tvethiopia Posted January 6, 2017 Posted January 6, 2017 45 minutes ago, cloudyword said: Thank you @Glasperlenspieler and @tvethiopia for the advice. Yes, I think I'll learn better with background knowledge first. I've been trying to figure out grammar rules (even French pronunciation, how naive!) simply by doing and re-doing my Duolingo sections. I guess it's time to strengthen it with more beef. Actually, I've been thinking about adding: 45. Figure out the big picture of the graduate years ahead. I'm reading Graduate Study for the 21st Century, hoping not to ruin my graduate life with stupid/rude mistakes. Most know-hows in the book might still sound vague and distant at this stage, but I do think a big picture of time-frame to graduation and workload to fulfill requirements in time would help alleviate my shock, if I ever get in. Any other useful guidebook/blog/article to read? 23 minutes ago, Yanaka said: I have to say, it's very, VERY american to read books like that is it? how so? i'm such a total sucker for that kind of stuff; even when it's not actually useful, it's always an interesting read. anyone know of any good books about grad life that are specific to humanities? i find way too often when i flip through books about grad school they are mostly focused on sciences, and not always relevant to the humanities grad experience.
ohthehumanities Posted January 7, 2017 Posted January 7, 2017 8 hours ago, tvethiopia said: anyone know of any good books about grad life that are specific to humanities? i find way too often when i flip through books about grad school they are mostly focused on sciences, and not always relevant to the humanities grad experience. Haven't had the chance to read it yet, and it's not a guidebook, but Elif Batuman's collection of essays The Possessed: Adventures with Russian Books and the People Who Read Them sounds like nice jaunt for anyone who can't get their mind off the prospect of doing a PhD in the humanities.
cloudyword Posted January 7, 2017 Posted January 7, 2017 12 hours ago, Yanaka said: I have to say, it's very, VERY american to read books like that Well... I don't quite get it. I don't see how this is specifically American. I'm not an American, but I simply want to know how graduate system works in the U.S., which is also where I'm heading to. 11 hours ago, tvethiopia said: is it? how so? i'm such a total sucker for that kind of stuff; even when it's not actually useful, it's always an interesting read. anyone know of any good books about grad life that are specific to humanities? i find way too often when i flip through books about grad school they are mostly focused on sciences, and not always relevant to the humanities grad experience. I definitely recommend you read Graduate School in the 21st Century! I have the same concern until I found this one book. It's dedicated to the humanities, and the writer himself is a faculty in English. It's not simply for graduate students in English programs, though. Some of the details/examples are drawn from departments like Art History, History, etc. Maybe you can take a look at the table of content and intro and see if such book interests you in any way. I plan to quickly go through it once and consult it later in details when I'm officially a grad student. angel_kaye13 1
Yanaka Posted January 7, 2017 Posted January 7, 2017 (edited) You're right @cloudyword, it should be all the more helpful for those like us who also need to understand the US school system. Edited January 7, 2017 by Yanaka
day_manderly Posted January 10, 2017 Posted January 10, 2017 47. Go dancing, as there is a good chance you have not done a lot of that, being nerds and all. 48. Decide on a signature sweater/shoes/perfume/dish. Research it. Make sure you know as much as you can about it. (I myself spent a day reading about classic perfumes, and now I can totally speak the language: 'aromatic' (as in the type of notes), 'oriental' (meaning a fragrance family), 'base notes', etc.
tvethiopia Posted January 11, 2017 Posted January 11, 2017 On 1/7/2017 at 1:41 AM, cloudyword said: I definitely recommend you read Graduate School in the 21st Century! I have the same concern until I found this one book just got this from the library and whooooaaaaa i'm definitely going to have to buy a copy of my own! the appendix of sample professional documents alone is totally worth it. this book seems to cover a lot of ground in a pretty approachable way, i'm super excited to dig into it! thanks so much for the recommendation! Yanaka 1
TeaOverCoffee Posted January 12, 2017 Posted January 12, 2017 (edited) 49. Puke profusely on January 20. 50. Ask myself again and again why I didn't apply to Canadian programs to be with Justin. Edited January 12, 2017 by TeaOverCoffee day_manderly, anxiousphd, tvethiopia and 3 others 6
cloudyword Posted January 12, 2017 Posted January 12, 2017 13 hours ago, tvethiopia said: just got this from the library and whooooaaaaa i'm definitely going to have to buy a copy of my own! the appendix of sample professional documents alone is totally worth it. this book seems to cover a lot of ground in a pretty approachable way, i'm super excited to dig into it! thanks so much for the recommendation! Glad to know you like it!
CoffeeFueledAnxiety Posted January 12, 2017 Posted January 12, 2017 51. Search for European MS Program with late deadline and scholarship as a backup plan 52. Go over the pros and cons of getting an MS as a backup plan
Yanaka Posted January 12, 2017 Posted January 12, 2017 5 hours ago, TeaOverCoffee said: 50. Ask myself again and again why I didn't apply to Canadian programs to be with Justin. Hahahaha so true!!
