The ACTUAL Life of a Literature PhD
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- čas přidán 6. 08. 2024
- A Day in the Life of a Literature PhD:
• A Day in the Life of a...
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I want you to know that you look like the European hipster that American hipsters write their novels about.
youre the kinda person that we wish we could be friends with to go drink something and talk about books.
"everyone is terrified, noone knows shit" lol so tru in general
Thanks so much for this. I walked away from this kind of life during my first semester as a Teaching Assistant. I realized I loved reading but visual art was the stronger calling. I have great respect for literati. You are brilliant ~ you have me reading things I stopped reading years ago (Mason & Dixon currently). Love your jags. Keep 'em coming.
Watching this has been really helpful way to reframe my master's, thanks. I feel like I've been going about it the wrong way, and I really like the way you conceptualize it.
Thanks! Really interesting to hear what it's really like, I'm still finishing my BA so I've got a while yet to figure out if it's something I want to persue. Will definitly check out the Umberto Eco book!
I like that a lot of the information in this video applies to PhD studies in general and not just Lit PhDs. I'm a Linguistics major still working on my undergrad and from my understanding, the process is very similar to what you've described. Personally, I'm looking forward to independent work, as I've found traditional classroom teaching to be something of a chore. Best of luck to you and that for your channel!
Thank you for this video, I am English honours student from Calcutta. This helped a lot.
I'm a second year anthropology PhD in Australia (currently in Thailand doing fieldwork though). I'd certainly agree with pretty much everything you've said. I'm more of a night person, but I try to make it into the office during the day a few times a week when I'm in Canberra just so that the staff and students in the department actually get to know who I am and I can feel a little less alienated by the whole ordeal. Hoping to get an academic position at the end of it, although consultancy type work is probably more abundant for anthropologists than literature graduates. Treating the PhD like a job for now helps though. My government scholarship isn't a huge amount, but it is regular income coming in every fortnight that's basically double what I was used to living on throughout undergrad. It's not like my life is completely on hold while I'm doing the PhD (although it certainly feels that way at times, and this is an issue I have to find ways to work around moving forward).
Thanks for sharing your experience! The idea of putting life on hold for the duration of the PhD is certainly scary, and I know a few people who decided not to take that path because they feared precisely that. My experience of it has been very different so far, and I too have realized that, besides for those weeks where I have a deadline to meet or a lesson to prepare, I'm quite able to devote lots of time to other enterprises too - mostly to do with ensuring I'll have a job once the PhD is over :)
I just started my PhD career in Literaturwissenschaft in Vienna Austria. In Germany and Austria things are totally different. It’s hard for us to get a position at the Uni like TA. We don’t have to get so much ETCs(maybe only around 30). We don’t even have so many meetings with other peers. So principally you organize EVERYTHING by yourself, even the meeting with your supervisor. (We always discuss about
how many days would it take to let our supervisor know that we died.)Your only aim is to write a decent dissertation and get a job in academia after 4/5 years. Currently I just run from home to library everyday and have zero social contact, for I’m new here and now it’s summer break, which is the most struggling part I think.
I see! Thanks for the contribution - and best of luck with your PhD ;)!
Love the analogy you make with cooking - bang on correct.
Hi there..thanks for this video...it is really helpful for someone starting out on a PhD journey like me
I'm a high school student with a ten page term paper on Thomas Pynchon and I am so confused
What's wrong with your teachers?!
Catholic all boys school yeah a lot of fun
Doggo Gaming how did the paper come out?
I have never written a paper that long in high school. Not even in my AP English and Literatute classes.
aidanmccabe mccabe ahahahah very funny Heidie (this isn't funny at all, I'm serious!).
"Sweet fuck nothing", great usage of a literature phd.
Thinking about a PhD...this video is very helpful. Thank you!
It would be really nice if you could share with us a little bit more on how you're dealing with anxiety and mental health issues while being a PhD student. I'm currently doing my masters in Linguistics and anxiety has been a struggle. Great video!
