Warning: Do Not Rush to Accept

[ForverDamaged]

Hi, I'm writing as someone in a PhD program at large, state school in the northeast. Before entering this program I was working full-time with a decent salary that was NOT related to English. The thing was that I absolutely loved literature and for every reason that you want to continue in higher education, I took my chance not expecting to get in anywhere. My application really was not put together that well. They say that your application will never be perfect, but working a full-time job with a three-hour commute will make applications really hard. I figured that cycle would be a run of "practice applications."

When I ended up wait-listed and then accepted to this school, I figured that I needed to take the chance and enroll, because this opportunity is so rare.

I have to warn you to NOT DO THIS BY ANY MEANS. My DGS pressured me to respond with a "yes" or "no" within a few days they gave me the news. I had very little time to thoroughly research the university. And of course I superficially looked at the school's faculty list before applying, but i knew nothing about the school, its English department's organization, and what the other graduate students are like. It's kind of ironic: how can you be "smart enough" to get into a PhD program, and yet fail to do basic research on the program? Well, that information isn't made public. You won't know your program until you talk to multiple grad students and faculty members in person. I was not alone in expressing that I wish I knew the department better before accepting the offer.

So now I'm in a program that I can't stand. I don't really like any of the faculty. And I'm in a small area where there are no other jobs and I have an apartment lease for another year. I do have the option to take the MA and run, but I'm effectively wasting two years of my life "studying" English with unchallenging and uninteresting coursework.

Sidenote: A student a year above me dropped the program. They don't have a job or any clear plan out. We're all worried/concerned for them. If you enter a program, then you have to realize you are committing yourself to it and you will be up a creek without a paddle if it does not turn to be what you expect.

HOW TO AVOID THIS? Make sure there is at least one professor you know you'll want to work with. I came to this school half-wanting to work with a professor in my period and I expected them to be flexible, but it turns out that they aren't comfortable teaching or working with students who do not share their same interests. That's right kids: there are actually professors who want to exclusively produce copies of themselves! At my school, the faculty almost entirely focuses on history, manuscript studies, and nonfiction, which is bizarre, because very few professors are literary critics who form interpretive arguments. Do not expect professors like this to be flexible or acknowledge other methods.

 

I'm writing this as a rant, because I feel like I was pressured into making a quick decision that I now really regret. Some of this may not have been clear, but I am happy to answer questions about what happens when you're accepted to a program and hate it. (Believe me, I am not the only one in this program who feels this way. Others are working on escape plans, too.) Also, I did not mention the school's name, but I can send it privately in a message for anyone contemplating a state school in the northeast.

[Justice4All]

Thanks for sharing this. I am so glad the program I am entering has 4 faculty who I'd love to work with in addition to the one I was admitted to work with.

Why did you feel pressured to enter this program?

Good for you for persevering though. I hope your love for literature still persists despite having a crappy grad experience. One day, you'll be off teaching and inspiring generations to study the discipline that you fell in love with. In the meantime, I hope you can fall in love with your surroundings in the city, classmates, or maybe a hobby and make the best of it. You can always stop, I wouldn't sacrifice your mental health if you are that unhappy and seek admission into another program that will accept your MA. However, I completely understand your reservations. Hang in there and know that this too shall pass. I commend you on using your "mistake" to warn and educate others!

Best of luck!

[ForverDamaged]

55 minutes ago, Justice4All said:

Thanks for sharing this. I am so glad the program I am entering has 4 faculty who I'd love to work with in addition to the one I was admitted to work with.

Why did you feel pressured to enter this program?

Good for you for persevering though. I hope your love for literature still persists despite having a crappy grad experience. One day, you'll be off teaching and inspiring generations to study the discipline that you fell in love with. In the meantime, I hope you can fall in love with your surroundings in the city, classmates, or maybe a hobby and make the best of it. You can always stop, I wouldn't sacrifice your mental health if you are that unhappy and seek admission into another program that will accept your MA. However, I completely understand your reservations. Hang in there and know that this too shall pass. I commend you on using your "mistake" to warn and educate others!

Best of luck!

My DGS called to tell me that I was accepted and I immediately told him that I wasn't sure I wanted to accept. Like I mentioned in my previous post, I was working a full-time job with a decent salary and solid career path. I was also planning on applying to more schools with a more prepared application in the next cycle. But the DGS cut me off and said, "Your GPA and GRE scores aren't that impressive..." in a way that coerced me to accept the offer. Also, I consulted an undergrad professor who told me that my application will never be perfect and I might always wish it could be better.

While that's true, I didn't fairly communicate the difficulties of working a full-time job and forming an application and writing an essay that none of my professors reviewed. I thought that my undergrad prof. and my DGS would understand that difficulties of the corporate world, but it is entirely foreign to them. A lot of students applying are coming straight from their undergrad or have worked part-time in an entry-level retail job. Literally, less than 15% of my cohort had a stable career before entering the program. Professors just do not care about external accomplishments, and I can understand why. I learned that I have to value my accomplishments in one field, even if people in a separate field aren't going to recognize them.