very very formal POLL

[starfrosting]

So I don't have a paid account, so I can't make a pretty lil poll like I'd want to for all of you to put yr ballots. But, dammit, I need your advice.

Should I:

a) stay at Vassar all this year, thereby getting to take poetry class this year and a bunch of philosophy classes this year, rather than cramming it all senior year while I'm writing a thesis....

OR

b) get my ass over to Amsterdam for the second semester, thereby taking a bunch of less intense wmst classes and probably having a blast, but possibly forgoing poetry class and having to get my ass kicked by a massive courseload senior year while I'm writing a thesis...


????

Please vote. Usually I'm very decisive, so when I'm not, it signifies that voting might actually change something.

Comments

[starfrosting.livejournal.com]

See, if the point is to take challenging and fulfilling classes, I feel like I may do better to stay on at my school and take all the philosophy my little heart desires. If the point is to take easier classes and have an engaging time studying gender in a different context and fucking around, I feel like I should go.

Then again, I don't want to get fucked by 'all the philosophy my little heart desires' when I'm trying to write a thesis senior year.

Mrrmph, trying to decide this only makes me dense.

*

[performative.livejournal.com]

.in the fall of 2003 i took:

.anthropology/sociology: contemporary native peoples
.women's studies/philosophy: feminist theories
.women's studies/contemporary studies: postmodern strategies in literature by women
.women's studies/theatre: independent study/weekly supervision on gender and performance theory

.this was probably my most engaging semester yet.
.i wrote an honours thesis the following winter.
.the experience was remarkably less fulfilling.

ps

[starfrosting.livejournal.com]

I'm so pleased that you corrected that typo.

Re: ps

[performative.livejournal.com]

when i finally fail as an academic,
i shall become an editor.

[rahas41283.livejournal.com]

can you start working on your thesis early. because if you can, and i mean really do it not half ass it, then go abroad. You have first semester and the summer to get your thesis together. Poetry classes you can take anywhere (sorry, not a huge fan of poetry in general. call me an iranian snob). Abroad experiences are harder to come by.

[starfrosting.livejournal.com]

Iranian snob ;).

Okay, but saying that I'm me, and am not *hugely* self-disciplined though I am pretty self-motivated, do you think I could actually start it in the summer? It sounds appealing, I have to admit...

Thank you for the solid advice, Sahar.

[rahas41283.livejournal.com]

Honestly, knowing your work habits i think it's touch and go whether or not you could really get started. I think it would depend on how organized you can get yourself. The thing is, if you have an interesting subject you are focusing on (do i hear queer?) then you will find interesting books to read. And I do know that you read like crazy when you like the book. So what I would do if I were you is to start thining about the books you've read, the books you want to read, the books you are willing to read again, and start to brainstorm some topics for your thesis. Remember to keep the topic a tad bit general so as to leave yourself some options. But not too general because then the booklist will be ginormous. I really think that by doing this not only will you have lots of fun in amsterdam but also your thesis will be that much better for all the focus you can give it over he summer. Also, if you are living at home the thesis may give you something you can really escape to to get away from your mom's...um....quirks....

Anyway, also see if your friends are willing to help you. it may take a cohesive effort of everyone encouraging you all the time to get to your work. (ask for some disciplining ;) Try setting deadlines for yourself. And take reeeeally good notes (with page numbers and citations) of the books you are read that have anything to do with your thesis.

The most important thing is that you take it seriously and believe you can do it. I think if you really really make this your goal you will accomplish it. The hard part is committing to the decision.

[dreamofapriest.livejournal.com]

you know what i said earlier over icy coffee. you must go...

[starfrosting.livejournal.com]

Yeah I'm increasingly thinking that's the case.

[badnoutyway.livejournal.com]

in general i don't think you should make decisions based on something you'll regret later--but everyone i know that didn't go jya really regretted it-and there's a reason for that, it's such an amazing experience-and in your case, should be academically, socially and emotionally challenging. i really think you'd be crazy to stay, and would really really regret it later.

love you, ollie-mou! i hope i get to see you before i fly away...

To be fair...

[starling3rd.livejournal.com]

I didn't go JYA because I wanted to get various things done stateside. (i.e. I really wanted to take Japanese and get all of my seminars out of the way.) I'm most likely spending next year in Japan on the JET program before (possibly) going into a GBLT Law program. I don't really regret it. I say do what you feel...or to quote 1776..."New York abstains....courteously!"

