I'm in a humanities field and I will likely need to learn multiple languages. As a Master's student, I'm scheduled to take around 3-4 courses each semester, with much of my second year devoted to research and writing a master's dissertation. My question concerns foreign language prep....when is the optimal time to do that? Do I travel abroad this summer and shore up on what I know? Or do I take care of the problem during my first few semesters? What are the pros and cons of traveling abroad vis a vis taking care of the problem domestically (e.g., either at my school or some other program in the states, unaffiliated with my school)?
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posted by Genco_Olive_Oil
on Apr 8, 2009 -
8 answers
I'm putting together a writing guide for my undergraduate philosophy course. What information should I put in the guide?
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posted by philosophygeek
on Apr 1, 2009 -
14 answers
Hey all, I'm an incoming master's student with plans to apply to my institution's PhD program after my master's. As the first person in my family to go to college (let alone graduate school), I am quite green in many respects. What I'm really worried about is the professor(s) I want to work with in the future--how do I go about developing a professional relationship with them? I'm afraid of creating a negative impression about myself if I keep badgering them during office hours and blatantly trying to ingratiate myself with them. Also, any advice you could give me would be really helpful--especially with regards to a master's student in the humanities field. What should be my main focus and what common errors should I avoid?
posted by Genco_Olive_Oil
on Mar 28, 2009 -
12 answers
If you're a grad student or academic, how do you read new articles and books? Do you take notes/marginalia? Do you read some parts systematically and skim/ignore the rest? Read each piece multiple times? Do you find you learn more from reading than from talking with others or attending presentations? Please indicate what field you're in.
posted by shivohum
on Mar 3, 2009 -
22 answers
Are there any academics who specialize in criticizing/studying academia? What are their names?
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posted by Dr. Send
on Feb 25, 2009 -
27 answers
Is a masters in Political Science worth it? Or should I look at other two year options like Urban and Regional Planning?
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posted by anonymous
on Feb 11, 2009 -
10 answers
I'm 21 years old, about to graduate college, and the recession is freaking me out. I know there's no right or wrong answer to which course my life should take, but I need help focusing on realistic skills and places to live that I should be considering.
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posted by Muffpub
on Jan 7, 2009 -
20 answers
I'm going to be entering a research-oriented doctoral program in clinical or counseling psychology this fall. Any tips on how to be a student who gets the most out of graduate school and prepares optimally for a successful academic career?
posted by shivohum
on Jan 5, 2009 -
13 answers
Comment on the current academic job market, and the likelihood of scoring a tenure-track position in the Earth Sciences.
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posted by capitalist.pig
on Dec 5, 2008 -
13 answers
Is there any truth to the stereotype of the absent-minded and/or mad professor?
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posted by [ixia]
on Dec 1, 2008 -
14 answers
As a senior-level science PhD student, how do I find an academic conference to go to? And how do I know if a conference is going to be suitable, both it for me and vice versa?
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posted by shelleycat
on Nov 26, 2008 -
9 answers
I have fucked up yet another academic semester. This is the third time--I fucked up as a freshman, took time off, came back, fucked up again, took more time off, and came back and have repeated the cycle. Only now, now that I've realized I've shot myself in the foot again, I desperately want to recover my academic career somehow. Is it possible? Is it over?
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posted by anonymous
on Nov 19, 2008 -
34 answers
Wanting to leave academia after astrophysics PhD (oscillations in atmospheres of rotating starts, planets and discs). Need some feedback, tags, hints, keywords, that I should search in google and some suggestions of where my skills (look in the extended explanation) would be appreciated.
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posted by gradstu1980
on Nov 9, 2008 -
11 answers
Seeking a field that blends radical left-wing politics and sustainability with technology without diluting any of them.
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posted by youcancallmeal
on Oct 16, 2008 -
14 answers
Is there such a thing as an off-the-shelf electronic academic portfolio system?
