The path to a terminal degree

[GreenFuzzy]

In the process of brainstorming for my SOP for graduate school I realized that I can't seriously think of anything that I enjoy enough to write a 100+ page dissertation on.

My question to this forum is: Am I the only one?

I can't imagine that I am but.....

Graduate school is nothing like undergrad in that its not like I have two years to "find myself" and pick something I am competent enough in to graduate. If I am going to invest all of this time and energy, not to mention competing with scores of likewise bright youth for 4 or 5 spaces in a PhD or M.A. program I had better have picked something I really enjoy doing.

All of this to say does anyone else feel this same sense of overwhelming uncertainty?

[wordslinger]

In the process of brainstorming for my SOP for graduate school I realized that I can't seriously think of anything that I enjoy enough to write a 100+ page dissertation on.

My question to this forum is: Am I the only one?

I can't imagine that I am but.....

Graduate school is nothing like undergrad in that its not like I have two years to "find myself" and pick something I am competent enough in to graduate. If I am going to invest all of this time and energy, not to mention competing with scores of likewise bright youth for 4 or 5 spaces in a PhD or M.A. program I had better have picked something I really enjoy doing.

All of this to say does anyone else feel this same sense of overwhelming uncertainty?

GreenFuzzy,

Well, why are you interested in going to grad school? I think if you have a significant overarching goal, that can keep you going through the program. On the other hand, you probably do not want to be ones of those folks who completes the coursework but just can't get through the diss.

Personally, I have a list of about five solid ideas (somewhat intertwined) that I will be happy researching and writing about. I suspect that my coursework and writing will point me in a more specific direction during my first year of the PhD. But I haven't started yet, so I have no idea what I'm talking about.

[poco_puffs]

At the campus visit I attended in March, four or five of the current graduate students made presentations of their dissertations, how they got the idea, the process they were following, the resources they were utilizing etc. The common thread among all of them was the fact that they had a vague idea going into the program, but the project often ended up being something fairly unexpected-- they took a class (sometimes unrelated to their field) that planted the seed for a paper that became a chapter in their dissertation. It all seemed very low-pressure, and in some cases there was a heavy dose of serendipity involved in finding the "big idea."

While some universities encourage you to flesh out your SOP with a research idea and its possibilities, I've never heard it stated as a requirement. Most programs allow for the fact that a student coming into graduate school is in a state of academic flux, and the program will help you FIND that singular driving passion for a genre, a period, a theory etc. A lot of the other incoming students I spoke with at the visit only had the foggiest ideas of what they were interested in studying. Don't feel that a lack of interest or passion in a distinct field makes you unqualified for even applying to graduate school.

My advice is this: Keep working on your SOP, do some reading of current scholarship on your areas of interest, continue your research into programs and professors that intrigue you. Avoid spending those big application dollars for as long as you can (But remember to keep your options open for test dates on the GRE. Don't wait too long!) If you play it right, you might be able to build some idea of your career goals and research interests before you become too financially wrapped up in the application process. If you find that it's not for you, you can back out without too much loss of time and money.

[rtrgwnd]

I think I have some good advice for you.

There's much debate about whether it is wise to do a Master's before a PhD -- and apparently for some programs doing so is unhelpful -- but in my case, and I'm sure many others would agree, it was essential. The time and work spent toward a Master's offers opportunities to write under professorial guidance and will help you sharpen focus on a specific area or topic as you devise and complete a thesis. This thesis would presumably become your writing sample in a PhD application and would certainly constitute a significant part of your statement of purpose -- even if it's just as a launching point toward some new area you'd like to explore. Without my Master's, I would not have been able to put together a viable PhD application. Also, it's been many years since I completed that second Master's, and it still helped me generate an application that resulted in funded offers/waitlists this year. If I hadn't done my Master's in my 20s, I wouldn't have these options in my life now.

My advice to you is to apply to solid Master's programs. If you can't afford the private, expensive programs, there are plenty of excellent state programs. I went to one and have already paid off the loans I took out. Then I did a second one overseas at a prestigious institution and am half way through paying that debt. I'm assuming you are on the younger side (early or mid 20s?) based on your "bright youth" comment, so time is on your side.

