I will get my PhD, it's just... complicated
Since I'm feeling too sleepy to get last minute reading done (I still have an hour), I'm going to post an update on my whole educational situation.
1. I'm doing well enough in Old Gaelic, despite flipping out over my grade, to not worry the lecturer. Apparently Ds are passing. (baffles the mind)
2. I got a B1 on my big paper from last term. Very exciting.
And then I got to talk about applying for my PhD. The application process itself is pretty straight forward. I fill in some basic information, get some recommendations, and pull together a basic research proposal (I need to work out details but it'll be on food and Medieval Scotland!). I have a feeling that after I do that, my continued research will be food overall, rather than other aspects of Medieval Scotland. Mmmm, food historian.
There are but a few (mostly minor) issues. Number 1: Funding is highly competitive and I likely won't get it. They don't really pay Graduate Teaching Assistants much and so it's more about helping income rather than being enough to pay for school and doing more. I can do loans, which truly makes my brain hurt, but I think I'll also apply for scholarships. I do need to start now though.
I was advised that a lot of people take a year off to get money but that really won't work. I'd need almost £3000 in my bank account for 3 months before applying for a 2 year extended work visa after the program to stay. That's not likely. I could always head back but I don't really want to and there's no guarantee I'll be able to find work that is good enough to make up for the loss of time... and I really don't know where I'd want to go. I have family in one place, Cindy would want to go to Boston, I miss Eugene if I had to leave, and starting somewhere new for a year seems silly (even for me).
My other deep down worry: Being overeducated for everything outside of academia and without enough experience. I know it's a problem for a lot of people but only doing one year away from school would seem to make it even worse.
1. I'm doing well enough in Old Gaelic, despite flipping out over my grade, to not worry the lecturer. Apparently Ds are passing. (baffles the mind)
2. I got a B1 on my big paper from last term. Very exciting.
And then I got to talk about applying for my PhD. The application process itself is pretty straight forward. I fill in some basic information, get some recommendations, and pull together a basic research proposal (I need to work out details but it'll be on food and Medieval Scotland!). I have a feeling that after I do that, my continued research will be food overall, rather than other aspects of Medieval Scotland. Mmmm, food historian.
There are but a few (mostly minor) issues. Number 1: Funding is highly competitive and I likely won't get it. They don't really pay Graduate Teaching Assistants much and so it's more about helping income rather than being enough to pay for school and doing more. I can do loans, which truly makes my brain hurt, but I think I'll also apply for scholarships. I do need to start now though.
I was advised that a lot of people take a year off to get money but that really won't work. I'd need almost £3000 in my bank account for 3 months before applying for a 2 year extended work visa after the program to stay. That's not likely. I could always head back but I don't really want to and there's no guarantee I'll be able to find work that is good enough to make up for the loss of time... and I really don't know where I'd want to go. I have family in one place, Cindy would want to go to Boston, I miss Eugene if I had to leave, and starting somewhere new for a year seems silly (even for me).
My other deep down worry: Being overeducated for everything outside of academia and without enough experience. I know it's a problem for a lot of people but only doing one year away from school would seem to make it even worse.