what the fuck am i getting myself into with this grad school stuff

Appropos of nothing in particular, this link was posted on one of the STS mailing lists I subscribe to. Offer of 2 phd studentships in Norway. 3 years at $60,000 a year, bring your own (Zero emissions buildings) research topic and make your way to Trondheim:

https://secure.jobbnorge.no/job.aspx?jobid=64830

That 'Benton' "Big Lie" article seems a bit ridiculous to me. The basic premise that a PhD in comparative literature does not offer the widest range of career opportunities seems pretty obvious but this article comes off as OTT fear-mongering. If he were supporting his argument with the statistics he encourages students to find for themselves ("the rate of attrition, the average amount of debt at graduation, and, most important, the placement of graduates...") or with actual interviews with actual graduates, I could take it more seriously. AFAICT, though, he seems to argue his point primarily by relating a fictional sob story about a hypothetical student (whose blue-collar or middle-class family enthusiastically supported her decision to pursue a comp lit PhD - as all such families presumably do? - because of the ever-pervasive lie that this was a ticket to a comfortable career). Anyone who lives in MI should be aware that economic times are tough and jobs are scarce for the working class as well, despite the success of the hypothetical student's hypothetical brother. And even if a PhD does need to go to a community college or a professional college to get certification in something other than comparative literature and does end up working under people younger than her or less educated than her, that does not strike me as something that should necessarily be a totally demeaning, soul-crushing fate. Writing skills are valuable. And, yes, comp lit != all the arts or humanities.

right but ten years getting a doctorate, to have that just boil down to "writing skills", that IS pretty soul crushing imo

he implies a very unfavorable numbers game but he doesn't provide the numbers himself, it's true. it would strengthen his argument if he did. i always kind of assumed that the number of people who get a PhD from an American university in 1 year are probably enough to fill ALL of the openings in ALL university departments in that field. it's a huge pool of qualified applicants for a tiny number of jobs. and that's true of every industry these days, but the time and effort and cost that goes into becoming a qualified applicant really really magnifies the gamble.

thx for the advice guys, I will give you 10% credit if I'm successful and 100% blame if I'm not.

If everything goes to plan, I'm gonna graduate this August! w00t! But holy fuck this semester is driving me absolutely crazy.

(I suppose I am critiquing Benton's argument more than his premise.)

I've just been accepted for an English PhD. What the fuck am I getting myself into?

congratulations!!

congratulation!

Haha, thanks you guys. I'm kind of terrified, but it's something I really want to do, and also I have no transferable skills to the outside world so it keeps me away from the even scarier prospect of working in a shitty office again.

Haha, thanks you guys. I'm kind of terrified, but it's something I really want to do,

A+ reason do do a phd. Have fun! congratulations!

and also I have no transferable skills to the outside world so it keeps me away from the even scarier prospect of working in a shitty office again.

ruh roh! hope this isn't part of the reason.

Nah, it's not really part of the reason why I decided to go for it, more of an exasperated joke at my own expense. Plus things like the article above are enough to make me realise that if I wanted to avoid crappy jobs I should be doing something vocational rather than more academia.

Did you get funded?

Only just got the letter of acceptance so funding comes next. The new methods are confusing, though.

w0000. Will you be going ahead with it even without funding?

I too just got my (conditional - I pretty much have to not fail my Masters dissertation) PhD acceptance, in philosophy. Which isn't much cause for celebration, cuz I needs the moneys, so the real big deal is that I've just applied to the two scholarships I'm eligable for. Loadsa rubbish about how wonderfully original and relevant and interdisciplinary I am. Now for a crippling few months of finger-crossing.

Rock rock on, email.y!

I always call you email.y by accident. ;_;

w0000. Will you be going ahead with it even without funding?

I think I can just about manage to, yeah. The possibility of not getting funding is one reason I decided to apply for the part-time course, but I'm now kicking myself, as it actually completely cuts off one avenue of funding (although admittedly that avenue is only a single year's fee, but even that would be nice).

Congratulations to you, too, and good luck with the scholarships. What area of philosophy are you specialising in?

(And Abbott, thank you.)

omg! congratulatio! what area will you be specialising in?

I'm gonna be doing '60s (give or take a few years) British experimental writing. My love affair with BSJ will never die. (For some paranoid reason I'm wary about giving away more detail in case the powers that be google my project and see how I fritter away my time/realise I'm an idiot.)

Ooh, sorry, I tuned out for ages! But yeah, this sounds wayyy awesome. You gotta let me know more at some stage...

Just out the other end of a Philosophy PhD - don't think I could do it again even with lavish funding at Oxford/Princeton, but totally glad I did - but be warned: you won't be the same afterwards ...

i just got back in. 2nd grad degree. wtf, me?

i got accepted to do a phd but like an idiot I went and re-read all the funding application stuff-- and now I feel tiny and useless and likely to get disqualified on a technicality or just plain found out as a charlatan.

i got accepted to do a phd but like an idiot I went and re-read all the funding application stuff-- and now I feel tiny and useless and likely to get disqualified on a technicality or just plain found out as a charlatan.

You'll probably feel that most of the time for the next few years - might as well get some practice in!

email.y who is BSJ?

arrrgh I did it again

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B._S._Johnson

(presumably)

blow shit job

Thanking you max.

well done C! for now at least ;-)

I've found myself giving consideration to a part-time masters in an international relations-related field. should i stop it stop it right now?

also, what is the difference between an mres and an msc, in tangible terms? numbers/analysis and stuff?

my brother did an mres. my understanding is, compared to an msc, an mres emphasizes a substantial independent research project at the expense of some of the taught course element. mres is more common in the sciences, so that might be why it has a numbers/science rep, but there's nothing to stop a humanities dept doing an mres.

^^^ uk

an mres emphasizes a substantial independent research project at the expense of some of the taught course element

this is exactly what i'm looking for so that's really helpful, thanks! my main concern is that i'll struggle with the working/studying transition and either get fired or fuck up the course. really wish i could afford to study full time and get it over and done with in a year but I have no savings to support myself with.

SO CLOSE TO DONE

kinda need to get back into school asap but not really sure what i want to do beyond not going to school in this country, is this a good angle to be approaching a masters from?

also, how do ppl support themselves for a full year?

so it seems i could do this course in one year - full time - if i committed to four evenings a week, as opposed to two - part time - which would ask only two evenings of me. the full time option would also cost in total about a grand less. i should probably not even be considering it, because i imagine four evenings a week would kill me but getting it done in half the time is pretty appealing.

suppose it depends to a certain extent on why you're doing it. if you're doing it for just intellectual curiosity then maybe take your time, because 4 evenings a week sounds pretty unpleasant tbh. but if you're doing it for professional development, then maybe the power though, get it done approach is better.

bit of both i guess. although predominantly i'm in it for some scholarly sustenance it would take me at least little closer to my desired career direction (which is very different to the one i'm currently pointed in).

my thesis statement is currently two-for-two on the hot side at http://ismythesishotornot.com

submitted "Fuckin' Magnets: How Do They Work?" in the physical sciences category

i finally got graded the fuck up after 18 months of treading the proverbial water

"w00t"

presenting my thesis tomorrow

scared, yo :(

yah but it will b awesome and excellent!

you'll do great!

just got accepted to present my research paper to a conference! at a swanky hotel! with, like, other doctoral professors and shit! experts in the field!! WHAT IF I SUCK?????

nice! i've found the "old guard" is pretty welcoming/accommodating of new ppl in the field, for the most part, so don't sweat it (also i should probably take my own advice, here)

hey plax you should peep my thesis topic why because its intersting (to you, at least)

good luck tomorrow. you'll do great.