off-topic: anyone familiar with Dalarna University?

[lumen]

this topic is only geographically-related, but anyway...

any of you go to Dalarna University in Sweden or know someone who has? I'm about to apply to an international master's program there and am curious about the school.

 

[Naglfar]

this topic is only geographically-related, but anyway...

any of you go to Dalarna University in Sweden or know someone who has? I'm about to apply to an international master's program there and am curious about the school.

Haven't heard of it. But what are you applying for a Master's in? (I go to graduate school in the U.S.)

 

[lumen]

Haven't heard of it. But what are you applying for a Master's in? (I go to graduate school in the U.S.)

literature. I'm doing an MA in popular culture right now, but I'd like a master's in lit too, and I think it would be illuminating to study English-language literature from some other part of the world (I'm in Canada). plus I think it would be neat to live in Sweden for a year. I'm probably applying to Bergen University in Norway too, but it's a 2-year program, and I've never actually been in Norway before.

what are you studying?

 

[russel]

Sorry, not much..
It's spread out on several cities, but Falun seems to be the main city.
It's 183km north of Örebro(Dan Swanö residence) and 223km from Stockholm.
Smalltown, 40-50.000 people I believe

 

[Naglfar]

literature. I'm doing an MA in popular culture right now, but I'd like a master's in lit too, and I think it would be illuminating to study English-language literature from some other part of the world (I'm in Canada). plus I think it would be neat to live in Sweden for a year. I'm probably applying to Bergen University in Norway too, but it's a 2-year program, and I've never actually been in Norway before.

what are you studying?

Well, if Europe is your fancy, then Norway or Sweden sounds quite cool. However, my impression is that the best English lit programs (if academic quality is a big priority for you relative to the traveling experience) are in the United States (and a couple of British unis). This isn't because Americans are better at it, since probably most your profs in a top tier school won't even be American, but because of the sheer amount of money American universities have compared to universities anywhere. However, you are doing a Master's program and there's much more parity between Master's programs in the US and Europe than there is between Ph.D. programs. And you say you're interested in popular culture, which means hanging around some secluded American school will probably be less interesting for you than jammin' in Stockholm, listening to metal bands while you sift through coursework.

As for my studies, I'm a Ph.D. student in History. I work on U.S. foreign relations in the early Cold War (50s and 60s).

 

[Occam's Razor]

I think it would be illuminating to study English-language literature from some other part of the world (I'm in Canada).

I'm studying at the University of Trier in Germany. We have a centre of Canadian Studies here which is quite renowned in the world for their publications about CanLit and culture. We also have lecturers from over there regularly, e.g. last summer, I've had a course with poet Dennis Cooley. The subject was Robert Kroetsch's work. Do you know any of these?

 

[paradoxile]

Is there anyone here who doesn't study for advanced degrees?
You're making me feel stupid.
I'm a computer engineering student 3rd year for my bachelor's in BIU in Israel...we got an excelent music department, It's pretty cheap to study here(Less than 2000$ per year)

 

[lumen]

Well, if Europe is your fancy, then Norway or Sweden sounds quite cool. However, my impression is that the best English lit programs (if academic quality is a big priority for you relative to the traveling experience) are in the United States (and a couple of British unis). This isn't because Americans are better at it, since probably most your profs in a top tier school won't even be American, but because of the sheer amount of money American universities have compared to universities anywhere. However, you are doing a Master's program and there's much more parity between Master's programs in the US and Europe than there is between Ph.D. programs. And you say you're interested in popular culture, which means hanging around some secluded American school will probably be less interesting for you than jammin' in Stockholm, listening to metal bands while you sift through coursework.

As for my studies, I'm a Ph.D. student in History. I work on U.S. foreign relations in the early Cold War (50s and 60s).

Travel's definitely my priority right now. I'll come back to North Amercia to do my Ph.D. though, probably in literature with a cultural studies angle.

History's cool too. I considered do my 2nd MA in history, but I don't really have enough background at the undergrad level.

 

[lumen]

I'm studying at the University of Trier in Germany. We have a centre of Canadian Studies here which is quite renowned in the world for their publications about CanLit and culture. We also have lecturers from over there regularly, e.g. last summer, I've had a course with poet Dennis Cooley. The subject was Robert Kroetsch's work. Do you know any of these?

I'm familiar with Robert Kroetsch, and I know the name Dennis Cooley but that's about it.
A friend of mine took a course on Margaret Atwood when she was studying in Germany for a year.

 

[Occam's Razor]

I'm familiar with Robert Kroetsch, and I know the name Dennis Cooley but that's about it.
A friend of mine took a course on Margaret Atwood when she was studying in Germany for a year.

