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bad idea to go to grad school?
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Date: February 14th, 2010 8:40 AM Author: razzmatazz transparent people who are hurt looking to go to grad school, but I really have no idea what it takes to get into a top program. Ivy, 4.0, working on thesis. English major. I realize that prospects after grad school are bleak in humanities. I also hear that being flexible with location makes it easier for finding a job. But what if I want to be in California? Do my chances of getting a tenure track job go down to almost nil? (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1222256&forum_id=3#14114359) |
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Date: February 14th, 2010 3:53 PM Author: bateful underhanded stead potus Hey I was an English major at an Ivy. Do you have good relationships with your professors? I'm sure you'd get into a T-10 with those numbers.
I have two other friends from my year that ended up going for PHDs; one's at Berkeley and the other is at Cornell. You should really talk to your professors, since they'd know more than anyone on this board, but it seems like you'd have no trouble getting in. The market is okay for those at the top, but it's still hard.
There are a lot of crappy schools in California, so I'm sure you'd be able to get something if you went to Berkeley/Stanford/Ivy for your PHD. |
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Date: February 14th, 2010 4:04 PM Author: razzmatazz transparent people who are hurt haha thanks for the positive advice. unfortunately, peeps who have been through the process knocked my dreams down a bit (though I expected it) ITT: http://autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1222280&mc=111&forum_id=2
As a fellow english major from an ivy, what are you up to? |
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Date: February 14th, 2010 4:29 PM Author: bateful underhanded stead potus I tried going into magazines after UG. I did an internship & took a side job to pay for the bills. I didn't have insurance and hurt myself so I moved back home and got surgery and am currently applying for jobs/prepping for grad school.
I'm planning on doing environmental science grad school. English was great, but I wish I double majored in something more useful. |
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Date: February 14th, 2010 4:32 PM Author: razzmatazz transparent people who are hurt did you take the necessary courses back in UG to apply for environmental science grad? (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1222256&forum_id=3#14117229) |
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Date: February 14th, 2010 4:57 PM Author: bateful underhanded stead potus Nope. I took some ecology courses, but nothing substantial. I'm taking postbacc classes right now.
Pwned, right? |
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Date: February 14th, 2010 5:48 PM Author: razzmatazz transparent people who are hurt no interest in english for grad school? or law? (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1222256&forum_id=3#14118248) |
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Date: February 15th, 2010 1:53 AM Author: bateful underhanded stead potus Early on in college a certain professor of mine warned me against PHDs for a number of reasons. That wouldn't have stopped me entirely, but I was never as good as some of my friends who are doing PHDs, so it would make no sense for me to go that route, especially since I'm not that smart.
Law school = read the law board and you have a dozen reasons why law is a terrible career.
I was interested in environmental science but I was too lazy to make things happen to double major. I also have other interests that I'm throwing around. |
Date: February 15th, 2010 1:34 PM Author: red windowlicker hissy fit Rule of thumb is that grad school is almost ALWAYS a bad investment.
This includes most professional degrees such as law.
Get a job, work experience and work your way up.
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Date: February 15th, 2010 8:57 PM Author: razzmatazz transparent people who are hurt what can i get with my credentials? i have a 4.0 from an ivy but my major is english... (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1222256&forum_id=3#14131185) |
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Date: February 15th, 2010 9:20 PM Author: red windowlicker hissy fit What are you interested in? I went to a top tier/non-ivy UG and got a job 9 months ago no problem straight out of UG. Had a 3.5.
What fields are you interested in?
I saw you were interested in tenure? Do you mean you'd like to teach at the college level? If so, colleges/universities are not really hiring tenure track Profs anymore. They are looking for adjuncts with real world experience. The future of a college prof is someone who works a day job in their field of expertise while teaching some classes on the side.
It is better for the students and the schools.
Only a VERY few profs will be offered tenure in this day and age. They will be given tenure to lead specific departments. The rest of the Profs will be adjuncts. Times are changing. |
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Date: February 15th, 2010 9:26 PM Author: razzmatazz transparent people who are hurt I didn't apply to the Foreign Service program because I'm not fluent in any foreign language, but I am interested in government or nonprofit work and international development work (have some development experience abroad).
If that is BS, then maybe publishing or something. anything that would take an english major. I really don't know. I'm pretty jaded and pessimistic about finding jobs as an UG with a worthless major ITE. |
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Date: February 15th, 2010 10:54 PM Author: contagious silver gas station Lots of nonprofit groups have positions for people with non-specific academic backgrounds. Interest and the basics -- good writer, fast learner -- will get you a long way. Take a look at the job listings on idealist.org. You should also look into paid intern/fellowship programs. I know that there are quite a few in my field (foreign policy).
Where did you do your development work? Do you have a country/region of interest? Issue(s) of interest? |
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Date: February 15th, 2010 9:28 PM Author: razzmatazz transparent people who are hurt yeah, that's scary and definitely gives me pause for entering grad school in the humanities. i was/am unaware of that trend because my school really doesn't do the adjunct thing. but if state schools and TTT's (most likely where I would end up teaching) are doing that, then I'm effed (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1222256&forum_id=3#14131663) |
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Date: February 15th, 2010 9:33 PM Author: red windowlicker hissy fit Na, you'll be fine.
