How to get their attention?

[tiny_trevor]

So I'm hoping to apply for postgrad colleges (in the US - I'm from the UK and studying in Scotland at the moment) this September and I'm once again starting to feel like I've left everything way too late, but mostly right now, my ability to catch the attention of potential people I'd ask for a recommendation.

 

My aim ultimately is to pursue a PhD in English, focussing on Romantic Poetry. I'm currently doing a course on Romanticism and for that it seems ideal to ask the Romanticism professor for a recommendation except that I'm a very quiet student. Granted we haven't done a huge amount of poetry and that's my strength, but I feel like I haven't expressed my love for it enough (and I really do adore it, I'm just shy and freeze up if my thoughts aren't organised) to get a good enough recommendation.

 

Basically, should I try and find a different professor (I haven't asked anyone yet at least), or try pique his interest somehow? I was going to e-mail him anyway and ask for book recommendations on Romantic Poetry, but I don't know if that seems too desperate.

 

sorry for the long text x_x just not sure what to do right now

[sjoh197]

Soooo.... I don't really know how english works... and I'm sure its a lot different from the sciences. But there has to be a correlation of sorts. 

Research opportunities? Again, not sure how that works with eng lit, but is there some kind of research opportunities in your department that you can get into? Especially with said professor above?

Seminars/ Meet-ups... We would have weekly lectures with coffee and cookies and sometimes pizza and stuff where someone would come and discuss a paper he had published and then everyone would sit and chat afterwards... great opportunity to meet with people and build a repertoire with them and let them get to know you. 

[rising_star]

Instead of sending an email asking for book recommendations, why not set up an appointment to actually discuss your research interests with the professor, talk through a recent assignment you'd like to explore more in-depth, or ask about opportunities to bring your interest in poetry into the course assignments? Are you still in the course? If so, you can change the part about being a quiet student by making more frequent valuable contributions to course discussions or by asking thoughtful questions of your professor or classmates.

[tiny_trevor]

17 minutes ago, sjoh197 said:

Soooo.... I don't really know how english works... and I'm sure its a lot different from the sciences. But there has to be a correlation of sorts. 

Research opportunities? Again, not sure how that works with eng lit, but is there some kind of research opportunities in your department that you can get into? Especially with said professor above?

Seminars/ Meet-ups... We would have weekly lectures with coffee and cookies and sometimes pizza and stuff where someone would come and discuss a paper he had published and then everyone would sit and chat afterwards... great opportunity to meet with people and build a repertoire with them and let them get to know you. 

2

Yeah as far as research opportunities go, I've seen one professor ask for assistants earlier this year (In my 3 years of studying) and he specialised in Renaissance drama... I could try check again but I think we're pretty limited on that, sadly :/

Which is kind of the same with interactions.. I have 6 contact hours with professors per week (two are large lectures and two are small group seminars - like the Romanticism course. I could hope that he does a social thing at the end of the course next week... Otherwise I guess my best shot would be to try get his as my Undergrad thesis supervisor next year.

Thanks!

13 minutes ago, rising_star said:

Instead of sending an email asking for book recommendations, why not set up an appointment to actually discuss your research interests with the professor, talk through a recent assignment you'd like to explore more in-depth, or ask about opportunities to bring your interest in poetry into the course assignments? Are you still in the course? If so, you can change the part about being a quiet student by making more frequent valuable contributions to course discussions or by asking thoughtful questions of your professor or classmates.

That actually sounds like a much better idea... Because I'd be hoping for an Undergrad entry into PhD I haven't specifically thought about research much, but I have a thesis next year, so that'd be a perfect reason to ask for help coming up with something to discuss (even though it might be a bit early). The Romanticism course itself ends next Monday, that's why I'm getting worried. We're discussing Wordsworth though so I can try at least make an impression there since that's something I'm interested in... 

I'll definitely consider asking for an appointment though, thank you so much!

[emylauren2794]

You should ask him to write one for you. It couldn't hurt and a good letter of recommendation really helps. When I have them written, I'm going to ask one of my professors, my advisor and a job personnel to write one for me. If you really don't think he would write one, then ask someone else but I would ask him first and then see where to go from there. I'm sure he'd write one for you. Good luck