Not to scare off potential applicants, but...

[RelaxButterfly]

...are any of you August/September 2012 starters feeling like you're completely overwhelmed in your MA program so far? I'm in a stream where I take three courses a semester, which doesn't sound like a lot, but there's around 400 pages of reading a week, and I'm about to lose my mind, especially since, due to my poor eyesight, I'm limited to about 10 pages read an hour unless I want to suffer massive headaches that will make me stop reading for the entire day. And I have teaching responsibilities on top of that. Please tell me I'm not the only one living in constant anxiety!

*Disclaimer: English MA programs are still amazing. I love the one I'm in, just not adjusting too well.*

[ProfLorax]

Hi AmandaC! I just wanted to tell you that you are not alone. I graduated with my MA in 2010, but I was miserable my first semester. I was plagued with imposture syndrome as I noticed how much smarter everyone else seemed to be, and I was drowning in reading that I hated. I even spoke to the Women's Studies department about the application process, and I had planned to apply to the WS MA program the next semester. I was certain that an MA in English was not the right road for me.

That was until I checked my grades a few weeks after my first semester ended. I got a 4.0. My scariest professor told me that my paper was the best from the class. I'm not sharing this to brag; I promise! But it was such a relief to realize that my self-doubt was based on my anxiety-- not my actual skill level. I stayed in my MA program, and I thrived. I found out later that EVERYONE felt the same way about the first semester, which is hilarious, because I thought that everyone else had such a firmer handle on the coursework than I did. But we were all lost!

So yes, I remember that first semester. It's rough. But it could be the start of an amazing journey for you! My (unsolicited) advice is to get involved with the grad lit association if your program has one. I know that my MA cohort wasn't super close, but mostly because most MA students had families, commuted, or had full-time jobs. Fortunately, the rest of us got together and created an awesome support system that helped us get through the program.

You got this!

[waparys]

I just finished a UK master's and I can tell you, I felt the same. And I only had two courses a semester! You just have to be smart about the reading and prioritize. Realize that, at the end of the semester, you're not going to be asked to write a paper on everything you've read.

And I know what you mean about the other students...we had a really mixed, international group so everyone came from a different background and expected something else from classroom discussions. There was definitely an adjustment period.

[obrera]

Don't feel alone. I'm three week in to my MA program, and it's pretty daunting. We're starting grant applications and such, and I'm feeling like I should hang up the towel. But so is everyone else, so keep your head up. Everyone is in the same boat, and you will get your MA.

[harvardlonghorn]

I'm in roughly the last semester of my masters program and I am filled with daily anxiety. I work 40 hours a week on top of that so it is has been extremely stressful. I love my program and I love the experience but it has raised some questions and long-term concerns for me. I had planned on entering the Fall 2013 PhD application cycle, but right now I'm way too stressed out to try and put together a coherent application packet. I have to finish my thesis proposal and my last couple of classes, then write my thesis . Right now I am only concentrating on finishing my masters and maintaining my sanity.