Re: To be fair...

[badnoutyway.livejournal.com]

sorry, kris...i guess i shouldn't generalize. i mean, i know i shouldn't generalize. but anyway, sorry for that- i guess i never really talked to you about your decision so i never knew how you felt-i'm glad you're happy with what you did- and it sounds like you have awesome plans...yay motivation!

[starfrosting.livejournal.com]

We'll see eachother before you fly away. I'll be in town next weekend too (dot dot dot)

And yeah I'm totally reconsidering.

[septemberish.livejournal.com]

I vote for JYA, for a few reasons:
Amsterdam is wonderful, and this will likely be the easiest opportunity you'll ever have to live there.
Four years without a break at Vassar = burnout.
I suspect you'll be fine with a couple philosophy seminars alongside your thesis. You're unbelievably smart, and by senior year professors are willing to cut you some slack on deadlines, especially when there's an impending thesis. Also, as several of your highly motivated friends found this past year, it is possible to write a thesis in a few nights. Not sane, but possible. And 20+ page philosophy seminar papers become a snap to complete in a night. Thank you, pharmaceutical industry.
You'll be so well situated to travel around next year if you're in the Netherlands - free places to stay in France, Rome, and Berlin, just for starters. Please don't pass that up!

[badnoutyway.livejournal.com]

what kind of lame-ass loser would write their thesis in a few nights? that's madness. well, whoever it is, i bet she does a mean fuck-the monkey or whatever, and is smokin' hot.

[starfrosting.livejournal.com]

Words of wisdom. I'm starting to think you're right. With a little bit of help from our friend pharmaceutical speed, I could probably write my thesis in far less time than I think ;). But seriously, you're right to remind me that so many of our friends could put me up in so many fabulous places, and that I could probably swing a couple of seminars alongside my thesis. Hmm. Decision time. Thank you for your opinion Maggie, it reall helps.

[quarterling.livejournal.com]

I'm not really a big traveler, so I'd vote for sticking around. Especially because senior year thesis=ohshitohshit. I'm facing that now. And also, I thought about going abroad last semester. But I'm really glad I didn't, because so many amazing things happened last semester that I can't imagine my life without, which probably wouldn't happen in a place you know you're just going to leave in a couple months.

[starfrosting.livejournal.com]

Well, I do think thesis might be a little 'ohshitohshit.' But I am also totally inclined to think that many fabulous things will happen regardless of where I am, and that being in a different country might just heighten the chances. I love travelling and this could be a good opportunity to do that reasonably easily (can you tell I'm already making up my mind?)

What are you writing yr thesis about?

[quarterling.livejournal.com]

Indeed, just thought I'd throw in my $0.02. I always always always get very sick whenever I travel (including a hospital visit in London), so I'm probably just biased.

Thesis: Mine is on feminism. And generational/theoretical schisms within, comparing the progressive era/flappers to now. That's quite a mouthful, but it's actually a pretty simple topic.

[starfrosting.livejournal.com]

I'd be curious as to what similarities (if any) you're focusing on. Just on a superficial level, I'm thinking of some connections between the sort of 'liberated woman' ethos of the flapper and the sort of 'girl power' so-called post-feminism of, yknow, Bust magazine. Obviously I'm not being very historical here or anything. It sounds like an interesting topic.

[dellac.livejournal.com]

you must go to amsterdam
btw when i saw jami in sweden i told her you werent going and she flipped out saying that was stupid
i think youd be missing out on so much
its just one semester
and i took all my hard seminars first semester than did all the reading for my thesis over winter break (its a long time) and wrote in one relatively peacefull (courseload wise) semester
it was fine
i didnt even have a topic before i got back from winter break
plus if you go to amsterdam you can visit me inm france!
honey, you will probably never be able to live there so easily again
its not like europe is exactly thrilled to hand out work visas
and even if you did get to do something like im doing in france, the ISP (independant study project) that is part of SIT will be so much more fullfilling than any class you can take
it is a thesis but it is based on experience and interviews and observation not just books
my isp was truly amazing and until my thesis it was the thing i was most proud of in life
it is a month for you to study whatever you want, in depth, in the field
soooo cool
plus... if you want you can write your ISP on a similar topic as you want your thesis to be on thereby saving yourself a whole lot of work on your thesis
the isp can be on anything it doesnt need to be related at all to the classes you take in amserdam
in senegal one (really stupid girl) even wrote something about postmodernism as related to senegalese culture
it was a terrible isp, but you get my drift...
ok
love you

[badnoutyway.livejournal.com]

hi lindsay!

