The Next Step: Fall 2013ers

[Swagato]

FYI the Cinema department at Chicago just made three-four star hires. Enjoy!

[dazedandbemused]

Yeah I don't understand the logic of that. Students are given a stipend, but there's no way the stipend would cover even a fraction of tuition costs so grad students will still have to take out easily +$100k in loans unless they have a fairly hefty fellowship already.

Just wanted to clarify, that they use the statement "tuition assistance" instead of "tuition waiver" because we do have to pay some tuition here. Comp Lit students usually have TA-ships in other departments, and if you're a TA and you register for in-state tuition, you're actually paying about $270 a semester for tuition. It's not free, but it certainly isn't $100k.

[jazzyd]

Just wanted to clarify, that they use the statement "tuition assistance" instead of "tuition waiver" because we do have to pay some tuition here. Comp Lit students usually have TA-ships in other departments, and if you're a TA and you register for in-state tuition, you're actually paying about $270 a semester for tuition. It's not free, but it certainly isn't $100k.

 

Ah, that makes sense then. So it's a stipend in addition to a large reduction in the cost of tuition. Hopefully Rose Egypt sees that. 

[aGiRlCalLeDApPlE]

Ah, that makes sense then. So it's a stipend in addition to a large reduction in the cost of tuition. Hopefully Rose Egypt sees that. 

I just saw that, and it does make sense in this case. I'll apply then

[guinevere29]

Just wanted to clarify, that they use the statement "tuition assistance" instead of "tuition waiver" because we do have to pay some tuition here. Comp Lit students usually have TA-ships in other departments, and if you're a TA and you register for in-state tuition, you're actually paying about $270 a semester for tuition. It's not free, but it certainly isn't $100k.

 

This may be the equivalent of having to pay "non-remissable fees" at other schools. We probably end up paying that much in fees for various things at my school, but technically tuition is waived. Poorly worded though on UT's part.

[dazedandbemused]

This may be the equivalent of having to pay "non-remissable fees" at other schools. We probably end up paying that much in fees for various things at my school, but technically tuition is waived. Poorly worded though on UT's part.

Yeah, I don't know why comp lit's website has it worded so badly. It's much more clearly described on the English page.

[aGiRlCalLeDApPlE]

UT comp. lit. admissions page is even worse. It keeps repeating what is required for domestic students versus that which is required for international students and some parts at the end of the page are missing. I don't know how they never notice that. Anyway, I'll try to survive their (re)application process this year and see what happens later 

[jazzyd]

Well, I'm sure everyone is knee deep in classes but I've finally registered for mine! As it goes I only have class two days a week so I won't have my first class for a week and two days, but I have reading due before then and orientation activities that will keep me plenty busy I'm sure.

 

How is everyone else doing?

[practical cat]

 

How is everyone else doing?

 

Tired.

 

No but really it is great and I love it here.

[ProfLorax]

Well, I'm sure everyone is knee deep in classes but I've finally registered for mine! As it goes I only have class two days a week so I won't have my first class for a week and two days, but I have reading due before then and orientation activities that will keep me plenty busy I'm sure.

 

How is everyone else doing?

WOW! I can't believe you haven't started classes yet. I don't know if I'm jealous or not, ha! I am in Week 4 of classes, and I am so in love with my program. The professors are all incredibly generous with their time, and my peers are supportive and welcoming. 

 

However, like girlwhowearsglasses, I am tired. Constantly! It took me a few weeks to get back into the swing of things, especially after a three year hiatus of reading mostly student writing. I have had to retrain myself how to read academic prose both thoroughly and efficiently. Still working on it, but I feel myself getting quicker each week. Also, I had forgotten how physically exhausting deep thinking can really be! 

 

But overall, I'm loving it. I will be writing three seminar papers this semester: one on Twitter hashtags, the second on an online zine, and the third on community college policies. I am really stunned that I am able-- nay, encouraged-- to explore topics I find fascinating, no matter how obscure they may be, as long as I can articulate my theoretical framework and the relevance to the field. My PhD program is so much freer than my MA program was. I am drunk with nerdy giddiness!

[aGiRlCalLeDApPlE]

WOW! I can't believe you haven't started classes yet. I don't know if I'm jealous or not, ha! I am in Week 4 of classes, and I am so in love with my program. The professors are all incredibly generous with their time, and my peers are supportive and welcoming. 

 

However, like girlwhowearsglasses, I am tired. Constantly! It took me a few weeks to get back into the swing of things, especially after a three year hiatus of reading mostly student writing. I have had to retrain myself how to read academic prose both thoroughly and efficiently. Still working on it, but I feel myself getting quicker each week. Also, I had forgotten how physically exhausting deep thinking can really be! 