Simply find a field you are interested in and get a job. Work a couple of years and get them to pay for grad school while you work. After finishing grad school, start teaching some classes on the side while you work.
If you have some great research experience, apply for some top tier PhD programs. Maybe you'll get in with funding and can maybe get tenure.
No big deal. You have a great GPA from a top tier/Ivy school. Life is not that bad. Right?
Hint: Maybe look into federal jobs. |
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Date: February 15th, 2010 9:47 PM Author: razzmatazz transparent people who are hurt thanks. what did you major in? mind telling me what field of work you ended up pursuing? (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1222256&forum_id=3#14132010) |
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Date: February 15th, 2010 10:04 PM Author: red windowlicker hissy fit I majored in econ at a top tier private research university. Ended up working in IT/Programming for the US Federal Govt in Systems Security. (I took a good number of computer science classes in UG and econ is typically very mathematics based).
In another 5 months, they will pay for any grad school I wish to pursue, as long as I continue to work full time for them. So, I'll prob work on a MA/MS part time while continuing to work. They pay for everything, even at expensive schools, so it is worth it. At some point, I'd love to teach a class or two a semester at a local college while continuing to work full time for the fed.
I have no interest in becoming a fulltime, tenured, Prof though. |
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Date: February 15th, 2010 10:06 PM Author: razzmatazz transparent people who are hurt well congrats though you actually majored in something worthwhile.. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1222256&forum_id=3#14132359) |
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Date: March 13th, 2010 7:49 PM Author: Mint offensive round eye how does this make sense.
if someone has the ambition to be the next Lionel Trilling or something, there really isn't a "job" for him outside of academia. if universities are eliminating tenured professorships, where are these sorts of people going to come from? you can't recruit them from a pool of private scholars who all found private work in their completely impractical "field," because no work like that exists. |
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Date: March 13th, 2010 6:19 PM Author: trip self-centered filthpig Haha, they spelled post "Poast."
Just find a job - any job, really and learn some skills. I was a political science major in undergrad, and am now doing technology consulting. Basically, if you're smart and you can learn on the job, you can break into a lot of different fields. I'm planning to go to Fletcher in the fall... hoping to combine the technology background with the field of development. I guess the point is - be open-minded, think outside the box. Try a lot of different things, figure out what you're good at and stick with it. See how you can apply it. Try doing that before going back to school and it will make your investment a lot more worthwhile. |
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Date: March 14th, 2010 6:55 AM Author: talented bespoke crackhouse mad cow disease this is good advice. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1222256&forum_id=3#14387950) |
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Date: March 14th, 2010 11:36 AM Author: trip self-centered filthpig Upon a little more reflection, your post is loaded with self pity. I'll forgive you because you haven't quite hit the real world yet, but really - you have to move forward.
Lamenting not majoring in something "useful"? Honestly, I felt that same regret when applying to a variety jobs with my social science background, but it has proven VERY useful. The major doesn't matter quite as much as you'd think. Ever read Ernest Gellner? Your UG degree has provided you with basic skills for entry-level work in a wide variety of fields. Mind you, I didn't have the added benefit of an ivy league alumni network, but I'm still doing just fine. You're just adding to my impression that ivy league grads are the most helpless of all. You should be talking to career counselors and professors at your school rather than seeking advice on this board and feeling sorry for yourself. You're in a good spot, actually! Go with it. |
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Date: March 15th, 2010 6:03 AM Author: razzmatazz transparent people who are hurt thanks. and i make no objections to the fact that my post was full of self pity. it's whiny and woe is me. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1222256&forum_id=3#14397509) |
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Date: March 16th, 2010 10:09 PM Author: ruddy resort halford i'm not sure what skills a social science or humanities degree teaches that smart people don't already possess before ugrad (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1222256&forum_id=3#14412962) |
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Date: March 22nd, 2010 4:56 PM Author: trip self-centered filthpig I think it's debateable. Personally, I can write well as a result of my UG education. I can speak different languages. I can do a regression analysis. I can do research and present clear analytical arguments. I have people skills. All of these things have become very useful. Is your underlying question "why bother even getting a degree?" If that's the case, I have a different response. I think the degree is a basic standard to compete for middle class jobs, honestly. I don't think the subject is quite as important as you'd think.
A side note: my boss was also an English major. |
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Date: March 30th, 2010 12:34 AM Author: Adventurous apoplectic meetinghouse circlehead Well your probably Magna Cum Laude. Most of the people who write NYTIMES Bestselling books nowadays are at least cum laude in English. The fact that you went to Yale for UG, and if you get a PHD at an Ivy.. your likelihood of teaching in a TTT are slimmer (at least from what I can tell). (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1222256&forum_id=3#14543981) |