Wondering Wednesday!
The first Wednesday of each month is devoted to testing the public alert sirens in Saint Paul….and writing in with all your burning questions about life at the university, advising issues, concerns about writing, fears about employment, or anything else vaguely related to literature / academia / graduate school / programs / writing / advice that you happened to be wondering about.
Dr. Durant will set her cat team of experts to work on uncovering the answers!
So what are you waiting for?? Post a question!
Ok, Tammy. Here’s a question that I’ve been meaning to ask you anyway. So now that the opportunity so blatantly presents itself, how could I resist? What are your suggestions for someone who is pursuing a graduate education in English with the intent of teaching at a college level? In short, if I want your job where do I start? I read your last post and at a glance all that hole punching seems quite daunting, but let’s suppose we could start with baby steps. Where would you suggest starting? I realize this question is kind of vague and ultimately I need to set up an advising appointment with you, but any general advice? Maybe some wisdom that other students lingering between an English Education BS and an English BA could benefit from?
I have questions about Graduate school. How does one determine if it is the right thing to do, if one has the necessary inteligence to complete it?
Louis Menand states in “The Marketplace of Ideas” that an interdisciplinary approach to education is a valid undertaking. Would an interdisciplinary course of graduate study bar one from going further?
I have a question about Law School. Since I am planning on going to Law school, what is the best Law school out there which will help me get employed right after I graduate?
Ever since high school (back in the day) I had wanted to work in publishing or editing, the latter because I love to edit papers (my sister, also in college, finds me to be a handy tool) and get a secret thrill from putting them right, so to speak. Where I get stuck is knowing how to get to that point. What should I be doing to prepare myself for that field? I haven’t had time throughout high school or college to help on school newspapers, though doubtlessly that would help my case tenfold; I do, however, have some minor volunteer experience in a library (ongoing but intermittent). Does this field mandate graduate study, or is it a field that I can comfortably enter after earning my bachelors degree? I have no idea where to start or what to do. I would appreciate any and all suggestions!
A second field I’m curious about is working in a school media setting. I idolize the elementary librarian at the school I volunteer at, but she point-blank advised me against graduate school if I wish to stay in a grade school setting. She told me that schools aren’t looking to pay someone with an advanced education in that particular area (ie: if I were to get a masters in Library Science and then try to land a job in an elementary school) and it would be more beneficial to get my teacher’s license, though I have absolutely no interest in pursuing that. Is this a fact for all districts and/or all of Minnesota?
These are excellent questions. I’ll get right to work on them and some answers/discussions/ musings in future posts.
ok so I am posting on the 2nd wednesday of the month but I am hoping you will grant me forgiveness.
Have you ever seen a greek mythology course at metro? I am intriqued by it all and have not yet come across a course on it.
thanks!
Hi, Laura! Keep an eye out for Dr. Beverly Hill’s HUM 311: Classical Civilizations Greece! I just talked to an advisee yesterday who was raving about how much he loved reading the Odyssey.
For Laura/Tammy –
I took that course and it was great! I really enjoyed it and learned a great deal as well. (I am glad that I was just looking through here). I would be happy to talk to you about it if you like.