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surefire

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Everything posted by surefire

  1. Hi all, I would love some advice, if people are feeling willing and able! I'm presenting at a national conference in two weeks and am trying to put together a conference presentation based on a 30-page paper that I wrote a few months ago. There are quite a few first-time presenters attending this conference, so my department has actually organized a "mock" panel to allow for an opportunity for us to present what we've got to them and to get some feedback. It's really a very nice idea, but it's set for this Thursday and it's stressing me out! I feel more nervous about the prospect of presenting to my own faculty/colleagues than at the actual conference, which is an apprehension that I didn't anticipate... I sat down today to write the presentation, but I'm having a hard go of it. The paper is really heavy on the theory, and accordingly, much of the interpretation was painstakingly crafted and stated JUST SO. I found it difficult to re-invision and re-write from scratch, so I sort of ended up just whittling down the 30 pages to 20. I'm probably going to remove one thread of the argument entirely to get it down to a crisper, more focused 15 pages. Also, I'll probably throw together a Prezi to hopefully highlight and give coherency to some of the main parts. But, I'm concerned that I didn't write a "new" paper for the presentation based on the term paper so much as I just, converted it, I guess. Is this copaestetic? What are other people's experiences? I will have some time to amend the presentation for the actual conference, but as I said, I'm seized by some doubt concerning my "mock" presentation this Thursday: Am I going to look like a jerk? Any advice or anecdotes are appreciated! Thank you!
  2. I did my undergrad at Trent (sociology/English lit.)! I always like to give shout-outs to Trent applicants because the school is tiny and sometimes overlooked and I had an AMAZING experience there! Feel free to PM me if I can answer any questions! Good luck!
  3. I applied only to two schools, and did apps for 2 programs within each (for a total of four applications). I'm also in Canada, and I understand that, depending on the discipline, it can be more common in the States to do many more apps. In any case, my experience doing the apps was positive and, for me, made sense. My background is sociology, but my specialization falls in the realm of crim. and socio-legal studies. So, I applied to soci and crim departments within two schools. I had a positive experience generally: - I did four separate apps. Which means four app fees and four tailored letters/statements ect; - Despite some of the advice above, which advises you to keep multiple apps on the down-low, I can say that I was actually fairly open about my intentions. Specifically, with prospective POIs (I didn't advertise in the actual apps or anything). I found it fruitful to speak with profs about straddling a few departments, it helped me to articulate what I would benefit from, and contribute to, in respective departments. - Many of the profs I was interested in were cross-appointed. In speaking with them, I found out a few things that influenced my statements and decisions that I would not have known otherwise. For example, I found out that, while you can work with cross-appointed profs, some will only supervise you if you are in X department. So, while a few agreed to prospectively supervise me, I couldn't claim a uniform supervisor for all my apps. - I feel as though, in the interest of being very diplomatic within these departments that work/speak with each other, I had to be very attentive to how I conducted my decision-making. For example, I had an offer from one of the departments within a school, but was waiting on the other. While you can sometimes "play" offers off of each other or leverage for more time if you're waiting on offers, I felt limited in this regard. I ended up accepting the first offer and sending a very polite e-mail to withdraw my app from the other. I was lucky in that, the offer I accepted was my first choice anyway, but you could imagine that that is sticky. - Now, I am not only working well with cross-appointed profs, but I'm taking a course affiliated with the other department and am frequently hanging out with other department's students and attending their wine and cheese seminars - so I get my fix from the other discipline! But, I feel very secure in the decision that I made. I would recommend talking to a current supervisor, or prof that you work well with, to identify any possible inter-departmental political minefields, and to see whom you might speak with. If you get the impression that speaking with profs openly about your dual app just isn't worth it, you can touch base with current students in the respective departments. It's possible that they were confronted with having to make a similar decision, and the discussions that you have with them are more likely to not reach the ears of addcomms that might deem you wishy-washy, if that is in fact a legit concern where you're applying. Good luck!
