Comprehensive Exams

[TheSquirrel]

Hi all,

I'm going into my second year of a PhD program in PoliSci. I have 2 courses left to take, which I will be taking in the fall semester. I have been told that I have to sit for my (oral and written ) comprehensive exams (n IR and CP) in April 2012, or otherwise the autumn of 2012 or something like that. I'm thinking the latter would be too late, but I am also stressed about having to do the exam in Apil, since I pretty much won't have the time to start doing the readings/studying until end of December, after I'm done with my courses... Are 3.5 months enough to read/study for the two exams??!?! The university has a CP list that we don't really have to add much to. But we don't have an IR list. We've been told that we have to form our own list...

So I have a few questions about this:

1) Is getting worried and stressed about this at this point, a good or a bad sign? On the one hand, it's good to care about the exam (there are a few students in my cohort who don't even give a damn about it and have said that they won't start reading until January, for the exam in April). On the other hand, it really makes me feel like I don't have it in me to pass this exam... Then again, I've been suffering from impostor syndrome ever since I started the program, so maybe that's part of that.. or maybe not...?

2) Did your department give you a list, or did you have to make your own? If the latter, any strategies you used, to make sure you covered enough ground in the literature?

3) When did you start reading/studying for the comps?

4) Did you take notes while reading? I find that very difficult to do, because I find that it kills my concentration.. Once I get distracted with note-taking, it takes a while for me to go back to reading... Any strategies that you've found helpful?

5) For IR, in general, did you have to read books in their entirety, or the most important chapters of books? (maybe just skimming or skipping over case study chapters, for example?)

6) I did not take notes in any of my classes (IR or CP). I also did not take notes when doing the required readings for those classes... I just didn't have the time to read AND take notes -- barely had time to actually get the readings done. Is this generally the case? If I had taken notes on those readings, I could've saved a lot of time, because a lot of them are on my CP list (and most will probably end up being on my IR list)... Now there's no way I can remember all that I've read for those courses (especially that my brain was so overloaded during the semester), so I have to go back and re-read most if not all of them... Did that happen to any of you, or am I the only one in this boat??

Well, that's all for now... also, any other tips and strategies for studying for the comps, are welcome.

Edited July 13, 2011 by TheSquirrel

[IRdreams]

Hi all,

I'm going into my second year of a PhD program in PoliSci. I have 2 courses left to take, which I will be taking in the fall semester. I have been told that I have to sit for my (oral and written ) comprehensive exams (n IR and CP) in April 2012, or otherwise the autumn of 2012 or something like that. I'm thinking the latter would be too late, but I am also stressed about having to do the exam in Apil, since I pretty much won't have the time to start doing the readings/studying until end of December, after I'm done with my courses... Are 3.5 months enough to read/study for the two exams??!?! The university has a CP list that we don't really have to add much to. But we don't have an IR list. We've been told that we have to form our own list...

So I have a few questions about this:

1) Is getting worried and stressed about this at this point, a good or a bad sign? On the one hand, it's good to care about the exam (there are a few students in my cohort who don't even give a damn about it and have said that they won't start reading until January, for the exam in April). On the other hand, it really makes me feel like I don't have it in me to pass this exam... Then again, I've been suffering from impostor syndrome ever since I started the program, so maybe that's part of that.. or maybe not...?

I don't think it is a sign one way or the other. Exams are stressful so people get stressed. This includes people who are prepared and not. Also, you may just be a more anxious person. This says nothing about your professional competency. I definitely had imposter symptoms and was very anxious (I am always anxious though) prior to my exams and in both took the highest mark (my department gives grades rather than just pass/no pass for some sadistic reason). The moral: please don't use your mental and emotional state as a referendum on your worthiness as a future scholar and your ability to pass the exam. The exam is the referendum and more likely than not your course work will make you very well prepared to sit this exam.

2) Did your department give you a list, or did you have to make your own? If the latter, any strategies you used, to make sure you covered enough ground in the literature?

One subfield gave us a list and the field seminars were really taught to that list so studying for it was a no brainer. Take the course, be engaged, and then come exam time review a bit.

For the field that you have to make your own list, I complied my own giant syllabus. I used course syllabi from my program, but also sought ought syllabuses from other universities (particularly top programs). For IR, Trachtenberg might still have a good website compiling syllabuses from various schools. I figured that if it was on more than one syllabus it was probably generally considered an important work in the field and therefore something worth my time consulting.

3) When did you start reading/studying for the comps?

