#research assistantships

[acswinburne]

As an ra, have you ever had to deal with any ~weird interactions with your profs? Especially male ones… I’m an ra and I get along real well with my prof. I try to keep things professional though. Recently I keep getting a vibe that he’s trying to come on to me and he is a little bit flirtatious. I’m just at a loss about how to deal with this.

Hi anon!! I have, unfortunately (but what seems to be not _exceptionally_) a lot of experience on that front. It's not something I am particularly comfortable sharing on a public blog, but I'd be happy to talk to you if you feel comfortable PMing me here.

I absolutely believe you should trust your gut, though. I'll be the first to admit that I'm not particularly professional with the people I'm an RA for (nothing romantic/sexual etc., but I would absolutely consider them close friends--which is not great in terms of drawing boundaries). However, there have been moments where I ignored the alarm bells in my head, either because I convinced myself that I'm making a big deal out of nothing, or because "that's just the way things are/maybe the prof does not understand what he's implying [LOL]". 9.9 times out of 10, there _is_ something wrong, and I now know that 0.1 can be risked if it means to keep my well-being in the long run.

What you can do in situations like these:

If you trust your prof enough, I would recommend talking about this to him! It doesn't even have to be directly. Something along the lines of "my friend acswinburne on tumblr (or alternatively, the real Algernon Charles Swinburne, the Victorian poet) has had this weird experience with her prof. I'm glad I'm not in her position and no one is coming on to me!" can work. I imagine there are more eloquent ways of saying it, this could quickly establish a boundary and communicate that you are not interested).

If you feel like he is being a bit more than subtle, or if you cannot trust him with a conversation like the one mentioned above, I would absolutely recommend talking to another professor. If you are on good terms with your advisor, your advisor, if not, anyone who you feel comfortable will do. They might tell you if this is a pattern of behaviour, subtly warn their colleague about professionalism, or guide you to the appropriate body in your university. University staff are often very sensitive to harassment cases (not saying that your situation is necessarily one) and will absolutely take you seriously. They are also supposed to work in utmost confidentiality, so if you want to go to them without asking them to take any action against your prof, they will be more than happy to lend an ear (and give advice, if you ask for it).

Your uni should have an harassment committee that you can write to. I will add my personal experience here, though: if you write to them with something "small" like "I fear my prof is coming onto me", they may either tell you to suck it up, or, pretend like you just accused your professor of assaulting you. Unfortunately, these committees don't always work like they should, and are hard to get under control once you communicate them your troubles. I feel awful as I type this, I really don't want to dissuade people from talking to professionals, but I also feel like I have heard/had enough wayward experiences to put this as a risk. If you can, it would be for the best to check the reputation this committee has amongst feminist groups/RAs in your uni.

What you should _not_ do:

Subtly Very bluntly come out as a lesbian after inventing yourself a girlfriend "who goes to another uni" (in another CONTINENT) and talk about her almost all the time. Magically break up with her six months later when you are no longer an RA. It did work on my first RAship, but I felt like I was twelve and trying to be cool.

In any case, please, please don't keep these anxieties to yourself! It always helps to talk, especially on matters like this. I understand that the power dynamic between you and your prof. makes it extremely challenging to speak out, or to even process moments of unprofessionalism, but _trust me_, silence will not do you any good. Though I cannot help as much as your faculty may be able to, I am more than happy to listen to you. I know how hard this whole thing is, and I hope all gets resolved soon!

[wttcsms]

we are soooo back, bro

[cohendyke]

im going to pay a visit to my beloved psych department tomorrow............ i miss them severely

[cursedmiette]

decided to draw him again

[swan-swanno]

ya allah why is everything due

[the-music-keeper]

So I owe y'all an update.

The applications have been turned in and now I'm waiting on recommendations (UT Austin can be a little delayed but I'm missing one from Indiana AND IT'S DUE IN TWO DAYS HELP I'M PANICKING).

Yes, I only applied to two schools. Long story short, your girl is getting out of DC. When finals are over I'm moving home, and I'll commute for the spring semester. But y'all, I have been so unhappy in DC. So it seemed really silly to apply to a school in College Park -- with the assumption that I'd be there for five years or more -- when I already know that I would feel isolated and sad for those five years. It's not worth it. If I don't get into the other two, fine, I'll wait and reapply. But I'm just not willing to put myself in that position when I know already I'd just be hurting myself.

Anyway. That was long. That intro might even be longer than the actual list!