  4. Congrats on your current acceptances! I'm in the Soc dept. at U of T (PhD). It's awesome! If you get in and have questions, feel free to PM me! Congrats on your admission accomplishments thus far! The Crim Centre at U of T is very tiny and competitive! It is, as well, a lovely and productive department. I got in everywhere, except there, last year. I had confirmed an acceptance in March, e-mailed the Centre to let them know, and got a rejection letter about 2 months later (early May). You should absolutely retain hope, but just be aware that their notification time-frame could be maddening, if you're relying on a response from them before you make a decision! Best of luck!
  5. That book sounds outstanding! What a cool idea! I sent all writers a handwritten note and a coffee mug from the institution that I elected to attend (except for my above-and-beyond writer, who I know a bit better, she got a pint glass!). These were all well-received. As well, most of them were sent via mail without too much trouble! You could also raid the Piled Higher and Deeper store: http://www.phdcomics.com/store/mojostore.php
  6. Congrats on the interview! I would largely echo what was said above. I contacted some current grad students and had generally warm and helpful responses! I touched base while mulling over offers, rather than at the interview stage, but I think that correspondence at this stage could still be valuable. There are a few routes you could go. You could as a grad coordinator for the name of someone who is happy to correspond with you; this has the benefit of usually speaking to someone who is enthusiastic and has willingly made themselves available. I spoke to one such person whom I was referred to! I also exchanged e-mail with two students who were in my area and being supervised by the faculty member that i had in mind. I was able to get their info from the department website, which listed students' supervisors. As with PhDreams, I got great feedback concerning the availability and "supervisory style" of the faculty member, which helped me to make an informed decision. It could certainly help YOU articulate fit; I imagine that if you say, "I'm interested in working with so and so" and also that "I work well with a lot of autonomy" and the interviewer knows that the faculty member mentioned is appropriate/available for your interests AND generally allows for a lot of independence with her students, then your "fit" with the program will be all the more apparent. Be sure to be concise and polite. Mention why you contacted THEM (either you were referred by someone or you see that they are in your area/with your supervisor ect;). That helps mitigate the "cold call" ickiness and will show that you directed your inquiry thoughtfully. And offer them an "out", especially if you were not referred to them. Acknowledging that you know that they are busy will help you to maybe get a response, even if it's just, "I'm not really available to address this, try (Other student)". At this stage, a general question like, "What do you wish someone had said to you before your interview?" might garner some interesting insight. I find that, even now, when I ask more senior students for advice on picking courses or comprehensive exams or something, they always start with. "Well, I wish that someone had told me-" or "If I could go back, i would have done this the same but that differently". Good luck!
  7. I'm at U of T. I would make the additional comment that your research proposal should include attention to an appropriate faculty member (bonus points if you can say that you've touched base and the POI is amicable to your research) and, possibly, departmental resources that would contribute to your work. Be clear about these connections, it should make sense. I wrote in my proposal that a faculty member's stated specialization in (specific area within discipline) and recent publications on (specific topic) made them a suitable fit for my own research and aims in (something specific and parallel). As well, I mentioned that (specific research institution affiliated with university) would prove an apt resource for my area of scholarship. The research that you propose should answer the question of whether or not you have the chops for the field. The attention to "fit" in the proposal should answer the question of "Why THIS school/department?". Adcomms want to be excited about your app, and they get excited when they can PICTURE you there, growing as a scholar and contributing to the department; make this visualization easier for them by identifying the components of the department from which you can draw support and engagement for YOUR research. Good luck!
  8. For my writers, I did a handwritten note and a coffee mug from the institution that I elected to attend. I actually had to mail one to one of the writers and it got there safe and sound with some careful packing! Good on you for making the gesture; it's the type of thing people appreciate and remember!
