Hi everyone!
Let me just fill you in that things here in the new city are still going super awesomely well. Caught Being Good awards for everyone!
Now, I have an important decision to make. There's a public university here. It has a good linguistics department. According to their website, it's relatively easy for foreigners to apply to the master's program, but I assumed the simplicity of the application process was too good to be true, so I emailed them to see if I could come in to ask a few questions and get some more information.
The person who answered my email (a sort of adviser/receptionist guy) was receptive (har har) and told me to come in during a certain time block and that he'd answer my questions. So I went.
In the office was the email guy and another guy with a similar position. They were both super friendly to me. When I came in, the email guy told the other guy, "this is the girl from Berkeley!"
The other guy was black and had a big picture of Barack Obama next to his desk (no joke).
"Berkeley!" the other guy gushed. "I visited Berkeley and San Francisco last year. Wow, California has the nicest people. I don't know why Brazilians think Americans are cold."
Clearly, this guy and I had quickly won each other over.
Anyway, the two men were very helpful and were able to answer all of my bureaucratic questions about applying for the Master's. It's a 2-year program. I have to get some paperwork from the US, but I already knew that from the site. I also have to take a test to show my proficiency in English and in Portuguese. The language proficiency tests for foreigners depend on where the foreigner is from and what languages the foreigner speaks, and the program coordinator decides exactly what test I'll take. But the adviser guys said that it will most likely be a test in which I read linguistic research articles in English and then write about them in Portuguese. I'll have to practice my Portuguese writing a bit (OK, a lot), but that sounds doable.
Oh, and for those of you who don't already know this about Brazilian public universities: If I'm chosen for the program, this Master's degree is free.
I have to schedule a meeting with the coordinator to talk about my research plans and also my language proficiency test. Unlike in the US, a big part of the application is the quality of your thesis proposal, which you have to prepare before you even start the program. Luckily, the coordinator helps with that, tells you if your idea is something that fits into their research categories, etc.
So far so good, right?
The big thing holding me back is that the adviser guys told me that few grad students work while doing this master's program. It's pretty fast-paced and I must finish within 30 months. He said that some people can get grants and scholarships to help pay the bills, or some get hired on as research assistants, but that for me as a foreigner, it'll be a little harder to get free money from the Brazilian government on top of a free degree. Because I teach English, I might be able to squeeze in a few students during the week, especially if they're already students at the university, but my salary's really going to take a hit.
The other thing I'm not sure about is whether my research interests will fit into their categories, and whether I want to study something they decide on just to get a master's degree. My interests are in applied linguistics and the application of linguistic theory to teaching methods, while this university's program is heavy on really technical linguistic theory, like X-Bar theory and things like that. That kind of stuff is interesting, but it tends to feel kind of useless and self-serving (like it's fun to know about, but it kind of exists just to keep linguistics departments afloat, and it doesn't have much practical application, especially not in second language education).
Assuming I can study something related to teaching English or applied linguistics, there's still the cost-benefit question. Yes, education is important, and in theory, the more education you have, the better. However, a master's degree is also an investment. My goal in Brazil is to open an English school, not necessarily to work at a university. I don't know if having this master's will really help me in opening an English school, especially if I end up studying something really theoretical. I also don't know if the money I'll lose by teaching part time for two years will be "earned back," so to speak, by a better salary as a result of the master's at some point in the future. I also don't know how much weight a Brazilian master's degree will carry if, one day, I apply to a job in the US that requires a master's.
So here are the two sides of the argument:
1. I want to have a Master's because....
a) It might help me with some future job that I don't know exists yet;
b1) It will be free (aside from paying for lots of clerical things plus Portuguese writing classes);
b2) This is a good time to do it; I don't know where we'll be living in 3 years, or if I'll have this opportunity again;
c) There's social value to it, like being able to say "I have a Master's" instead of "I started a Master's program but I didn't finish it";
d) It will make me smarter, even if I don't necessarily use the research in my career;
e) It would be a great way to better integrate myself into Brazilian society and to meet people with similar interests;
f) One day, the kids will say, "Father is a doctor, and Mummy has a master's," in froo froo children's voices. :)
2. I don't want to spend time on this Master's because...
a) I'll lose a lot of money that I would make working, and I'm not guaranteed that I'll reap financial benefits from this Master's degree;
b) I just spent almost a whole year hardly working at all and partly depending on Alexandre financially, and I hated it. At least I won't be bored this time, but the issue of dependence (or at least being broke) will still come up;
c) It seems easy enough so far, but I imagine it'll still have a lot of bureaucratic hurdles, not to mention the plain ol' difficulty in completing a master's program in a foreign language. I'm worried that I would need to depend on Alexandre for a lot of things, and that he would not have the time or patience to be depended on to help me with academia. Basically, I'm worried it'll be too hard!