I studied through taking classes, while doing course work, and very intensely during the two weeks up leading to the exam. Your main emphasis in grad school is on research. Honestly, you should take the least time possible passing these exams. Only your program cares about them. Once you pass this hoop, no one cares. What matters to your future is the research you produce. If there is a time trade off between these two, pick research every time. Leave a couple of weeks right before the lead up to refresh though.

4) Did you take notes while reading? I find that very difficult to do, because I find that it kills my concentration.. Once I get distracted with note-taking, it takes a while for me to go back to reading... Any strategies that you've found helpful?

So I take notes while reading usually. However, an option for you might be to take notes immediately following reading an article or a chapter. Use the structure of the work as a determinant of when it is a good place to take a break and note down your thoughts on the work as well as the work's central point, evidence and findings. Keohane has a good form for how to evaluate social science research which I will give out to grad students when I have my own. Some one in your faculty may have something similar as a guide for what to take note specifically on.

5) For IR, in general, did you have to read books in their entirety, or the most important chapters of books? (maybe just skimming or skipping over case study chapters, for example?)

Focus on important chapters. Rarely is it that the whole book made a revolutionary contribution. Syllabuses are again a good guide to which chapters are key. There is not a general rule about what to skip. In some book, it is case studies, in others it is the theory chapter. Use seniors people in your field as a judge which is why I employ syllabuses in so much of my advice and own test taking.

6) I did not take notes in any of my classes (IR or CP). I also did not take notes when doing the required readings for those classes... I just didn't have the time to read AND take notes -- barely had time to actually get the readings done. Is this generally the case? If I had taken notes on those readings, I could've saved a lot of time, because a lot of them are on my CP list (and most will probably end up being on my IR list)... Now there's no way I can remember all that I've read for those courses (especially that my brain was so overloaded during the semester), so I have to go back and re-read most if not all of them... Did that happen to any of you, or am I the only one in this boat??

This is concerning to me. You might be able to find notes collectives online. I know Harvard has one to help fill in some of your gaps, but you should at the very least take your course syllabuses and annotate them. On the bright side, I regularly reread things for exams. This is inefficient, but if you commit to speed reading and recognizing that this is not the best form of learning some triage might be doable.

Well, that's all for now... also, any other tips and strategies for studying for the comps, are welcome.

Edited July 14, 2011 by IRdreams

[TheSquirrel]

Hey IRDreams,

Thanks so much for the reply. Very helpful tips and info.

For some reason, my department has been working real hard to spook us all about the comprehensive exams. Not sure why. We're a small program, and so far, of the 5 people who have sat for the exam in the past 2 years, only 3 have succeeded (and I have been told that one of the ones who passed, barely did so... i.e. they were thinking seriously about failing him)... Granted that they were not exceptionally great students, but the numbers are rather worrying.. Anyhow, I know I shouldn't be paying attenion to the stats and just focus on reading/studying and be more self-confident, but it's unnerving.

That said, the more I read, the more I gain in confidence. My major problem is, like I said, note-taking. I need to see the bigger picture before I take notes, and sometimes that doesn't happen until I'm done with the entire book, by which time I would be wondeirng what to write in my notes and what not to write... and even forgetting some important details. Also, it's easier to take notes on some books than others. Some authors have a terrible style and you can't even copy-paste portions of it, because it takes them pages upon pages to just express an idea.

Also, some people in my program (and some profs even) told me that they often did not read books, but instead read book reviews of certain books. I'm not sure if I can do that. I mean, it's a huge time-saver, but that's sort of like cheating yourself... And I wouldn't feel confident to go into an exam without having read all of that stuff myself, instead having to rely on others' readings of them.

Anyhow, you mentioned Trachtenberg re: syllabi.. did you mean this: http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/polisci/faculty/trachtenberg/methbk/SelSyl.html ?

I found this after I googled Trachtenberg, thanks to you. It's an amazing resource. Thanks!

[IRdreams]

Hi Squirrel,

So the notes collaborative I was thinking about is here: http://www.olivialau.org/ir/archive/

(It is IR specific and there may be others if you looked, but this is the one that I found. On Lau's website there is stuff for Harvard as well as some dated Stanford stuff, but it is pretty solid).

The Trachtenberg link you found was the one I was thinking about.

I don't know why your department is using scare tactics, especially considering it is a small department, but preparation is the key regardless.

I personally would feel uncomfortable with book reviews for a few reasons. Obviously, they are a very limited due to space. Second, they don't always focus on the sorts of things that exam takers need to analyze work on. That being said, I feel more comfortable rellying on book reviews and note colloborative notes if I have at least skimmed the text a little so there might be a middle ground. Book reviews can be another good source for figuring out what portion of a book to focus on as they do tend to point out the contribution the author is making.