  9. http://whatshouldwecallgradschool.tumblr.com/post/31401068401/when-younger-students-start-bitching-about-qual
  10. I agree with fuzzy. A point that you may hear frequently concerning applications is that you need to go where your interests will be served and your research will be able to thrive. Having departmental support will be key. If you've got a VIABLE person in mind and you've already touched base to affirm interest alignment (or, at least, viability), that shows the committee that you recognize that importance and can take steps to plan accordingly. Having been on an adcomm, I can tell you that unconfirmed/inept assertions regarding supervisors can induce groans. If someone says that they want to work with Prof. X, and Prof. X is retired (or something else that can be ascertained by looking at the faculty page or sending a single advance e-mail), then that's not good! Alternatively, if you say you want to work with Prof. Y, and the adcomm people know that Prof. Y is taking students or is a good choice given your interests, then that's good. The one caveat that I would add, then, is to not overstate or misconstrue the correspondence. If you just touched base to confirm viability, then that's fine, say that. DON'T say, "Prof. Y has agreed to supervise me" if THEY ACTUALLY HAVE AGREED TO NO SUCH THING. It seems obvious, but I say this because, as is evident by the fact that you've put this query out there, it can feel insufficient to spend precious SOP space just to say "we're in touch". But it is worth it, as fuzzy said, at least for purposes of arguing a match of interests and helping the adcomm to "see" you in the department.
  11. I'm not in engineering, so I don't have any discipline-specific tips. However, I can say that, depending on what school you go to, there are probably resources for grad development and performance. Everyone is so over-whelmed with their first semester that they kind of have blinders on, but take some time to research what your school offers. My school has resources that provide workshops/one-on-one sessions for grad-level research, editing/test-taking skills and grant proposal writing as well as English as a Second Language-specific stuff (not to make any assumptions, but if English isn't your first language, this could be something that skews your performance and its VERY LIKELY that your university has something specifically tailored to help, whether it's through academic skills or the international students office). Seriously, you PAY for the provision of these resources in your tuition, so find out what's there and use it!
  12. It bums me out to do so, but I'd advise against this. I can see you rationalizing the choice given the prestige of the person you have in mind and the overlap with the field that you are hoping to break into, and I can appreciate the appeal of praise from a well-established person willing to speak to your personal qualities (like dedications and passion which, make no mistake, are requisite elements for grad school success). However, this is not your ideal letter writer. The work that you have done for him (though, like I said, could showcase strong personal characteristics) does not give evidence of your potential as a researcher and academic. I think that this prospective letter writer could write something compelling, but a lot of space would be taken up explaining why what he has to say might be relevant and there's little reassurance that a committee would even know what to do with that info. It would be a long walk in the letter from "she was our nanny" to "strong personal characteristics" to " good grad school material", especially when you consider that an academic reference would be more direct: "She turned out good research for me, I believe she has the capacity to turn out good research in grad school". My undergrad uni, and my department, were quite small, so I feel you on the complications that come with that. However, the small uni thing can work in your favour. When i approached profs for letters, I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of support I found at my disposal. Because the department was small, I had several profs more than once and they had marked my essays themselves, so they actually knew me in a variety of roles and had watched me develop via direct contact with my academic work. I think that you could find someone like that in your uni. Profs know that students need stuff like this; if you don't think a prof will know you right off the bat, remind them of the class(es) that you had with them and offer to send them an essay that you wrote for them. This combined with an in-person discussion about what you want to study, where you want to go and your career goals will give them plenty of ammunition to write you a good letter. And if they don't think that they can write you a good letter, they'll let you know and you can move on to someone else. Honestly, I think that if you are super close with this doctor and his family, he might have a hard time giving you the same professional courtesy because, in addition to really wanting to see you do well and helping with that if he can, he might not KNOW what constitutes a good letter for committees. This is all my opinion obviously, and I recognize that this is a tough decision. I would say cultivate those academic referees, you're probably going to need to keep them on deck and call on them for grant proposals and the like as well, so even though it's awkward at first, establishing these relationships would be the best thing for you! Good luck!
  13. I second ktel's advice. If it would make you feel better, you can qualify by saying something like, in July you just "reached out" or "touched base" or made "preliminary contact" but recognize that e-mails in the summer months can get sucked into the void (which is true). That might help mitigate the "I contacted you regarding x, like, a long time ago and you never got back to me" weirdness. If you conduct yourself like this, it gives the profs an out (because, even though the "summer void" is true, most people still feel bad when reminded that we missed a correspondence), plus, you get to highlight your organization and forethought. I'm in my first year of my PhD and I ask etiquette questions of senior students FREQUENTLY; there's nothing wrong with wanting to optimize your approach. I'm learning SO MANY THINGS the hard way in this new endeavour, I don't think it's ill-conceived to not want to learn all lessons through trial and error!
