10-12 per year) were really excited about science teaching and learning and eager to participate in class and share ideas. Because we had to do a thesis (no exam option), the program required research methods courses, which were definitely not anything I'd ever learned about before. Interestingly, I looked at the USC online option, but I wanted face-to-face interactions, and I'm glad I chose my local state university. All the faculty were truly competent and interested in us as people and teachers, and our classes were so much fun! They were not taught by adjuncts. Three hours would fly by, and we had a great time bringing in snacks and talking about something that we cared about. In comparison, I just completed my first year in my doctoral program at an R1. The online Master's degree courses here are taught by faculty and doctoral students. My colleagues are excellent, but... I'm sure that the quality of the courses varies depending on the instructor. I've taken online courses before (Stanford CLAD), and I just prefer face-to-face classrooms. The online courses were definitely convenient, and they served their purpose as far as allowing me to get my CLAD certification. However, for my MS and my doctorate, I appreciate being in the same physical place with others. So, with respect to the OP's question... I have no idea how well-regarded these programs are by other people. I can say, however, that one of my colleagues received an online Master's degree from our current institution. So, it can't hurt, right? In the end, completing a Master's degree is an accomplishment. Now, if you are thinking of doctoral study, I would highly recommend completing a Master's degree with thesis as this better prepares you for doctoral study. You won't freak out the first time you have to write a literature review!

The Botany of Desire and The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michale Pollan are the top two on my list (I'm joining a community garden this summer and hoping to grow some vegetables and herbs). Other books on my list include, in no particular order: Drinking Water: A History by James Salzman In a Queer Voice by Michael Sadowski The Blind Watchmaker by Richard Dawkins The One World Schoolhouse by Salman Khan The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas Kuhn Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire The Death and Life of the Great American School System by Diane Ravitch Critical Discourse Analysis by Norman Fairclough An Introduction to Discourse Analysis by James Paul Gee

Getting a PhD, especially at such a young age, does not mean that you have to be in academia forever! You've got your whole life ahead of you. I'll get my PhD (hopefully) when I'm 38, and I still feel young. Also, you never know what life will throw at you--I take things just one day at a time. I used to try to "plan" my life, but now (after having gone through things I never thought I would have to go through), I realize that life is just too unpredictable to be worried about where I'll be 50 years from now. Two years ago, I never thought I'd be in the Midwest, yet here I am (and I survived the long winter)!

Hi 1Q84! I have the same problem. For a period of a couple of weeks, I was super productive because I told myself that I could not access any social media or email until I was done with a certain amount of work (well, that didn't last long). I've also tried Leechblock, but it's easy to turn it back on, so that didn't work for me. Part of figuring this all out, I think, is figuring out how I work. I have resigned myself to the fact that my mind tends to jump around a lot. The only time I am super focused is when I have an impending deadline (i.e., end of semester). In the end, as long as I get everything done, I don't worry too much about how or when it gets done. I still get 7-8 hours of sleep a night and go out for social dancing and dinner. As far as I can tell, my professors are just as addicted to their computers. My advisor and supervisor will email me at non-9-to-5 hours. I will hopefully take a vacation soon where I will not bring my laptop and turn off the signal on my phone (just have it for emergency calls).

"The art of writing is the art of discovering what you believe." --Gustave Flaubert Writing is a deeply personal, complex endeavor. It takes me a long time to write. It gets easier with time and training (some parts of academic writing require little imagination). I feel better when I read that writers like John McPhee says that he used to sit all day and sharpen pencils rather than write ()http://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/5997/the-art-of-nonfiction-no-3-john-mcphee). I also love Stephen King's book On Writing (http://www.amazon.com/Writing-10th-Anniversary-Memoir-Craft/dp/1439156816). I am amazed by prolific scholars who are able to churn out a book every few years (e.g., in my field, James Paul Gee). Also, it's okay to take an incomplete for a course. I did it in my MS program, and I would imagine that it's the same now. Depends on your institution/department, but most professors I know wouldn't care if you didn't submit it on time (as long as it doesn't happen every single time). They know grad students have lives and families and other responsibilities. Also, sometimes I've found that writing on GradCafe helps, just to get the words flowing... good luck!

