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Frozenroses

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Everything posted by Frozenroses

  1. I have never TA'd before, I hate presentations, I hate public speaking. Starting a PhD was therefore a natural choice I don't want to be beaten by my fears, but I know that I will be a sessional instructor starting from the second year of my PhD (I only WISH I got to TA by marking papers, taking a few seminers... but oh no, its the full works for me) not only that, I will be teaching English.. which would be fine, but my undergrad and masters were both in film and broadcasting. Bazinga. I therefore feel nervous AND ignorant. I am sure everyone gets nervous, but my jitters are all ready ramping up and its not even going to happen for a year or so - my nerves get to the point where its borderline panic attacks. Super lame. I've heard the stats about how more people fear presenting than death, I know my feelings are all 'fight or flight' instincts, but this knowledge doesn't seem to stop the wiggly leg, blushing face, wobbly voice and waves of blank brain/stupidity that keep washing over me... Any tips, advice, etc. from anyone on how to get over this would be so so appreciated!
  2. I have an MA from a UK institute (Russell group) and have been accepted into all programs applied to.... Englands education system isn't awful...
  3. ahhh boo... received my letter (Bristol, UK) and I am out of the running. Good luck to everyone put forward!
  4. Hey Shanlee I too am planning on living on campus, I am also a grad student and I have heard that you can cope without a car as most things you need are around Whyte - but I know there are some Edmontonians on this board who can give you a better brief on this info...
  5. external applicants who applied directly - I was trying to find out roughly when I may get the letter of doom from them
  6. oooh noooo Fanon - you have added to the mix! And by mix I mean mess! I e-mailed the school which I decided NOT to attend yesterday, breathed a sigh of relief, and went to bed. I woke up today to find an e-mail from them saying that they are willing to match the funding offer from the other University (I am pretty sure I heard a crack as my skull opened and my brain plopped onto the floor when I read this). Obviously funding isn't the be-all-and-end-all, but the difference between the two universities was roughly $50K so it did impact my decision to a certain extent (how could it not). I had pretty much set my sights on being within the English department rather than Cultural studies and am now trying to work out what on earth to do! Someone hand me a gun. For what I want to achieve I am in such a lucky position, I know that - but it doesn't make this any easier!
  7. oooooooohhhh! boo. From prior threads it seemed like they may have known earlier - thanks for the update
  8. heya all - perhaps when you post you can post date you received the letter, location, program/university the letter was attached to (eg. poli sci, York) - also - did you receive a score out of 30?
  9. Im not in the same program but I heard on about the 11th? from Alberta
  10. Well done for getting forwarded - thank goodness they are getting a move on - I doubt I will get forwarded as my project is hocus but it will just be good to know!! Guessing I have another two weeks before I get my little letter but oh well!
  11. I just sent a grovelling 'please sir can I have more' e-mail... I have justified a 2K increase for first year only request on the grounds of international shipping costs... I will let you know how it pans out
  12. really happy to have chosen Alberta... received some really nice emails from other students - can't wait to go!

