The Graduate School Ponzi Scheme
Dear Prospective Students,
I thought of addressing this post to my former self when I was eager to attend a PhD English program--when I was totally committed to getting in, doing well, joining the profession. But I write to you as I am. I have a new PhD, it's from a program many of you wish to join, and I have been successful publishing my work. However, after years of hard, painstaking work, I find myself living a nightmare of despair, frustration, and anger. I'll spare you the particulars,
Speaking personally, I feel forced to engage on job market stuff because people on here constantly say some version of "I know how bad the market is," and then turn around and say things that demonstrate that they really don't know how bad it is.
Look, I've said it many times: I made the right decision by going to grad school, personally. It's been a lovely, fulfilling time. And as with others on this board, when I started I had been on the job market for two years and got nothing remotely w
