What is it like to be a grad student in history?

[Pacifist101]

Hi everyone,

I am switching to history from a STEM field, and all the decisions I need to make within the next few weeks make me a little anxious. I would love to hear about personal experiences of those who are doing a master's or a PhD in history. I have some experience in the field and a good idea of what grad school is like, but I would really appreciate it if some of you shared insights on what it's like to be a grad student in history.

Are you happy with the decision to attend your program? Any regrets? What is the most fun and the most difficult thing you've had to do? Is there anything you didn't know that you wish you did when you decided to go to grad school? Did you expect to spend more/less time writing/teaching? Or anything else you would like to share with a prospective history grad student.

Obviously, the experiences will be different depending on the person, the program and many other factors, but that's the catch. So even if it's just one thing or a few sentences, anything you have to say is appreciated.

[Tigla]

One of the biggest issues/things I needed to learn was how to read. During your undergraduate work, you learn a lot of useful skills that prepare you, in a very broad sense, for graduate school or the workforce. Learning to read is probably the hardest skill I had to learn while in graduate school. You will be given an enormous amount of material to read per week and expected to be actively contributing to the seminar. My reading load per week was roughly a book a week per seminar. On top of the reading, I highly suggest learning another language, polishing a current one, or actively engaging with a current language. Grasping a second or third language will not only help you with your research and reading skills but also you will be able to communicate with an even wider range of material and people.

Besides the academic angle, graduate school tends to be a student's first experience away from home or in an unfamiliar environment/city. It is likely that you will get stressed out over the laundry, cooking meals, or forgetting to buy something at the supermarket. Luckily, these battles will occur once then you know how to handle them and what solutions work. Personally, I found this part of graduate school to be more stressful and nerve-wracking than the actual coursework. Buckle down and get through it, but also don't be afraid to say you are lost.

Although graduate school is a pain, I loved it. I was able to polish my German and start Russian and French; mostly because I was around those native speakers on a daily basis. My writing has improved an unbelievable amount; after reading a handful of my undergraduate works, it is clear to me why I was rejected for a PhD two years ago. Most importantly, you are going to meet amazing people and make new friends that transcend the university setting. In short, graduate school is hell but it is what you make of it, so make the best of it.

[archi]

5 hours ago, Tigla said:

You will be given an enormous amount of material to read per week and expected to be actively contributing to the seminar.

Yes, definitely, so much reading. It's helpful to talk to other people in your program about their reading strategies until you find something that works well for you which is important because another adjustment from undergrad is that coursework is only part of what you're supposed to be focusing on. Attending lectures, participating in colloquia or workshops, getting to know faculty/potential committee members, and working on whatever first year research project you do are also very important. Graduate work in general seems a lot more flexible and individual, so its hard for departments to write one size fits all requirements, which means most "requirements" are only a vague framework. I think there's sometimes a temptation to go heads down into coursework because we understand how to do it and because the evaluation is clear but it's important to align how much effort your putting into things with whats going to most benefit your research interests and your professional development. This can be hard to figure out first year for sure, which is also why regularly talking to your adviser, older students, or other mentor-like people is key. Don't be afraid to ask for things. (While its certainly possible to be over-precocious and one should figure out the etiquette/norms of their department, I think most first years err on the side of not demanding enough especially if  you're from an under-represented group or a non-traditional background.) 

While it can feel overwhelming at first, the flexibility is also something I really like. I don't get to always do exactly what I want, but I get to twist a lot of things back around to my own interests. I've also had some great intellectual experiences, many of which happened outside the classroom. You're surrounded by a really great group of people with lots of really interesting thoughts, which is a such a wonderful experience even when you're not talking about history specifically. So I guess the last thing is that making time to just hang out with people is equally important and you should try to avoid building a wall of reading around yourself.

[MastigosAtLarge]

The reading strategy I use--taught to be my both my undergrad advisor and my current Masters advisor--is to read the intro, the conclusion, and then the intro and conclusion for each chapter.  If you'd like, you can add reading one chapter in full to this list, so that you have more details re: one specific section of the text that you're particularly interested in.  At Boston College, I have one book per week per course, and I usually have to submit a book review for each as well.  This is the best method I've found.  I'm so glad I was taught it as early as undergrad, it let me refine my application.

[HistoricScout]

One thing that my adviser told me and that has really stuck with me is to not compare yourself to others in your cohort. I’m the only one in my department whose research focuses on animals. I love it, but my cohort doesn’t understand sometimes why I’m doing animal history as opposed to traditional military, political, gender, etc history. 

Everyone in your cohort has unique research and that should be celebrated rather than torn down or feeling like you’re insignificant compared to others. 

[ashiepoo72]

Hi! It's totally normal to be nervous, but I hope some of that is nervous excitement

I love my program. Every day I am reminded that I made the right choice, even on the days where I'm stressed out. Most of grad school is both fun and filled with anxiety. Every time I'm in panic mode, I remind myself that I get paid (and have benefits!) to read and write about things I love reading and writing about.

I also love to teach, so when TAing overwhelms me, I remember students who wrote excellent papers or said cool things in section or started out struggling but made the effort to get support and left my class in a better place. Not everything is positive, I realized early on that not every student cares about their grade beyond passing by the skin of their teeth, and learning to accept that has been great for my anxiety. I do wish I had to teach less so I could finish more work, but I knew what I was getting into so now it's about making time for everything and not spending 3 hours grading each paper or exam. Basically, learning that teaching and grading shouldn't take 8 hours of your day is very important. After my first term as a TA, I became really good at prepping as much as needed but no more, grading quickly and protecting my time outside of the classroom rather than letting the classroom take it over.

