a literature student's last semester of graduate school 🫣📚 time blocking, tbr, and emotions [cc]
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- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
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i'll leave a little "grad school FAQ" in the comments of this video!
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Just a little FAQ about grad school - feel free to leave any other questions below and I’ll answer them in an upcoming vlog!
What am I going to school for?
MA in Literature
How long have I been in the program?
I started in Spring 2019, so three years! I was part time as I balanced work
What am I going to do with my degree/once I graduate?
I use my degree everyday for one reason or another! Writing, reading, in videos, etc. However, I’m not “formally” using my degree in a professional setting. Originally, I wanted to be a teacher, but I’m really happy in my current career and am going to stick with it for the foreseeable future
Why am I reading so many books for school/what is my final exam?
In my program, there are two options for your final exam. 1) Writing a 40-60 page thesis on a specific topic or 2) Reading 50 pieces of literature and being examined on them (as well as writing two short papers). I am going with option 2 since I had already read a good portion of the literature previously and I’ll be taking the exam at the end of this year.
What are some of my favorite books I’ve read for grad school?
Don Quixote, Great Expectations, North and South, Jude the Obscure, Macbeth and Dracula - just to name a few!
Have you considered looking for adjunct positions to get your foot in the door at a college or university in case you want to make a career change later?
Curious if the examination on the 50 pieces of literature is oral or written or both? How many pages are the short papers?
I’m also planning to do an exam instead of paper for my grad program. Hoping to graduate next Spring 😅 Good luck this semester!
Sorry if this is too personal, and please feel free to not answer it, but what school are you going to? I will be graduating from undergrad in a year and I'm starting applications this coming month for grad school and would love your advice!
What was your experience in grad school? You said you were struggling a bit and you didn’t know if you were going to make it through. If you don’t mind sharing them, what were those struggles? And what is your overall opinion on grad school? Did you find it to be a good experience? Basically give us a review :P
So you work full time, you wake up at 5 am and work out for 2 hours ever day, AND you are pursuing a masters? Don’t worry, you’re doing amazingly.
Really, it's amazing!
You really are doing amazing
For real! Like while I am working full time....that is my only true consistent thing 🤣
When I was younger I don’t think I could ever do that.
I’m picturing a video series where it’s like mean girls “get in bitch we’re going”…to grad school
And you just make us listen to all your school work, all the books you’re reading, things ur discussing with professors, etc.
STOPPP WHAT A GOOD IDEA
Such a good idea!
This I'll be a great podcast
When you read a book for school, I’d love to see how you’re thinking about it, what questions you are trying to answer, how you’re trying to understand it for the purposes of your classes and program versus a pleasure read.
Yesss!! Me too, im always curious
It's oddly comforting to know that I am not the only one who got worried about being done with course work and talked with her therapist about how to handle exams! I am also creating a "class" for myself.
Sister Carrie is SO GOOD. I love Drieser!
Starting the second year of my master's and I honestly envy you sooo much Noelle. I'm applying to phd programs because tbh I don't have any other job that's viable for me, and I feel trapped lol. You will have a wonderful degree you can be proud of + be able to enjoy another career!! You should be super proud of that. Good luck with the final semester! You got this!
you're so sweet! best of luck in your second year and getting into your dream phd program!!
Ooooh how exciting! Feel like we've all been on this grad school journey with you and I can't believe you're already at the last semester, where the heck did time go. Congrats, Noelle! You're gonna do fantastic :)
thank you angel 😭
Woah I love the idea of blocking out a “Night class” two nights a week for yourself!! Might try that!
Congratulations on starting your final semester!! How exciting!! A day in the life vlog once you feel comfortable with your schedule would be a fun video. I imagine talking about the books helps the information stick a little better for your exam so bring on as many reading vlogs as you want!