Theory

1. Part writing assignment. (This did get done on time, by the way.)

Thesis

2. Keep gathering sources. (Well, I didn't have a bibliography of over 100 entries, but I got pretty darn close.)

Research Assistantship

3. Watch my lecture video. (Why am I so CRINGE)

Piano Practice

4. Practice at least a little bit. (Our concert is on Sunday!)

Adulting

5. Take out my trash. (Done!)

6. Pack for this weekend's visit from my parents. (Done!)

7. Send an email to my landladies. (Two weeks' notice sent.)

8. Send an email to the chorus HR people. (This is one of the two big cons about leaving.)

9. Course evaluations. (Done!)

No German this week! It's all in-class practice exams from here on out -- works for me.

[meteorherd]

oh ew four required classes for my first semester in august....its 9 hours instead of the usual 12 for four classes though so it shouldnt be too bad...?

[returntotheground]

found my lanolin-based lip balm i thought i had lost forever so at least 1 halfway decent thing has come out of this hellish fucking week

[honey-crypt]

more elliott hcs while i finish up my literature review for my research assistantship <3

fav dessert is red velvet cake with chocolate frosting

broke his toe while moving his piano into the cabin

gifts the farmer a fresh bouquet of flowers on the first day of each season after they get married

can sing very well but only sings when he's drunk (he has stage fright when it comes to performing)

takes his kids to the cabin during the summer season so the farmer can work uninterrupted and he can spend more quality time with the kids

his mom has red hair and his kids with the farmer also have red hair (the recessive gene is fighting for its life); the kids do inherit the farmer's eyes and smile, though

has a small cut on his lip from the time a tea cup broke while he was drinking from it

not the best at farming but he does a lovely job when it comes to caring for the orchard, which happens to be his favorite spot on the farm

wins the ice fishing competition by a small margin one year because willy accidentally drops his rod in the water (many tears are shed that day)

once in a blue moon, he can be found at the altar of yoba; he only prays in dire circumstances, such as the times the farmer was rushed to the clinic after a bad encounter in the mines or skull carven

he gifts the farmer a journal on their first wedding anniversary, it's filled with poems and journal entries from the day they got married to the present

curses like a sailor, thanks to willy

asks leah to be the aunt to his kids after the birth of his first kid (she immediately says yes)

he has been pinched by crabs on multiple occasions, the worst time was on ginger island and a crab pinched his nipple (he wears a rash guard to the next 3 or so outings to the island)

[dear-ao3]

So I'm anon to avoid doxxing myself with job information, but: I work in higher ed and am literally spending so much of my time on graduate education affordability right now. Unfortunately all three of our projects aren't public yet, so:

- master's or PhD? PhDs are often funded through research or teaching assistantships. Masters usually are not.

- are loans off the table, or is all federal funding off the table, e.g. but not limited to for citizenship reasons? There are lots of federal research grants.

- does this degree have a solid career path afterward, or is it a passion project?

- can you do it part-time and work?

-masters

-i’m not taking out any flavor loan of any kind. research grants and everything else are fine, just nothing i need to Pay Back (tho i am a us citizen who will be doing said masters program in another country)

-yes there is a career path (it expands on the current job i am doing, makes me more marketable etc etc)

-the program i’m doing is formulated for people to be able to work part or full time and still do it (but i will be in a different country, there’s limitations on how many hours i can do on a student visa)

[acswinburne]

Where did you do your masters? I want to be a research assistant but kinda lost currently :( can you give me some tips

Hi! I don't have a graduate degree yet--currently in the hellish process of applying for them :'). I began working as a research assistant in the second year of my undergraduate studies (which, tbh, is too early) because I thought it sensible to do one of my internships under a professor whose expertise matches with the sub-sub-sub area I want to pursue in grad school. I had taken two classes from him before I applied (so he knew me & my work quite well by that point), and he was already planning to spend the summer finalizing his monograph, so he did not object to having another set of eyes working on it. I began working as an intern, and after the internship period came to an end, we both found it fruitful to continue & turn it into an actual RA position.

That's essentially how I started working as an RA. Obviously, mine is a bit of an exceptional case considering I'm not in grad school, but I'd be happy to further talk about the process & see if I can give any useful advice if you reach out to me via messages! My one big suggestion without knowing you would be to reach out to profs/assistant profs you've taken classes from before to see if they might be interested in having an RA, or to academic libraries/archives for internships/volunteering positions, which might help if any opportunities arise in that direction. Good luck with everything!

