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Well, I've finally gotten my wireless home network set up. Which means that, unlike every post I've made since I returned from England, this is not being typed on my parents' computer (or a random computer on campus). It is, in fact, being typed on my new computer, in my room. (Yay!) I'm also currently in the process of installing all my IM programs, so now you'll be able to catch me online at odd hours because I don't have to worry about waking my parents up. I can also leave my computer on so that it can be downloading nonstop. In fact, this is just all kinds of good. :D
Another good thing: I was reviewing the Iowa program and found several definite pluses to it that I had forgotten. For one, they require a foreign language, and they offer Japanese. Score! I'll finally be able to have some formal study of the language instead of my bastard self-taught pidgin Japanese! For another, they pay for Ph.D. students to present at five academic conferences during the course of their degree (up to $150 per trip), as well as paying for those finishing up their degrees to go to the national MLA conference for job interviews (it's where pretty much everyone does their job interviews of prospective English faculty). Their program also looks very open-ended and customizable to focus on your interests and proposed specialties. In fact, at this point, Iowa is tied with Edinburgh and Trinity for my top choice after Oxford. (And my standard of living would be a hell of a lot higher there than in any of the British/Irish universities.)
...My life is pretty damn good right now. :D
Another good thing: I was reviewing the Iowa program and found several definite pluses to it that I had forgotten. For one, they require a foreign language, and they offer Japanese. Score! I'll finally be able to have some formal study of the language instead of my bastard self-taught pidgin Japanese! For another, they pay for Ph.D. students to present at five academic conferences during the course of their degree (up to $150 per trip), as well as paying for those finishing up their degrees to go to the national MLA conference for job interviews (it's where pretty much everyone does their job interviews of prospective English faculty). Their program also looks very open-ended and customizable to focus on your interests and proposed specialties. In fact, at this point, Iowa is tied with Edinburgh and Trinity for my top choice after Oxford. (And my standard of living would be a hell of a lot higher there than in any of the British/Irish universities.)
...My life is pretty damn good right now. :D