As someone who just finished my MS and is starting my PhD, this schedule seems like the perfect recipe for burning yourself out. I'm not saying that to shame or scare you, but just to remind you that you're well-being comes first. You can't get quality work done if you can't rest. Wishing you the best of luck! You got this! ❤️
You got this !!! On the hard days just visualize how happy you’ll be to say you completed and did it ☺️ wishing you all the best
honestly just watching that google calendar screenshot made me tired, I'm truly impressed!
I recently moved to the Bay Area from NY and my boyfriend lives in Santa Cruz and literally every time we’re downtown at the bookstores I bring up low key hoping to run into you haha. You’re such an inspiration and got me through my final semesters of grad school last year. We are all rooting for you! Thanks for being the “big sister, friend” role model for so many of us - kick ass!
I would literally pay thousands to have the ability to be this organized
oh wow! I didn't know you work full time besides studying. Respect! What I really would like to see is a video about your study tips, apps you use and tips in general you have about managing a full time job, studies, being a UA-camr AND having a relationship and a private life 🙂 Is your school completely online? Is your job remote? What did you learn about coping with stress and pressure in all your semesters? What advice do you have for newbies? All the best to you!
White Noise was so good!!! Excited for you.
I honestly just love a reading vlog no matter if it's a fun book or a classic I've never heard of that is being read, I'm just here for the vibes lol
do you find that all the school reading affects your love of reading in general? like do you experience "reading burnout" and what do you do if this happens? your dedication and work ethic is so inspiring!
a GREAT question which i will totally answer in my next vlog!!
Tbh so excited for yr reading vlog around Middlemarch!!
noelle, as a recent grad (BA) who's intmidated by grad school this was so motivating and fun to watch !! i hope you have a wonderful last semester and i hope you're feeling so proud of urself it's what u deserve >.< and i'm so excited to watch that middlemarch vlog (no pressure tho ur already doing a lot heh)
I’m so excited for you to be almost done, and for pushing through! I finished my masters in June and the last push was the scariest but it flew by. I hope that you can find balance and some joy in this last chapter 💖
thank you sm and CONGRATS ON GRADUATING 🎉A
I too am not in a formal classroom setting and I've found a UA-cam channel by a woman named Merve who does an ASMR study sessions. Sometimes they're at her university library and sometimes from her office at home. But they make me feel like I'm in the library studying or that I'm around others who are studying. She also does the 50 minutes of study, followed by a 10 break. I find it helpful and thought I'd pass it along to you. Good luck this semester, I know you'll kill it!
I’m also back to school and man do I hate university. All the administrative staff talk to you like you’re borderline inappropriate for trying to balance your schedule, I’ve got quizzes on shit literally being taught next week, and I’m there for the majority of the day :,( I’ll be so happy for you when you graduate
i LITERALLY start grad school this saturday, in a field i don't have absolutely any background in, and could not feel more anxious about it 🥺 i really needed to hear some of this at this exact moment. i rewatch some of your grad school vlogs to remind myself to embrace the nervousness because it just shows how much i really care to make school work for me this time and not the other way around. thank you so much noelle! 💓
Your vlogs and content are literally some of my favorites on BookTube. I look forward to all of your videos and I'm so excited for your final semester! For content suggestions -- A week in my life, how you wake up at five am/sleep tips, and maybe some wedding planning vlogs? I love everything you make and will be watching it all!
