Grad school woes
Jul. 22nd, 2007 04:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
icepixieMeep. I've been researching grad programs in English this weekend, and, uh, I'm kind of starting to think I'm not nearly dedicated/ambitious/driven enough for any of them. Far from having an area to study, I don't even know if I want to do English or history! (There's also the M.A. in Public History, for museum work, which sounds cool as well. And plain old Museum studies M.A.s.)
Although I did find this M.A. in Irish Literature and Culture at Boston College (...of course), and that sounds highly awesome. And if I did that, then went on to get a Ph.D somewhere else, the Irish language courses might count as my foreign language, maybe? Although funding, as for most M.A.-only programs, is, shall we say, limited, whereas a place like Vanderbilt (which I would never get into) pretty much completely funds everyone who does the five-year Ph.D-with-M.A.-along-the-way program.
And there's also a slew of MFA programs, including such oddballs as the MFA in Writing Popular Fiction at Seton Hill in Pittsburgh.
And there's still always the MLS/MLIS, which, if I played all my cards right, I could eventually turn into a life of part-time library work, part-time freelance writing, maybe, and keep a hand both in research and information organization and in writing?
SO MANY CHOICES, AHHHHHHHH! *head implodes*
I suppose, since Americans now change careers an average of seven times in their lives, it's good to want to do many things. Unfortunately, practically everything I want to do requires a different terminal degree. Damn.
Although I did find this M.A. in Irish Literature and Culture at Boston College (...of course), and that sounds highly awesome. And if I did that, then went on to get a Ph.D somewhere else, the Irish language courses might count as my foreign language, maybe? Although funding, as for most M.A.-only programs, is, shall we say, limited, whereas a place like Vanderbilt (which I would never get into) pretty much completely funds everyone who does the five-year Ph.D-with-M.A.-along-the-way program.
And there's also a slew of MFA programs, including such oddballs as the MFA in Writing Popular Fiction at Seton Hill in Pittsburgh.
And there's still always the MLS/MLIS, which, if I played all my cards right, I could eventually turn into a life of part-time library work, part-time freelance writing, maybe, and keep a hand both in research and information organization and in writing?
SO MANY CHOICES, AHHHHHHHH! *head implodes*
I suppose, since Americans now change careers an average of seven times in their lives, it's good to want to do many things. Unfortunately, practically everything I want to do requires a different terminal degree. Damn.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-23 03:12 am (UTC)Yes. Well. Unlike you, Miss Never-Met-A-Major-I-Didn't-Like, I chose the sane option of dealing with my indecision in undergrad, with that whole one-major-one-minor thing.
the bizarre embryonic beginnings of degree #5 right now
....???
so it's already established that I have a problem and you shouldn't listen to anything I say.
Indeed.
But it seems to me, if you've already decided to do multiple degrees, you should leave the MFA for last, because having random other degrees makes you a stronger MFA candidate. Ja?
Oh, no. See, when I post about choosing between several degrees, that means I'm going to chose one of them, or possibly two, counting an MA and a PhD in the same field(ish) as separate degrees. There is no "Option D: All of the above." *g*
Actually, the MFA is the least likely of all the possible degrees. I don't really want to teach writing, which is basically all it would be good for, as far as I know.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-23 03:44 am (UTC)Ohhhhhhhh, I've met a major I don't like. It's my current degree program. TWO AND A HALF CLASSES LEFT WOOHOOOOOOOOO
There is no "Option D: All of the above." *g*
Well, the average person changes careers seven times.... :)
I don't really want to teach writing, which is basically all it would be good for, as far as I know.
I've never thought of as teaching credentials as the purpose of having an MFA. Someone -- either McAdams or Brkic -- told me once that the most useful thing about her MFA was that it gave her real time to write something publishable (which is more reliable as teaching cred anyway).
no subject
Date: 2007-07-24 01:59 am (UTC)Whoops.
Well, the average person changes careers seven times.... :)
And yet that average person doesn't get a different degree for each career change... (Although you know there has to be someone out there who's done that. That's kind of scary. And maybe a little awesome.)
I've never thought of as teaching credentials as the purpose of having an MFA. Someone -- either McAdams or Brkic -- told me once that the most useful thing about her MFA was that it gave her real time to write something publishable (which is more reliable as teaching cred anyway).
Hrm. I'd never thought of it that way. (Then again, I had nine months of unemployment in which I produced diddly squat. Maybe if I had deadlines...except everything I write to deadlines tends to suck...)
After hearing your stories of majoring in education, I'm actually starting to believe that publications are a better teaching cred than classes in pedagogy.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-24 02:28 am (UTC)Ehh, it's not like I had a choice. I pity tha fool who gets an MAT voluntarily.
(Then again, I had nine months of unemployment in which I produced diddly squat. Maybe if I had deadlines...except everything I write to deadlines tends to suck...)
This summer is making me incredibly happy, because I have free time and I'm actually writing. A lot of it is crap, but it's more than I've written all year.
Anyway. She also cited being around interesting people who're researching interesting things -- which, YMMV clearly, but if it works, I can see how it could be a constant source of inspiration.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-25 10:26 pm (UTC)My dad got one, but I'm pretty sure it was as part of his certification or something like that. (Then again, the man taught middle schoolers for twenty-odd years. There's no telling how crazy he can get!)
This summer is making me incredibly happy, because I have free time and I'm actually writing. A lot of it is crap, but it's more than I've written all year.
Meanwhile, I had nine months of total free time and I wrote...twenty pages. At most. And not all of the same thing. Sigh.
Anyway. She also cited being around interesting people who're researching interesting things -- which, YMMV clearly, but if it works, I can see how it could be a constant source of inspiration.
Hmmm. I can sort of see that. And yet, theoretically that was what writing seminars at Kenyon were like, and I hate most of what I turned in for all three of those. But I think that says more about me than about any kind of writing program...
no subject
Date: 2007-07-26 02:50 am (UTC)I think that's better than writing twenty pages of the same thing.
Hmmm. I can sort of see that. And yet, theoretically that was what writing seminars at Kenyon were like, and I hate most of what I turned in for all three of those. But I think that says more about me than about any kind of writing program...
Maybe, maybe not. I had two really good seminars, and one Kill All Humans (with a linoooooooooeum kniiiiiiiiiiiiife) seminar -- and that was without having to deal with Clarvoe.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-26 01:45 pm (UTC)Heh.
Maybe, maybe not. I had two really good seminars, and one Kill All Humans (with a linoooooooooeum kniiiiiiiiiiiiife) seminar -- and that was without having to deal with Clarvoe.
*tamps down murderous rage at the mention of Clarvoe*
The two seminars I had with Brkic were really good; maybe part of the learning process for me is writing stuff I hate while I'm in the seminars, so I an write stuff I like outside of them.