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Free Response Friday
Pony of the day
There hasn't been a single comment posted to this blog, and the Movable Type platform doesn't seem to keep track of page views, so I have no idea if anyone even reads it. I imagine that prospective GCS students sometimes glance at it, though, so my questions this week are for you guys. Leave a comment! Let's discuss!
As for me, I feel like I've been careening through my first semester, and this week in particular has been especially frazzling. I'm the kind of paranoid student who starts to question her intelligence and worth over the smallest of failures. Did I really understand the reading? Am I asking the right questions? Will my professor and classmates think less of me if my reading responses are less than brilliant? Am I just loud, not smart? Will my professors send me back to GCS kindergarten?
I came from an undergraduate program where the academic climate was often extremely competitive. I thought that I didn't really let that get to me, but I guess it rubbed off. I almost never worried about grades as an undergraduate student--except for one Econ class that I almost failed and an introductory Calc class that I just barely got credit for--but as a grad student I find myself suddenly very anxious about my academic performance. It's not hard to see why: If I want to get into a PhD program, I have to prove myself. But "proving oneself" doesn't mean never making mistakes, or never being stupid or foolish. I don't have to understand or try to tackle everything, I just have to be game. I think I do have something fresh and valuable to say about the topics that I'm passionate about. I still have my thesis to propose and write--hell, I still have my final papers for this semester. My entire academic and personal reputation doesn't ride on my first two classes.
So, enough about me:
What draws you to Gender/Cultural Studies? What is your undergraduate background? How do your undergraduate studies or interests inform your interest in Gender/Cultural Studies? What are your specific area(s) of interest within the field? What are your goals? Where and how do you want to apply your skills and knowledge?
What, as a student, makes you anxious? What do you think you do really well, and what do you think you could do better?
I'm interested in the responses of prospective students, but current GCS students are welcome to contribute to the discussion as well.
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