Regarding the overseas Master's: I think it's a good option. An MPhil program can be done in a year, tends to have small cohorts, and if you get into a prestigious university, the tuition is a fraction of similarly prestigious institutions in the states. The entire cost of moving, living expenses, tuition, etc. was much less than just the tuition alone at similar schools here, and I was working with top scholars in my field. As I said, it's been years since I completed this second Master's and one of those scholars, who was my thesis advisor, wrote strong recommendations for my PhD applications this year. I should also add that two professors from my first Master's also wrote strong recommendations for my applications. Graduate programs, when they're really good, can create community that lasts beyond the time you spend there. Living overseas is also a lot of fun, a great experience, and there are English language schools all over Europe that you can teach at. I did it, and I loved it. It taught me, really, how to teach.

I will end with this: I think possessing a very clear idea of exactly what you want to do is rare and, in some ways, a luxury. Some students, as we all know, are very gifted, and this small group of "bright youth" are able to assemble exceptional applications even before they obtain a bachelor's degree. Perhaps they will directly move on to PhD programs right out of undergraduate school, and most likely at the very top schools. Some of these very gifted students will be the scholars we read in the future. Others of us do not fall into this category. We have different circumstances and have arrived at or are arriving at our senses of purpose differently, perhaps very gradually, perhaps never completely. But there are really good options for students like you who are unsure exactly of what you want to do. Perhaps you will decide academia is not for you and will go on to do something else, something with more meaning for you. Perhaps you will be a scholar we read in the future. Or, like me, maybe your growth as a scholar or teacher will be gradual and you will slip in and out of it over the course of many years. I think you should consider the Master's to keep your options open.

[bigdgp]

In the process of brainstorming for my SOP for graduate school I realized that I can't seriously think of anything that I enjoy enough to write a 100+ page dissertation on.

My question to this forum is: Am I the only one?

I can't imagine that I am but.....

Graduate school is nothing like undergrad in that its not like I have two years to "find myself" and pick something I am competent enough in to graduate. If I am going to invest all of this time and energy, not to mention competing with scores of likewise bright youth for 4 or 5 spaces in a PhD or M.A. program I had better have picked something I really enjoy doing.

All of this to say does anyone else feel this same sense of overwhelming uncertainty?

I hope that this response does not seem disrespectful. I know how frustrating it can be to have your chosen life plan questioned. However, I wonder if you should be considering graduate school right now. As annoying as that statement may be, please understand that I am speaking from experience. When I was finishing my undergrad, I considered going straight into a graduate program in English. I knew that literature is my love and that I wanted to get paid to read in some capicity. I also liked the professor's work schedule (my father is a piano professor) and will even admit to being starstruck by the idea of putting those three glorious letters after my name. However, like you, I found the idea of carving out my own niche among critics extremely daunting. I didn't know what specific aspect of literature I appreciated to the extent that I could have 100,000 words to say about it. In the end, I opted not to go straight into graduate school and to spend some time teaching high school English instead.

I am five years older now, and have had a great deal of exposure to the practice of teaching. I have had the freedom to choose which books I want to read since finishing my undergrad, allowing me to narrow my focus. I've practiced using critical articles about literature to inform my teaching practices and have been forced to narrow and specifically outline my critical approach. I am going back to school next fall for a graduate degree in English with a clear focus and a great deal more perspective.

Admittedly, there are downsides to my decision. I have lost touch with my undergraduate professors, so an LOR from them would not have been sufficient. Instead, I took two classes as a non-matriculated student and had those professors write me LORs that were consistent with my current interests and abilities. Additionally, I am going to complete an MA prior to going on to a PhD (I am very skeptical of anyone who holds that doing so is more harmful than helpful. As many schools require a previous MA as only take direct admits, and most don't care).

The fact is, if you aren't sure that you want to write about anything for 100,000 words, you probably won't be successful in your application, and you almost certainly won't be successful in your program. You will likely just end up wasting A LOT of money on the application process. This is in no way an insult to your intelligence, it's just a fact. Adcom's are experts at identifying which candidates are prepared for intense graduate research and which just really appreciate the nuances and subtleties of literature. Take some time, focus your interests and narrow your approach. You will be a much more successful candidate for it.

