Reflections on Things I Wish I Knew Before I Finished Grad School: A List
1. That many people choose which schools they'd like to apply to based not on the school's reputation, but on particular faculty with whom they'd like to work.
2. That what I interpreted as an "example" proposal in the application was in fact my proposal for my thesis, and should have perhaps have been considered with slightly more gravitas
2a. Not that I didn't like my topic, but still.
2b. "You're accepted! Based on your thesis topic, Supervisor has been assigned as your supervisor!" /bemusement
3. Your supervisor will expect you to do a lot more legwork than you want to.
3a. Like, she won't know/won't think to tell you about anything on this list. Not super helpful?
3b. Though your friend who did a master's at another school will say your school is really good at being helpful.
4. That doing a directed readings course, boring and unsociable though it may seem, is basically the best way to prepare your lit review/historiography section
4a. No, seriously, I really wish I had done a solo reading course now
4b. My classes were all (except one) super interesting, but they did jack-all to help with my individual thesis
4c. *weeps*
5. Check for internships and job opportunities while in school
5a. Apparently I failed to learn this lesson from undergrad (DO CO-OP TERMS, ART STUDENTS), but all the internships at the National Air & Space Museum are for current students only
5b. *weeps*
6. Foreign languages are required for a history grad degree (Dodged that bullet, but not on purpose)
7. That SSHRC funding only lasts while you're in school; if you graduate during the year of funding they will cut you off/demand any excess back from you.
8. SSHRC funding can run from either May to May or September to September.
8a. I could have chosen May to May and not missed out on thousands of dollars, aaaaaaaaghaslkdfj.
9. People at academic conferences are kind of mean!
9a. I mean, getting to go to Barcelona was awesome, but seriously. Some thick skins are needed in academia.
10. Publishing is hard.
10a. Like, first you have to change all your formatting!
10b. And then people make mean comments about what you wrote!
10c. And then you spend months not dealing with it.
10d. *weeps*
11. If you want to pursue academia later, you will need to learn to deal with criticism.
11a. And not necessarily concrit, either.
11b. Though let's be real, it is concrit and you just don't like it.
11c. *weeps*
(There were tons of awesome things about doing my degree [interesting classes, stimulating discussions, good classmates, the experience of writing the thesis, &etc.], but some things, man. I wish I had known them.)
2. That what I interpreted as an "example" proposal in the application was in fact my proposal for my thesis, and should have perhaps have been considered with slightly more gravitas
2a. Not that I didn't like my topic, but still.
2b. "You're accepted! Based on your thesis topic, Supervisor has been assigned as your supervisor!" /bemusement
3. Your supervisor will expect you to do a lot more legwork than you want to.
3a. Like, she won't know/won't think to tell you about anything on this list. Not super helpful?
3b. Though your friend who did a master's at another school will say your school is really good at being helpful.
4. That doing a directed readings course, boring and unsociable though it may seem, is basically the best way to prepare your lit review/historiography section
4a. No, seriously, I really wish I had done a solo reading course now
4b. My classes were all (except one) super interesting, but they did jack-all to help with my individual thesis
4c. *weeps*
5. Check for internships and job opportunities while in school
5a. Apparently I failed to learn this lesson from undergrad (DO CO-OP TERMS, ART STUDENTS), but all the internships at the National Air & Space Museum are for current students only
5b. *weeps*
6. Foreign languages are required for a history grad degree (Dodged that bullet, but not on purpose)
7. That SSHRC funding only lasts while you're in school; if you graduate during the year of funding they will cut you off/demand any excess back from you.
8. SSHRC funding can run from either May to May or September to September.
8a. I could have chosen May to May and not missed out on thousands of dollars, aaaaaaaaghaslkdfj.
9. People at academic conferences are kind of mean!
9a. I mean, getting to go to Barcelona was awesome, but seriously. Some thick skins are needed in academia.
10. Publishing is hard.
10a. Like, first you have to change all your formatting!
10b. And then people make mean comments about what you wrote!
10c. And then you spend months not dealing with it.
10d. *weeps*
11. If you want to pursue academia later, you will need to learn to deal with criticism.
11a. And not necessarily concrit, either.
11b. Though let's be real, it is concrit and you just don't like it.
11c. *weeps*
(There were tons of awesome things about doing my degree [interesting classes, stimulating discussions, good classmates, the experience of writing the thesis, &etc.], but some things, man. I wish I had known them.)