I'm about to go back part time to grad school (night classes while keeping my 9-5) so this video was really inspiring to get me working on my calendar! Good luck with your last semester 🎉
Oooooh I adore Sylvia Plath’s Ariel 🥰
Not really my place I know, but I’m also a literature student, and I have some tips for you for getting into reading poetry if you want them :)
- I find that looking up articles about poems online really helps me … it was something I was ashamed to do at first because I felt like I studied literature and I should just get it… but having a few ideas to start with just made the poems so much more fun and easy to engage with
(I remember one about plaths’s bee cycle poems, and one about ‘nick and the candlestick’ also by Plath) - both were wonderful, will link if I can
- sometimes you can find collections that come with essays and critical thoughts etc
- I have couple of books on how to read poetry : the poetry handbook is amazing, but probably over-detailed and a little overwhelming at first (makes me feel both very smart and very stupid)
- 52 ways of looking at a poem - much more accessible and vibey :)
OpenYale also has some wonderful poetry lectures (I love their ones on Robert Frost) :)
Sorry I’m actually rambling so much 😅
Best of luck with all the reading! 😊
Also also (somebody please stop me)
It might be fun to do a buddy read of one of your school books? Then we could have a big group discussion? :)
i think your method of planning is going to help a lot! just remember that on weekends and such, if you don't end up reading extra it's still okay. i know that i have high expectations of myself a lot of the time and i end up setting unrealistic goals and then i get upset when i can't reach them. it's been really important for me to be flexible with myself and my schedule/needs. i wish you all the best! finishing grad school will feel so rewarding once it's all over. glad you chose to stick it out.
such incredible advice that i will desperately need to remember as this semester progresses 🥲💛
Hi Noelle, congratulations on starting your last semester! I started watching your videos a few years ago when I was considering getting and MFA in poetry. I have a masters and work in a completely different field and felt trapped because I didn't know how to make my dream of going back to get a masters in literature and writing work. I was inspired by your passion for literature and your journey, and just as you are finishing your last semester of a part-time MA while working full-time, I am starting my first semester of a part-time MFA while working full-time! It's already a lot of work, but I'm so excited to be back in a writing and literary environment. Thank you for sharing your drive for literature
Hey Noelle! Idk if you have done this before but this video actually inspired me to sign up for the gym, it would be really cool for you to vlog your morning routine and talk about/film at the gym (if that's not super cringe), especially what you prefer to do in the gym, what you pack in your gym bag, and how you got into it etc :)
Congratulations on starting your final semester, that’s a huge accomplishment! I did my master’s in Shakespeare back in 2005, partly just so I could live in the UK (I’m from Canada) and specialize in my studies. I absolutely loved it; their one-year grad programs were intense, but the short duration was part of the appeal. I had to write a thesis but didn’t have to defend it, and because this was back in the days of wired internet, most of my thesis was written in my backyard on my unplugged laptop so I didn’t get distracted, to the tune of a bagpipe busker all summer long.
I think your program’s exam option is a really neat route, and I’m looking forward to your school-related videos! I absolutely adore Death of a Salesman, and it always makes me bawl when I see it live. And I am right there with you on the value of lit degrees - I ended up in a totally different field that was very heavy on statistics, geography, and building/mining databases, but the research skills I honed gave me a great foundation. I did end up going back to grad school back in 2015 for a more career-relevant program, but that was mostly because I still really love being a student and wanted to live in the UK again, and my job allowed education leave. Looking back, I wouldn’t trade my first master’s for anything, and I hope yours brings you as much joy and curiosity. You got this!
as someone who dropped out of postgrad rlly take the time and celebrate this achievement omg last semester of postgrad look at you! you made it!! so so proud hope you are proud too :,)
Grad school is brutal 😭❤️ you're so close!! Sending lots of love
I sniffed when Noelle held up the candle… tell me I’m not the only one please
This video made me feel really motivated to finish my masters too, but in biology c: Im already late on it but I want to finish it by the end of this year, so I can move on to something new and start working. I also started in 2019 and about that time I discovered your channel, I feel like you are my companion in this journey. I really admire you because yo are doing grad school, working and this channel. Thanks for be so inspiring!! I´m really speaking from the bottom of my heart, I really hope you can read this. THANKS A LOT! You are my favorite youtuber
I know I'm a stranger on the Internet, but I'm so proud of you for this. You've come so far in your grad school journey. Can't wait to see you get to the end! 🎉
Good luck with your last semester!! You’re going to nail it!
Noelle, maybe this is a bit too much - who knows - but your videos give me life! My mental ridiculous problems disappear as soon as I start watching your videos!
