A Terrified and Floundering Newcomer
Hello, medievalists!
I just spent two hours hitting the "Previous 10"! What an informative and friendly community I've stumbled upon!
I am so, so thankful to have found you all. And I hope that you can help me!
Let be begin by stating that I've been interested in medieval literature since AP English in eleventh grade. Every class I took at university with a focus in medieval studies just confirmed that THIS -- this was what I wanted to immerse myself in for the rest of my days. In particular, my heart throbs over the linguistic aspect. I really, really like grammar (I'm praying that no one finds a billion typos in this now). And I really, really enjoy languages in general! I've taken two semesters of Latin (before the subject was CANCELLED -- unbelievable!) and many long years of French, from high school and into college. I am more interested, however, in Old Norse, and I wish that I had taken German instead of Latin or French. Gosh, I'd die to learn Welsh! ... Maybe not die.
Okay, so this is why I'm terrified and floundering:
I'm low on funds. I've been low since I've started paying back student loans and the rest of life's bills (relatable, I'm sure). So I'm taking my GRE late and applying to grad school late, and will probably be broke by the time January rolls around. But I think it's worth it. Oh lawd, I hope it's worth it.
I'm trying to be very careful about where I apply. I graduated with a 3.66 GPA, and while I didn't do much volunteering, I was a writer for our university's magazine, and my poetry was featured in our annual literary journal. I've had a rough undergraduate career simply due to the fact that I changed majors twice and transferred schools once. Really, when I look at myself, I see a lot of passion but very little to show for it.
And yet still, I want to get into a good school. I also want to be realistic about it. So far I've looked into the Medieval Studies/Literature programs at Purdue, Western Michigan, Oregon, and a few others. I can only apply to a few-- it's honestly all I can afford. I'd love to study abroad but that's moving into the territory of "in your dreams". Can any of you pros offer any input on the situation or suggest any other schools that might be more suited for my interests?
All the best to you wonderful people, and I hope your holidays are off to a grand start! Thanks for reading!
I just spent two hours hitting the "Previous 10"! What an informative and friendly community I've stumbled upon!
I am so, so thankful to have found you all. And I hope that you can help me!
Let be begin by stating that I've been interested in medieval literature since AP English in eleventh grade. Every class I took at university with a focus in medieval studies just confirmed that THIS -- this was what I wanted to immerse myself in for the rest of my days. In particular, my heart throbs over the linguistic aspect. I really, really like grammar (I'm praying that no one finds a billion typos in this now). And I really, really enjoy languages in general! I've taken two semesters of Latin (before the subject was CANCELLED -- unbelievable!) and many long years of French, from high school and into college. I am more interested, however, in Old Norse, and I wish that I had taken German instead of Latin or French. Gosh, I'd die to learn Welsh! ... Maybe not die.
Okay, so this is why I'm terrified and floundering:
I'm low on funds. I've been low since I've started paying back student loans and the rest of life's bills (relatable, I'm sure). So I'm taking my GRE late and applying to grad school late, and will probably be broke by the time January rolls around. But I think it's worth it. Oh lawd, I hope it's worth it.
I'm trying to be very careful about where I apply. I graduated with a 3.66 GPA, and while I didn't do much volunteering, I was a writer for our university's magazine, and my poetry was featured in our annual literary journal. I've had a rough undergraduate career simply due to the fact that I changed majors twice and transferred schools once. Really, when I look at myself, I see a lot of passion but very little to show for it.
And yet still, I want to get into a good school. I also want to be realistic about it. So far I've looked into the Medieval Studies/Literature programs at Purdue, Western Michigan, Oregon, and a few others. I can only apply to a few-- it's honestly all I can afford. I'd love to study abroad but that's moving into the territory of "in your dreams". Can any of you pros offer any input on the situation or suggest any other schools that might be more suited for my interests?
All the best to you wonderful people, and I hope your holidays are off to a grand start! Thanks for reading!