[missys-mansion-of-mistakes]

September 10th, 2024. Tuesday.

What I accomplished today:

5 meetings attended (coach meeting, dr's appt, dr's appt, SMART recovery, team meeting for my research assistantship job)

2 Slowly letters written

3 scholarships drafted and submitted

Total time studied: 10 hours, 6am -> 4pm

🦊 A kind've bad day. The meetings all day really threw me off. Especially the doctor's appointment where they accidentally sent me to the wrong clinic, so I had to drive to another clinic 30 mins away, then they turned me away there because it was too late. Despite the receptionist calling to say I'd be late. So that really threw me off my groove.

🍉 Otherwise, survived the day. Happy I got those scholarship applications done at least. I've been really dreading those lately, so it was a nice change of pace that I was able to get them done!

[Photos: my desk setup, a postcard from @chibird's etsy]

[transmutationisms]

how does one get graduate history degrees for free and where?

it is absolutely NOT standard practice in anglo universities for graduate students to be asked to pay for history programs. there are certain 'professional' (heavy scare quotes) degrees like the MBA, MD, JD, MSW, &c that are typically unfunded, but for 'academic' fields (again, heavy scare quotes) like sciences and humanities, the department should offer a funding package that includes a full tuition waiver, a living stipend, and usually health insurance if you are in the US. these packages often run for 5 years, after which point you and your advisor are expected to put together the money you need to finish your dissertation, either from outside teaching/research assistantships, internal or external fellowships, adjuncting, or a non-academic job. if a department offers you no funding for a post-bac history degree, you should interpret that as meaning that the department is more interested in taking your money than developing you professionally, and/or that the department is in dire financial straits and is unlikely to be able to provide you with the resources and support you need to succeed professionally.

there are really only three major exceptional cases in which it ever makes sense to pay money for a history degree: one, your application was weak but the department says if you do well in your first semester they can fund you. ONLY do this if you have spoken to multiple other grad students who went through that process in the last 5 or so years, and you are extremely confident the department isn't jerking you around. two, you're looking at terminal master's programs. these are rare in history because only having an MA is not that useful for this field; i would only recommend these programs if you have an extremely specific career goal that explicitly requires this degree, and/or you're looking at dual MA/MLIS programs. three, you're rich and can comfortably afford to pay graduate school tuition yourself. you still probably will not have a good experience at any department not funding you, but that's your own business i guess.

[crazylittlejester]

Daily brainrot and today I've got a load of headcanons I've been mulling over because they won't leave me alone.

I know we've all done a college AU at some point in our lives, but I was up at like 3 am last night debating over which academia aesthetic each Link embodies because I may have spent way too much time on the aesthetics wiki recently. Did I procrastinate for an hour to work on this? Yes. I have no regrets. YOLO and all that.

Sky -- Definitely has light academia vibes. The man does not own a single dark piece of clothing, and everything in his closet is very soft and cozy. He double majored in aviation and environmental science, but he's debating transferring over to the biology department to pursue grad studies in ornithology.

Time -- He is not in charge of his own wardrobe, okay? Malon picks out his outfits. They match. It's always something tasteful and neutral with a little bit of color, but nothing that marks him as belonging to academia. He's part of the philosophy department and a strict teacher, but the students all love him because he genuinely wants them to do well and lets them know. Most of his work is writing for philosophy journals when he isn't teaching.

Legend -- Has more of a general/miscellaneous aesthetic that leans hard into gender non-conformity. He takes his work with him everywhere and whenever someone asks about it, it goes completely over their heads because they have no idea what he's talking about. There's an ongoing bet about whether his dissertation is about linguistics, sociology, or both.

Hyrule -- I don't think there's a word for his aesthetic, he just gives off "outdoors creature" vibes so hard. He's a cryptid and rarely in the classroom because he's always out doing field work. The most human contact he has is outreach programs with the environmental science and biology departments. No one knows exactly what his grad work is supposed to be because it's incomprehensible combinations of wildlife photos half the time and the other half the time he's off the grid.

Twilight -- This is what happens when cowboys and gothic academia have a kid. It's really freaking weird, but somehow he makes it work, so nobody questions it. He technically works for the agricultural department doing research and outreach programs, but he also haunts the English department and occasionally teaches 100 level literature classes online. The freshmen like him because he rounds grades up.

