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ProfLorax

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ProfLorax last won the day on December 2 2015

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About ProfLorax

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    Cup o' Joe

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  • Program
    PhD in Rhetoric/Composition

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  13. ProfLorax
    I guess I'll put this here: I'm trying to spend more time with the dissertation and the kid, so I'll be spending less time here on these boards. At least, that's my goal; we've see if I actually follow through! I've been here for a while and made some friends, so PM me if you'd like to stay in touch outside of GradCafe!
  14.    ProfLorax reacted to a post in a topic: Celebrate Good Times (Come On)
  15. ProfLorax
    Best news! Many congrats. You've earned this! Do you like baseball? You'll be so close to the Cactus League!
  16.    ProfLorax reacted to a post in a topic: 2016 Acceptance Thread
  17. ProfLorax
    Ha! Very true. I was thinking of these binaries because my partner and I have very different jobs. He has the full-time, 9-5 government job with no breaks or end of the semester excitement. But his job has a ton of stability and benefits, which really helps when raising a kid. Academic work can be pretty repetitive, but at least the courses we teach (potentially) change each semester, and we get breaks. But my salary is minuscule, and I have no idea if I am heading toward full-time work at one uni or part-time work at three. But rising_star is right: these were my binaries based on perso
  18. ProfLorax
    Those are very different fields, so I guess the question is, what do you want to do? What do you want your life post-graduation to look like? Do you want to work a 9-5 but never bring work home, or you have some flexibility but work potentially nights or weekends? Do you want to teach classes of 15-120 students, or work one-on-one and small groups with students, faculty, and other admin? Do you want to write and create policy and navigate bureaucracy to accomplish your goals on behalf of your department and institution, or do you want to set an individualized agenda that is shaped by pers
  19. ProfLorax
    Hmmm. Yeah, if applying to PhD's, I think a two-year program would be best overall. That said, given the high price tag, perhaps you could go to BU and take a gap year to polish your materials. In that gap year, make and save money (because even funded PhD's don't pay all that way). That said (again!), I'm really grateful I did a two year masters: I explored different topics, got to really know the professors, served on some leadership positions in my second year, and discovered my current field in the very last semester. Here's some other questions to consider: Which program has t
  20.    ProfLorax reacted to a post in a topic: decision help
  21. ProfLorax
    WT asks an important question: what do you want to do with this MA? That will steer our responses.
  22.    ProfLorax reacted to a post in a topic: Questions for Current PhD Applicants
  23.    ProfLorax reacted to a post in a topic: Questions for Current PhD Applicants
  24. ProfLorax
    I applied after a three year break between my MA and PhD. I emailed my letter writers very early in the process (think, March) to update them on what I was doing and ask what they thought about pursuing a PhD and if they would write me a letter. I really was on the fence at the time, so initiating a dialogue about the pros and cons of pursuing a PhD was a helpful way to get the ball rolling and remind them of who I am. Be prepared to share with them papers you wrote in their classes. Are you still local? If yes, consider going to meet your letter writers in person. Also, I am very sad you
  25. ProfLorax
    Huh. I've never seen this as a suggestion for English PhD's. I don't think this is a common way of approaching English PhD's, so I wouldn't worry too much.
  26. ProfLorax
    This may be more radical than what you're envisioning, but these past few years, there's been the MLA Subcommittee. I think I'll be at MLA in Philly, and I'd be down to check out the subcommittee meetings.
  27.    ProfLorax reacted to a post in a topic: Questions for Current PhD Applicants
  28.    ProfLorax reacted to a post in a topic: Questions for Current PhD Applicants
  29.    ProfLorax reacted to a post in a topic: Questions for Current PhD Applicants
  30.    ProfLorax reacted to a post in a topic: Questions for Current PhD Applicants
  31.    ProfLorax reacted to a post in a topic: Questions for Current PhD Applicants
  32. ProfLorax
    @thinkingandthinking: yeah, you interpreted my post correctly. The whole system is broken, gosh darnit, so let's change the system while making tangible improvements in our little circles. I'm out of upvotes, so you get a gif.
  33. ProfLorax
    I guess these posts don't bother me because this is what my colleagues and I discuss constantly. Three people left the program last year (not all from the same cohort, mind you) because of concerns about the state of academia. Also, yeah, I recognize that grad school may provide more stability for some people than others. And I 100% agree: I have major problems with narratives that describe people with PhD's on food stamps as inherently more tragic than people with GED's on food stamps. That said, I am concerned with these echoes of grad school being a great place because of funding and s
  34. ProfLorax
    Penn State! I have a friend who was admitted to their PhD program with an MA already in hand, and she was directly informed that the adcomm had to jump through a bunch of hoops to make the offer.
  35. ProfLorax
    I thought the question was an interesting one, actually. I am pursuing a PhD because, at the time, I was in a field that was still hiring (rhetoric and composition). However, the bubble seems to be about the burst. So while am I still here? Well, I love the work I'm doing. I feel like my dissertation is an important project, and I love teaching. I am working hard to put myself in a good position for the job market (publishing, presenting, etc), while acknowledging that everyone else is doing the same thing. Recently, I've started seriously talking with my partner about realistic Plan B's. I'm
  36. ProfLorax
    Hopefully this is reassuring: I'm a third year PhD, and I honestly couldn't tell you who was waitlisted and who wasn't in our program!
  37. ProfLorax
    It was so nice to meet you all! Hope you enjoyed my out-of-breath tour. Let me know if you have any lingering questions!
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