http://thegradstudent.today.com the adventures of a grad student in english literature Sun, 22 Mar 2009 00:05:38 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Since I only get 6 channels and none of them are ESPN, I haven’t been as plugged into college basketball this year as I’d like to be. My pool picks are certainly suffering because of it. (Though really, did anyone see Wake’s loss coming? I’m still bitter about how far ... http://thegradstudent.today.com/2009/03/21/march-madness-begins/ I still haven’t heard any good news from MAs in my program trying to move into a PhD. I’ve just heard about a number of additional rejections, and those are just the ones people are candid about. “Have you gotten into a PhD program?” is becoming an increasingly ... http://thegradstudent.today.com/2009/03/19/unfunded-phd/ A piece of advice to grad students who (1) are not used to large school populations or (2) have been out of school for a few years: get to know a few likable undergrads on a personal basis as soon as possible. Otherwise you may just come to hate their ... http://thegradstudent.today.com/2009/03/13/grad-school-advice-on-undergrads/ On the heels of my rather depressing entry about grad school admissions, my friend just introduced me to a very helpful and interesting site: thegradcafe.com. It has a number of forums, blogs, and other cool features, but of most interest to my nervously waiting friend is the results section where ... http://thegradstudent.today.com/2009/03/07/website-tracking-acceptance-and-rejection-letters/ Back in January, I bemoaned the current state of the job market – and don’t worry, I’m still pretty depressed about it – and wondered if maybe I should have applied to PhD programs after all. Apparently not, judging by the progress of everyone in my program. None ... http://thegradstudent.today.com/2009/03/04/grad-school-rejection-letters/ I am graduating and thus searching for a job at just about the worst time. I knew this of course; businesses large and small are collapsing all around me as reminders of how bad our economy has become. What will be left by spring? According to http://www.cnbc.com/id/28582844 however, it may ... http://thegradstudent.today.com/2009/01/18/entering-the-unemployment-force/ There are a number of New Year’s Resolutions that I should be making, but one of the most important and certainly the most grad school related is to work more on my thesis. Seriously, I really need to work more on my thesis. Like right now. Right after ... http://thegradstudent.today.com/2009/01/01/grad-school-advice-thesis-prep/ An observation/complaint: there are hardly any athletes in my program. I know of ONE other person who really loves sports and plays them whenever possible, and a handful who would play a sport if pressed. The rest look at me like I’m crazy when I return from a ... http://thegradstudent.today.com/2008/12/17/books-and-sports-are-not-incompatible/ In the past few months I’ve watched my friends who are earning their MAs apply to PhD programs, I’ve helped friends of friends still in college with their first grad school applications, I’ve fielded questions from nervous applicants calling the office about deadlines, forms, and overnight mailings, and ... http://thegradstudent.today.com/2008/12/16/good-luck-applicants/ If you want to turn in applications early because you have a busy December planned or because you need to get them over with for your own sanity, that’s fine. But don’t submit applications early because you think this will give you an advantage. Unless the school has ... http://thegradstudent.today.com/2008/12/15/grad-school-advice-deadlines/