From what I know, Cooley is more known for being a critic than for his writings. However, I have never heard of Kroetsch before I took that course - I think he is great, especially the long poems and his general sense of humour mixed with a certain melancholy.

Atwood is of course one of the first to think of when it comes to Canadian literature - where has your friend been for her studies over here?

 

[paradoxile]

There's one thing I hate about Canadian poetry...and that's Celine Dion.
just had to shove it in...

 

[lumen]

From what I know, Cooley is more known for being a critic than for his writings. However, I have never heard of Kroetsch before I took that course - I think he is great, especially the long poems and his general sense of humour mixed with a certain melancholy.

Atwood is of course one of the first to think of when it comes to Canadian literature - where has your friend been for her studies over here?

Universitaet Konstanz in Konsanz/Constance (south of Stuttgart and East of Freiburg)

paradoxile - associating Celine Dion with poetry is a stretch, but either way, we Canadians have pretty much disowned her

 

[Naglfar]

Travel's definitely my priority right now. I'll come back to North Amercia to do my Ph.D. though, probably in literature with a cultural studies angle.

History's cool too. I considered do my 2nd MA in history, but I don't really have enough background at the undergrad level.

That's a good plan, because American universities rarely give stipends or cover tuition for MAs, but they do for PH.D. If you're going to pay for school, might as well make it worth your money and study somewhere you can enjoy yourself.

Also, you don't need too much of a background in history to do a Master's in it. The problem with doing a Master's in history is that there are very few programs for it out there. I'm not sure why this is the case, but none of the top history departments in the US have MA programs (outside of giving their Ph.D. students their Master's if they leave the program before they get their Ph.D.).

 

[nizzon]

I dont know too much about Falun, or Dalarna in general, just that it seems like its kinda crazy there, especially Borlänge, lots of gangs and drugs and shit.
Not that its like a warzone or anything but there are better places to go to if you are going to Sweden imo. Im probably going to get flamed by some Dala-dude for this, but thats ok, prove me wrong!

Why Dalarna and not any of the other bigger uni-cities like Umeå, Uppsala, Stockholm or Lund?

 

[lumen]

I dont know too much about Falun, or Dalarna in general, just that it seems like its kinda crazy there, especially Borlänge, lots of gangs and drugs and shit.
Not that its like a warzone or anything but there are better places to go to if you are going to Sweden imo. Im probably going to get flamed by some Dala-dude for this, but thats ok, prove me wrong!

Why Dalarna and not any of the other bigger uni-cities like Umeå, Uppsala, Stockholm or Lund?

eek! that's not really what I wanted to hear, but thanks for the info!
the other schools don't really have programs I'm qualified for and/or as interested in... though there are a couple of programs I've been looking at - in Göteborg, Linköping and Uppsala

 

[Occam's Razor]

If somebody considers Celine Dion poetry, they might not be afraid to even mention Brian (Bryan?) Adams in that context

 

[nizzon]

Lumen: Hehe well, you should check up on it. Dunno how bad it really is. Like i said, thats how it seems, going on rumours etc.

Try to find some forums or irc-channels with people from around there, shouldnt be too hard. Here is a forum where they discuss universities...
http://www.student.se/forum/f16.html
Its in swedish though but im sure they will reply to your Topic in english. Good luck!

 

[paradoxile]

If somebody considers Celine Dion poetry, they might not be afraid to even mention Brian (Bryan?) Adams in that context

In my perspective, I consider every song with lyrics that have a certain stucture a poem with music.
I didn't say these are good poems or have an important message to them all and I am aware that my deffinition of poetry is quite different from the conventional one I learned in Lit class in school.
A good example for poetry with music is Nightingale's songs.

p.s
I actually quite like Brian Adams...but if he ever goes electronic,it would suck ass.

 

[Occam's Razor]

you're probably right...Adams actually had some ok moments, but his other musical crimes outweigh that - one who is even more "criminal" in that respect is Phil Collins ("Jesus he knows me, and he knows I'm shite" )

 

[paradoxile]

you're probably right...Adams actually had some ok moments, but his other musical crimes outweigh that - one who is even more "criminal" in that respect is Phil Collins ("Jesus he knows me, and he knows I'm shite" )

Adams had 18 till I die which was the ultimate crime but besides that I didn't see anything else.
but genesis?wtf? jesus he knows me was the perfect lesson not to throw your money at hoax healers and other tv personalities who claim they come in the name of jesus. It has a catchy musical tune and lyrics with just enough sarcasm to kill an elephant, It's a perfect song.
but in a certain aspect you're right, I do love the earlier genesis stuff more...but not the really early stuff with peter gabriel.oh, and phil collins does make solo shit in the new millenium.

to think about it peter gabriel was the marilyn manson of the 70's.