Thank you for the idea Eduardo - anxiety is a tough beast! All I can offer in a simple comment is the bland but really genuine reassurance that "it gets better" :) Best of luck with your master's!!
Can you do a video on PhD admissions? How to write a Personal Statement, letters of recommendation, writing sample, etc. How should one go about it? How did you do it?
Also, can you talk about your time as a Bachelor student, and as a Master student? Which classes / readings you liked?
I could do that, why not! I'll think about it!
As far as applying for the PhD goes, my main recommendation is to ask your BA or MA thesis supervisor for advice. The application process is very different depending on the country where you're applying, and it can be tough to know how to best behave. In general, when you want to be in academia (whether for a few years or for a lifelong career) it's a good idea to find an expert in your field that can be a sort of mentor. It may sound sleazy but it's really not - it's just that there's really no guide out there on how to optimize your chances, and the advice of someone who knows academia from the inside is always priceless.
Adoro il modo in cui racconti, ti ho appena scoperto e mi sono già iscritta! Potesti fare un video su come sei stato accettato nella tua università per il dottorato? Quando hai cominciato a contattare i professori e secondo quale criterio? In generale su come funziona fare un dottorato all'estero, nel tuo specifico caso in Inghilterra :)
Grazie mille!! Ho filmato un video del genere qualche mese fa ( czcams.com/video/HrFKI52JPF0/video.html ) ma se non risponde a qualche domanda specifica chiedi pure!
PhD studies and that life is certainly interesting to me. I am a third of the way through my Humanities graduate program now and I have no idea what I'm going to do with it when I'm done. Over the past few months, I've considered continuing on for a PhD, however, I am not built for such a competitive life.
Hi, situation is quite similar here- three years from your comment!! May I ask how you are doing now? Are you pursuing a PhD or ..?
Thanks for the book Recommendation :)
As a PhD student in clinical psychology, i can totally relate to what you're talking about, specifically the impostor syndrome part... I started teaching this month and it's soo new to me, i have to completely reorganize myself to find time to do both. I struggle a lot with perfectionism and procrastination... Would you have some tips since you have the experience of working alone ?
As for procrastination, I find it useful to actually keep track of the amount of hours I spend working on my research every week (I try to total, say, 40 hours), so that perhaps if one day I can only work for two or three hours I know some other day in the week I'll have to do more. Also I prefer to get as much work done early in the day as possible, but that's just me - as I said other people will prefer to work at night. As for perfectionism, I have no idea, I am so not a perfectionist :P
The_Bookchemist Thank you so much for your response ! The idea of tracking the amount of hours spent on the research (weekly) is really good. I'm going to try this :)
Im 20 and this is my first semester for Masters in Comparative Lit. Just trying to find motivation since there can be days when I doubt myself especially bec Literature wasnt my undergraduate degree.
We all doubt what we do from time to time! Best of luck with your Master's!
thanks for the book recommendation
Thank you!
P.S: I can't really picture myself as a university professor. I'm doing my lit PhD exactly because I wanna do my research and I'm NOT rich. So it's like a freelance, paid, 3-year-long, job for me. Might not be the best but not so bad.
It's good, you're not the only one I hear who's approaching the PhD in that way! Ciò detto, lo sto facendo in Inghilterra ;) ma ho fatto la magistrale a Ca' Foscari
I'm doing a PhD in history but I'm not looking for an academic job out of it. My PhD is fully funded so the only thing I'm investing into it is time. I'm just doing it for a cool three/four year job and then I'll go and do something else.
Lewis Hughes may I ask what is your specialization in history?
Lewis Hughes nice
If I want to research on 'crime fiction' then what all things should I do? Will I have to read more novels of crime fiction? How can I get more information or knowledge about this topic?
academia is not for the faint hearted . Personally I know a PhD or doing a Thesis based masters is not for me but the dedication that PhD students put in is remarkable well done !
