Sparrowing

I've noticed this, too. I think there's a very different academic culture in Canada, and students here have different expectations. I've found that, since there is less difference in quality between Canadian schools relative to the American post-secondary system, Canadians choose schools based on a number of softer factors rather than always shooting for the schools with the most prestige. Obviously this is a generalization, but anecdotally I've found it to be true. Also, maybe the fact that Canadians get MAs before applying to PhD programs makes us more certain about what schools would be good fits?

Canadian schools whose English departments rank in the global top 50 include the University of Toronto (#7), McGill (#12) and UBC (#13). The University of Alberta is also a great school overall, and although its English department doesn't rank among the top 50, I know people who absolutely love it there. (Edmonton has nasty weather, though.) U of T is the only Canadian school I've heard of that does not fund its MA students. Still, American students head there in decent numbers, because all the best Canadian schools are public and relatively affordable. Also, in Canada an MA is a basic prerequisite for a PhD, and US adcoms are aware of this cultural difference. As a sidenote, I find it strange that when people research rankings by department or field, they often only look at US-published reports that omit international schools. *typical Canadian protesting US-centricity* *typical Canadian who thinks education should be publicly funded*

Recently I've been re-reading all of Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick's wonderful monographs. If you enjoyed Berlant's Cruel Optimism and Freeman's Time Binds, I might also suggest An Archive of Feelings by Ann Cvetovich and Queer Phenomenology by Sara Ahmed. All of the above are also FUN reads. And Sedgwick's prose is gorgeous, if at times indirect. As a follow up to Lefebvre's Production of Space I'd recommend Neil Smith's Uneven Development, and after Williams' Marxism and Literature I'd read Jacques Rancière's Politics of Aesthetics. Anyone read Butler's Precarious Life? Is it worth the price of admission?

I've been thinking about giving BE a try. I switched to Chanel after they discontinued my shade of By Terry (so sad!) and it was great for the first six months or so, but now it's not working out as well. (Seasonal thing?) For skincare I use products from Aesop, Kiehl's, and Caudalie. I sometimes use eyelash primer by Dior, but for mascara just Maybelline Great Lash. And it's funny, I've been using that stuff since I was 13. The packaging is so nostalgic for me. For eyeliner I just take Revlon or whatever's available at the drugstore in dark grey. I used to use Nars (love Nars eyeshadow), but then I realized that it's not much different from stuff that's 1/3 the price.

I actually enjoyed Cruel Optimism quite a bit. I wouldn't hesitate if you've got the time, even if it's tangential to your primary interests. I tend to ignore anything that begins with the words 'I've heard,' but nevertheless: I've heard that it's a wise idea to ground yourself in a historical period (even if contemporary) if your main interests are theoretical. More appeal for hiring committees, I guess, since you can teach all the appropriate 100-level courses.

I actually find it strange that so much of this forum is dedicated to the application and decision-making process. But maybe I'm missing the point. Sometimes it's nice to have interactions with grad students that don't impact internal departmental rankings. (Nobody told me about this system until the END of my MA, and I'm sort of glad they didn't. I wish I could remain equally ignorant for the PhD.) Relative anonymity can be a good thing.

I actually did have affect theory in mind when I posed the OQ, and in a way a shift in vantage toward the affective might also legitimate formalism (if it needs to be legitimized, which sometimes it does -- hence amalgamations like Historical-Formalism etc. and conferences on New Formalism). Interesting that it could be a generational thing, in which case it's likely to be more of a turn than a trend. This reminds me of a moment where Sedgwick associates hermeneutics of suspicion with baby boomers. I guess for me the problem is a practical one, since I'm only beginning my PhD and don't yet have a firm footing within a field. Like if affect is 'the word of the day,' do you want it in your dissertation title? I think there are some exciting things happening in many disciplines right now, and with that might come a particular anxiety -- or not. (That word 'anxiety' is sooooo loaded....)

Agreed!

I tend to agree. I also should have mentioned that sometimes it's difficult to distinguish between a trend and a new critical turn.

How do people feel about academic trends in the humanities? Do you avoid fields or approaches that have recently received a lot of attention? Do you avoid approaches that have become passé? Or do you just do what interests you, regardless? The stakes are obviously higher for dissertations than for one-off articles. I certainly appreciate highly responsive, socially relevant theory and criticism, and I'm using the word 'trend' descriptively, not dismissively.

Any law school drop-outs here? I meet a few who've returned to the fold after discovering they just don't have the guts for a successful law career. At one point I came close to enrolling in a law program, and the reactions I got from the average person were so much more positive than the ones I now get, as a PhD admit. I try not to care, but truthfully I do, a little.

