Lola Wants

I'm currently reading, At the Dark End of the Street: Black Women, Rape and Resistance--a New History of the Civil Rights Movement from Rosa Parks to the Rise of Black Power, by Danielle L. McGuire. I know that is quite a long title but I have no control over that. I am enjoying it and it gives a new perspective about Black women in the Civil Rights Movement that is rarely discussed..

I am currently in a Master's program and at the beginning of the program I discussed my topical interests with my advisor. My interests happened to be subjects that my advisor received their Ph.D. in and I expressed that I wanted to get a Ph.D. in this same topic. My advisor told me that I would be introduced to scholars in this field (this hasn't occurred yet) and given guidance on my journey of applying for the Ph.D. This person is on sabbatical for the school year and we have not spoken until recently. However, we scheduled a meeting to catch up on our respective endeavors. I am anxious and nervous about revealing that my subject interests have changed and I no longer want to do graduate work on the topic we initially discussed. I'm wondering how I can convey my change in interests without looking like a flip flop or offending my advisor. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

So, he had an old name and got rid of that because of stupidity and now he continues the same stupidity under a new name. Gotcha. Comically stupid isn't the word to describe it but I'll keep that to myself.

Have you not realized that you're the only ignorant person on this forum using the word nigga to refer to other people?

I found an overly critical article of the Grad Cafe and its participants. I thought it was interesting and amusing. http://www.slate.com/articles/life/culturebox/2012/04/grad_school_admissions_grad_cafe_exposes_gen_y_s_job_search_angst_.single.html

What topics are you interested in within the realm of Library Science because that figures into where you decide to apply. Are you interested in archives, youth literature, information systems etc.?

I have discussed this topic before with a professor who was close to me and it was relayed to me that it was unprofessional for TA's and students to fraternize on a certain level. This professor was speaking from personal experiences as a graduate student and as an academic. I was also told that while there is nothing legally wrong with this practice, since the undergraduate and TA are both consenting adults in the relationship, it was frowned upon by colleagues, and stirs up gossip amongst other graduate students (ammunition that could be used against you). This person discussed how professors would question your professional ethical character with the mindset that if you're a TA and dating a student what would prevent you from dating a student when you become a professor (and we all know that's an even larger no no in the academic community). Of course there are exceptions to this rule, however, the moment you decide to date a student you do not know if you will be treated as the exception. The question you should ask yourself is, are you willing to risk losing the respect of your future colleagues and your peers by dating a student?

One of the best books I have read about the implementation of "pure" free market policies in countries outside of the U.S. is called the The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein. A substantial portion of the book focuses on these policies in different South American countries and how Milton Friedman was responsible for influencing the leaders who conformed to these free market standards. The book also describes the role that the Ford Foundation and institutions such as the University of Chicago played in training Latin American students who would eventually enact these strategies under some of the most brutal authoritative rulers in their home countries because without force they were not accepted by the general populace. Klein contends that these free market policies were pushed through only because of the "shock" citizens experienced during events of social upheaval. The book also gives snippets into free markets in Asian countries and other parts of the world as well. Be aware that Klein's book, while supplying a litany of sources, heavily focuses on the damaging effects of the implementation of these policies on citizenry, their economies and how it eroded democratic practices. In other words, be aware of the bias although it is thoroughly supported with sources. Finally, Klein is not considered an "academic" so I don't know if that will influence whether you use it or not.

What errors? Thanks for warning me about the errors too. Thanks. That's exactly what I'm looking for, learning methods that are staples within the academic community. Translating science related passages might be a horror though, no offense to the grad students in the hard sciences.

I hope you're being facetious about this arbitrary scale.

I didn't know you had to be a doctoral student to give advice to another doctoral student. I didn't know my status as a master's student rendered my advice null and void to a doctoral student. I'm so sorry let me step back into my place.

Thanks. I will be getting that book. Thank you. I will check out those websites. You all were very helpful.

Thanks for the advice Oceansize. I wanted to stay away from studying in a foreign country since I cannot afford it at this time. Why was Rosetta Stone horrible for you?

I would like to re-acquaint myself with French (I took a year and a half as an undergraduate and forgot most of it). It's strange that I have retained the syllabic pronunciation of French words although I've forgotten much of the vocabulary. I wanted to know if anyone has suggestions on the best French software programs or books that can help improve reading proficiency. I want to be able to demonstrate competency in French when I apply for a Ph.D. Also, if you would like to add other linguistic methods that worked for you outside of software programs or books I would love to hear that as well.

I definitely understand the self-doubt and the bad thing about it is that it never ceases! I lead a discussion in class this semester and it was horrible. I literally cried afterwards because I felt I had done so terrible. Another professor assured me that my academic career was not over and that I should take steps to do better next time. It was made clear to me that being able to accurately assess my work was a good quality and that I was fortunate enough to have it. Critiquing yourself is normal and it should be done because it is through this self-analysis that you improve. Your advisor will not always be able to tell you what you did wrong so it is good to be able to recognize what you are doing wrong or right. You seem like you are on track in terms of your grades and the completion of all the steps for candidacy so I would not linger too long on this self-doubt. Good luck to you though!

I would definitely not walk away from this one either unless you like getting f****d. If there was a contractual agreement then it should be legally upheld. I would talk to the professor first before going to the chair. I don't think it is a good idea to switch programs but I would definitely not continue with this person as my advisor if he decides not to acknowledge you on the work. Your career chances will be affected if you keep him as your advisor! Since he has stolen from you then there should be no objection to you finding a new advisor. Stealing or giving yourself credit for work you did not do is a serious situation and should not be forgotten just because the person is a professor and you are a graduate student.

