GRAH
posted 2006/11/09 at 13:59
posted 2006/11/09 at 13:59
Now that the BFP is due in a week, the whole freaking universe seems to be doing everything in its power to screw me over. According to a voicemail I got from UT yesterday, I may very well pass the Japanese exam and the BFP and still not be able to graduate this semester because of a paperwork snafu. On top of that, someone called the house about my student loans today, even though I'm not scheduled to start paying them back until June.
I don't want to seem like I'm ignoring these problems, because I'm not and I don't want to, but at the same time I got a later start on the paper than I would have liked, and the last thing I need to be doing right now is devoting large amounts of time to things other than my paper. I may very well leave the house today just to go find some corner of Toledo to escape to where I can work on my paper in peace. (Thankfully I still have stuff to read for it.)
Oh, and the .org turns 6 on Saturday, but I'll have to save my anniversary column for after I get the BFP out of the way.
Comment by at 11/11/06 07:44:
I've been reading your blog for some time now. There are a couple of things I've been thinking about; and that I would like to point out to you.
First of all, the master's paper, a.k.a. Big Fucking Paper, isn't anything more than a typical graduate level paper. You're getting too worked up over something that is basically a typically paper required in any graduate course. At this point in your academic career, you should be able to produce a 20-25 page first draft in a week. A paper of this size can and should be completed in less than a month. You aren't working or taking classes. You have taken both your exams. You have nothing but time on your hands. Back away from your video games and type your paper. You'll feel better about yourself in the end.
Also, you might want to seriously consider your career choice. I commend you for wanting to teach composition. It's not an easy job. Although, the chances of your getting a full-time position with only an M.A. are rather slim. The job market for composition faculty is Ph.D. driven. Unless you have a history of being a *mover and shaker* in composition studies and have published extensively, your chances of getting steady work are fairly low. On a similar note, you have to being willing to accept that you will have to move at some point. The chances of your getting a teaching position at U.T. are minimal at best. Most universities shy away from hiring their own. I know this isn't exactly the case in the UT composition program. At the same time, when they do searches for faculty, they are doing national searches and seeking people with doctorates. There is a pretty good chance that a Ph.D. in composition from Indiana of Purdue or whatever else school would get the job before you. Ergo, if you're seriously interested in teaching composition at a university, I strongly suggest you do doctoral work.
Leaving your comfort zone--Toledo--will be beneficial to you also. It's time to move beyond U.t.; you need a more diverse academic geneology. You need to be at a school that has an actual Ph.D. in composition. An M.A. certificate is a great start; it's only a start, though. You can and should do a lot more.
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I've been reading your blog for some time now. There are a couple of things I've been thinking about; and that I would like to point out to you.
First of all, the master's paper, a.k.a. Big Fucking Paper, isn't anything more than a typical graduate level paper. You're getting too worked up over something that is basically a typically paper required in any graduate course. At this point in your academic career, you should be able to produce a 20-25 page first draft in a week. A paper of this size can and should be completed in less than a month. You aren't working or taking classes. You have taken both your exams. You have nothing but time on your hands. Back away from your video games and type your paper. You'll feel better about yourself in the end.
Also, you might want to seriously consider your career choice. I commend you for wanting to teach composition. It's not an easy job. Although, the chances of your getting a full-time position with only an M.A. are rather slim. The job market for composition faculty is Ph.D. driven. Unless you have a history of being a *mover and shaker* in composition studies and have published extensively, your chances of getting steady work are fairly low. On a similar note, you have to being willing to accept that you will have to move at some point. The chances of your getting a teaching position at U.T. are minimal at best. Most universities shy away from hiring their own. I know this isn't exactly the case in the UT composition program. At the same time, when they do searches for faculty, they are doing national searches and seeking people with doctorates. There is a pretty good chance that a Ph.D. in composition from Indiana of Purdue or whatever else school would get the job before you. Ergo, if you're seriously interested in teaching composition at a university, I strongly suggest you do doctoral work.
Leaving your comfort zone--Toledo--will be beneficial to you also. It's time to move beyond U.t.; you need a more diverse academic geneology. You need to be at a school that has an actual Ph.D. in composition. An M.A. certificate is a great start; it's only a start, though. You can and should do a lot more.
copyright © 2008 Sean Shannon