Tuesday, September 18, 2007
After I take the GRE on the twenty-fifth of this month, I shall begin the course of my employment with the Scholtzky's across the street from campus. The manager decided to hire me because I shook his hand and stated my name when I introduced myself to him. Apparently, applicants tend to prove deficient in such basic communicative detail.
Immediately after completing the GRE, I must begin applying to graduate schools. As of yet, I have not developed a particularly systematic approach. I think that at most places, I would just apply for the MA program. At first, I thought I might need to pursue a year of post-baccalaureate study, but most people to whom I have mentioned this idea assure me I have no reason not to apply directly to MA and PhD programs.
I shouldn't waste my time with Harvard (not that I might want to), but I need to overcome the notion that I am not a competitive applicant. By the time I graduate in May, I will have had four years of Latin, three of Greek, and four of German, all of which looks fabulous on paper. To substantiate my levels of language preparation, I have writing samples I could develop further from all three languages, plus two more from the cultural/archaeological courses I took with Dr. Reed.
I do not foresee problems with professorial recommendations: everyone I've ever had has expressed some positive opinion of my work, and every one of them, by varying degrees, is reputable in his or her field. All of them, whether they might have any personal reservations, have never been anything but helpful and encouraging.
But now I must cut short the aligning of my thoughts, for I am to arise early tomorrow morning to await the arrival of the gentleman who will show me how to access the Internet from The Lauree Lair.
[Lauree Frances Keith concluded this diatribe at 10:04 PM]