Wow!!! First, let's get rid of the I'm defeated before I've even started attitude because that will not help you structure any pertinent thoughts regarding your personal statement. Everyone enters graduate school with varying levels of experience and expertise and the only thing that ties you all together is the requirements everyone needed to apply and get accepted in the first place. First of all, I would like to know what you consider as a "small achievement" because it might likely be a very important one even if you do not recognize it as relevant. If your achievements are "huge" to you then turn that into a positive point in your statement and make sure the readers of your statement realize how important it is. If this small achievement is related to the skills of the program you are applying to then it is best to tie that into your personal statement as well. Secondly, if you have a series of "small achievements" then they can certainly add up if you frame them in a positive manner that relates to your growth and will help you contribute to the field you are applying to. I'm sorry to say this but if you have such a negative view of yourself in writing the personal statement how will you handle the rigors of competition and attaining success when you get admitted into an Ivy League program because they will be present.

I would definitely suggest that you use professional terminology if no other language is available to describe the concept you are talking about. However, I would use it minimally and I do mean sparingly since the readers of your essay will consist of members of the graduate admissions committee (who are most likely not familiar with terminology in your field) and members of the department to which you are applying. One of the main purposes of the statement is to provide clarity to all who are going to read it and one way to achieve this is not to saturate your personal statement with jargon.

I have never heard of artificial intelligence being linked to library and information science and I have certainly not encountered it in my studies at an MLIS program. An MLIS program is going to teach you about using information systems in a setting such as a library, archive, corporation etc. It's going to teach you how to use these systems to intellectually control and organize information such as records, books, files etc., and disseminate it to the public or for the members of whatever organization you are working for. There are research aspects of the field where you may find studies on cognitive biases but it will be placed within a framework that deals with how information professionals organize, acquire and disseminate information or biases connected to how the public uses information systems in information settings. Although, people in the MLIS field are highly technologically oriented, artificial intelligence is not a part of what we do or study. I don't know who gave you that advice but they were severely incorrect and have no knowledge of the library/information science field. If you would like to know more about MLIS curriculum just PM me.

I buy all of my books because it ends up being more convenient in the end but then again I'm in a master's program and not a Ph.D program so the reading load is significantly less. I always get my history books from Amazon and they are mostly used unless the prices between the new and used books are similar. In my opinion it's just better to pay an extra dollar for a new book. I always get paperback (naturally this is cheaper) and I try to get cheap ones labeled "Like New" within the used category because they usually don't have highlighting and writing in them. One has to beware of how long it takes to get books from interlibrary loan as well. I just ordered six books through ILL and while I thought I would get them in a short period of time since all of the books were available at surrounding universities this was not the case. It took two weeks for me to get all six books that came at different times from different institutions and none of them came from surrounding university libraries! One of the books was from out of state which was ridiculous since the books were at surrounding institutions but this highlights the precariousness of ILL if libraries in the area do not participate in lending to other schools.

Thanks Safferz and Oswic! Being Egypt-centric is perfectly fine Oswic, you can't help where your interests lie. I am very interested in this region for grad school (Ph.D). Unfortunately, the school I'm attending for my master's (I'm a first year student) does not offer many classes on this region and I would like to gain as much knowledge as I can about the area and the topics I'm interested in before I apply. Thanks again. I am truly grateful.

Does anyone have any suggestions for books about North Africa/Middle Eastern history, Islam in Africa, or Muslim women in North Africa/Middle East?

I get that question a lot too or the how much money do history professors make question. Since money is so important to status and self-esteem in this world, if you're pursuing a degree that won't garner $100,000 a year after graduation it's seen as a waste of time. Ever had to explain to people what an archivist is on top of the graduate history degree conversation? The responses or reactions (all the body language and awkward silences included) are along the lines of that's not important or are you going to find a job? How about you let me worry about my job prospects okay. Geez... BTW. When I did my undergrad in New Orleans, we had a lecturer in my department who was a food historian. She was writing a book if I remember correctly. She also gave food history tours throughout New Orleans. But she is an example of how historians make money outside of academia that people do not think about because they're minds are stuck on traditional methods of success.

I'm in the second semester of my master's program. I used to think that I had to read the whole book (on top of my other readings) to grasp the complete arguments but I recognized that this was not be the best approach. Reading everything was a mistake because the extra details prevented me from retaining significant components of the book. I find the intro/skim the body/conclusion method as the best way for books. My history professor in undergrad told me that this was how students read books in grad school but for some reason I didn't internalize this whole heartedly. I find that most academic books include esoteric language with a lot of details that aren't recognizable to people outside of the field and it interferes with the identification of their arguments/methodology and your reading experience! However, not every book is written the same and sometimes when I'm skimming the body I have to read more than the introduction/conclusion of every chapter to grasp the "meat" of the book. I read all of my articles because most are generally under 50 pages and I feel they are too short to skim without missing pertinent information (correct me if I'm wrong here). Articles are condensed anyway so the author has no choice but to write about the most important information (while leaving out all the other pesky details that don't help you understand their argument).

I'm currently in a MLIS/History program. Although, I didn't write about museums in my SOP I did create a relationship between archives, libraries and the study of history. I think you could definitely write about them as repositories that serves the public's needs, which includes researchers and non-researchers, as primary instiutions for the dissemination of information and histories. The more important question is which program (or career) would you much rather prefer, the MLIS program or the Public History program?