[IRdreams]

I was given this by a student of Keohane and I believe that Keohane deserves the credit for developing this so please don't attribute it to me. I copied and pasted it from a word document so sorry about the weird formatting. This is generally what I aspire to use when evaluating Polisci research. Key word being aspire. It is obviously a long laundry list for some articles. Therefore, you should tailor it to your needs. For example, I rarely focus to much on the IV and DV since this comes naturally to me. For an exam, I would definitely make sure that you answer the question about what are possible alternative explanations that the author didn't consider. This question is great for coming up with your own critique of the work, which is usually something exam committees want to see. Hope this helps!

Using a template like this might help you structure your thoughts and notes on the reading.

@Squirrel: I would say that copying and pasting is an inefficient way to take notes. Always try to reformulate what the author has said in your own words. This makes it shorter and puts it in a language structure that should be easier for you to follow. Plus, this requires some creative energy so it is a more active process which is likely to stick with you longer than a mere copy/paste job.

Questions to consider in formulating and evaluating social science research

1. What is the central question?

a. Why is it important (theoretically, substantively)?

b. What is being explained (What is the dependent variable and how does it vary)?

c. How does this phenomenon present a puzzle?

2. What is the central answer?

a. What is doing the explaining (what are the independent variables and how do they vary)?

b. What are the hypotheses, i.e., what is the relationship between independent and dependent variables, what kind of change in the independent variables causes what kind of change in the dependent variable?

c. What are the causal mechanisms, ie, why are the independent and dependent variables so related?

d. How do the independent variables related to eachother?

e. What assumptions does the theory make?

f. Is the theory falsifiable in concept?

g. What does this explanation add to our understanding of the question?

3. What are the possible alternative explanations?

a. What assumptions are you making about the direction of causality?

b. What other explanations might there be for the phenomenon of study, and to what degree do they conflict with the central answer?

c. Could the hypothesized relationships have occurred by chance?

4. Why are possible alternative explanations wrong?

a. What is the logical structure of the alternative explanation?

b. What is the empirical evidence?

5. What is the relationship between the theory and the evidence?

a. What does the research allow to vary, i.e. in this design are the explanations variables or constants?

b. What does your research design hold constant, i.e. does it help to rule out the alternative competing explanations/

c. How are the theoretical constructs represented empirically, i.e. how do you know it when you see it (measurement)?

6. How do empirical conclusions relate to the theory?

a. How confident are you about the theory in light of the evidence?

b. How widely do the conclusions generalize, i.e. what might the limitations of the study? Scope conditions?

c. What does the provisionally accepted or revised theory say about questions of broader importance?

Edited July 19, 2011 by IRdreams

[s58]

You can also access the reading lists for comp exams provided by Yale: http://www.yale.edu/polisci/gradprogram/readings.html

[Ludes99]

Squirrel,

A technique I use for taking notes is to first write a paragraph or two of my thoughts and summary of the book/article immediately after completing the book. Then, if time allows, I write up the answers to a list of questions similar to that which IRDreams provided above. I rarely spend more that 10-20 minutes writing the initial two paragraphs, but have found it extremely valuable for retention and later reference when writing papers and exams. Also, if I own and plan to keep the book, I will take notes in the margins so as not to loose thoughts I have while reading, a technique which also helps me retrace my thoughts once I am done with the book. These notes in the margins are rarely longer than 5 words.

Hope this helps and good luck!

Edited July 22, 2011 by Ludes99

[IRdreams]

The last question I tend to ask my self which I realize the Keohane list doesn't include is:

How could this research be extended (by myself or others)?

I found that when writing exams I got a lot of positive comments concerning the sections in which I laid out a not currently extant research agenda related to the great books and discussed strategies for evaluating a related hypothesis which extends from the readings. I later talked with my adviser and he brought up the fact that this had really distinguished my responses from others in a flattering way.

His reasoning: graduate students are very good at critically evaluating research (the questions Keohane proposes are mostly of this nature) but they tend to conflate critical analysis with tearing something to shreds. By extending the work, you wind up highlighting its strengths which generally reflects a more balanced assessment of the study since all studies you will find on a grad reading list will have strengths and weakness but certainly enough strengths to get them published. Moreover, outlining a research plan in a paragraph or a few (depending on length and time constraints) highlights the skills the program is actually trying to instill within you. At the end of the day, they are really hoping we will move beyond the role of critic and into the role of researcher and this reflects your thoughts on how to actually implement a research question and so suggests that you are making that transition.