I need to show this to people who ask me, um so what dyou do in your lit PhD? And the video is so relatable. Im also doing my PhD abroad, in Renaissance lit. I think the main difficulty of a lit phd is reading a great deal of books, which can be discouraging sometimes because of the impossibility of reading all the books we need.
True! I note down all the time books and articles "I absolutely must check out," and when I check back my notes it's discouraging to see how many I actually had the time to read.
As a classical musician looking for a career in the orchestral field, I don't even technically need a degree. Generally, the only reason classical musicians go to conservatory or university is to learn to teach or to study performance under a master teacher.
Irrelevant question: You're a writer, yes? Is any of your writing available online? If so, how much, and where could I find it?
Here's a story I got published on an online humorous magazine a few years ago: www.hobopancakes.com/2014/09/02/literary-stylings/
I also have stories published in the anthologies Fae Visions of the Mediterranean and Ghosts, Gears and Grimoires; both are available on Amazon. Neither of the stories is especially unforgettable but Fae Visions is still worth getting because there's a lot of amazing content by other writers in there!
yaaay i'm a phd student in literature too now !
So YOU hope to be a university professor? Any preferences for which country?
Italy or bust! We'll see how that goes
I wanna know a better research university from where i can begin my phd journey in english literature.
Please help me with this.
And can pursue my post doc.as well.
Im still a high school student but im aspiring to study lit in further education.
i want to do phd. in english litrature and my topic is related to modern world. plz guide me what to do?
How does phd of literature impact on your writing style,thinking and would you encourage students to major in this field and especially for intentional who speak other language? Personally , I love to communicate my ideas and express my self throughout writing . In addition, the most important thing that writing a piece of English is a dream. Such as kids stories,films, and other things. Nowadays, technology is playing a major role when it comes to learning, specifically English writing and culture. I mean that learning independently could make a difference to smart learner.
I don't think you need to do a PhD in English Literature if you want to write in English; I think that is something you can develop independently. I would only pursue a PhD in English if you are interested in teaching English ;)
your awesome Mate
Mate you are my inspiration. Btw, I am 39, worked as accountant whole life. But planning to quit my job in 2 yrs to do masters n PhD in Russian literature in Moscow state uni. I m not rich but saved enough to afford this adventure for 10 yrs. Started learning Russian via Skype (preply.com) recently n will do so till next 2 yrs and also catching up on reading I missed early on in life. What advise you have for me? Thanks in advance
No advice other than to get the most out of it and enjoy it, being able to study and explore literature with experts in their field and likeminded people is just as awesome as it sounds! Have fun!
i am also a phd student in eng literature, but I am really struggling with a topic. its been more than 5 months that I am still unable to find it. can you plz suggest something????
Hahaha I died when he said that the structure should be clear at the beginning of the PhD, I wanna die. I've changed the structure at least four times and I'm on my third year now!
My life is more like the previous video. (I'm not a PhD student.)
Literature, i love it. Lot's of money in that game
It’s quite hard actually, you do realize what kind of mental effort and organization it takes to write literature creatively or about it critically; there are many transferable skills; if everyone were a business man, well, imagine the world; your comment resembles the one made by another character to Scarlette Johanson’s character in “Lost in Translation” when she tells him she studied philosophy.
Hey ; I have recently done my master's in English literature, I m passionate about phd in any ivy league university, can u plz guide me ,I m an Indian
How old are you, sir ? Mind uf I ask. I just want to be inspired. I'm 26 and just taking my masters. Ty
"If you go for a PhD, for example, you're not going to get out from under the authorities ... You can always tell an author who is still working under the authorities by the number of footnotes he provides to his text." Joseph Campbell
Was there a class about how to talk with your hands?
Nice shirt
Stammerer but want to do PhD pls advise me
how do u find a perfect topic ?
im 29 ,and i want to start literature in uni ,is it too late for me ?do you think im wasting my time ?