I will be there, presenting on a panel alongside two tenured professors. I've conferenced before, but not at this level. I'm pretty much terrified.

I agree. I know more than a few people who took on considerable debt because they were certain that the name of their school was some kind of insurance in the job market -- that they could later get a PhD, start a lucrative career within a year or two, and pay down their debt within five. They are now struggling to make loan payments and renting apartments I wouldn't even have considered as an undergraduate. I'm Canadian, and in this country the vast majority of graduate programs (including masters-level) are funded adequately enough to cover tuition and living expenses without necessitating loans. For people who think that they are somehow more exceptional than the folks described above -- money isn't everything, but it's naïve to think that it's trivial or easy-to-come-by. Apologies if this sounds harsh. I know some people are going to dismiss this kind of advice no matter what, and I wish them luck. Some disciplines are exceptions, of course, but for the majority of humanities, social sciences, and pure sciences, please consider carefully. And remember that the choice is not Masters degree vs. no-Masters-degree; there are options for funding, and they're worth finding. Lastly, keep in mind that some of your classmates will be financed by their parents, and after graduation they'll likely get hired before you do, for a multitude of other reasons. (Self-presentation counts for a lot in job interviews, and it's hard to maintain when your nutrition is poor, you have no health insurance, you haven't been to the dentist in years, and you can't afford nicely tailored clothes and grown-up shoes.)

Love roast chicken. I'll have to try this butter baste next time! Alternatively, you could use lemon, garlic, and fresh thyme. Also, I usually add potatoes and maybe carrots or root veggies to the roasting pan for the last 30-40 mins (after parboiling), so that they get crisp and coated in the lovely flavours of the chicken fat. I don't skimp on quality food. I'd rather turn down an invitation to the pub once in a while than limit my food budget. I have a few very simple, delicious pasta recipes that are my staples. One is a tagliatelle that involves lemon, pine nuts, Parmesan, and Taleggio cheese, one is a fusili with crushed Italian sausage, lemon, white wine, fennel seeds, and parmesan, and another is a spaghetti with crushed basil, almonds, tomatoes, good olive oil, and cheese. There are other ingredients that go into these, too, so PM me if you want the full recipes. Each takes around 20-25 minutes if you time everything right, and I always have enough leftovers for the next day. Fish and seafood are also wonderful things. Fish cooks up very quickly and doesn't need elaborate accompaniments, so if you're lucky enough to live on one of the coasts, it's a fantastic option. Granted, fresh seafood can be a bit pricey....last time I wanted to buy fresh dungeoness crab it was $40/lb! I've always wanted to try hitting up the docks myself. I'm also a big fan of a well-made sandwich. Very very simple combinations I like are cucumber, cream cheese, lemon juice, avocado, emmental; ham, cream cheese, dijon, emmental, greens; or olive oil, goat's cheese, black pepper, and fresh thyme on an open-face crusty bread under the broiler. And leftover roast chicken

He looks like such a sweetheart! Who knows, maybe our dogs will one day meet in the parks of Toronto.

Not to switch topics, but is Toronto tough at first? When people say that it has grown on them, does that mean that it doesn't have much initial appeal?

Wow surefire, thanks for such a detailed response! I'm not going to quote since it was a long post, but it's great to know that Toronto has grown on you. This was one of the things I was uncertain about since I'm not too familiar with the city. I've been living in the Northeast for a while now, and the climate has also been a bit of an adjustment. I sometimes dream of moving to California or back to BC, where I'm from. (Post-doc maybe?) If you have any tips on life in TO I'd be happy to hear them! You're absolutely right about the effects of across-the-board acceptances. While I know that future admissions would be in no way guaranteed (and who knows, maybe I just got lucky this time!), there's certainly always that feeling of 'what if' that comes with not having tested your limits. My department at U of T is highly regarded in my discipline, I think; it ranks within the top 10 internationally and has a consistently good placement rate. I have a relative who finished her PhD in my exact field a couple years ago, and she has glowing things to say about the post-grad support network and the drive of the department to get their grads placed well and quickly. Like you, I was also balancing the needs of my SO. It's tough, right? But as you say -- a lot of contentment in life comes from a sense of having pieced that narrative together. And the main piece of advice I've been hearing from people is that it's what you do AFTER the decision that makes it the right one. I'm sure that the anxiety of all the what-if's will dissipate once my program has begun.

Well, I'm already at the PhD stage and it looks like I'll be staying in Canada. The thing is, my partner is self-employed and would have to take a big paycut if he were to have to find employment at someone else's company. And I mean, I got a great funding package here and could possibly get ok funding in the US too, but even the biggest student salary is low, with no guarantee of lucrative post-grad employment. I don't know. It's just all the what-ifs. (And, takeruK, congrats on getting married!)