Balance is so hard for grad students, I think, so as you're entering your program try to be vigilant about it. I'm no expert...I fluctuate between working on having a healthy balance between personal and professional, pleasure and scholarly reading, sleep and work etc. vs. holing up in my apartment, working so much my fingers cramp, sleeping so little I'm miserable and not leaving my house until there's so little food I can't avoid it. Don't do that, it's hell on your body, mind and emotions. I've started setting goals each quarter, broken up into "progress to degree," "research," and "personal" sections, then laying out week by week what I want to accomplish. I don't beat myself up if I don't accomplish everything every week. Reshuffling things is inevitable, and it's no use to hate yourself for some perceived failure that only you notice.

This brings me to my next point. Your professors won't be over your shoulder, yelling at you when you don't finish a section of your comps reading when you thought you would. They want to see the final product. So I make sure to have the reading done that I need for a specific meeting, and if I fall behind I adjust until I get back on track. Professors aren't going to fail you if you don't complete a draft on the day you intended, so if things come up and you need an extra day, don't freak out. Just make sure you have the final product done when it's due. It's funny, but grad school has really taught me the importance of letting go. I live by the mantra of "it'll get done because it has to," and try to be kind to myself when my internal timeline has to be scrapped and rethought. If I was giving any advice to new grad students, it would be to really think about when it's okay to let go and when you need to stay firm. This applies to everything: teaching, research and service. Also, cultivate a support system. It can be family and friends, but I think finding members of your cohort who you can commiserate and exchange drafts with is important, especially in the first 2-3 years.

[TheHessianHistorian]

3 hours ago, HistoricScout said:

One thing that my adviser told me and that has really stuck with me is to not compare yourself to others in your cohort. I’m the only one in my department whose research focuses on animals. I love it, but my cohort doesn’t understand sometimes why I’m doing animal history as opposed to traditional military, political, gender, etc history. 

Everyone in your cohort has unique research and that should be celebrated rather than torn down or feeling like you’re insignificant compared to others. 

That's actually a really cool approach! I've thought about that very idea before--doing a history from the perspective of a non-human organism. Will look forward to reading the first major monograph you get published.  

[HistoricScout]

31 minutes ago, TheHessianHistorian said:

That's actually a really cool approach! I've thought about that very idea before--doing a history from the perspective of a non-human organism. Will look forward to reading the first major monograph you get published.  

Awe, thanks.

If you end up at NIU, I would be happy to tell you about it in depth and in person next fall. 

[TMP]

This was a hard question to answer when I first saw the OP.

I will add something from the POV of an ABD who is currently abroad on the other side of the world for research/writing.  One thing I never thought much about when applying to graduate schools was that I would be writing for a lot of different audiences and purposes, not just for a seminar for the professor's eyes or a dissertation for the committee.  I came to learn the importance of writing a strong funding proposal and have to ask for money in order to carry out my vision for my project.  I used to be wary of "development" offices in universities and non-profits, etc. but now I realize what kind of work those people have to do to raise funds.  Unlike those professionals, I have only myself to prove that my project is worthy of funding. It's hard work but can be so gratifying when it works out in your favor.  Now I realize that I have the skills and would not mind at all work in the development office if academia doesn't work for me.

After all,  it is fun to ask for money but not easy to persuade agencies to support your project that's based in humanities and seemingly unconnected to present issues.  I never thought I would get a real kick out of doing this work-- not only requesting money but also asking how I can be part of the larger society with the knowledge I'm producing. I think because I somehow show how much I enjoy writing these funding proposals, agencies recognize it.  They probably realize that I'm piecing together funds to be able to travel around the world and somehow want to help.....  Being a world traveler is my childhood dream coming true

The only thing I really hated about my grad school experience was preparing for my exams because it took me way too long to find a note-taking system that would help me digest context and arguments.  I did enjoy my conversations with my committee members but I hated prepping for those meetings and the exam itself because I was on my own and struggling.  There was just no one in my program in my stage doing similar fields to study/talk with.

[Pacifist101]

I absolutely loved reading the answers. You guys are awesome and keep up doing great things!

As I said, I'm switching from a STEM field, so there's a lot of anxiety associated with such a drastic change of fields. There was never a moment in my life when I didn't love history, but it took me a while before I realized I was willing to take a risk and make it into something more than just a hobby. Of course, I did my research before deciding to change my professional path, but people's personal experiences are an invaluable source of both inspiration and reality check.

[AnUglyBoringNerd]

5 hours ago, TMP said:

I used to be wary of "development" offices in universities and non-profits, etc. but now I realize what kind of work those people have to do to raise funds.  Unlike those professionals, I have only myself to prove that my project is worthy of funding. It's hard work but can be so gratifying when it works out in your favor.  Now I realize that I have the skills and would not mind at all work in the development office if academia doesn't work for me.

I am currently working at an NGO as a researcher. And I completely agree, our magical development staff is why I have money for all my travels and projects. And fundraising is definitely a skill i want to learn before I leave the office and begin my PhD study.  

To make my post more relevant to this thread, I am more or less also switching from another field to History and I've already did my master's in that different field. So @Pacifist101, best of luck!

Edited March 1, 2018 by AnUglyBoringNerd