Dr. Old Bill Posted January 12, 2017 Author Posted January 12, 2017 53. Go to the National Gallery of Art and revel in the mastery of bygone geniuses 54. Go to the National Museum of African American History and Culture and realize that the struggles of current or aspiring grad students aren't really struggles at all... Seriously, I did both yesterday, and after the NMAAHC I was simultaneously heartened by the resilience after oppression, and nauseated by the inescapable sensation of history repeating... The exhibit ends with the inauguration of Obama, and like I said to the friend I was with, they might as well have just had an open pit to throw ourselves into afterward, rather than a traditional exit... Narrative Nancy, avflinsch and tvethiopia 3
Scarlet A+ Posted January 12, 2017 Posted January 12, 2017 On 1/4/2017 at 6:48 PM, Wyatt's Terps said: Find out when your desired programs' Admitted Students days are and check flight or drive options @Wyatt's Terps, how do you find the programs' Admitted Students days? I tried checking on the Syracuse University website, but couldn't find it.
claritus Posted January 12, 2017 Posted January 12, 2017 14 hours ago, TeaOverCoffee said: 50. Ask myself again and again why I didn't apply to Canadian programs to be with Justin. Oh lord, as a Canadian believe me, Justin Trudeau is not the wonderful dreamboat he is portrayed as. He's currently pushing pipelines through unceded Indigenous territory, accepting political donations from wealthy business people in exchange for meetings, and backsliding on promises he made about electoral reform. He's another dangerous political hack, the only difference is that he's pretty and has mastered the art of hollow "progressive" press-statements. Dr. Old Bill and Amanda87 2
Dr. Old Bill Posted January 12, 2017 Author Posted January 12, 2017 2 hours ago, ChloeCriss said: @Wyatt's Terps, how do you find the programs' Admitted Students days? I tried checking on the Syracuse University website, but couldn't find it. You just have to poke around on the program websites. Some list them (Rutgers, for instance, which is having theirs on March 20th/21st), and some don't. 54 minutes ago, claritus said: Oh lord, as a Canadian believe me, Justin Trudeau is not the wonderful dreamboat he is portrayed as. He's currently pushing pipelines through unceded Indigenous territory, accepting political donations from wealthy business people in exchange for meetings, and backsliding on promises he made about electoral reform. He's another dangerous political hack, the only difference is that he's pretty and has mastered the art of hollow "progressive" press-statements. Yeah, Trudeau's not all he's cracked up to be. I'm a tad biased, as I was a Harper supporter for the most part (funny to think that Harper would be considered a centrist liberal in this country...), but Trudeau doesn't have much beyond the name, the good looks, and the heaps of money that his fiscally responsible forebears left in the national kitty... Having said all of that, I'm rather rueful that funding is such an issue with Canadian institutions. I seriously considered U of T, but I probably wouldn't have been able to get a tuition grant since I haven't been a Canadian resident for seven years. When I visited my parents in Vancouver a few weeks ago, I realized -- for the first time -- that I rather miss my home and native land. I'm glad I have dual citizenship (technically triple, as I'm a New Zealand citizen as well), but a return to Canada may well be a "plan B" for me...
claritus Posted January 12, 2017 Posted January 12, 2017 Ack, I don't know. As far as I'm concerned Harper was essentially evil, and if you were to drop him into the current American climate he'd fit right in. I mean, he was leader of the Conservatives when they proposed a "barbaric cultural practices" hotline. That alongside Bill-C51, the robocalling scandal, prorogation of parliament, destruction of scientific evidence & cuts to scientific research—I could go on and on. He also set the stage for Trudeau's current evasion of responsibility by pioneering the culture of the total non-answer in the House of Commons... Re. Canadian schools—you would still be eligible for a SSHRC grant, no? As far as I'm aware citizenship or permanent residency is enough for eligibility, and there is pretty significant $$$ at stake. I suppose at this point in time it's not really all that useful, but when postdocs are in question it could be. Your Canadian citizenship will also give you a leg-up when it comes to Canadian jobs, eh.