I am Canadian and completed my MA at a Canadian school. During the program, many of my professors and colleagues encouraged me to apply to top-10 American schools for the PhD. I didn't. There were a few reasons: a long-term, non-student partner who probably doesn't qualify for either TN1 or H1B, and not enough time to write the GRE without waiting another cycle. I received great offers from all of the Canadian schools I applied to, and the department I chose ranks within the global top-10 in my discipline. Don't get me wrong; I feel privileged to have received the offers I did and I'm excited about the program. But part of me might always wonder about alternatives. Even a couple rejections would have been instructive. Here in Canada there's lots of chatter about how American grads get more recognition, more job offers. Is anyone else in a similar situation?

Good advice here, some of which I'll echo. I've recently owned property in Vancouver, sold it just before the market peaked, and came out ahead. Now I'm considering re-investing in a Toronto house. I'm looking into both real estate and rental options, and will take whichever presents as the best value. One thing to keep in mind is the type of residence you're buying, as the markets can develop quite differently. (See post on condo glut.) A detached house may cost a lot more than a condo (e.g. in Toronto, something small and unrenovated in a peripheral neighbourhood will go for 550 or 600k, realistically), but if you can afford it it will likely pay off in the end. If you think you can reasonably break even after 4 or 5 years -- including associated costs, which are substantial -- then it *might* make sense to buy. There's always some risk, but where markets are particularly precarious I might opt-out of ownership and be content with a rental. My last Vancouver property sat on the market for five agonizing months before it sold, and meanwhile I was paying rent somewhere else. You can always rent out a vacant property, but if you're located in a different city you'll have property management fees on top of double taxes (rental revenue + property taxes) on top of potential mortgage costs and maybe onto strata fees, too. So then if the place ever sits without tenants, you've likely lost some money -- and things like condo gluts affect the rental market, too. For those who think this is an easy solution, it's not quite as simple as having a tenant pay into your equity. Also, make sure you have a contingency fund for emergency repairs and longer-term renovations. Last year I had to pay $16,000 out of pocket for unforeseen and unavoidable window repairs. And if you live in anything other than a detached house, the timing of these costs will be non-negotiable; you're legally bound to pay it on the council's schedule. This is part of the hidden value of renting. Consider also that if you live in one of the more expensive cities, you may be priced out of a neighbourhood you'd otherwise be able to rent. This can considerably alter your grad school experience, and may make transportation an issue. There are so many different factors to consider in the rent vs. own debate, and I don't think there should be pressure or stigma either way. Although if you're relying on someone else to help finance a house, make double sure it will hold its value, at the very least.

Oh, thanks! Don't know how I missed that.

I find it interesting that the majority of respondents are in relationships with non-grad-students. I wonder how many of those are undergrads and how many are working professionals?

Well, I wear nice clothes and heels even when everyone else is in t-shirts and old sneakers. In my experience, very few grad school situations require anything more than jeans and a nice blouse or sweater, though this might vary institutionally. At conferences I favour blazers and tailored pants, but not in matching shades so as not to look too formal. I'm also a HUGE fan of quality over quantity. Does anyone else use expensive skincare/foundation/concealer and cheap-o mascara and eyeliner?

This issue weighs heavily on my mind, as well. During my MA I remember there being a lot of anxiety among my cohort and among colleagues at conferences, symposiums etc. Now that I'm entering into my PhD I'm determined not to feed into other students' anxieties around this; it's easy to collectively augment the panic. I'm also trying to develop some skills beyond teaching and research so that I may be palatable to employers outside the academy. I'm not holding my breath for a tenure-track position. There are many qualified candidates out there who have conferenced and published extensively, and maybe I'm a pessimist but I don't think I'll somehow be an exceptional case. I think that after even a few months of graduate work most students shed their illusions about gliding to the top, and that can be tough. I just hope that my enthusiasm (not to say love, because it's more of a love-hate thing) for the work will continue to outweigh the uncertainty, and in the meantime I'm trying to stay open to alternate career paths -- even if it means some future re-tooling. Hope that helps.

My house-hunt in Toronto has so far been difficult. Decent places are expensive and, surprisingly, competitive! Lots of open houses rather than private viewings. I'm not too familiar with the city so if anyone wants to offer any tips I'd gladly listen. Let's wait for a bit and see if anyone else interested in a meet & greet turns up. I also have a couple email contacts from visitor's day, so hopefully we'll be able to get a group together.