Hi C-Diggy--those are indeed some bold moves that you suggest! It's nice of you to say that you think I have my sh-tuff figured out... I wish I did, too! Honestly, one more month left, and I have way too many final papers to write and ideas to consolidate. Anyway, the situation has improved somewhat--it's not ideal by any means, but it's better than it was before. My professors did not address the issue per se, but we've had more small group discussions, during which I can think aloud and show what I know to both my colleagues and my professors (when they stop by the group to eavesdrop and offer suggestions). The same people still speak out and the same people still stay quiet--recently one of our professors called on one of the quiet students to answer a tough question, and she was quite flustered and fumbled her way through a response. I felt bad for her, but our professors did warn us at the beginning of the semester that they might call on people, so I guess it doesn't pay to stay too quiet! This person hardly ever speaks, even in informal and low-stakes environments, so I guess she's just super shy, but it does make it hard for the professors to know what we're thinking if we don't speak up.

I'm using a MacBook Air (that I got refurbished) last summer. It's been great. I used to tote around a MacBook, and the difference in weight has been noticeable. My advisor offered to buy me a screen (when I need more screen space) and external hard drive.

What a fun topic! Now that I've been in grad school for almost 7 months, I can say that, besides the basics, my 5 essential items are: 1. Coffee maker (French press) and favorite mug (it just makes me happy to use it) 2. Comfortable new bed 3. Frying pan 4. Printer/copier/scanner 5. Wine bottle opener (no wine glasses needed though, I just use my favorite mug)

Are you doing a PhD or MS program? I moved across the country and knew that I'd be spending five years in my new town. So, I crammed what I could into my minivan and bought mostly new and some used furniture. For things like beds, I follow conventional wisdom--buy the most expensive bed you can afford. Having a good bed and good sleep is important for life but especially for grad school.

Hi Dal--I read your post a while ago and thought of it today because I'm feeling a bit down after receiving a less than perfect score on my midterm. I've also had moments where I've been ridiculously happy--even though I'm the poorest I've ever been (in my adult life) and the heaviest I've ever been (I don't own a scale anymore and have accepted the body that I have)--I'm so glad to be in grad school, reading stuff that's interesting to me, interacting with my advisor (who is the best possible advisor for me), and learning how to do what professors do. So, I guess what might help is knowing that grad school, like life, is a roller coaster ride of ups and downs. I may be down now, but that means there's only one way to go--back up! I let myself feel the negative emotions (rather than try to suppress or ignore them), knowing that they will go away soon and that I'll be happy again. There's that great line from Finding Nemo: "just keeping swimming"!

We don't seem to have a problem with people finding jobs in my field (mostly TT but some post-docs). The two fifth years in my specific discipline just did well on the job market, so I expect (hope?) that I'll be in the same position four years from now. Eigen's suggestions are good. I would add also that it's good to start building relationships with people in your field. For example, I got to know a post-doc this year who just accepted a TT position--I'll keep in touch with her, meet up at future conferences, etc. Part of the job search is making connections with people early on in your grad school career.

I agree with ZeChocMoose because my particular College of Education is huge! We have five different departments and many programs. My particular department is very strong, but the overall ranking of the college is lower, probably due to the rankings of the other departments. Another important factor is job placement. Where are recent graduates able to secure a position? Another thing to follow is trends. Even within my department, we are hiring faculty for my specific discipline, which broadens opportunities for research and teaching. So in the past five years, the number of faculty in my discipline has grown, which provides me with flexibility should my research interests change. Also, while some may say that rankings don't matter, the College boasts about them and uses them to attract students.

This is a good place to start. http://www.isls.org/index.html?CFID=62943736&CFTOKEN=92416731

LS is an exciting field. Even though I'm not technically in a LS program, I'm interested in LS and anything could count as LS as long as the focus is on learning. If you browse through Journal of the Learning Sciences, you'll see lots of different topics. In my opinion, since it's still an emerging field (albeit with some well-established folks and programs, like the one at Northwestern), I think there's still room for junior scholars to carve out a niche.

