4.0 hoes

please check it before you send me a question about graduate school :) :) i hope it’s useful! xo // updated 02.2020

basic info

what is the PhD and what can you do with it? (+) 

what does a literature PhD entail?

should i do a PhD if i have to pay tuition?

is the degree worth it?

does it look bad to take time off between degrees?

what was your timeline like? 

what’s the difference between a terminal MA and a PhD? (+)

does getting an MA first help you get into a PhD program?

is it okay to just try grad school out? 

application process

how can i prepare for applying early in my undergrad career? (+) (+)

where should i start looking for programs?

should i choose a program based on rank or fit? (+)

how can i find lower-profile programs doing cool stuff?

how many programs should i apply to?

parts of the application

advice on the writing sample

advice on the GRE (+)

how should i ask for letters of recommendation?

how should i write a statement of purpose? (+)

how do i demonstrate my “ability to excel”?

how should i address mental health/family/personal issues that impacted my grades?

should i send in extra materials?

grad school application spreadsheet

how should i email potential advisors? (+) (+)

how can i survive the waiting period? (+)

how should i prepare for an interview or phone call? (+)

what should i ask at open house?

what should i do if i don’t think i can afford my grad school tuition?

what should i do the summer before i start my program?

seminars/coursework

how should i plan for grad seminar presentations? (+)

what should i bring with me to seminars?

what are grad seminars like?

how can i get better at speaking during seminars?

what do you mean grades don’t matter

reading

what should i have read before i start my lit grad program?

how much reading should i expect?

how can i read a lot without getting overwhelmed? (+)

how can i read efficiently? (+) (+)

quals-specific reading advice

how should i take notes on critical articles?

writing

how do i write a lit review?

how do i write an indicative bibliography?

how do i choose a dissertation topic? (+)

how do i plan for a long research paper?

how do i balance all the different kinds of writing i have to do?

money & living

how can i find housing before i move?

how do finances work in grad school?

what is adjuncting and why does it suck?

how can i budget while on a stipend?

should i work while in grad school? (+)

what’s important to a research assistant application?

i’m running out of funding / i’m off normative time

fellowship, postdocs, & job stuff

which websites post US fellowship/postdoc/job ads?

CV writing tips

how do dissertation fellowships work? (+)

tips for grant, award, & fellowship applications

should i share my materials with others?

how does the academic hiring process work?

how do i keep track of all my applications?

how do i think up a second project when i’m not even done with my dissertation?

job materials masterpost

skype interview-specific tips

job talks

negotiating (+)

general tips (+)

what’s up with the professor is in?

how do i stay motivated while getting buried in rejection letters?

misc

will grad school make my mental health issues worse? (+) 

how do i survive conferences (abroad)?

how should i deal with burnout? (+)

secret labor

i think i want to quit

my advisor is ghosting me

how do i work with no structured schedule?

how do i get enough sleep?

how do i balance my work & my teaching?

how can i beat imposter syndrome? (+) (+)

The basic pitch is a neo-noir mystery series written from the early 1970′s to the early 1990′s following an openly gay life insurance investigator, David Brandstetter. He’s a sarcastic, middle-aged WWII vet mourning the death of his lover of twenty years and learning to gradually, somewhat messily, heal. He’s smart as a whip, like 12% catty but mostly at family gatherings, and he has horrifically bad music taste. Man leaps straight off the page.

The books are fascinating both as a snapshot into post-Stonewall southern California and as political pieces responding to their own varying circumstances between 1971-1991. There’s a lot of value just in the window they give us into queer history.

Besides that, they’re genuinely really good mysteries. They’re about ~150 pages, with interesting side characters and tight, well-written plots. The main character and recurring cast really just jump off the page as well, so the b plot of whatever’s going on in Dave’s personal life is usually as engaging (if not more) than the rest of the story. 

There’s also a lot more thematic density than I usually expect from paperback mystery novels. There’s a lot of conversation around gender presentation and straight-passing, men’s mental health and socially normalized unhealthy coping mechanisms, age/physical ability, etc.

a small guide on how i battle my essays! (click on an image to view it clearer) 

(keep in mind: i’m an english major so a majority of my essays are literature-focused!)

1. reward yourself for working so hard. take a long bath with your favourite bath bomb, take time to cook your favourite meal, paint your nails. recognise that you worked hard and it was tough and that you deserve time for yourself

2. catch up on sleep. nothing makes studying harder than being exhausted. clear your schedule and have a lie in. even if you don’t sleep late, stay in bed and enjoy a guilt-free lazy morning

3. do something fun. invite your friends over for a movie night, take your dog for a walk. remind yourself that there is more to life than textbooks and notes

4. make a plan. start getting ready to get back into study mode. make a todo list, a study schedule, and a list of your deadlines

5. organise your space. declutter your desk so you have a clean space to be productive in. tidy desk, tidy mind