Students: Graduate Information
Adjusting to Graduate School
Starting Out
A few words about beginning graduate school: The first quarter, especially, can be as stressful as it is exciting. As a student, you will be bombarded with critical theory and lengthy reading lists; as a teacher, especially if this is your first time, you will have to deal with all of the fears and anxieties that come with teaching. And while there’s no avoiding the stress, there are ways to handle it.If you are a new TA and are going to take the course on Teaching First-Year Composition, you will immediately find yourself among a group of peers facing the same challenges you are. The Faculty and Staff of the First Year Writing Program are there to help you to balance your roles as teacher and grad student. The Writing Program Administrators and Peer Mentors of new teachers are experienced graduate students whose job is to assist you as peers in making this transition.
Perhaps the greatest resources available to you are the people in the program: faculty, experienced graduate students, and your peers. So, talk to these folks.
Academic Tips
There are a number of factors to consider in planning M.A. course work; prominent among these are the M.A. Comprehensive Exam and degree requirements, which call for at least three 700-level literature survey courses, English 700 (Introduction to Graduate Study in English) and, for most new TAs, English 781 (Introduction to the Teaching of First-Year English). See the English Department Handbook [PDF] for a complete description of M.A.degree requirements and the Comprehensive Exam.We suggest that M.A. students look over information on the M.A. Exam and get a copy of the exam Reading List right away (it’s available online and from the Graduate Studies office). This will allow you to plan ahead and to prioritize your courses and reading.
Aside from English 903 (Teaching College English), there are no particular course requirements for the Ph.D. Instead, each student designs an individualized Program of Study that leads to the Candidacy Exam, in which you exhibit your knowledge of critical questions in your field and focus and demonstrate your readiness to begin writing the dissertation. Obviously, you should choose coursework with these goals in mind.
Professionalization
It is important to think of your time in graduate school--your graduate career--in career terms, particularly if you are planning to pursue a position in the academy upon graduation. Professionalization includes seeking out new teaching and administrative opportunities, applying for fellowships, presenting papers at conferences, submitting papers for publication, and networking. It is best to begin professionalization early, so that you can show off an impressive Vita when you go on the job market.Visit the Ohio State University
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