  14. I did the two grad unit thing for 2 different schools (that is, 4 applications total, 2 to a school). I had favourable results, but I'm in a pretty different discipline, so I'd definitely inquire with some peers. I would suggest not only changing the specific details, but be sure to speak to the resources that are unique to each unit that you would look forward to utilizing. My MAJOR concern for you is the reliance on ONE supervisor who conducts research in both. You need to touch base with that person, because even if they're cross-appointed, they may only be willing/able to supervise you in one unit and not the other. My supervisor is cross-appointed, and I was excited to apply to both departments that she was involved in. When I spoke with her, she said that she was willing to supervise me in x department, but not in y. There wasn't really any way to discern this without talking to her, sometimes there are just loyalties and funding and alliances and politics that fetter someone's capacity to commit. On paper, she was involved and funded by department y and eligible to supervise, but in reality, she just wasn't going to do so and, even though this was common knowledge amongst departmental faculties, a prospective applicant wouldn't know without talking to her. This had a huge impact on the department that I chose and, man, if I had sent in two near identical apps with her name on both of them, I might have come off an a someone who hadn't cared enough to do her homework. Just saying. I had a really honest approach with everyone that I spoke with. Units that work closely together/share faculty TALK to each other, so I let everyone know what my intentions were regarding applications to different unit/same school. You might be surprised how encouraging and open everyone is; you need to go the unit that will best serve your research, and good conversations with good faculty will be able to talk openly about that type of stuff, that is, "your research sounds interesting but I think you'd have a better chance of getting what you need in unit x". Good luck!
  15. I sent e-mails. I think that that's appropriate. Just a little: Thanks... I recognize that there are a lot of demands on your time and I appreciate... I particularly enjoyed our discussion of X and I think that it will greatly assist me in making an informed decision concerning Y... If there's anything I can clarify... Once again, thank you and I will keep you abreast of any outcomes! I think that that covers the general bases! Congrats on the tete a tete! I hope that good things come of it!
  16. Woot! Hi fellow applicants! This will be my third time running the SSHRC/OGS gauntlet! I'm currently shopping a SSHRC draft in a university-specific proposal workshop; then, I've got appointments for departmental peer review and a one-on-one with the writing center. Plus, I'm anticipating that there will be edits after my letter writers get a hold of them! While the monies and esteem are nice to think about, at this stage, I'd just REALLY like to not have to do this next year! Would anyone like to trade in OGS gossip? I've got no deadline from my SGS yet, but I heard an unsettling rumour that the new process will involve submitting the OGS app directly to the school at which you would like to hold the award. Not such a big deal for me, as I'm a year 1 PhD who knows where she'll be next year, but what about the MA students who aren't sure where they want to go and are several months away from being accepted anywhere?...
  17. I applied to a total of four programs; two in one school and two in another. This made sense as my interests kind of straddle a few disciplines. I did this primarily to get the best odds of fit, not the best odds of acceptance. The main thing is to make sure that your not stepping on any POI toes. If you have someone in mind that is maybe cross-appointed, you need to check with them to see in what program they are willing to support your application/research. It is possible that you could be affiliated with that person in some way regardless, but they may only be willing to supervise if you are in program x, as opposed to y. As such, they might be peeved if you cite them as a prospect in BOTH apps (this, as well, might be the kind of faux pas that would suggest that you're not really sure what you're doing/what your interests are). Just my experience.
  18. You should contact the Centre for International Experience at U of T: http://cie.utoronto.ca/ Most people miss it because, let's be honest, it sounds like a structure that sends domestic students AWAY for a bit, but it actually has great resources for incoming or prospective international students! As ktel mentioned, there is convenient variance. I would recommend trying to get the skinny on your specific department. The issue is not only base guaranteed funding, it's also the general APPROACH and atmosphere of student funding, and this varies by department. For example, a department might have unappealing base funding, but is amicable to "haggling" or providing other opportunities to supplement. It depends! I'm sorry that there isn't a clearer response but, if your friend is on her way to grad school, she must have a knack for research, which she can employ here to suss out the options!
