The title is in quotes because it was said by someone else. It is my title because the comment was directed at me. Yeah. Thank you graduate school for breaking me down and reminding me to be humble.
So, what kind of writing receives a comment that marks it as "unhelpful in the extreme?"
So, what kind of writing receives a comment that marks it as "unhelpful in the extreme?"
Lists. I've been working SO HARD on my statement of purpose for months now, and I finally got the courage to send it out to folks for review over the weekend. I got written feedback from one prof who said "this is everything and the kitchens sink" (not in a good way) and commented that I'm "all over the place." No surprise there, being all over the place is kind of my modus operandi. Although, of course, I do realize that this is not the impression that my statement should give about me. I am actually supposed to work really hard to hide that in my statement of purpose. (Once they know me, they will come to love that about me, but they can't know it too early)
Then, came this last blow of how the listings of my interests and research projects are "unhelpful in the extreme." I also watched my prof laugh while reading it...ouch. But it made the process feel more human today, and actually, getting such harsh feedback spurred me to defend myself and my lists! The meeting turned out great because I was forced to articulate the core of my interests and put together a narrative and then, she basically helped me to write it all out. Helpful in the extreme.
I wish I could convey what exactly it feels like to be writing a statement of purpose for a PhD program...AND having professors read it. I mean, I know that many of you have probably done some form of this before. But, somehow, I really do feel like doing it for Literature programs makes the stakes that much higher because we are in the business of narrative! The statement has to be academic, eloquent, concise, focused, intelligent, interesting, and all in direct phrases and ACTIVE VOICE. Damn that active voice.
Essentially, when I share my statement with my profs or talk about it with them, I feel the exact same way that I feel when I wake up from a dream in which I was naked in public. So, the question is, where in the hell can I find some clothes?!
Then, came this last blow of how the listings of my interests and research projects are "unhelpful in the extreme." I also watched my prof laugh while reading it...ouch. But it made the process feel more human today, and actually, getting such harsh feedback spurred me to defend myself and my lists! The meeting turned out great because I was forced to articulate the core of my interests and put together a narrative and then, she basically helped me to write it all out. Helpful in the extreme.
I wish I could convey what exactly it feels like to be writing a statement of purpose for a PhD program...AND having professors read it. I mean, I know that many of you have probably done some form of this before. But, somehow, I really do feel like doing it for Literature programs makes the stakes that much higher because we are in the business of narrative! The statement has to be academic, eloquent, concise, focused, intelligent, interesting, and all in direct phrases and ACTIVE VOICE. Damn that active voice.
Essentially, when I share my statement with my profs or talk about it with them, I feel the exact same way that I feel when I wake up from a dream in which I was naked in public. So, the question is, where in the hell can I find some clothes?!
1 - You can probably make a dress or some sort of trech-coat out of old purpose drafts
ReplyDelete2 - I thought you were just going to photocopy the stuff uou and Meg wrote out on thebig paper in theconference room and send that out to people. What was wrong with that?
3 - hang in there, and best of luck!