antecedent

It'll be good training for when you get into an amazing program, because while grad school is primarily about the pursuit, analysis, creation (etc.) of knowledge, it's also about getting hammered in your kitchen with your flatmates while attempting to read/write something important.

You guys this thread is amazing. Datatape and D. Malorkus, I am so happy for you guys! Not only do you deserve the good news, but you are an inspiration to those of us who got shut out the first time. I don't even have any horses in the race this year and I'm still checking this page daily! Also congrats do everyone who is getting good news. PhD apps are just being submitted over this side of the pond, so it's nice hearing some celebration over the hum of anxiety in my department

Have you guys done any philosophy of language/semantics? I don't know if it's math-y in the same way, but I've been working with it a lot this term and the formal logic is just about doing my head in. We did proofs today in my semantics class, and I thought to myself "this is some pretty math-y shit." And I still have a headache

I didn't even have any applications in this year and I'm excited for everyone! Good luck in the next few weeks

I just wrote a paper on extrametricality in English so I should know, but I already can't remember. Perhaps Kiparsky? I'd go with Kiparsky or Hayes (and probably be wrong).

I thought I'd update with what I ended up using for my Masters: - Dakine 30L backpack waterproofed with Kiwi camping waterproof silicone spray - HP folio 13 laptop with neoprene case - Paper notebooks for in-class or reading notes - Lunch - Pens (Zebra z-grip or pentel RSVP), pencils, etc, - Water bottle (currently a disposable plastic one) and plastic travel cup (from my uni) - Smartphone I need a whole other tote bag for my gym clothes and shower things, but I just bring them to school and leave them in a locker in my building and then swap my backpack for my tote to go to the gym.

Thanks fuzzylogician! That was kind of what I was thinking, but I thought I'd canvas for more opinions. I'll keep all that in mind when I'm applying in the Fall!

Hi everyone! I have a question about academic pedigree (kind of). If I got my undergrad degree in English Lit, went to a different school for my Masters in Linguistics, and then went back to my undergrad institution for Linguistics, would that be frowned upon? I know there is a stigma about doing your BA and PhD at the same institution, but I don't know if that includes switching departments. My undergrad institution is quite strong for linguistics (top five in the country, I think), and so is where I'm doing my Masters, if that matters. Any thoughts on the matter?

I've gone from being a creative cook and adventurous eater to subsisting off of the same five meals in rotation: veggie tofu curry, soup w/toast or vegetarian sausages, and cheese sandwiches with grapes and peanuts (separately, though that would make an interesting and logistically challenging sandwich), bananas and peanut butter, and anything made out of potatoes (french fries? chips? I'm your lady). At least the soup is usually vegetable based, and I'm saving not buying fancy ingredients. I've broken down to the occasional frozen pizza too. Before this semester started I wasn't eating wheat or sugar, and also training five days a week. Sigh. Apparently the only thing I care more about than race training is grad school. Healthy y/n?

Here's a potentially interesting question: what would a big red NO look like, do you think? Is it a fit thing, or a dreadful WS/SOP or a failed mark in a relevant subject? I know this is totally conjecture, but I've been wondering a lot as I go through my masters what is the kind of thing that definitively rules you out? I'd ask someone around here, but British programs are different in a couple key and kind of strange ways.

Here in Edinburgh, there is a chippy that sells curry fries and it basically has made my life. Curry sauce + french fries = GENIUS

Also, Marlowe, Fiona Thunderpaws, GuateAmFeminist, Ophelia, the girl that got into Harvard AND UT Austin, the really nice guy from Purdue, Timshel, of course TripWillis, the girl that went to Duke (and got Wagon Wheel stuck in my head forever) not to mention the many other people who got into programs I wasn't specifically monitoring. Last year was a very successful year for English Lit grad cafe folks. I've stayed out of this thread because I have nothing to add to the stats/comp lit conversation, but I have to say it irks me when someone comes in and starts slagging off all of the hard work that people here put in. Being on grad cafe can in no way tangibly increases your likelihood of getting into a (good) PhD program, but it certainly doesn't identify you as unlikely to succeed.