You are an inspiration for me since I always feel like reading because I wanna be like you and have that energy and passion for the things you do. You should be proud of yourself, you are doing an notable job. Honestly, you inspire us 🧡🧡
Also, please vlog everything! I love when you do a reading vlog around 1 big book or 3 medium books f.e. Vlogs like this where you sit and talk and show what you have bought/done are also very engaging for me. You could also do a vlog with the list you need to read and your thoughts about the ones you have already read.
I’m very interested in this school topic but also in your not-school readings so just make vlogs about every and anything, ok? 😂🤗
This is unbelievably inspiring! I have been overwhelmed at the thought of trying to get into a regular workout routine while contemplating going back to grad school and working full time. This makes me feel like that's actually possible! You are kicking ass and I hope this last semester goes so well!
You are so awesome! I am impressed with your early morning dedication. The end is so close. It seems intense right now but it is not forever. I believe in you!! Love watching your videos.
as someone who also is in their last semester of grad school for lit and also was * this close * to just calling it quits, this is a whole mood lol. my program sounds so different than yours. wishing you all the luck and speedy yet retentive reading this semester!!
Sister Carrie is very, very good. It is actually very modern in its subject and the way it is told. I've read it a few years ago but I still remember the emotions I felt reading it - specifically the feeling of pity.
thank you SOO much for posting this Noelle- I am about to start my second year of my MSc in biology (thesis track) and i am done with my traditional courses and it has been really difficult for me to motivate myself to create a schedule, and this just reminds me how I myself needs to be my biggest motivator!
I've just finished my thesis for my MA in English Lit too! You're so close, congrats on pushing on but also considering taking a step back for yourself, even if you didn't end up taking it - that's really tricky to navigate and deserves just as much celebration: choosing yourself is hard!
I think it would be interesting to hear about how you read for school/prep for this exam, like what notes are you taking/how are you organizing your thoughts and ideas and connections between the books from the list?
I'd love to see an updated list of all 50 books and which ones you've read and which ones you still need to read and how you are preparing for the exam i.e. notes etc.
I've got one week left until my final ever deadline for my postgrad course and I'm a rollercoaster of emotions! Sending you good and productive vibes for your semester!
hope it goes well! if you remember tell us how it went
This just made me feel so motivated to study! I would love to watch more vlogs like this or just you reading those books!! And good luck
Hi Noelle :) thank you so much for this video, it really motivated me! I study Media (major) and english (minor) in Germany as a B.A. and am currently doing a semester abroad in the US. I have two english classes with a lot of books to read. While that excites me, it is also stressful. I love watching your older reading vlogs where you just vlog grad school reading and balancing it with work life and i would love to see more of them. Also in terms of structure, you could talk about page goals or what you are paying special attention to in a certain book. Anyways, thanks for these videos and I hope you have a great semester!
love, Hannah!
Omg, I LOVE the Paddywax Library Collection! I burn the John Steinbeck all summer and the Charles Dickens all winter (perfect Christmas scent)
i love death of a salesman! i’m not too well versed in plays but it definitely made me cry, smile, angry -all of it! i can’t wait to hear what you think about it:-)
Hi Noelle! Just wanted to say this video helped me so much! I’m just a couple of weeks into grad school for Library & Information Science and definitely feeling overwhelmed by all the reading (+ the fact that my program is all online). I really appreciate you walking us through your process and your honesty about past times you struggled. Good luck and congrats on starting your final semester!
You can do it Noelle!! Rooting for you and all the best on your final exam
Thanks so much Noelle!! Your video gave me the motivation I needed to start this academic year! 😁
Goodness, White Noise is wild. I’m excited for the movie coming out. Congrats on reaching your final semester! I’ve always wanted to go to grad school but I was so burnt out after getting my BA I never got around to it.
noelle, i am about to start my phd program this fall, so this was a great video to see from you. i'm very proud and happy for you!!