Four -- An unholy combination of academia and his unique color coding system. You don't know what you're getting until he shows up. He generally wears neutral stuff, but his socks and ties are color coded, much to everyone's chagrin. He's got multiple projects going at any given time and helps out the other departments when they get stuck on details. He's really cagey about his dissertation, but he practically lives in the science & engineering building, so he can't exactly deny that he's doing something in STEM.

Wind -- He tried being fashionable, but as soon as he decided to major in oceanography he was swept away by ocean academia. The amount of blue clothing he has is frankly horrifying, and Warriors is trying to get him to branch out into less garish shades of gray and stop wearing almost exclusively rubber boots as footwear. It's a work in progress.

Warriors -- I think he'd fall under general or queer academia because he'd be fashionable in a mostly-normal-but-also-queer sort of way. Stylish, and fruity. Definitely prefers autumn/winter because that's peak scarf season. He's the kind of guy who manages to casually slip representation into any curriculum you hand him and makes it look natural. He got an assistantship with the history department because the professors love him.

Wild -- 100% chaotic academia and doesn't even have to try. Everything is a mess, but it's his mess, he knows exactly where everything is, and to be honest it's not a safety hazard, so it's fine. Besides, he dresses appropriately for department events, and he's the only grad student that Flora hasn't scared off. No one actually knows which department he belongs to, but he knows something about everything.

IM SO FUCKING OBSESSED WITH THIS YOU HAVE NO IDEA

THESE ARE SO PERFECT AND YOU’RE SO RIGHT ABOUT THEM ALL I LOVE THESE SO MUCH IM SHAKIN EM AROUND LIKE A JAR OF MARBLES

[chaotic-archaeologist]

Hi! I'm currently doing my MA in archaeology (European Prehistory specialization) and I love it. I always thought I'd get my Masters and dip, but lately I've been seriously contemplating getting a PhD. I love learning and studying my topic and I'm having so much fun at my uni and suddenly starting my working career at 22 doesn't sound very appealing anymore. However, the idea of applying to a PhD program is very overwhelming (luckily where I want to apply has a pretty cohesive sign up step by step), still the idea of funding (especially) and having to write a proposal and possibly getting rejected from the place I've spend the last three and half years walking around is very overwhelming. How can I have that be not so overwhelming to the point of giving up bc if sounds like too much? Do I need to worry about funding that much? Is it expensive?

(I tried to find your advice masterpost before sending this ask to check if you'd already talked abt it, but I couldn't find a working link, sorry)

Thanks in advance :D

Hi dirtling,

First, here's a link to my advice master list—sorry that wasn't working for you. Our blue hellsite is fickle like that.

From what you say, it sounds like you have a great attitude for starting the journey to a PhD. Ultimately, the love of learning and a dedication to the field are the most important parts. The application and the proposal and the funding are daunting for everyone, but they are doable. I find that breaking things down into bite sized pieces and establishing your sense of self worth outside of academia are critical.

Now I feel the need to point out that my experience and advice come from a uniquely American viewpoint, and may not be applicable to European schools at all. Europeans please feel free to chime in with your own advice!

The very first thing you should do is talk to your advisor. Please send them an email right now if you have not already done so! Your (potential) advisor is going to be your champion in any sort of application process going forward. If you want to continue at the same university you're already at, your advisor is the single best person to help walk you through that process. Even if you wind up going somewhere else, you're going to need to make inroads with another advisor at a new program.

Finally: grad school is expensive (at least in the United Stated). However, many programs will have tuition waivers and assistantships that they offer their grad students because if everybody had to pay for it, nobody except the very rich would be able to afford to go to grad school. Exactly how affordable it is depends on the cost of living in your area and how much the school pays you (and whether you're able to work outside to supplement that income if need be).

Honestly, I think you've already done the hard part by getting into (and nearly completing) a Master's program. That's a great step towards proving to PhD programs that you have what it takes, and it should give you a decent idea about finances. What are yours like right now? How about your peers? I would imagine there isn't going to be a vast amount of difference from a MA to a PhD, and in the US a PhD is sometimes cheaper because they're funded while MAs often are not.

There will be differences from a MA to a PhD. Doctoral students are going to be expected to take on larger magnitudes of their own research and function more independently, but a good advisor and program should help you through that process. Again, the key is to take things piece by piece. Start with talking to your advisor and maybe the graduate program director. Take a look at that step by step guide with them and break it into separate tasks you need to do.

Don't psych yourself out about this too much. One thing at a time.

-Reid

[the-music-keeper]

It's not on the to-do list, but I did get my program note revisions done and sent in.