I have a question about Johns Hopkins, too (even though it's my alma mater, I didn't study education for my BA). All of the other schools in the Top 20 seem legit to me. Personally, I would put more emphasis on the specialty rankings (in which my institution ranks very highly for my field within education) and even more on the reputation and scholarship of my advisor.

Thanks for your input. I just want to clarify that this is the only class where the issue of classroom domination has been particularly irksome. So, one out of five courses this year isn't so bad. I'm not saying that this is my typical approach to class discussions. In fact, I'm usually one of the more active participants... thus, my idea of experimenting with sitting back and watching what happens. Partly, though, I think it's a consequence of large groups. My favorite class this semester has only nine students--we sit around a large table instead of at individual desks in a large circle around the room (I wonder if the large space in the middle makes the environment less conducive to dialogue), and it's much easier to engage in spirited and relevant discussions.

Loved Tamora Pierce when I was in middle school! All the young adult fantasy books were on a shelf by my public librarian's desk, and I read every fantasy book that was available. Unfortunately, when I ran out of books in the children's section, I moved on to the adult section and... couldn't get into it. I know Robert Jordan is pretty big in the field, but... Haven't tried that genre since then... any recommendations anyone? Or is sticking to young adult fantasy a better bet? I loved Hunger Games and Harry Potter (can you believe I read all the books in one very intense week?). Loved The Hobbit and LOTR when I was a kid, too.

So, the thing about being in Education is that we can examine our own context just as much as any context (e.g., K-12 classroom, undergraduate courses). I'm at a top school in Education--the professors know what's going on. They are very supportive of doctoral students. At the same time, however, they are not going to hold our hands through the process, and my feeling is that part of the process is letting students sort it out. They already stated expectations concerning large group discussions at the beginning of the semester (and it's in written form in the syllabus). And, I provided direct and blunt feedback to them anonymously in the mid-term course survey--I'll see if they say anything about it in two weeks. I already stated that I'm not hoping to gain anything from not participating in the sense of speaking out to the larger group--this is why my colleague is frustrated with me! Several people have pointed out that's it's not helping, and I agree. However, my goal is to not help the discussion (because I see it as a useless goal at this point)--my goal is to sit back and see what unfolds. So, the way I make sense of how people are responding to my post is that several people are framing their responses in terms of how my actions are either helping or hindering the quality of large group discussions or how my actions are hurting only myself (in what ways, I'm not sure). Others chose to share their personal experiences as a way to corroborate my experiences. Still, others bring up points that they think may be relevant (such as ladyling's assertion that my interpretations of others actions' were unnecessarily harsh). None of these ways of responding are better than the others. They are what they are, and that's why I like GC--the variety of viewpoints expressed brings richness to the discussion. THIS is what is missing in my class. Also, I understand the comments about being assertive in academia--I am proactive and assertive in general, but this time I am choosing not to be.

You're right. I've noticed that some people get really red when they speak to the whole class.

Yep! At least now I can go to the bathroom whenever I need to instead of waiting for my planning period or lunch break (I used to be a secondary science teacher). And I have more than 30 minutes for lunch! And I can go out to a nice restaurant for lunch... or stroll through the university's lovely gardens... or work in my PJs from home... or have great, stimulating discussions with my advisor. It's not a bad life.

5 AM on a Sunday morning is as good a time as any to need counseling services! Time doesn't seem to matter anymore for me in grad school. Mon-Fri, 9-5 definitely doesn't describe my work schedule. I hope posting on GC helps somewhat. Sometimes, just knowing that you're not alone makes you feel better.