[GreenFuzzy]

I hope that this response does not seem disrespectful. I know how frustrating it can be to have your chosen life plan questioned. However, I wonder if you should be considering graduate school right now. As annoying as that statement may be, please understand that I am speaking from experience. When I was finishing my undergrad, I considered going straight into a graduate program in English. I knew that literature is my love and that I wanted to get paid to read in some capicity. I also liked the professor's work schedule (my father is a piano professor) and will even admit to being starstruck by the idea of putting those three glorious letters after my name. However, like you, I found the idea of carving out my own niche among critics extremely daunting. I didn't know what specific aspect of literature I appreciated to the extent that I could have 100,000 words to say about it. In the end, I opted not to go straight into graduate school and to spend some time teaching high school English instead.

Thank you for your response. Contrary to what you may think I appreciate any and all input I can get on this decision. As I stated before I currently work in graduate admissions which makes the siren song of the academic experience much harder to ignore. I hate working and miss school which is further aggravated by spending my days reviewing graduate applications for admission.

Carving out my niche is seeming like a bigger problem than I had anticipated so I will just continue to research and pray I get struck by intellectual lightening.

[foppery]

I'm going to agree with bigdgp on this one. Granted, everyone's interests develop and change in grad school: medievalists become modernists, and so on. However, if you can't imagine writing a 100-page dissertation on anything (note, by the way, that most good dissertations are 300+ pages), then you're not ready to apply. You should be very enthusiastic about AT LEAST one field of literature, one era, even one text. Because if you're not enthusiastic about something? Grad school will eat you alive. I applied during my senior year of college, before I was ready for the intellectual and emotional commitment of grad school, and I suffered as a result. Yes, I was accepted to good programs, but I wasn't ready to do those programs justice.

"I think I like literature" is not a good reason to apply to grad school. Don't do it until you feel ready. If that means waiting another year or two, so be it. Better to wait than to rush into something before you're ready.

[Riotbeard]

<br />I'm going to agree with bigdgp on this one. Granted, everyone's interests develop and change in grad school: medievalists become modernists, and so on. However, if you can't imagine writing a 100-page dissertation on anything (note, by the way, that most good dissertations are 300+ pages), then you're not ready to apply. You should be very enthusiastic about AT LEAST one field of literature, one era, even one text. Because if you're not enthusiastic about something? Grad school will eat you alive. I applied during my senior year of college, before I was ready for the intellectual and emotional commitment of grad school, and I suffered as a result. Yes, I was accepted to good programs, but I wasn't ready to do those programs justice.<br /><br />&quot;I think I like literature&quot; is not a good reason to apply to grad school. Don't do it until you feel ready. If that means waiting another year or two, so be it. Better to wait than to rush into something before you're ready.<br />

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I don't page number beyond requirements has anything to do with it's quality of reception. If you want to get it published you can always expand later. I think it's more about quality not quantity.

[rtrgwnd]

All the advice here is very sound but I have to go back to: why not just apply for a Master's and worry about the whole PhD thing later? You could even do a Master's at night and possibly get your job to reimburse tuition. I did one like this. I certainly agree that if you don't have a clear enough focus, you're either not ready for a PhD program, or a PhD is not for you. I am assuming, however, that focus and development is your issue and not whether you are sufficiently serious about studying literature. I'm assuming that you are serious about studying literature but that you haven't developed your education in it enough and therefore lack a bit of focus. When I was fresh out of undergrad school, I was the same: serious about literature but lacking development and focus in it. Focus was exactly what the Master's degree gave me and that's why I think a Master's might be a good option for you. You will be involved with literature, working toward a goal in literature, and developing and focusing as a student of literature. You may even decide as you move through your Master's work that you don't want to go on for your PhD, and you will have learned that unequivocally by being somewhat submerged in it.

[foppery]

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I don't page number beyond requirements has anything to do with it's quality of reception. If you want to get it published you can always expand later. I think it's more about quality not quantity.

Maybe so, but I've heard from a good source that no doctoral dissertation under 250 pages is going to be taken seriously.

[wordslinger]

I totally agree with other posters that working on an MA is an excellent plan. My MA was crucial to developing my research interests. I also completed my MA at night while working a full-time job. And, although it's going to be tough for me to give up the paycheck I've become accustomed to, it's been nice to earn a little money so that this round of grad school doesn't break the bank.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to love what you do!