ProfLorax

And we're here in DC! Our stuff doesn't arrive for another six days, so we are in our new three bedroom house with just an air mattress and our duffle bags from the road trip. It's eerily empty, but we are so happy to finally be here. Now that the move is finished, I can focus on fixing up the house and getting excited for classes! Good luck to those who haven't moved yet! And if you have a chance to drive through South Dakota, take it and take your time. It was my favorite state by far; we stopped at Crazy Horse, Custer State Park, Mount Rushmore, and Badlands. Watching the sunset at Badlands is an otherworldly experience. And to add into Datatape's advice: don't drive more than eight hours a day if you don't have to. It's not worth it!

I wish my in-laws lived in Arcata! I love the redwood trees! Alas, we are in Susanville, which is as north as Arcata, but right by the Nevada border. Oh man, driving with two cats?! I can see why you are prioritizing efficiency. Our dog is pretty good in the car, so we have a little more leeway for stops. But we are still trying to keep the trip to six days. Wow! Kayrabbit, PM me your number; maybe we could meet up for brunch before the semester starts! I'm excited for you! Best of luck on everyone's trip! It's funny how this time last year, we felt like the journey was just beginning, but really, it really starts within the next few weeks!

We have started the trek to DC! The hubs, dog, and I left our home yesterday, and now we are spending a few days in a small, remote town in way Northern California where my in-laws live. Our journey truly begins on Tuesday, with stops in Utah, Wyoming, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Ohio. We plan on visiting Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, and Badlands along the way. The dog was not coping super well with all the changes, but he's happier now that he knows he's coming along with us. Oh! And the DGS officially approved my plan to study ASL at Gallaudet as my second language. I'm thrilled! When does everyone else start their trip? Also, I've lived in a den of coastal fog for the past five years. How do people deal with actual summers?! This heat. It melts.

The reason people may not be jumping at the opportunity to start a blog or a discussion group is because The Grad Cafe already operates as a virtual community to discuss grad applications, theory, and texts. Why not use the lit/rhet/comp forum right here, which already has an established readership, to post your thoughts and questions and to start discussions?

But you're forgetting about the intangible costs. You typically have to get a professor to vouch for you; then, you have to get special permission from the Minister of Magic. I mean, have you ever tried to get anything done at the Ministry of Magic? You'd think they'd come up with a spell to lessen the bureaucratic red tape and increase efficiency, but no. Budget cuts have led to longer lines, crankier staff, and, worst of all, the fire alarm goes off every single day because some rookie Auror is messing with an anecdote to the Fiendfrye curse. I tried to do some research in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures just last week, and I had to fill out hundreds of forms just to have my proposal heard. We PhD students don't have that time! And with that, I'll show myself out...

From what I've heard, grad students are taxed on any take-home income. The rub is that taxes will be withheld from TAships, but not from fellowships; if you are receiving fellowships, I recommend putting aside some money each month in preparation for tax season. The following is directly from one of my acceptance letters, and I think I saw it repeated on the other acceptance letters as well: "You are also responsible for federal and state income taxes, which will be withheld from your TAship salary, but not from your fellowship."

I second everything Swagato said. My Air is light, fast, efficient, and really freakin' cool. I love my Air more than my husband. Not really, but it's close.

Hey there! And welcome. I would love to offer you feedback or guidance, but I'm not really sure what you're asking. Are you asking about the application process in general? Or do you have any questions specific to your situation? In general, start with researching schools that offer faculty who share your interests, full funding, and high job placement rates. Since you do not have an extensive undergraduate education in English, I would also suggest also looking into funded MA programs that could supplement any blind spots in your literary education.

Here's a short list of DH programs in the Humanities forum. Perhaps it will be helpful!

I tried to start packing today. It lasted a good five minutes before I melted into a puddle of anxiety, fatigue, and distraction. This is gonna be a fun few weeks.