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posted by b33j
on Oct 15, 2008 -
5 answers
whats the origin of words ending in -ality that are used specifically in the discussion of art? such as theatricality, aurality, physicality, etc.
where/with whom did this trend begin?
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posted by sponge
on Sep 30, 2008 -
9 answers
48 Hour Qualifying Exam
Tomorrow. Looking For Music To Keep Me Awake, Motivated, Positive, And Working.
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posted by chrisalbon
on Sep 15, 2008 -
12 answers
I want to quit academia and embark on a lucrative new career in the private sector. How do I do it, and is it worth it to get an MBA?
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posted by googly
on Aug 14, 2008 -
22 answers
Just started a PhD in cognitive neuroscience/imaging genetics and looking for some way to fund my research.
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posted by doctor.dan
on Aug 9, 2008 -
10 answers
Academic writing filter: I am a painfully slow writer. How might I go about developing a composition process that's higher-output, requires less concentration, and is more revision-friendly?
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posted by Bardolph
on Aug 8, 2008 -
13 answers
Have you initiated asking your boss for feedback on your job? When is the time to do it, and how's it done?
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posted by anonymous
on Aug 5, 2008 -
12 answers
I am a member of an academic committee that handles award nominations. Our job is to chose which of many internal applicants may apply for an external award. Often such awards accept just 1 or 2 applicants from a single organization. What is the most transparent and fair process for making such decisions? Alternatively, what are problems you've faced on similar committees?
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posted by about_time
on Jul 9, 2008 -
8 answers
Is it in bad form to ask an author directly via email for an electronic copy of a dissertation or non-refereed academic article, if I, as a student, have no other method of access to the resources?
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posted by rhoticity
on Jun 10, 2008 -
16 answers
I am applying for a small travel grant to fund a trip to a semi-local conference. The problem is that I have no idea how to write one!
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posted by tickingclock
on Apr 21, 2008 -
7 answers
Looking for summer courses in differential equations, online or in the Los Angeles area.
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posted by fermion
on Apr 16, 2008 -
3 answers
I just found out that I have an phone interview for a faculty (assistant professor) position (biology) at a liberal-arts college this Wednesday afternoon. Yay! But I've never actually had a formal interview before. Help! Also, I'm pregnant. Questions and advice requests inside.
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posted by gaspode
on Apr 14, 2008 -
23 answers
I am interested in finding a good, interesting online academic community—discussion boards, chat rooms, and the like. I am primarily interested in Literature and Philosophy. Do these places exist, or are internet fora pure
lulz?
posted by sonic meat machine
on Mar 23, 2008 -
10 answers
I was tentatively offered a lecturer positions at a University for the coming spring semester, which I'm psyched about but has led to a dilemma.
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posted by JonahBlack
on Mar 20, 2008 -
8 answers
What can you (you wonderful, bright, worldly people, you) tell me about legal anthropology? I'd like to know about its ideological construction, presence in academia, personal experiences, applications in the non-academic world, and whatever you've got. Thanks!
posted by clockzero
on Mar 17, 2008 -
4 answers
When addressing a professor by a title via letter or email (e.g., Dr. Smith), and they respond by signing their name (e.g., John), are they inviting you to refer to them by their first name?
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posted by SpacemanStix
on Feb 7, 2008 -
20 answers
Throughout my college career, I could probably count on one hand the number of professors I've seen who wear wedding rings, and this includes professors who mention their spouses. Is this just coincidence, or is there something to it?
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posted by phaded
on Feb 6, 2008 -
25 answers
What is the correct way to pronounce the name of the feminist/psychoanalytic critic Mary Jacobus? Which syllable is stressed?
posted by redfoxtail
on Feb 3, 2008 -
9 answers
If anyone has any experience with postdoc- or young faculty-type work as a foreigner in China, I'd be interested to hear how it worked out for you.
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posted by Coventry
on Dec 31, 2007 -
0 answers