  19. Ugh! I sympathize! I quit last November with the hopes that, when I started the PhD this fall, I would've developed some supplementary stress-busters. My biggest fear is that I will be at a loss when it comes to an essay reward system (500 words? Smoke break!) I had good luck with the patch! I found it easier to steer my thoughts away from having a smoke because you're REALLY not supposed to have one if you're wearing a patch! I also chewed a lot of gum (not the nicotine stuff, just the regular kind to get the oral fixation under control) When I had a craving I couldn't shake, I'd go to the gym near my house. The work-out endorphins proved a good substitute and hey, I definitely couldn't smoke when my hands/body were that occupied (a few rounds in the pool or the boxing ring were particularly apt for this strategy). I also picked a few days where I would be really busy but also out of my element and away from my regular smoking spots (a conference, actually) and made those my first cigarette free days. I found that the first three days are the worst, mentally, so cut yourself some slack and try to pick those days strategically. It's sort of like a break-up: for the first few days, it's all you can think about, then you find that you can go whole hours without thinking about it until you realize that you've gone a whole day without thinking about it - and that will be a good day (I mean, you've quit before, so you know this already, but it's good to be reminded that it gets easier!) I've had friends who had success with welbutrin and those little white inhaler-things as well. If you've got an accessible health center, you should use it to draft some strategies with someone! I didn't really tell anyone that I care about that I was quitting (I didn't want to be asked how it was going, in case I messed up), so it was helpful for me to hash it out with someone, this might help you as well! Best of luck and don't forget to give yourself credit for this tough decision!
  20. I'm hesitant to offer a reply, but as you are soliciting "any insights/comments", I'll have a go. There are a couple of issues with your question, and these appear to mostly stem from the fact that you are not couching your inquires in a nuanced appreciation of the application process/post-PhD routes/quality of life. This is exacerbated by your insistence on knowing which is "best", which, frankly, I find misguided and antagonistic. Why are you pre-occupied with the reputation/rank of schools comparative to the US? Rank does not equate to best experience/opportunities; it is better to go where your research interests will be supported, challenged, and permitted to thrive, and this has to do with "fit", not rank. I feel as though you might get skewed responses, as the prioritization of "rank" is not as dominanat in Canada as it is in the US; but this should not be construed as an inferiority (again, a bit of an antagonistic word choice). That being said, you can garner insight from the Times Higher Education Top University Rankings. But, again, these are nuanced, it's not just a matter of what's better. Here's a regional list, with a focus on North America: http://www.timeshigh...th-america.html Here's a social sciences discipline-specific list: http://www.timeshigh...l-sciences.html Here's one that focuses on reputation: http://www.timeshigh...n-rankings.html You see what I mean? You don't want name brand just because it's name brand. You need to balance considerations of a school's overall reputation with it's capacity to support you in your specific disipline and is suited for the career that you want to end up in. If your value of reputation has to do with having ample name recognition and international opportunities post-PhD, then it is possible to find out this kind of information by looking at PLACEMENT statistics, instead of admissions ones. You can find out this info from departmental websites that usually pre-offer details regarding where alumni end up. As to whether it is difficult to get in... UBC, U of T and McGill are known as top schols within Canada (if you must see this by the numbers, a popular reference is the Maclean's Rankings, though there are assessments are not universally accepted or endorsed): http://oncampus.macl...ity-rankings-2/) That being said, I guess it depends on what you mean by "difficult". I mean, many programs don't require a GRE score, which may or may not be a bonus for you. BUT, many programs also require that you have an MA first before you gain entrance to the PhD; again, this may or may not be a big deal for you. For other admission requirement insights (acknowledging, of course, that attaining the minimal requirements is no guarantee of aceptance AND falling short does not mean an automatic rejection if you can display other elements that compensate), you need to look at each institution on its on merits. Let's take U of T's Poli-Sci Department, for example: Admission requirements for MA/PhD studies are outlined here: http://politics.utor...n-requirements/ To check where your internationally-granted credentials fit, you can look here: http://portal.sgs.ut...intdegequiv.asp However, you have to consider, with all of this, that the departmental cohorts consist of only 20-30% international students (this is clearly outlined on the department's grad studies home page, along with a brief allusion to placement, as I emphasized above): http://politics.utoronto.ca/graduate/ NOW, consider that one of the reasons that the cohorts are constituted as they are is because of U of T funding arrangements, which are amplified for international students