claritus Posted January 12, 2017 Posted January 12, 2017 Also, to not diverge from the topic: 55. Read the Complete/Collected Works of a poet. I'm working through the recent 1000+ page Adrienne Rich Collected Poems and it is glorious. tvethiopia 1
Dr. Old Bill Posted January 12, 2017 Author Posted January 12, 2017 12 minutes ago, claritus said: Ack, I don't know. As far as I'm concerned Harper was essentially evil, and if you were to drop him into the current American climate he'd fit right in. I mean, he was leader of the Conservatives when they proposed a "barbaric cultural practices" hotline. That alongside Bill-C51, the robocalling scandal, prorogation of parliament, destruction of scientific evidence & cuts to scientific research—I could go on and on. He also set the stage for Trudeau's current evasion of responsibility by pioneering the culture of the total non-answer in the House of Commons... Weeell...fair enough. One of the nice things about being Canadian (especially with regard to politics) is that we can legitimately agree to disagree...and very politely. I liked Harper, but I'm not going to deny that I understand why so many did not like him in the least. At the end of the day, I'd take Trudeau, Harper, Mulclair, or even Fortin over the poor excuse for a human being that is taking office in the U.S. next week... Re. Canadian schools—you would still be eligible for a SSHRC grant, no? As far as I'm aware citizenship or permanent residency is enough for eligibility, and there is pretty significant $$$ at stake. I suppose at this point in time it's not really all that useful, but when postdocs are in question it could be. Your Canadian citizenship will also give you a leg-up when it comes to Canadian jobs, eh. Yeah, I poked my nose into SSHRC grants, but it just wasn't viable for this cycle (I can't remember the specific reason -- perhaps a deadline?). Ultimately, however, I think there's a VERY good chance that if I get into a Ph.D. program down here and if I succeed and go on the job market, I will look very seriously at Canadian programs. A few weeks ago, completely on a lark, I looked at the job openings for early modern English professors, and there was an opening at the University of Saskatchewan with a starting salary in the six figures. Not that I'm in it for the money, but still... 3 minutes ago, claritus said: Also, to not diverge from the topic: 55. Read the Complete/Collected Works of a poet. I'm working through the recent 1000+ page Adrienne Rich Collected Poems and it is glorious. That's a good one! I haven't read a ton of Rich, but I've truly enjoyed what I have read. I'll be revisiting a few of her works in one of my spring courses ("Diving into the Wreck" and "Snapshots of a Daughter-in-Law).
ProfessionalNerd Posted January 13, 2017 Posted January 13, 2017 56. Actually read all the books in my my bookshelf. 57. Finish my masters thesis 58. When I finally finish the thesis, work on my poetry. 59. Sleep for a proper 8 hours (if my body even knows how to do that anymore). tvethiopia 1
Glasperlenspieler Posted January 13, 2017 Posted January 13, 2017 10 minutes ago, ProfessionalNerd said: 56. Actually read all the books in my my bookshelf. I feel like this might trigger the apocalypse, if I were actually to do it. At the very least, I wouldn't know what to do with myself. Buy more books probably. Luckily, I'm in no danger of this happening any time soon. biyutefulphlower 1
Dr. Old Bill Posted January 13, 2017 Author Posted January 13, 2017 6 hours ago, ProfessionalNerd said: 56. Actually read all the books in my my bookshelf. 5 hours ago, Glasperlenspieler said: I feel like this might trigger the apocalypse, if I were actually to do it. At the very least, I wouldn't know what to do with myself. Buy more books probably. Luckily, I'm in no danger of this happening any time soon. Ha! Yes, and the older you get, and the more books you accrue, the wider the gap between the read and unread becomes... As I was telling a friend the other day, my rule of thumb is to always have half of the books on my bookshelf read. Since I'm a sucker for buying books (I even keep an inventory...608 books of literary merit and counting...), that takes some serious discipline!
tvethiopia Posted January 13, 2017 Posted January 13, 2017 7 hours ago, ProfessionalNerd said: 58. When I finally finish the thesis, work on my poetry. yes! i just finished my masters in december and i've started playing around with writing fiction, which i haven't done in ages. it's so nice to work on something totally different, like stretching your legs after being in a cramped space.
tvethiopia Posted January 16, 2017 Posted January 16, 2017 just a quick update on how i'm doing. biyutefulphlower, iDance, Dr. Old Bill and 2 others 5
day_manderly Posted January 16, 2017 Posted January 16, 2017 5 minutes ago, tvethiopia said: just a quick update on how i'm doing. Awesome!
erosanddust Posted January 16, 2017 Posted January 16, 2017 On 2017-01-12 at 2:46 PM, Wyatt's Terps said: Having said all of that, I'm rather rueful that funding is such an issue with Canadian institutions. I seriously considered U of T, but I probably wouldn't have been able to get a tuition grant since I haven't been a Canadian resident for seven years. When I visited my parents in Vancouver a few weeks ago, I realized -- for the first time -- that I rather miss my home and native land. I might have overlooked some clause of eligibility, but in case it's helpful to future non-resident applicants, U of T English's site actually now states that it's "the first Canadian University to offer a guaranteed level of financial support for graduate students pursuing doctoral degrees" (tuition + $15,000 stipend for 5 years through fellowships and assistantships). Also, it sounds like our respective visits home to Vancouver coincided. What a beautiful winter it's been there! Dr. Old Bill 1
CoffeeFueledAnxiety Posted January 19, 2017 Posted January 19, 2017 On 1/13/2017 at 0:47 PM, ProfessionalNerd said: 59. Sleep for a proper 8 hours (if my body even knows how to do that anymore). Definitely something I should try. I have been tracking my sleep in the last 2 months and so far had only 1 night of proper 8h sleep. Now even though my schedule allows for that amount of sleep, this waiting anxiety does not help my sleep at all *sigh*
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