It really depends on your commitments and possibilities but if you can afford it (I mean, to take the time off to study it as a full-time or part-time student), by all means go for it, I've had several classmates who were much older than 29 and never thought they were wasting their time :)
hello. I am a Master's student and will be doing my PhD in literature. I am currently looking for universities outside India to apply to. Any suggestions?
I would focus on your favorite scholars (those who have informed your own research and views the most), and try to study where they teach - potentially to have them as supervisors! Good luck!
What is your PhD thesis about?
Escapism and escapist/popular fiction in contemporary American Literature ;)
Hi. Love your hair.
what is your specific thing then? im very curious to know your thesis or read your dissertation
Escapism and escapist fiction as portrayed/discussed in recent American Literature! Mainly the works of Michael Chabon, Diaz, Lethem, late Pynchon and a couple of others!
I like this guy, he is real and truthful! I see the video was posted 4 years ago, did you graduate @thebookchemist ? Can I refer to you as Doctor :)
I did and you may :] (but you shouldn't :P)
Do you think getting a PhD in Linguistics will help me get a job in a publishing company?
My humble opinion would be that no, it wouldn't; as I said, almost everyone in my life has always told me that the only sensible reason to do a PhD in the humanities is because you plan to work in the academia. I also have friends with aims similar to yours, and my girlfriend works at a publishing house too, and my understanding of the field is that it's best to just find a position (or an internship) at a publishing house somewhere, and work your way from the bottom up. Also there are some Master's Degree in publishing around Europe (UCL offers one and there are a few in Italy too, also in collaboration with big publishing houses) which I would definitely consider in your position. But again, by all means ask others, they might give you a very different feedback.
Thank you for replying :D
So what is your research based around?
How contemporary American literature (but mostly Chabon, Lethem, Diaz, Pynchon, Egan and a couple of others) tackle the topic of escapism and escapist fiction; how this relates to issues of canon, immersion/interaction etc.
We have imposter syndrome in computer science. Sometimes you'll feel like you don't belong or you aren't qualified to be doing the work. It's interesting but I think eventually it affects you less as you get your hands dirtier and become more familiar with the brutal reality of your limitation as an individual. And by familiar I mean you accept it as reality and ideally form a sense of humor about it.
I wonder if the happens in PhD studies as well?
Hlw sir... can I do ph.d in english literature from IIT university..
IIT is an engineering institute, you have to apply in a uni which has Arts as an option to study for a literature degree
What did you do your undergraduate in? Also what is the pathway like to get to phd level?
Foreign Languages and Literature (I studied in Italy), followed by an MA in English/American Literature. The path is different in any country too but nowadays lots of people take either an MPhil (a research Master's) or another kind of Master's before moving on to a PhD in the humanities; but it's not compulsory, and I think what counts in the end is the weight of your project, your references, and being able to show people you are able to do what a PhD involves.
thanks a lot!
How much time are you obligated to spend on campus if you're doing a comp lit phd?
Not much at all, at least not in the UK; I actually live quite far from my Uni and I only go there about once a week, and not every week! If you are keeping seminars and teaching classes you'll have of course to go there more often, but that's pretty much it (watch out though - some unis, like Cambridge, require students to live close to campus. Though I'm pretty sure you can get exemptions there too).
Thanks.
Conoscevi qualcuno dell'Università in Inghilterra? Hai preso contatti precedentemente col professore che ti segue adesso?
Nessuno - ho contattato diversi però diversi professori di lì prima di completare la mia application nelle varie università in cui ho fatto richiesta. In generale mi pare di capire che far domanda in un'università dove sai già con chi lavorerai è un plus.