  13. quite possibly the fastest, most indepth and helpful thread - thank you so much all!
  14. Hey Ktel - I know I am being a bit slow on the uptake here... but I don't fully get it. I understand that say, if I go to school in Alberta, I will be paying 25% tax on my TAship (10% provincial, 15% fed - or whatever). So how does it work for scholarships? Say my school has offered me 20,000 per year in scholarships, and 10K a year in TAships. Logic to me dictates that I will therefore receive 7.5K from the TAships, but then am I taxed on the scholarship fully or partly? If I hypothetically say my fees are 6K per year, what would I get to keep and what goes to the big bad wolf? (any further guidance would be really really appreciated - I am such an arts-only student sometimes... gah taxes)
  15. Another thing to be careful of at Oxbridge (although this might be right what you are after) is because alot of the profs are big names and its well, Oxbridge, there seems to be (from friends experience) a lot of Profs who are veryhands off in that you may not communicate with them much, you have to be extremely autonomous and you may deal with their assistants more than them. I am sure this is not the case for all, but from my own experience and that of friends who have been through that system, they said they found it quite difficult. With regards to teaching, from my (possibly limited) experience, it is definitely not guarenteed, you may have to fight for it, and you will not have the same level of support as you would in a US department. The level of teaching offered in North American Universities is one of the appeals for me, and why I am switching from a PhD at Bristol University to one in Canada. Obviously its horses for courses (ho ho), and maybe this is exactly what you are after - but it is worth investigating the teaching styles (which I am sure you have already). Good luck with your decisions - I am sure there isn't a wrong one
  16. well... its a leap year... maybe they will go out on the last day That means you and I (Sidov) will hear about the end of March because of the speed of the mail
  17. I wonder if eating a non refundable ticket tastes better than a life sustained by no fruit and veg... but in all seriousness, they'd probably appreciate the wasted ticket over someone pretending not to waste a ticket and then wasting their time as well.
  18. But we all remember the old one I visited Edmonton in Nov last year, and 'call me mad' but I actually thought the campus to be really nice - prior to getting to Edmonton I had also gone to visit SFU campus, York Campus, Carleton Campus, Ryerson Campus... I also have spent a large amount of time on UofT, University of Windsor (used to manage the pub there - lucky me!) and McMaster campuses.... my point with all this I guess is that unlike the first 4 campuses that I mentioned, I thought that Edmonton seemed really easy to get around, not that bad looking, bordering on pretty, and everyone was super friendly. Since decideding to go to UofA two of my friends have hooked me up with people they know there, and I have had very welcoming e-mails from them. I am therefore trusting that these are good omens and that, even though the downtown core of Edmonton might be a bit of a ghost town, I am sure I will find lots of other great pockets to hang out in (when I am not studying obviously ha) and will meet good people!
  19. waiting is driving me nuts.... has anyone who applied directly heard anything yet!? I just want to know if I'm A or B... I wish the SSHRC demigods would show a bit of mercy and put me out of my misery
  20. This post This post made me laugh because I pulled up the same member about being from Windsor and commenting about Edmonton too... I lived in Windsor for two years, and its really up there with Hamilton (sorry Hamilton folk) in terms of scenic beauty... BUT aside from it being ugly the people in Windsor are great and I would move back for the people (if I didn't have other things going on). More often than not its the people that make a city, not the city itself, and as cities go, Id say Edmonton is much prettier than Windsor...
  21. Also, cheer up--the chances of actually finishing the program and getting a PhD in any humanities field are about 50%. The chances of getting a tenure track job in English after that are even lower. You will, mathematically, mostly likely not be teaching English forever regardless. This made me laugh! Thank you and thank you for your advice
  22. Hi all, I posted this in 'Decisions' and it was adviced that I post it here as it was thought that this may be a common discussion thread for interdisciplinary students. Any advice/input, would be amazing. Here is my dilemma - this is sort of a two part question as firstly I am trying to work out the 'best fit' uni for me and secondly it would be great to hear about peoples experiences in graduating with an English PhD when you are more Cultural/film studies: I have applied for PhDs at two Universities, for two different disciplines (Cultural studies at one, English at another). The subject I studied at Masters level is Cinema studies, undergrad was Radio and Television Arts. I am from the UK, applying to Canada (have my residency). I have been lucky enough to have been accepted into both programs. Yippee you say, and so do I. The trouble is I cannot choose between them. Any advice from fellow interdiscplinarians would be amazing. Here are the details: School 1: English. Very well funding, well known (for Canada, its probably top 3 for research funding, and although not Mcgill, UofT or UBC, it comes in the next group of well established unis) large cohort (around 20-30), primarily English students but the faculty do teach film at undergrad level so there may be a chance of taking some film classes as a TA. TAship will be English 101 though and is as an instructor rather than a TA who takes labs/seminars and marks a few papers (scary for someone who has never TA'd). There are approx 3 film faculty members due to undergrad course. Supervisor there is well known for his research and I feel would therefore be excellent to work with, however he is only extremely knowledgable with regards to half my area of interest (I am studying two countries work, both in the same continent, of which he is an expert of one and, I imagine, semi-knowledgable but no expert of the other). Supervisor is also really friendly and I have developed a strong relationship with them. The courses are all undertaken in first year there, I can take two courses externally to English, which I will try to do from the sociology and anthropology department, but there are also cultural courses - in essence, if I wanted to, I could get away with only doing 1 or 2 english courses for year 1. The city that this is in, is very isolated (3 hours to the nearest one). Personally, and I am not sure why, this seems to appeal to me as I feel that I will definitely not be distracted at all while I am doing the course, and will be able to put my head down and get on with it, but it is a factor. it is also FREEZING there. This course typically seems to take 5.2 years to complete, which is important to me as I am already early 30's - I know this isn't old, but I am factoring in having kids etc into this and Id rather do that sequentially (call me old fashioned) School 2: Cultural studies right, I have not yet received funding info on this, but judging by last year posts, I think its likely to be 9K less than English - it would be a struggle, id definitely have to work in the summer, which, from experience, made me really unfocused before The university is not in the top three, its probably about number 7 in Canada's ranking but im not sure.... Small cohort (6-7), students from all backgrounds. I would be able to TA in some film classes as the department is linked to film, as well as some cultural classes and naturally the courses I take (that run over the first two years) are cultural/possibly film. TA is also running seminars, marking papers, not teaching. Less scary - but not as good experience perhaps?! Supervisor is not well known, only having completed his own PhD 3 years ago (from UCLA), he seemed friendly, but amusingly I think he is probably bias towards the opposite country than the supervisor in the English faculty and is less interested in their film (thinks its low brow probably - it is). I do not feel as connected to this supervisor, and am concerned that he is a lesser name. The city that this course is in - although closer to other cities - is less appealing to me. I am not sure if some sick part of me likes the idea of disappearing down a rabbit hole away from everyone else for 8 months of the year so that I am not distracted, but I have worries that I will be less focused in the environment this school provides. Rumour has it that this course can be completed in 5 years, but more often than not is completed in 6-7. My questions are thus - aside from choosing the best course fit for me, will having an English PhD limit me in Canada and the states in terms of employment? If my thesis, publications and conferences are all film related, won't that make a difference? Which would you choose - the well funded, reknown supervisor (in tiny niche specialization), slightly less perfect fit, or the underfunded, longer course, which although may be a better fit for the coursework, will possibly take forever to finish?. As soon as I settle my mind on one Uni, something happens that makes me like the other one!! Interdisciplinarians please help with your advice or experience of such matters. Thanks so much!
  23. The department runs an undergraduate program in Film, so I think there might be some invited speakers for Film but that is definitely a factor I have not looked into yet - as is colloquia and seminars - thank you for raising these points. Thank you all for your advice and help. I actually feel as if I am playing a mental game of ping pong between the two courses... just as I decide one is 'right', I am swayed back toward the other. I think I'm going slightly mad!
  24. wow I just stumbled on this list - curious where to start as I feel I should read it all! Just out of interest - The Pritchard book - how is that?
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