[starfrosting.livejournal.com]

Yeah she wrote to me saying something like "Obviously you know better than I do what you should do, but I think you should go."

What are the options in terms of thesising? Dyou always write it over one semester, or can (should?) you spread it out over two?

Cos I guess you're right, if I'm going to be writing it in one semester, I could just plan it so that one has an easier courseload.

Gah.

Really I should talk to Uma.

You can...

[starling3rd.livejournal.com]

do a two semester thesis, BUT it doesn't mean you can spread out your work. At least in the English Dept, a two semester thesis is approved only for those that are doing theses so ball breaking that they could not possibly be successful in one semester. That said, I think that going to Amsterdam is a good idea, though to balance the conversation, studying outside the U.S. is certainly not a once in a life time opportunity. There are cross-continental gradschool programs, fellowships, as well as the option of studying overseas full time in grad school.

[starfrosting.livejournal.com]

Mmm, cross-continental grad school...
I really do need to start researching some of that soon.

[go-team-venture.livejournal.com]

Travel always trumps staying at home.

[starfrosting.livejournal.com]

Word.

[el-convenio.livejournal.com]

i dont think you should stay all year but i also dont think you should do a stupid SIT program you'll go nuts. talk to the JYA folks and they'll get what you need straightened out to get approved seomwhere else. i think you should go where you can take classes in french and learn with real kids who live there not lame foreigners. anyway thats my two cents. leaving vassar was the best thing i could have done. and it really good to learn in a different way like that and you can usually take any class in any department you want because visiting students dont have prerequisites. we can talk about this later when you get your ass up here!

[starfrosting.livejournal.com]

Yeah, let's talk about it once I'm up there. See, the thing is, the French program that sounds so good (critical studies, for real) requires like 5 semesters of French ie really good proficiency, which I don't have. And I think, from talking with Drake, that the Netherlands could be really good. Also, will this be my only opporunity to ever study at a foreign university? Also, doesn't it have to fit with my major eg wmst?

Ps should I stick with my major or switch to philosophy?

i love you bug, see you soon.

[el-convenio.livejournal.com]

also theses are for suckers... meaning mostly everyone i know, but the truth is work finds a way to get itself done and you shouldnt blow off europe... yes and easy europe (visa money housing travel etc.) for your fucking thesis which you will find a way to make it happen no matter what. AND if you go somewhere where their seasons arnt upside down you'd have a whole summer to do reading. i tried to do my best in two weeks... i accomplished not much... but im not worried yet. AND i dont even do speed... so word. yr totally golden. and now its time for you to get the fuck out of babylon as it were... not that europe is much better but thats another discussion entirely...

[starfrosting.livejournal.com]

Out of the belly of the beast and into another of its chambers, I guess. But since I sure have no intention of going to literal Zion, I guess I'll have to make it w/metaphoric Babylon for now.

apocalyptic fucker ;).

[triggereflex.livejournal.com]

amsterdam totally gets my vote too. how many opportunities do you have to do that. and besides writing your thesis is going to be hard no matter what you do. i think i ended up writing like 40 pages the weekend before i turned it in and that was after working fairly diigently all year. point being you are going to write and write then revise the fuck out of it no matter what your course load is like so don't stress about it just accept that it will be brutal and take advantage of the opportunities that you have.

[starfrosting.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the perspective, Shaz. It will most likely kick my ass no matter what. Ergo, I should at least go to Amsterdam while I can.

[enchanteddesert.livejournal.com]

If you go to Amsterdam you'd probably be worrying about your courseload for senior year, and perhaps curse yourself senior year cause you've got so much shit to do. But life is short dear Liv, and we need to seize opportunities when they're dumped on our lap. Would you honestly ever go to Amsterdam sometime in the near future if it wasn't for the exchange? And a little bit of worrying or cursing of your former self is negligent when it comes to living in Europe and having unforgettable youthful experiences. I decided to travel and move when I felt it pressing. Is it pressing for you to have this experience? Or is it pressing to have more security and an easier courseload?