I'm doing my M.A. abroad and am not satisfied. Have I made a mistake?

[sho.chiku.bai]

Hi, everyone.

For relatively low financial cost, I'm currently doing a two-year M.A. in North American studies in Germany while also learning German on the side. I saw the M.A. as a place where I could further develop my research interests, strengthen my writing, and learn a second foreign language in the event that I do want to continue with a CompLit PhD in the U.S. With that said, I'm beginning to regret my decision a bit given the large classes sizes, lack of contact with the professors, and lack of rigor that I expected in graduate school. Thus far, it only seems like a recapitulation of undergrad--albeit a bit worse. While I'm trying to make the best of the situation--and there are certainly good things about the program and location, too--I'm mostly concerned with two things:

1. getting strong, personal letters of recommendation, seeing as professors are much more impersonal and classes are incredibly large

2. and U.S. PhD programs' perception of a German M.A. conducted in English

Can anyone who's been in a similar situation give some advice and/or words of encouragement?

I was a strong canidate for a PhD coming out of my B.A. with excellent grades and departmental awards, so I'm afraid that while I hoped this M.A. would strengthen my future PhD app, perhaps it will have the opposite effect.

Thank you!

[caffeinated applicant]

I'm not an expert by any stretch--I have no more insider information than you do--but since this thread hasn't received any responses, I'll throw in my two cents.

I feel like on the letter of recommendation front, your best bet is going to be looking for contact with professors outside of classes--which would already be the case if you were in an American MA. So, office hours, chats over coffee, that kind of thing, whatever is within the norms of your academic setting. I think it's perfectly alright to be direct in these conversations about the fact that you see this MA as a stepping stone to the PhD, and it's possible that your professors might take additional note of you just because they know that you're looking to go into academia.

On the bit about perceptions of a German MA, I think it's also probably a good idea to spell out in your SOPs for PhD apps the reasons why you chose a German MA: immersion in another language (even as your academic work is in English), a chance to live abroad for relatively low financial cost, and two years in what sounds like a fairly interdisciplinary program (shot in the dark based on the program being named North American studies instead of North American literature or Anglophone literature) to refine your research interests. It sounds like you might be worried about the comparison between a German MA and an American MA ("why did OP do this less-rigorous program?"), but I think that if you frame the MA with these reasons why the opportunity was unique, that won't be a huge issue. 

Finally, I am sorry that this program isn't what you thought it would be! That really sucks, no getting around it. 

[Glasperlenspieler]

37 minutes ago, caffeinated applicant said:

I feel like on the letter of recommendation front, your best bet is going to be looking for contact with professors outside of classes--which would already be the case if you were in an American MA. So, office hours, chats over coffee, that kind of thing, whatever is within the norms of your academic setting. I think it's perfectly alright to be direct in these conversations about the fact that you see this MA as a stepping stone to the PhD, and it's possible that your professors might take additional note of you just because they know that you're looking to go into academia.

NB: This tends to be much more difficult in the German academic system, in which students have less contact with professors (particularly those who occupy a Lehrstuhl) and professors and students are much more institutionally removed from one another than in the American system. 

[merry night wanderer]

I just spoke to another student finishing up this same degree who had the same complaints. She was German, and went for a year (I think?) to the school I went to for my MFA, and said she enjoyed the American collegiate style much better. It does sound frustrating. 

The letters of rec are an issue. But, if you have good ones from undergrad, maybe pull on those, and explain why there's none from the master's in your SoP. You could even tie it neatly into a point about fit if the school provides closer contact between professors and students (which many schools do) - you had a more impersonal experience, and you want a closer-knit one. As long as your grades are good, and you address it in the SoP, and everything else is in order, I can see you doing fine. You had good rationale for this, after all, given comp lit's language requirements. 

Even if the German system's reputation is garbage here, which I doubt, I don't think it'll be held against you! Especially if undergrad weighs against that. As long as you show strong promise, I think a lot of things can be redeemed, or made sense of, with a good narrative. I had a somewhat spotty undergrad due almost entirely due to incompletes, but I weaved it into my bigger story, and my performance in my master's shows that I've completely come out of that, I hope. You sort of have the inverse case to make, but it sounds like your actual performance has been solid. If I were an adcom, I wouldn't be concerned, and I would likely be impressed you did something like this for your own intellectual cultivation. 

Worst case: just get an M.A. in the U.S. and launch off from there.  

Edited January 28, 2020 by merry night wanderer