given higher costs: http://www.artsci.ut...raduate/funding So you see, there is a need to be more nuanced in your assessment. I've heard that entrance into Canadian programs is hyper-competitive for international students, because spots in the program are often funded... IMO, a non-funded program is simply a deal-breaker (indicating both quality of experience in program as well as quality of life), but you might feel differently, again, NUANCED. This also goes for whether or not you deem a city to be "livable". You should look at each city, as I encourage you to look at each institution, on its own merits with a mind for what you want to get out of your own lived experience. You simply can't say "Is the US more liveable than Canada?"; you understand that both of these countries are massive right?! There is incredible variance within the nations, to say nothing of comparing the two. And, it all hinges on what you value. For example, speaking within Canada, U of T and UBC are located in Toronto, Ontario and Vancouver, British Columbia, respectively. These are opposite sides of the country (!), though they usually share the dubious honour of being the most expensive cities in Canada. However, compared to the US, LOTS of places in Canada have a higher cost of living (our taxes, food, booze, gas and electronics are, often, a good deal more expensive); but, you know, free-ish health care! What does "liveable" mean to you? It's largely subjective. I was talking to someone coming to Toronto from Istanbul and she was worried that she's be bored because, comparatively, Toronto is so much smaller! I love Toronto and find ample opportunities to entertain myself, but it is still a good deal smaller than, say, New York. What kind of climate do you thrive in? It does get kind of cold in many parts of the country (though, again, I totally wilt in the heat and welcome the cold!) Can you speak French? You mention McGill University (and, truely, one can live at this uni and in the city as an Anglophone), but the whole province's dominant first language is French and some would value this structure and have more opportunities therein than others! You haven't given any detail on what you value or what your thresholds are, so I can't recommend one city over another, OR one country over another. You need to articulate what you want out of these experiences (both institutionally/departmentally, and in terms of living conditions and quality of life); and THEN you need to assess each place on its own merits. And, if you're coming to Canada, you need to be more polite about it I do hope that some of that is helpful and that it doesn't lend itself to defensiveness! I have many colleagues in both the US and Canada, and the happy ones are the ones that are getting what they need from their institutions, departments and supervisors, and this is regardless of region, it just depends on what you value, what you need, and where you can contribute (or, "fit"). Best of luck!
  21. Hi there! I'm in a different discipline and had my sights set on different schools, but I did do the "time off for NGO" thing, which I leveraged during my app season to get in to a top program/institution in Canada. First, I think your inquiry might be better served in the Professional Programs forum, specifically, I think, in Governmental Affairs... just a thought, you might want to do some reading there to inform your expectations. As well, I think that the utility of the experience depends on what your doing and what your goal programs are receptive to. In the two years that I've been doing work for NGOs, I worked on only two projects that, specifically, generated interest with prospective supervisors with regards to the content/scope of the projects. Mostly, however, I used my NGO experience very generally as pragmatic experience in the social justice realm; some program people just enjoyed hearing about the fact that I was PAID to conduct research in a sector that, by design, must be very tight and scrupulous with their money, which I guess spoke to the bank-able-ness of my research potential. As well, I would be concerned about your plan if you don't already have something lined up that's a sure thing. It can take quite a bit of time to "break into" the NGO realm, especially if you don't have a degree in hand! After 2 months of looking, I secured a 4-month, part-time, UNPAID internship with an NGO. It was only after proving my gumption there that I secured something with a prominent international NGO; and even THEN, I've been working on no-benefit 3 to 6 month contract arrangements (which, I hear, is largely the norm these days). Consider, as well, that I had an honours BA and an MA in hand when I started looking... This is just my experience, and I don't want to give the impression that I didn't enjoy my time working with NGOs but, man, it's tough out here! I was only able to make the job hunt/internship thing work because I was juggling a handful of other contracts related to my degrees. I wonder about the wisdom of taking time in the middle of your program to get this experience... Could you not volunteer with an organization during the school year, and then hit them up for structured 3-month positions in your remaining summers? (I'm being presumtuous and imposing a Western-style college scheduling, sorry if this is not apt). Anyway, I would suggest hunting on the Professional Programs/Government Affairs forum, it might give you some discipline -specific ideas! I would definitely suggest more research on your part before taking a leave from school! Those gaps can be very tough to come back from!
