Comments on Feminism/Popular Culture: Advice Please!

if you love chicago, you'll love minneapolis-- che...

2008-09-25T11:06:00.000-07:00

if you love chicago, you'll love minneapolis-- check out the university of minnesota's PhD in American Studies program. :)

Hi. I found your blog by chance. I am a Ph.D. stud...

2008-09-15T12:24:00.000-07:00

Hi. I found your blog by chance. I am a Ph.D. student in theology/feminist theory just outside of Chicago. I took a one-year hiatus between MA and Ph.D. I am currently 28, just passed my qualifying exams, and am in the dissertation phase. In my area of study, I am the youngest one. At the same time, I was asked what I did for the year between the two.

There's no guarantee you'll get a teaching position, but if teaching is what you want to do, a Ph.D. will likely be necessary. You will find you are over qualified for most jobs, which can turn potential employers away. I say go for it, though; take the plunge and cross your fingers.

Of course, take this for what you want--since I am, afterall, a complete stranger.

that would be so amazing! thank you!cortneya at g...

2008-08-04T08:56:00.000-07:00

that would be so amazing! thank you!

cortneya at gmail dot com

Cortney, what's your email address? i'll email you...

2008-08-04T05:20:00.000-07:00

Cortney, what's your email address? i'll email you some of my experiences with the GREs/ph.d. applications/etc... (i am going through all this now as well... for dual phd programs in clinical psych and WS)

Are you looking at Smith? Northampton is a great p...

2008-08-01T15:52:00.000-07:00

Are you looking at Smith? Northampton is a great place to live, I've only visited but it seemed like a great vibe, and you know I love Western Mass. I agree with kat that you could probably get along without a car in some places. my brother-in-law took time off between his masters and doctorate, but mostly he just worked jobs he was way overqualified for like alterra and fedex, and I think he was much happier once he got back in school.

do you have an academic advisor you can talk to?

If you want to be a prefessor, you'll need a PhD. ...

2008-08-01T09:29:00.000-07:00

If you want to be a prefessor, you'll need a PhD. As far as I know, you can teach at community college without one, but I don't know that many community colleges will have women's studies.

As for age, it's not unusual for PhD students to be bordering on 30. My boyfriend will be 30 next month, and will be in the 3nd year of his 5 year doctorate program. People come to grad school from all stages of life, I think. He had to take the GRE, so he bought a couple of the "Princeton Review" study guides and forced himself to work through them. Apparently it's not that difficult an exam, and the math is similar to what's on the SATs. Not that that would be any consolation to me, but I'm particularly number-inept.

As for funding, I don't know many people who pay their own way through grad school. Being a TA or a Grad Student Instructor has a stipend and usually tuition help (depending on the school and how well funded the department is). Researching helps, too, with grants and stuff....

The trouble that I had with grad school, though, was that it was more school. Ask yourself whether the courses you'll have to sit through will be a good trade-off for the awesome research and conferences and all that.

Depending on the school, a car may not actually be necessary. I know plenty of grad students who don't have cars. I'm in Berkeley, though, and the Bay Area is well suited to car-less-ness.

Hope any of this helps...
kat