UC Santa Cruz's Literature program is inherently interdisciplinary, and I also know that they emphasize second language mastery in their application process. Perhaps they may be a good fit?

kayrabbit, I have heard, and it makes sense, that smaller, niche conferences are really where it's at. You'll make connections with leading scholars in your field; then, in the future, when you want to ask Dr. EliotExpert to review your proposal, collaborate, or clarify something, you are more than an email address. You are a person! You are an emerging scholar with a face! So, I say definitely go for it.

Ha! I felt the same way. UIUC not only limits the statement to 500 words, but it also requires two writing samples! I remember submitting my application, assuming that was my weakest application. Imagine my shock when I was accepted! Looking back, I wonder if my shortest SoP was actually the strongest, since it really got to point quickly and clearly.

I also don't have any experience with those schools, but I highly recommend that you search this forum for threads about each school. I know they exist, and you can find out lots about others' experiences there and the application process. Doing this will cost you many hours of your life (I've been down the gradcafe rabbit hole, and so have many others), but I'd say that it is totally worth it.

I met someone on this forum who will be attending UMass Amherst in the fall; his main interest was Native American lit, and his POI was Ronald Welburn.

Just replace the broom with a computer, and this can be you!

What the hay, here's my opening paragraph. Hope this is helpful. Throughout my academic and teaching career, I have come to realize that teaching and research are not isolated, contradictory fields. Rather, they are interconnected, and I strive for the teacher-scholar identity, a fusion of theory and practice. At Blank University, I will begin a lifelong career devoted to teaching at the university-level while pursuing research on my current interests--feminist theory, digital rhetoric, and composition studies—and discovering new areas of exploration.

Hopefully, this information should soon be public knowledge. The Chronicle is starting a web-based, crowd-sourced database titled "The PhD Placement Project." http://chronicle.com/blogs/phd/2013/06/18/welcome-to-the-ph-d-placement-project/

I think this is fairly common. Our whole training system for academia forces young scholars to become devoted to a very specific subtopic within a field within a discipline. I know there are countless topics within English scholarship that don't float my boat; I learned that as an undergrad and MA student. Now, as a future PhD student, I'm stoked about truly focusing on my interests. However, as we become faculty members, I feel like we'll need to expand our expertise and observe how our own fields intersect with others. At that point, if you are resistant to looking outside your box, that will be a problem. But until then, the entire system drives us to become highly specialized experts in whatever excites us.

If you feel your energy being torn between conferences and PhD applications, forget the conferences and focus on applications for now. Presenting at a conference isn't mandatory or even necessary for grad school applications. Yes, the experience helps, I'm sure, but you don't want to sacrifice the most important aspects of your application (SoP, writing sample) just to enhance your CV. Remember: once you are in a program, you'll have a community of peers and faculty to guide you and help you produce and share your best work.

Sure thing! Unfortunately, our first offer didn't go through. Fortunately, we had a second house we really liked, so we are waiting to hear back. Turns out, obsessively watching HGTV doth not a real estate expert make. Edit: WE GOT A HOUSE! In Washington DC! Wow. Just, wow.

Thanks! And congrats for finding a rental. The rental market here is overwhelming! Where abouts will you be living? And Laokoon, that is exactly our thought with buying versus renting. Finding rentals that allow dogs and have a yard is so hard! And we'll actually end up spending less each month buying vs. renting (if this deal goes through!). The seller is looking at offers tonight, so we should know soon!

Speaking of housing, the hubs and I are putting in an offer for a house in DC today. It's perfect. Please cross your fingers and toes!

Hi everyone. I'm also trying to spend less time here, but it's so hard to quit! I know this is probably a real nerd move, but I'd love to keep in touch with some of the people I met here and follow their academic careers. In case anyone feels the same, I go by Ruthie O on facebook (whoa! Identity revealed!). I'll probably come back towards the Fall when the crazy really ramps up! Until then, good luck ya'll!