 

But overall, I'm loving it. I will be writing three seminar papers this semester: one on Twitter hashtags, the second on an online zine, and the third on community college policies. I am really stunned that I am able-- nay, encouraged-- to explore topics I find fascinating, no matter how obscure they may be, as long as I can articulate my theoretical framework and the relevance to the field. My PhD program is so much freer than my MA program was. I am drunk with nerdy giddiness!

Hi Proflorax, glad to hear all is well. I don't really know anything about the topic but I thought you might want take a look at this:

http://orbala.blogspot.com/2013/09/call-for-papers-hashtag-publics-edited.html#more

Sorry if this doesn't interest you, just wanted to help

[ProfLorax]

Rose Egypt, that CFP is amazing! Thank you for sharing; my project would fit perfectly into that collection! Internet High Five! 

[aGiRlCalLeDApPlE]

Well, I'm so glad to be able to help. Good luck

[jazzyd]

Long time no chat, peeps. Still hanging in there?

[skybythelight]

Trying! Today makes it just about exactly one month since classes started for me, and I already feel like it's been years. We're on a quarter system at UW, and it just totally flies.

[bfat]

Alive, but exhausted. Are any of the rest of you in non-seminar "research" courses that are required by the department? My whole cohort is enrolled in one, and it's beneficial in a lot of ways but also exasperating. So. Many. Assignments!

 

Seminars are going very well, though I have so many books out from the library, I'm afraid I'll have to haul a wheelbarrow to school at the end of the semester.

[ProfLorax]

It's great to see y'all here again! Me? I'm plugging along, reading everything that has ever been written. The fun thing is that I am still in that stage where I feel inspired by every single new thing I learn... I hope that doesn't go away any time soon!

 

Also, I recently discovered I need glasses for reading. Turns out, I have the most minor of minor eye issues. But since I read all the time, the minor eye issue led to headaches and fatigue. Now, I have my first pair of glasses and my reading is so much faster and painfree. I'm a cyborg! And an adorable one, at that.

[Datatape]

I'm in three seminars this semester, two are required in our first semester and the third is the cornerstone for a graduate certificate.  Tons of reading, tons of writing, but I'm having a really great time.  It's the good kind of exhausted, I guess.  Next semester I'm taking a class on ecological restoration with the woman who wrote the book on ecocriticism, which I can't wait for.  There's so many classes that I want to take here - it's like getting a huge assortment of delicious looking candies and being told you can only pick out two or three at a time.

Edited October 25, 2013 by Datatape

[dazedandbemused]

I decided to take two theory seminars this semester, so I'm pretty much knee deep right now, but not overwhelmed yet It's been a pretty great semester all around. Getting used to standing in front of a classroom full of students was nerve-wracking, but it's also confirmed my feelings about teaching being awesome. We've got about a month and a half of the semester left, so it's now full speed ahead with my final papers, plus I've got my fingers crossed for a panel that I submitted with a few friends from Pitt. We just did our advising for next semester, and I'm ridiculously excited about not being on campus at 9 AM everyday!

 

 

It's the little things.

[practical cat]

I'm reading about ecocriticism RIGHT NOW, datatape!

 

I'm REALLY happy here. People are great, I'm excited about my upcoming (yikes) seminar papers, Boston is the greatest place ever. My interests are taking new/unexpected (but actually should've been very predictable whatever) directions and I'm just feeling really creative in a way I'd forgotten I could be.

[jrockford27]

Just starting to really get comfortable with expectations.  The first few weeks I felt totally adrift, and when I wasn't adrift, I felt like I was on eggshells.  But I gave a killer presentation this week and it had this weird way of making me feel like I actually know what I'm doing.  I am halfway done with my first seminar paper (trying to get a jump so I don't get decked with too much work in December). I knew there would be a lot of reading, but one of my classes is just absurd.  Yet, the absurdity is rewarding, because it's really fascinating stuff we're reading.

 

 I helped in a small way to put on the conference that the graduate students in the department put on every year, and partied with grad students from across the continent over the weekend, and saw lots of great panels from grad students that both inspired me and made me anxious that I need to start doing meaningful work.

 

My biggest surprise is that I don't feel, with all the course reading and seminar papers, that I don't have time to pursue anything outside of class right now.  I'm trying to figure out when I'm supposed to have time to do all the other academic career related stuff I'm supposed to be doing.   

Edited October 26, 2013 by jrockford27