  22. I ended up double-majoring, but I started my undergrad as a single-major in English Lit. I didn't take Sociology 100 until my second year (and it was the ONLY Soci course that I took that year). My third and fourth years were totally crunched as I squished together all of the requisites along with interest courses (like you, I didn't shy away from avanced theory courses or research seminars, you are right to pursue these challenges, they will speak to your research potential). I'd take a cue from jacib and reflect on what your Modern Languages/Spanish emphasis brings to a unique sociological scope. Jacib's examples re: other majors are great, let me add: to make sense of my English Lit. component, I cultivated strengths and experience in critical discourse analysis, which I applied to my sociological inquiries. It's all about making sense of your narrative. In this sense, you could wait to be finished the three courses to have the benefit of time and reflection, but I also think that you could (as cogcul mentions) have some in-depth discussions with profs and put together a case for yourself now. To address your concern re: your other focus being treated as lesser by "pure" sociology programs, I would suggest looking into faculty publications and interests to get a grip on what the departmental culture at different schools looks like. This will give you an idea about how receptive they may be to your experience (this would be, of course, in addition to the research that you're doing regarding finding some supervisory "fit"). U of T, for example, is known for some quanitative slants. York is a very large program with incredibly diverse faculty interests that are largely cross-appointed to a multitude of different departments (in my experience, they also tend to be quite "holistic" in their application process and supportive of non-traditional or alternative paths to academia). I'd also recommend touching base with/looking up posts of the GC member DustSNK. This individual is an American applicant who applied to a bunch of Canadian Soci MA programs and, I believe, ultimately and happily chose Brock. They could give you some insight on the competitiveness for international programs! Suerte!
  23. U of A Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering/School of Mining and Petroleum Engineering state on their FAQ section (here: http://www.civil.eng...duate/FAQs.aspx) : Do you require the GRE Test? No, we do not require this test, and it will not be used to assess your application.
  24. I did a TA-ship my first semester as an MA student in a second year undergrad class that I had never taken myself. I also was keen on a challenge, though this shouldn't be your prime reason for taking the assignment (also, you shouldn't take the post just because you're concerned about disappointing if you turn it down. As a fledgling grad student, you should be eager to cultivate a thorough understanding of your capacity and limits. There's a reason why people say that grad school is a marathon, not a sprint. Supervisors will respect your self-awareness if you know when to say "no"; just a thought... say yes because of your interest, not because you've got something to prove) I had a great experience. I had a couple of things working in my favour: the prof. was awesome and supportive of my choices and there were 3 other TAs in the class, so I could check up with peers if I was having trouble or doubting myself. As well, I had a pretty open attitude with students, which I think helped ("we're going to learn from each other... yaddayadda"). I held seminars that consisted of discussion, more than me just lecturing. It was nerve-wracking at first (and I never went so far as to admit to students that I hadn't taken the course before), but as long as you are well-supported and stay ahead of the material, it should be a good experience and, as you say, a great opportunity! A lot of students can hold unrealistic ideas about the knowledge/availability of their TAs (I spoke with student who had no clue, say, that I also had my own classes/papers to attend to); so I opened every semester with a discussion about expectations, to make sure that we were all aligned (if, for example, most students appeared to expect to get straight As or if they balked when i told them how long the typical weekly readings would be, then that indicated that one of us might have to compromise a bit). If you're looking to glean a lot of learnings from your TA experience (which is especially pertinent if, like me, you're thinking of being a prof. someday) then you'll get a lot of bang for your buck by tackling a challenge like this! Good luck!
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