The funny thing is that my colleague thinks of them as brown nosers, too. Anyway, I respect her for trying to shift the conversation as you suggest. However, even when she has done that, her comment just disappears into thin air because no one responds to it in any constructive way, so I'm like, "what's the point"? Informal conversations with others have confirmed that I'm definitely not the only one who feels this way. At least I like the topic of the class--others actually dislike it (but still pretend like they do in class to please the professors). I've actually contributed every day up until the last two weeks, so I'm not fearful that the professors will think of me as someone who is disengaged or has nothing to contribute. We have other small assignments, like weekly commentaries in which I've scored really well. Anyway, grades don't matter, and we get a 4.0 unless we need help, then we get a 3.5. In terms of grades, I won't be hurt at all. But, in terms of developing critical discourse skills--I'm not hopeful that these large group discussions will help, so I'll look elsewhere in my program for that. I guess the thing is that I'm disappointed with my colleagues (and perhaps myself!). The newness of grad school is starting to wear off! People are going to be the same no matter what--as they say, everything I need to know, I learned in kindergarten (or something like that)! People putting their individual interests before the group's is nothing new. I just thought that, as a collective, we'd all be willing (and able) to engage in dialogic discourse. I agree with you all that being silent doesn't help. However, I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. Joining the discussion doesn't seem to help, either! P.S. I did mention this on my mid-term course evaluation, so I'll see in the next couple of weeks what my professors say about this issue.

So my cohort is comprised of 24 people ranging in age from 24 to about 40 with many different life and educational experiences prior to coming to graduate school. During the first semester, we were split into two smaller groups for our common seminar course. This semester, all of us are together for the second common seminar course. It's really difficult to have good doctoral level discussions with so many people. What ends up happening is that, rather than engage in dialogue, people end up talking in parallel (in terms of the issues they choose to bring up) or go off on tangents. I don't blame our professors--this is a doctoral level course, and we're responsible for contributing to the class environment (as are all students in any classroom). Also, while the professors made it clear that everyone is supposed to participate, a few people (i.e., the brown-nosers) end up talking the most. So, to protest this situation (in my own weird way), I have chosen recently not to participate in large class discussions. I'll talk in small groups, and I do the readings, etc. But, I also find it an interesting experiment to see if the same pattern repeats itself every time or if the talkers will realize that they're always the ones talking. I used to talk, too, but I'm careful about not talking too much to allow others the space to contribute. Yeah, I'm a bit annoyed. I'm in education, so I'm always thinking about how what we're talking about (e.g., power issues in the classroom) play out in our doctoral program courses. And I'm annoyed that some of my colleagues are "doing school" just like elementary school students who behave and sit still to earn gold stars while at the same time professing to be "critical" scholars who think they know what's best for underprivileged students when they've been privileged their whole lives. So what do you make of this situation? I talked about this with my one trusted colleague, and she thinks I'm not helping the situation by staying silent (she chooses to speak up at least once during the class). At the same time, I don't see that speaking up is going to help. I'm not looking to make a change. I'm just interested in how some people are so busy sucking up to the professors that they always have to say something, even if it doesn't move the discussion forward.

I think that says something about the state of our minds.

Hi elise--I'm in the exact same boat as you. I think it's okay. I don't know that more structure will help me because I tend to work in spurts. I tried to schedule time to do certain things, like read or write, but when the time came, I sometimes didn't feel like it. Inspiration hits at different times, you know? I've still managed to meet deadlines and such. So, the only weird thing that has worked for me so far... I got super addicted to this guy's YouTube channel, and he has like hundreds of videos and uploads at least one a day. So, to increase my productivity, I banned myself from watching YT, getting on FB, checking my email... and because I couldn't do those things, I had to work instead. Well, that lasted for about one week. But, man, was I productive that week! Now I'm back to my usual on-again, off-again work habits. Also, the dreary weather here sucks. Gray clouds through most of the winter. So, I finally bought a blue light therapy lamp, and it arrived yesterday. I tried it this morning. It's supposed to help keep your energy up. So far, so good. Maybe that's all I needed? Anyway, good luck! I think as long as you fulfill your course and TA/RA/job responsibilities, I don't see why it matters when you get your work done as long as it get done. At the same time, I totally understand what you mean about a routine. Unfortunately, in grad school, it's mostly up to us (and I'm not great at regulating myself)!