I don't know. I'm writing this out to see what you guys think. I'm sure some of you have completed a liberal arts master's program in a Brazilian public university. Is it true that I'll be too busy to work? Is it true that I won't be eligible for grants? Are there any other Pros or Cons that I haven't thought of? Do you think I'll like it? Do you think I'll need it?
Any advice helps.
You guys are awesome! Two cents time!!
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How exciting!
ReplyDeleteHere's my 2 cents...
Since the future is relatively uncertain for you (I assume you will be in Brazil long term, right?)I think now is a good time for you to do this.
The future is very uncertain and who knows, in three years from now you could be living in Tocantins without any access to good schools and programs like this, you could have a few kids...really the possibilities are endless.
I would say, that after you finish the program, the increase in salary will offset the money you will lose in the short term from not being able to teach while doing the program.
And if you really want to open an English school, you're gonna need a lot of money for start up. I think getting the degree will get you there faster than if you don't have it.
PLUS, it's free, so no real debt.
Now, coming into the realm of you being a "foreigner", is there any possibility of gaining Brazilian citizenship in the near future? I don't know how many years you've been there or how many years it takes to naturalize, but that could be a BIG help in bureaucracy, considering you would be just as Brazilian as any other Brazilian citizen.
Anyway, sounds like a great opportunity and you definitely have some cool and ambitious goals! I'm rooting for you!
Hope this helps a little!
Abracos,
Alex
Okay, I'll be the first to post! I did a CBA (one step down from an MBA) at a private Rio university. I wanted to cry at the beginning, because even with good Portuguese skills, 3 straight hours of lecture and discussion in a foreign language made me feel like a moron...then there was the learning to take notes all over again (harder than you'd think, because all my shorthand scribbles were for English words!)...but it got better very quickly. And partly that was because I was determined to have my colleagues respect me for my contributions, not assume I was getting passing grades because I was the token foreigner. So my type A side came out and pushed me to move past the fear and self-doubt.
ReplyDeleteGranted, my experience was in the private, not public sector, but I'd say it will definitely be difficult. I worked during my CBA, and the course load was probably WAY lower than a Masters. Juggling the two commitments left me exhausted, emotionally and physically, AND I think I had mono during part of it. (So that might have contributed to my ARGH! moments.) Still, if I were you, I think I'd choose one: work or school. Otherwise, if it's as high-pressure as your Master's program sounds, you're going to be coming apart at the seams and have a hard time really focusing on either. :) But that's just my two cents.
P.S. I don't and haven't used my degree since then, but I don't regret AT ALL having taken the course. Sometimes, we just need to do things for ourselves, even if the financial rewards won't be there at the end. If you decide it's for you, you'll have a fantastic experience, I'm sure!
oooh that's a tough decision! I probably shouldn't give you my opinion, since I'm pretty bitter about my own education/job prospects situation nowadays. Still, I can't help it.
ReplyDeleteI loved my master's program. It gave me a chance to learn all kinds of fascinating things about subjects I was reall interested in along with a handful of other people who got excited about the same kinds of things! There was an incredible sense of community and within weeks of starting the program I had no idea what I wanted to do because I loved everything I was studying.
Yes, it was hard. There was a week in my first year that was genuinely the most difficult academic period of my life. This gets to the whole issue of working while you go to school. I think you could do it, even if the people from the school say most people don't. You went o Berkeley! You're really, really smart and incredibly dedicated! I think that if you put your mind to it you could keep your income from falling off to nothing and still get what you need out of the masters program.
As far as jobs post-masters go and whether the degree is really worth it, it's hard to say. If I had stuck around in Denver I would have a cushy job with the Park Service right now and would be set of life. I had excellent job prospects before I even finished my degree. Now, though, I've got nothing. I think that's my fault. I goofed off and now I'm paying for it.
Now having a job makes me want to go back to school! graduate school being a totally unique, incredible experience that I consider repeating (even though I swore I'd never go there again after writing my thesis) is why I think you should get your master's. You'd like it and you wouldn't regret it.
I'm reposting my buddy "Bittersweet"'s comment with some edits, since she mentioned the name of the school:
ReplyDeleteHi Danielle,
You´ll be busy while attending classes, but for Master you don't have to attend a lot of 'credits' - the number of credits/classes depending on each department.