Perfect video for this teacher that just started grad school. Trying to get all things done!
this is so random but the green shirt you wear in the end of the video really compliments your skin, eyes and features! i think the green really suits you ✨
Good luck Noelle you’ll do amazing in your last school year 🙏🏼❤️
No way!! I grew up in the Santa Cruz area. As I’ve gotten older and moved away I’ve really come to appreciate that bookshop and penny ice were there growing up. The next time you go back, check out the Abbey!! It’s a great coffee shop close to downtown with a great vibe, food, and a courtyard ❤️
Love seeing all your videos, you’re for sure my go to when it comes to recommendations :)
Good luck with the rest of the semester, Noelle!! I’m finishing an MA in Creative Writing and starting a masters in Psychology, so I’m right there with you😂💪
ahhh!! best of luck with finishing up your current program and starting your next one!!
@@NoelleGallagher thanks a lot!!😘
Time blocking is great! I am a PhD candidate and not taking classes at this point. Just working on finishing my research with no structure lol but time blocking really helps!
I feel you on the school readings (I'm a student as well) so I would love to see some reading vlogs for graduate school (I'm simply a undergrad english major, so i feel you right now)
Good for you for sticking to the grad program. I remember trying to finish my program. I got all the course work done and then procrastinated on my thesis for a very long time. The summer before I finished, I took vacation time every other Monday during the summer (I also worked full time during grad school) and dedicated those Mondays plus a few nights a week to research. I had to go to cafes or parks to work because being in my apartment was a distraction. I finally finished that damn thesis and graduated. It’s hard and painful, but once you are done, it will be worth it.
I love your vlogs theyre always great to watch and relaxing, if this was something youd be up for I would love to see a casual first thoughts analysis on some of the school books or insight to your analysing methods (i thjnk youve already done a vid on your methods?) if not just your usual reading vlogs on the school books would be great anyways ☺️ best of luck to your last grad semester!
i’m so happy for you noelle!!! school is so friggin hard and you’re doing amazing! ❤❤❤
Death of a Salesman is one of my favorites. You can read it in like an hour or two, but it does make me cry. Also Gwendolyn Brooks’s poetry is excellent. I’d suggest just letting it wash over you and then rereading and annotating then
Hey Noelle! I have expressed before that I know the challenges of grad school as a fellow grad student (in a different field) but it’s quite funny to me because I think we have been living through very similar experiences. I actually took a leave of absence from my program and now I don’t think I will be returning to finish the degree after speaking to my therapist and family. However I still often feel a lot of regret with this decision. I commend you for continuing to pursue your education as it has been one of the most difficult decisions of my life thus far. If you ever want to chat more about this I would be happy to!
I just started my MA in English this year! It's been so interesting to hear about your MA journey and I'm excited you're graduating soon!
All the best dear! I wish you all the success and strength. 💐
I also did option 2 for my English grad program! It was hell but I promise it will be worth it! Rooting for ya!!!!
Also I had to read white noise for grad school! It’s awesome
You got this! You’re so organized and it’s all well thought out. You are NOT going to trip at the finish line! Full confidence that you will ace this exam!!!❤️
sending you all the good vibes as you start your last semester!
ugh I really feel the disliking poetry thing! I want to understand it so badly but always feel like I'm interpreting things wrong or just not getting anything out of it
LOVED White noise. I hope you enjoy it as well. DeLilo is such great modern American lit reading!
Wrote this comment before I saw Ariel/. Hot damn....that is a good poetry collection!\
good luck for your final semester, Noelle. you got this!! 💙
It is such a fun video and inspirational for me atleast, I was planning for my finals that are in September, was feeling so nervous. Now I want to make a schedule and stick to it. Thanks Noelle💞
What a informative video that will surely help fellow students. Congratulations on the final semester!!! Thank you for the video.
somehow this video hit the spot, I feel motivated to finish my pending thesis, thanks for the inspiration and all the best of luck to you in your last semester!!