Since I'm pretty sure I asked this question last year, I'll answer it this year: A university offers an MSc because the honours undergraduates are given an MA if they successfully complete their honours year. To distinguish Masters level work from honours undergraduate work, they use the MSc title, even if you aren't in a science discipline. MSc degrees can be taught course degrees (like the first year of an American two year MA) or they can be done by research (these are more like an American masters dissertation). An MSc usually has a smaller dissertation (like it does at Edinburgh) but I don't know if that is normal accross the board (I don't think Oxford's MSc has a dissertation portion, for example.). An MRes is pretty much the same thing as an MSc by research. They tend to be one year programs designed to help you situate your research interests better if you don't think your ready for doctoral study but plan on pursuing a PhD. An MPhil works much like a conjoined American MA/PhD. Often you are accepted into the MPhil, and if you pass your exam at the end of one or two years, you can go on to the PhD/DPhil. As far as I can tell (and Marlowe or Wapyrys can maybe clarify this) these degrees are seen as roughly equivalent to eachother in the U.S. (where many people don't know the difference), but not in Britain (where they do). The masters degree seems pretty universally acknowledge to be the least important of the three (BA, MA, PhD), so whether you get an MSc, MRes, or MPhil probably won't matter too much if you return to the states (though I beleive MPhils are a bit more in depth, but I'm not sure if that would have an impact). That being said, if your masters degree comes from one of the ancient universities, or one of the big London schools, your degree is more likely to be well-regarded, but may still not be recognized as having the same value as an American masters. If you have any questions about the British university system, or Edinburgh in particular, feel free to PM me! I'm not in the English department (English Language is considered a 'Language Science') but I can answer other questions about studying in Edinburgh/the UK.

I read more for pleasure now than I did during my undergrad, mainly because reading some light fiction (even if it's only a few pages) really helps unwind my brain so I can fall asleep. For a while it was the only way I COULD fall asleep. As I'm in Edinburgh for the year, I've been reading Ian Rankin's Inspector Rebus novels, which are fun mystery/crime procedurals rather light on the thinking and heavy on the Scottish culture/history references. I just started reading The Name of the Rose to get me through term papers though, and I'm struggling to read something that actually engages my brain right before bed Maybe it's back to the crime fiction for me...

I'm an American, but I did my undergrad in Canada and I'm now doing my Masters in Scotland. Through trial and error I've learned that most people don't care at all but a few people care very much about spelling variation. Consequently: stick as close as possible to the conventions of the country you're applying to, as it's their sympathies you're trying to win over anyway. But yeah, as thestage said, above all: be consistant!

I don't disagree. I'd also recommend applying to both. I wish I had applied to more things during my application year. I'm happy where I ended up, but more options would have been even better. (If you speak any Spanish you could also look into being an English teacher in Spain for a year - it's paid and I've heard it's a great opportunity to learn Spanish, gain teaching experience, and experience small-town Spanish life http://www.educacion.gob.es/exterior/ca/es/menu_fijo/programas/auxi_canada.shtml ).

I'm hoping to have the finances to apply to 11 PhD programs next fall. For myself, I feel that 10 +/- 2 is a sane amount. Any fewer than 8 is a bit risky, but with any more than 12 you risk spreading yourself a bit thin/applying to programs that aren't right for you but are amazing/having to sell the family farm to afford grad apps. [ETA]: I think it ultimately comes down to how many strong, well-tailored applications can you produce in one cycle. Of course there will be some over lap, but considering you should probably be tailoring your SOP to each school, potentially tailoring your writing sample if one or more program has a very specific requirement, plus all the work involved in the GRE, chasing down LORs, transcripts etc., there may be a limit on the amount of competitive applications one can produce in a season. Sorry, now I'm just thinking aloud. YMMV, for sure.

*swoon* Edinburgh is very friendly and collaborative, but only if you're want to join the British system. I'll be back in the US for round two.

YES. Thank you.

Aaaah! sorry for the double post. But what wreckofthehope said.

It's because you're getting your facts wrong. The exchange rate is about 1.6 at the moment, and even Oxbridge/any of the other ancient universities don't charge much more than 15,000 BPS a year, which still comes out to under 30k a year. Last I checked, it was hard to go to school out of state in the US for less than 30k a year. So, yes it is expensive, but not any more expensive than getting an unfunded masters degree anywhere else in the world. And yeah, it's pretty fucking beautiful here. [edited to add]: Also, Marlowe is very smart, very hard working, and very lucky, just like everyone else in academia. That's how he swung it.

It's because you're getting your facts wrong. The exchange rate is about 1.6 at the moment, and even Oxbridge/any of the other ancient universities don't charge much more than 15,000 BPS a year, which still comes out to under 30k a year. Last I checked, it was hard to go to school out of state in the US for less than 30k a year. So, yes it is expensive, but not any more expensive than getting an unfunded masters degree anywhere else in the world. And yeah, it's pretty fucking beautiful here.

Right?! Of the MAs I was accepted into, Edinburgh ended up being the least outrageous once I included living fees, length of program, etc. And I was accepted both in state and out of state for American schools!