As long as I know, I don't think you're going to need a lab to develop your dissertation, with experiments and animals to take care, so your schedule can be flexible.
About the topic of your dissertation, take a look at the professor's site, maybe you find someone. The other thing is that maybe you don't find a professor there, but there is a chance that he/she knows someone from another university and this person could work as a second advisor - in Portuguese is 'co-orientador'.
If you want to open an English school the name of your school will flash like crazy too and will catch a LOT of attention.
I was wondering, just like the guy there said "The Berkeley girl", if you're inside the university you can use this to get more students :).
Oh, you could talk to them, see if you could watch some classes as 'special student'. If you like you go ahead. In many courses you can add those 'credits' after you're an official student, so less class to attend in future.
I know, I'm not helping, it's just that 2 years go by so fast, so why not give a try?
I think you should do it. I'm gonna be lazy and discuss the choice with you when I see you in a couple of weeks...I think it'll be better that way. In a nutshell, no matter what happens after you complete your degree, you will have had an amazing experience. and 30 months will fly by like nothing. Good luck with your decision!
ReplyDeleteWe think a lot alike. If I do a master's in Spain next year (possible), I'd be dependent on Mario. While that's not a "problem," it's still weird--especially as we're not married. But you are married ...
ReplyDeleteDo you get paid well for private lessons in Brazil? In Spain, it's very possible to earn 20 euros/hour. You could still do some private lessons, right?
You have really helpful people reading you blog! I agree with everything that's been said, and I can say from personal experience that my 4 semesters of grad school FLEW by. And holy macaroni, D, if you have to do your proposal FIRST, I mean that's half the battle!
ReplyDeleteTheses are very very different- I know someone who went to a well-respected private university and their thesis was ½ the size of mine and more like a big term paper. I was flabbergasted. I also met A LOT of people who didn't even have to do a thesis!
I don't know about other states, but here in Rondonia you have to have a master's degree in order to get a special certification at your language school. This certification allows people to use their language classes from our school as a part of the requirements to apply to grad school. We are going for this certification next year.
Everyone basically said what I would have said so Ill go ahead and ditto that. I would do it, free masters? Even if you don't get a dream job out of it you will make friends, feel like you are really a part of something and at the end of the day build add one more great thing to your resume. I think you might feel a bit validated down here, even though you have a top notch degree already within the Brazilian community (at least Ive found this with friends) they seem to care more about your brazilian degree than your US one. I would do it if it was free even though I already have a US masters!
ReplyDeleteWow, I really understand both sides of your debate. Would you ever have any interest in having those future kiddos saying "Daddy's a doctor and mommy's a doctor too!" Meaning, is a master's in Brazil terminal? I suspect that you are right in thinking that a Brazilian master's in linguistics may not carry too much weight in the event that your lives return you to US one day. A PhD however could be another story. But if you were to stay here, it could open doors. Although with all of your experience and knowledge, you certainly don't need it to open a school. Just to confuse you even more, I'll also tell you that I HATE being dependent on Carlos. It's been really hard. I've contributed, but not much, and when I have long dry spells, it really sucks. I don't like having to say, "I took 10 bucks out of the drawer for a pedicure." I just want the money in my wallet. If you do go for it, I have no doubts that you will not have any problems with the language. It might be a frustrating first semester, but you'll probably break through whatever plateau you're currently at with your language skills. Just gotta hold your feet to the fire!
ReplyDeleteHi Danielle,
ReplyDeleteThis might sound like throwing cold water on your dreams, but it's not, really. I read your blog to my mother who has run several successful businesses of her own, and is currently in the process of opening an English school here in Brazil. She also has a masters in Organizational Psychology from Birkbeck (London). And she's a business consultant. This is what she said:
"If her goal is to open an English school, she's already more than qualified. This masters course would not add anything. She can go and open an English school now if she wants to, there AREN'T massive start-up costs or overheads, because in Brazil you can either go to the clients premises or they can come to your home office. Once you have expanded and are making a profit you can choose to open a premises if you wish. If you need classroom space before that, you can rent rooms on an as-needed basis.
What she needs to ask herself is does she really want to go into business for herself or not? Because if not, she will use the degree as an obstacle/reason not to get started.
On the other hand, if she wants to be employed in Brazil, in a company, a masters will help her. But only in Brazil, because Brazilian degrees aren't accepted so easily outside of South America."