I just submitted my masters thesis today, after a lot of struggle, you can do it queen!!
ahhh! congratulations!! 😭
@@NoelleGallagher thank you so much 😭❤️
I’d been wondering how grad school was going/feeling! So lovely to see this update. You’re gonna absolutely SMASH this last semester Noelle! 💕
So much of this video resonated with me. I am STRUGGGLINGGG through my masters as well, but seeing you get through it gives me hope 🥰 I would love to see you discuss how you navigate difficult/heavy readings… like do u reach out to professors? Do you google? Ask friends? 😅 I would also LOVE to know… now that is you final semester, in hindsight, what are you most proud of?
I love this video! Sending you positive vibes for this upcoming semester! ✨
The urge to school shop seems permanent to me. I just finished my grad school program in June (I started my part-time MBA in spring 2019), and I haven't fully moved past the anxiety of juggling assignments or my general lust for highlighters and sticky tabs.
It’s also MY last semester of grad school! WE GOT THIS!!!
I have to say that Sister Carrie is actually pretty good. I’m from Chicago so I think I really appreciated all of the references to the city, but it’s really not that bad!
This was really helpful/inspiring/motivating to watch as someone who has just started their undergraduate in literature! It really helped romanticize the whole thing and seeing you do all of this makes me more excited for myself. I am taking more English classes than I probably should this semester so it was really helpful to see you block out your time and I may try something similar! Good luck to you for this semester!
I studied literature in college and I would go back to those days in a heartbeat. Hope you enjoy your degree!
Would love videos of you reflecting on the books you’re reading for school or vlogging ur experience reading just as u would any other book. As someone who did a science degree I would love to hear more about these books and the things you’re learning about/from them.
To hopefully make you feel better about Sister Carrie - that is one of my favorite classics that I have ever read (I read a LOT of classics) and I actually think you might really like it. It is a rags to riches tale of a young woman in Chicago. It is well paced, well written, and also an interesting look at turn of the century America (19th -> 20th century). Good luck!
honestly....i might have to pick it up next just based off this description! you make a great sell!
@@NoelleGallagher yay! Im so glad to help :) I was hooked from the first chapter so I don't think youll have a problem getting into it, an under-rated and under-read classic for sure. Props on sticking with your program, grad school takes a whole lot of determination and will power, I am hopefully finishing a PhD in May, fingers crossed!
The Literary Disco podcast did a read of Middlemarch and it was super fun to listen to. It goes over several episodes, and I thought that you might have fun listening to it during your re-read. They are hilarious and also insightful
Noelle, when times in grad school get tough, what are your favorite things to ground yourself? I am in grad school for school counseling/LPCC credential and I graduate in May. So happy to have been on this graduate school journey with you!
Congratulations on getting to your final semester of grad school! What a milestone. ❤
I would love to see a morning routine/day vlog now that we all know your schedule lol I would love to wake up early but I always end up sleeping late
Good luck to you noelle! Would you ever make a video for people who want to start reading classics but don’t know where to start?🙈
Please do a morning routine video/how you consistently wake up at 5am!💗
Yay Noelle! SO close to finishing school! I just started my second year of grad school (different program) so I feel your pain of wanting to drop out, you’re definitely not alone in that!!❤️
loved this video! wish you the best semester ever! i just started my second to last semester as well, and watching you really encouraged me to organize my semester better! i'm graduating in literary studies with an emphasis on english lit so i feel like we kinda match hihi love you
Wishing you the best of times and that everything goes as planned for your last semester 💙
I actually just dropped off from my program after struggling to find joy in it for the longest time, and will be switching to genetics next year, but I still wanted to something added to my education (since I also enjoy being a student and the whole process off learning), but I was struggling to see how I could goce that some sort of structure, so thanks to this video and you, I will be spending some time tonight doing some time blocking 🤠🤠 so, thanks for the inspo
I hadn’t been watching your videos for a while, but today I thought of you and checked the channel. This vlog feels like such a warm hug and welcome back to your channel 🤗 All the best for your last semester from someone who is also in their last semester of grad school - how did we get here? 😱