Saint Cloud State University

Date: Dec 31 1969
Major: Linguistics (This Major's Salary over time)
I had a good experience in the Undergraduate program for Teaching. The Graduate program was mostly positive. However, completing my thesis was a struggle. The professor I worked with was very impatient with any questions I had. I felt like I was going in circles. There were times when I was asked to do something and I did exactly that, then I was reprimanded for it. You have to be a self motivated person and find a group of people in the same boat if you are going to complete research. I tried to do it in isolation it did not help. Make sure the masters route you take matches your career aspirations. If you hope to do research you will need to be very self motivated and it would be best to not have a job at that time. Make sure the professor you pick will be available, and not condescending about questions, concerns you have. If you have meetings with your chair email follow up notes of what you spoke about to keep him/her accountable so they do not contradict themselves and send you in circles. Mostly the staff in my department were knowledgeable and helpful. One poor professor can truly make you feel crushed. Tough feedback is necessary however there are those who take it way too far. Non-traditional students with a job and family may struggle to complete this program. It is really geared toward those in earlier stages of life. This program at many times does things that are not directly connected to the teaching profession and can seem either too far up in research and theory like busy work.