New subscriber
We in the hard sciences do have an initial hypothesis, but we don't look for evidence to prove ourselves right. In order for a hypothesis to be valid, it must be falsifiable, so, generally, we just find something we can test and then do the test so that we can figure out whether or not our hypothesis is wrong or right. Walking into it with the idea to just find evidence to prove it right is the opposite of science and extremely dishonest, dishonorable, and poor practice. You find something you can test and then you test it. You don't just look for any bit of information you feel proves it one way or the other. Like, for example, looking up statistics or previous experiments to back up your hypothesis can be done as a precursor and we call that a "literature search", but an experiment or series of experiments is necessary afterwards or it's dishonest. To clarify, you can publish a literature search and it's no different than just organising all of the research papers, but you publish it as a literature search, of course, and don't really use it to back up or disprove a hypothesis; you can call for research to be done, but you can't draw a conclusion at that point. Then again, computational analysis of already existing data is many times used to draw conclusions in some fields, but robots are unbiased machines and humans aren't.
Great video, what is you occupation?
i have master degree in literature .. can i get ascolership for studying phd in your country ???thanks
Your hair is so pretty reminds me of an anime character 🤩✨✨✨
I'm looking forward to one day being a Literary Theory/Criticism PhD so the idea of reading so many critical texts/secondary sources/articles that have "sweet fuck nothing to do with what [I'm] researching" is..... kind of exciting? Does that make me a nerd? LOL
It does my Theoretician brother!
so, a year later I'm watching this video again to remind myself of The Goal because.... holy shit the burnout is fuckin /real/. I'm just ready to take a gap year before grad school already lmao
How's it going?
How about writing those peer-reviewed articles and getting horrible feedback again and again?
ma dove lo fai? ti ho visto a ca' foscari tipo l'anno scorso!
e ho un amico da venezia che lo sta facendo ad oxford
why did your uni threaten to sue you
he was probably joking
I think he was joking that they sued him because of the other video he made the joke one about being a pdh student
As suggested - just a joke! Also, I was stealing projectors
Perhaps, he got the LGBT scholarship and then it turned out he was only bi-curious, and thus fell too short of the requirement. Now he has been given two choices: 1.) Refund the money. 2.) Get a bf. For further updates see the newer postings ;-)
I love teaching...I hate grading.
They're right, there is no future for us :)
"I believed I was better than Harold Bloom" awww honey 😂😂😂 I'm only at A-level but so far Bloom is my holy grail, especially when it comes to Shakespeare
Why does your graduate school want to sue you?
It was a joke ;)
Which university you at?
why do you have Grey hair
It's genetic! My dad and brother have it too! Had it since I was 15!
I met someone who had the same condition, he said "It's better than being prematurely bald."
Do you use your CZcams money on skinny jeans?
Nice depression division t
Has Brexit effected you?
It has definitely affected any thought I might have previously had about staying in the UK beyond my PhD!
That said, not as far as the PhD is concerned - far from it, my University has been very supportive. It's a bit of a pain when, for instance, you go get broadband and you're told monthly prices might go up or down all of a sudden because no one know what'll happen; but what can you do!
This will be the UK's loss.
I can't tell if you're like 20 or 40
"Take the hard sciences. People who do research in the hard sciences already have a theory and they know what they're looking for when they do research [so it's OK to do the same in the humanities]."
This is a dishonest "but STEM does it too", because scientists aim to prove that their ideas are false. When they can't prove that their ideas are false, they assume with a high degree of confidence that they are true.
Being a Phd in Lit sounds horribly tedious and lonely. It seems very uncreative. It almost feels like a scientific relationship to literature rather than an artistic relationship.
the same is often said about people who study, say, musicology by those who don't study it. to an outside observer, the act of approaching art analytically can seem cold and impersonal, but for those on the inside, this is a misconception that couldn't be farther from the truth. many people who study music theory (of their own volition) do so out of genuine fascination with how music works on a deeper level, and studying theory is deeply fulfilling and emotionally gratifying for them, anything but "tedious and lonely". i reckon the same could be said for those who study literature
Please stop saying "FUCK" so much.