I posted on Facebook that I was applying to grad school, and I did that because unless people know about stuff, I often wimp out on it. However... I'm nervous about giving too much away because what IF I DON'T GET IN?? I have employment backup, thanks to West Coast Boss, and yet, public rejection elicits a full-body cringing OUCH.
Still, I'm excited, and despite my more pessimistic nature, I'm hopeful. So here's the skinny. There's a program at U of the Desert that seems like a great fit. It's also where Long-distance Boyfriend is located, which is important if I ever want Long-distance Boyfriend to become No-distance Husband.
The program is an MA in English, requiring that I take at least a couple literature classes (not the worst thing for a bibliophile). The specialty to which I am applying is Rhetoric and Writing, and one of the purposes of the MA is to prepare people with a content background to become professional writers or editors. It's possible that I could roll it over into the PhD program in a couple years if I want, and there are some potential doctoral questions that I am interested in, such as how scientists communicate with each other vs. the general population - the styles and settings and purposes of scientific communication. There are even some faculty at U of the Desert who have worked with science writing. So that all comes together nicely.
I've had a few people express surprise at this direction. It's not biology or science education, the two fields that I have worked in thus far. First, let me refer you to Pablo Picasso above.
Second, it fits my interests and background perfectly. I love to write, but am not particularly good at journal-type writing. I have a hard time jargonizing/formalizing enough, but if you want something explained to the general public, students included, I'm your woman. Hence, my decision to become an educator. I am good at editing though - at streamlining or beefing up, at identifying an audience and speaking to them in a way that is appropriate. I am a science junkie, but haven't really found a specific scientific question that has intrigued me enough to make it my life. I love to read, and most of what I read is non-fiction. See, I'm a science editor.*
Third, I owe it all to Science. They have a weekly podcast that I listen to with quasi-regularity, and they were discussing something (I can't even remember what, demonstrating how closely I do not listen), and they referenced sciencecareers.org. I was intrigued, poked around the website, and found an entire Next Wave edition about science writing, editing, and publishing. I always thought that I couldn't be a science editor because it was something you just fell into. Most of the people I know of who edit scientific journals were hired during a post-doc or as a baby prof. Since I knew I didn't want a content-area PhD, this seemed to close that door for me. But Science said that there were lots of possibilities I hadn't explored, and lots of other opportunities for science editing that I hadn't thought of. And I had an epiphany, "If Science says it's a career, then it's a career that I can have!" So I received life-scale validation from a website. I'm okay with that.
So now I'm in the process of asking for letters of recommendation, pulling together a writing portfolio, and composing my letter of intent. The deadline for applications is January 15, and they make decisions in March, so wish me luck and I'll kee you posted.
* I was also an Associate Editor for an undergraduate research journal at Undergrad U, but I never could have anticipated it as a career.
Still, I'm excited, and despite my more pessimistic nature, I'm hopeful. So here's the skinny. There's a program at U of the Desert that seems like a great fit. It's also where Long-distance Boyfriend is located, which is important if I ever want Long-distance Boyfriend to become No-distance Husband.
The program is an MA in English, requiring that I take at least a couple literature classes (not the worst thing for a bibliophile). The specialty to which I am applying is Rhetoric and Writing, and one of the purposes of the MA is to prepare people with a content background to become professional writers or editors. It's possible that I could roll it over into the PhD program in a couple years if I want, and there are some potential doctoral questions that I am interested in, such as how scientists communicate with each other vs. the general population - the styles and settings and purposes of scientific communication. There are even some faculty at U of the Desert who have worked with science writing. So that all comes together nicely.
I've had a few people express surprise at this direction. It's not biology or science education, the two fields that I have worked in thus far. First, let me refer you to Pablo Picasso above.
Second, it fits my interests and background perfectly. I love to write, but am not particularly good at journal-type writing. I have a hard time jargonizing/formalizing enough, but if you want something explained to the general public, students included, I'm your woman. Hence, my decision to become an educator. I am good at editing though - at streamlining or beefing up, at identifying an audience and speaking to them in a way that is appropriate. I am a science junkie, but haven't really found a specific scientific question that has intrigued me enough to make it my life. I love to read, and most of what I read is non-fiction. See, I'm a science editor.*
Third, I owe it all to Science. They have a weekly podcast that I listen to with quasi-regularity, and they were discussing something (I can't even remember what, demonstrating how closely I do not listen), and they referenced sciencecareers.org. I was intrigued, poked around the website, and found an entire Next Wave edition about science writing, editing, and publishing. I always thought that I couldn't be a science editor because it was something you just fell into. Most of the people I know of who edit scientific journals were hired during a post-doc or as a baby prof. Since I knew I didn't want a content-area PhD, this seemed to close that door for me. But Science said that there were lots of possibilities I hadn't explored, and lots of other opportunities for science editing that I hadn't thought of. And I had an epiphany, "If Science says it's a career, then it's a career that I can have!" So I received life-scale validation from a website. I'm okay with that.
So now I'm in the process of asking for letters of recommendation, pulling together a writing portfolio, and composing my letter of intent. The deadline for applications is January 15, and they make decisions in March, so wish me luck and I'll kee you posted.
* I was also an Associate Editor for an undergraduate research journal at Undergrad U, but I never could have anticipated it as a career.
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