Santa Cruz job placements

[ILikeCatsALot45]

I decided to start a new thread since that other one is getting kind of cumbersome to go through. For anyone who has expressed interest in knowing more about Santa Cruz's job placements, I contacted Hollie and asked again if she had more detailed information about 2005-present. She replied:

"I'll have something put together for the orientation. The website is being updated as well."

I also emailed some professors who were listed on the site to ask if they encountered any particular difficulties due to the nature of the program; no one has responded.

[sonicsustain]

I talked to a professor at my current undergrad institution who graduated from UCSC 2 years ago with a PhD in Lit. She, personally, did not encounter any problems, because her focus was in ethnic American literatures (MesoAmerican, mainly). She said that it's up to the student and his/her adviser to create a curriculum conducive to the career he or she wants to pursue. So, I guess you have to pick and choose your classes well, as there aren't any specified tracks outside of the interdisciplinary concentrations they have listed.

[cyborges]

did anyone get any more information on this? i'm curious about it.

[ILikeCatsALot45]

No more info yet. Here is my dilemma. As far as my theoretical and comparative interests, this program is pretty much perfect, and some classes that I would have access to (I assume) in the History of Consciousness program make Santa Cruz an even perfect-er choice. But it's not like you can teach theory alone, and coming from an pretty standard English program, I do have really strong interests in American literature after 1865, which I'm not sure the class offerings would support--at least, that's the impression I get. I think I can fanangle them in somehow, but I don't want to be "unmarketable" because the program is so theory-centric. Any thoughts/opinions?

[cyborges]

A professor of mine just wrote me back and assured me that not only does UCSC have good placement, they are also highly respected as a Literature department. She even scoffed at the 39th ranking, which I found funny. I'm still a bit wary. You'll still be at the meet and greet on the 2nd and 3rd?

[a cup of coffee]

I think you should trust your professor, maybe ask a few other profs their opinions. The US News rankings are from a few years ago and who knows what kind of recent changes may have influenced departments, let alone the flaws in the criteria they use.

[ILikeCatsALot45]

Well, that's reassuring...kind of. I'm still wary too. I'll be there the 3rd...we should all wear name tags with our gradcafe names on them, you know, because it won't be awkward enough already.

[teaganc]

Well, that's reassuring...kind of. I'm still wary too. I'll be there the 3rd...we should all wear name tags with our gradcafe names on them, you know, because it won't be awkward enough already.

You should just discreetly ask everyone there a cat-related question, and they can respond with a code-phrase ("Oh, do you like cats... a lot?").

[sonicsustain]

You should just discreetly ask everyone there a cat-related question, and they can respond with a code-phrase ("Oh, do you like cats... a lot?").

Ha. This is great. Should we have some coded language?

Let's post a coded phrase that we can all drop randomly into conversation. Outsiders won't know what to make of it, but we'll know exactly what it's about. The more outlandish, the better.

[teaganc]

Ha. This is great. Should we have some coded language?

Let's post a coded phrase that we can all drop randomly into conversation. Outsiders won't know what to make of it, but we'll know exactly what it's about. The more outlandish, the better.

I'm not even going to be there, but here is my vote:

"I'm really looking forward to moving to Santa Cruz, because it seems so peaceful. My current neighbor has 45 cats, and, as you can imagine, it really makes for a noisy environment."

[ILikeCatsALot45]

I may just randomly meow, before, after, and/or in the middle of sentences.

[cyborges]

ilikecatsalot and lisa -- who emailed you about your acceptance? I'm wondering if whoever emailed the student becomes the assumed advisor. I'm happy with mine, if that's the case, but i'm wondering if that's the deal. Mine was Freccero, if you're curious.

in other news, i'm getting more excited about UCSC.

[Lisa]

ilikecatsalot and lisa -- who emailed you about your acceptance? I'm wondering if whoever emailed the student becomes the assumed advisor. I'm happy with mine, if that's the case, but i'm wondering if that's the deal. Mine was Freccero, if you're curious.

in other news, i'm getting more excited about UCSC.

My email was from Dr. Kinoshita, the director of grad studies in literature (but it seems like her focus is more mediterranean studies, which mine is not). I did receive a phone call from a professor but, I am ashamed to say, was so excited that I forgot her name (and forgot to ask her for it again until after I hung up). From our discussion, though, it didn't sound like she was going to be my assumed advisor, but maybe she didn't come out and say that since she was just notifying me of the dpmt's recommendation to the program?? Did any of you get a phone call??

I'm getting excited too. The visit is almost here!!

[ILikeCatsALot45]

This is what the website says:

"On entry, students are assigned an academic advisor suitable to their proposed interests. By the spring quarter of their first year, students choose an advisor in their area of concentration. Students may change advisors at any time, as they define their interests and get to know the faculty."

I'm not sure if this means the person who called is our "assigned advisor," especially since we haven't actually accepted yet, but I do think they arranged the calls according to our interests. My call was from Tyrus Miller, who I would as of this moment pick to be my advisor and who is one of the main reasons I applied there, so that was pretty cool. But as I'm really awkward at conversing on the phone, meaning I can't even talk to my best friend on it, I probably said something stupid, and he was probably left wondering why they admitted someone who has only finished eighth grade.

[cyborges]

I'm not sure if this means the person who called is our "assigned advisor," especially since we haven't actually accepted yet, but I do think they arranged the calls according to our interests. My call was from Tyrus Miller, who I would as of this moment pick to be my advisor and who is one of the main reasons I applied there, so that was pretty cool. But as I'm really awkward at conversing on the phone, meaning I can't even talk to my best friend on it, I probably said something stupid, and he was probably left wondering why they admitted someone who has only finished eighth grade.

That's sort of my feeling, especially now considering the three people on this board who have been accepted to UCSC got responses from different people. I like that. And I know what you mean about phone conversations -- I usually stall a couple of minutes so that I can breathe normally and my heart stops racing.