My mother has a blog which is exactly for women wanting to start a business. Why don't you check it out? www.bearichbusinessbitch.com
Hope this helps.
Alice xxx
I read it only today. My advisor is American and lives in Brazil for 10 years or so. He drop out his doctorate in the US and started a new one here in another field. He did his thesis in English(!) - if it was not Linguistics you should try it, it worked for his thesis in Stats. And he also got grants. How he managed to have these miracles in his life, I have no idea.
ReplyDeleteI am an undegrad, but I totally love this website: posgraduando.com It is funny and useful at the same time, it is not only funny like phdcomics.com. Last year I wanted yto do a Master's, but I am not so sure about it today.
Dear Danielle,
ReplyDeleteMaster's degree is a lot of work and I think that even though it would be free in this case, you'll still have to be 100% motivated to do it and absolutely love the degree. If not, there's no sense in spending two years of your life in studying something that doesn't convince you completely. So if this is not the case with this particular MA program, but the idea of a MA still appeals to you, I would suggest you to keep looking.
I moved 2000km to my current university to do a MA degree in a field that I really adore (SLA) instead of staying in my old university which offered a MA in a more generalized field (English language and literature). And I can tell you that it was absolutely worth it. Even at the phase of doing your MA thesis, it will be like torture if you're not completely into your topic.
Also, as you mentioned, there are the practical applications. In my case, I'm in the PhD phase now and still love the field, but if your plans don't involve working in research in the future, then you must make sure that the MA gives something "practical" that you can use in your professional field.
What ever you'll decide, I'm sure it will be go well!
BUT I realize I really sounded to bitter in my comment yesterday, and I apologyze for that.
ReplyDeleteIt happened because I had just followed the link to "Danielle´s favorite Brazil Blog", where the guy crosses the line to the point of sounding racist.
I am so in the middle with this: love love love the idea of "free" of course, but the thought of ever going back to school turns me off (I worked full time and went to school part time and remember one night I rushed to make it to class taking the train then the bus and it was freezing cold - my college had it's own private beach - and I only could eat an apple - horrible)
ReplyDeleteThen again, if you have a PHD then you and Alexandre would both be doctors - I'm not helping am I? :-(
Hi!
ReplyDeleteHe is my cents too...
I am brasilian and Ive started a master programm in Brasil but could not finish it mainly cos I had to work while doing it, but privat classes may be far easier to take along so you may have no problem
Check out on http://www.capes.gov.br/
if there is any possiblities to get a grant as a foreigner. As everything in this country QI (quem indica) may play a huge rolle to help you if there is any official chances.
I am now an expat myself married to an austrian and doing my master he in Austria which is totally free and I do have a grant, but I rely on him very much with academia: we cant afford privat writting classes, so he has to do the job. He was not willing, but after a while he got used to it, hahaha, he should get the degree also because my german is very poor and nothing is produced without his help and supervision.
As for dependece, brasilian people fully support education as far as they can as the higher the better and each degree plays significant rolle in society status, plus the brasilian man are very machistas and used to sponsor their wifes (does your MIL work?) Ive never met a wife of a brasilian doctor that works... I ve heard of marriages not going good when the wife is to independent, so I am sure he will have no problem if you turn your self a little brasilian and takes from his pockets as far as he can afford: brasilian man are proud to have fund to (bancar a mulher).
as for your own english school, your nacionality will be the best passport, but a masteer degree is alwas a bonus.
If I were you, I would do the admission process and start it denn decide to go on or not after a few classes.
All the best
Ana
Hmmm. Depending on where you are in the state of Sao Paulo, I would suggest UNICAMP as a first choice in pursuing your Master's in Linguistics. The campus was recently listed as one of the top universities in Brazil and has a respectable Linguistics Department. And if you apply for the "Bolsa Sandwich," you will be able to study a semester at another university abroad, such as Eastern Michigan University, USC, the University of Utah, the University of Maryland, and some other universities abroad.
ReplyDeleteAs for opening a school, you will have to deal with getting a CNPJ, paying numerous taxes, perhaps getting an accountant, and some bureaucracy as well as coming up with curriculum/design for the school you establish (not to mention hiring, teacher training, and more paperwork for each employee!).
Both are interesting endeavors and will require some time and effort. Just take into consideration how Brazil is growing and is estimated to grow by another 70%, so you can take advantage of the English learning trend that people seem to be wanting, or you can bank on the chance to get hooked up with a university and a chance to get a position as faculty later. The choice is yours and whichever one you take will be worth the effort.
Cheers,
Fernando