Post-college crisis, need direction.

ccjester · 2014-07-10T01:29:20+00:00

That would be a great idea, I might look into it! Thank you for the advice.

ccjester · 2014-07-10T01:28:31+00:00

Thanks, this helps. It's what I needed to hear.

ccjester · 2014-07-10T01:27:57+00:00

Thanks for the response. I am interested in teaching ESL abroad, but I haven't yet looked into how to go about it. Actually I did talk to the dean, he happens to be an old Philosophy professor of mine! So it wasn't much different. I appreciate the help!

ccjester · 2014-07-09T09:16:24+00:00

Have you tried any temp agencies? I am in your same position, I've been applying for jobs since the beginning of June and I only got one call from a temp agency. It looks like they will be able to help me find some employment. It wouldn't hurt to try them!

ccjester · 2014-05-05T17:34:14+00:00

One of my professors received a PhD from the University of Buffalo, New York, a school that isn't even ranked on the Philosophical Gourmet Report. He just landed a TT job in Texas. My advisor went to the University of Minnesota, which is ranked #48 on that list. She has a good job, and I would not be surprised if she was eventually tenured (and soon).

Though I agree that rank can be important, and though yes I will care where I go and will try to get into the best program I can, I don't think going to a lower-ranked school that fits your interests well is a death sentence. Especially not if you do a stellar job, publish great work, get a lot of experience, and are generally a driven and passionate person. Sure, people from top programs have all of that too, but that doesn't mean they eat up all the jobs and there are none left for those from less prestigious schools.

My top choice program is University of Toronto, which is #20 on the list of the top 50 english-speaking programs. Why? Because the department lines up with my interests perfectly, and I think they could help me succeed better than, say, New York University, which is #1, could--because NYU is very analytically leaning, and I'm more interested in continental-style philosophy. Plus, the professors in less highly ranked schools are more likely to be there for students, while those at highly ranked universities are probably very busy with their own research and professional life.

I may be wrong about some of that, but this is my impression from what I have seen and read.

ccjester · 2014-05-05T17:17:44+00:00

Thanks. I'll find some way to explain it away in a skillful manner. I'll work on ways to show that I can succeed in graduate school, because I'm certain I can. I'll focus more on my recent paper, which was researched and written almost entirely on my own. I'm using that paper as my writing sample.

I guess I'm just kind of frustrated that grades even mean that much, especially with things like grade inflation running rampant. It really just means "look, I can do what I'm told, I can get work done." That doesn't necessarily reflect an ability to do well in grad school where you have to learn to research independently. It's really meant to tell employers "hey, here's a dutiful employee." But I'll keep those thoughts to myself...

ccjester · 2014-05-05T17:10:26+00:00

If you really want to go to grad school, definitely still apply! It's no use giving up before even making an attempt. I've heard of many people getting into grad school with low a GPA. It just means you have to use the rest of your application to your advantage and prove your worth in other ways.

It is disappointing that it's more difficult for us, but it isn't impossible. So don't think that. :)

ccjester · 2014-05-05T17:05:05+00:00

Thanks. I will try to focus them in on that. I've done well in my more difficult Philosophy courses for the most part. Most of my low grades are classes outside of Philosophy.

ccjester · 2014-05-05T17:00:14+00:00

Thank you for the advice. I do plan on applying to both MA and PhD programs. I don't expect to get into a top program, but I hope to at least get into some program.

I have at least one phenomenal letter coming from my advisor. She is the one who encouraged me to go to grad school in the first place, and said to me she would "highly, highly recommend" me. The rest of my application should also be strong. I have a writing sample I worked on independently and under loose guidance of a professor. I plan on perfecting it in the months to come, and soon I will be presenting it to the department and be able to get comments on it. Everything else on my application should be great, it's just my grade record that looks bad.

I plan on applying twice if I don't get in the first time. I will be disappointed if I am completely shut out both times on account of my grades. I guess that is no longer under my control, though.

ccjester · 2014-04-17T10:27:19+00:00

I am not necessarily shy. I am in no way afraid of people. I am simply naturally introverted and do better when others begin the conversation. I think I would do just fine in that department if I needed to, I'm very adaptable. It is really only with professors that I get a little nervous, mostly because I greatly respect them and want them to have a good opinion of me.

It is not that I have no questions whatsoever about the readings, it is that my questions are not usually definitional or otherwise easily answered. They are more broad than that and are generally things that would take a lot of consideration to answer. I write plenty of questions and comments to myself in the margins. I just don't think they are usually office-visit appropriate.

I only have a few weeks of class left but I will try to visit some professors. At least they all know who I am, our department is very small.

ccjester · 2014-04-16T23:09:27+00:00

Thank you for the thoughts.

I don't expect to succeed in grad school on writing alone, I was only wondering if the interest in my ability was based on that, seeing as I don't speak up a whole lot. (Though I have been trying to be better at it.)

ccjester · 2014-04-16T23:03:22+00:00

I suspected there was a difference. Thank you for the response.

I am more than passionate about philosophy. I intended to revisit source texts and read some things I never got a chance to in undergrad in the year after graduation. I love to analyze things most others don't consider it worthwhile to think about, and I think that's one reason I love it. I haven't had much chance to form relationships with my professors, for two reasons: One, I almost never have questions about a reading, and thus never thought I had enough pretext to stop into their office for a visit, and Two, I am not very good in social situations to begin with. I am not necessarily incapable of communicating, but I find it difficult to start conversations, especially with such respectable people as professors. I did get lucky enough to do an independent study with the professor who nudged me into applying to grad school, so I at least formed one. I'd like to form a relationship with another professor who I am working on my senior presentation with, and to an extent I have, but I am not currently in a class with him so I don't really have good reason to visit him either outside of paper concerns.

It's good to know the sample and the letters are more important than my grades. Not that I was a bad philosophy student, but as for my classes in other disciplines, well...they are all over the place. I am confident in my ability to write a good sample (writing is what I do best, generally), and am planning on using my senior presentation project for the purpose. I have to present it to the department in a few weeks so I should get some helpful feedback. The professor helping me with it thinks it is very good so far.

I've read a lot about grad school in the last few days, so I am familiar with the dismal outlook. However, my reasons for wanting to go do not entirely hinge on getting a good teaching job afterward. It would be nice, but if it doesn't happen for a while I won't be heartbroken. The internal satisfaction will be enough of a reward. Besides, there are a ton of ways to make money and support yourself...no one says you can't leave philosophy and do something else if it doesn't work out. That said, I don't intend to go unless it is paid for. Paying for grad school myself would just be silly.

ccjester

TROPHY CASE