4 Essential Skills You Need | PhD in Sociology | Scholar Noire

[@outsidelo0kingin]

Thank you so much for your channel! It's hugely refreshing seeing people of color pursuing PhD and Graduate programs within in humanities. I'm a senior in college, majoring in English, and really wanting to pursue an advanced degree after i gradate in 2018. Subscribed!!

[@ScholarNoire]

i'm so glad to hear that. thank you for the support! sociology is technically social science though (; you can do it

[@evamelisa]

Loved this!!!

[@learnwithtg]

Helpful, thanks

[@vmjlovebooks3109]

Perfectly articulated! I especially appreciate the emphasis you placed on teaching. Some graduate or potential graduate students feel that teaching is not important since they are focused more of the practitioner, that is outside of academia. Regardless, your increase responsibilities in many capacities will require you to share knowledge, essentially teaching others, even if it's not in the classroom. There are elements of teaching that are applicable in many areas of our lives. Great video!

[@ScholarNoire]

thank you so much! i agree, regardless of whether you want to do it, you have to so i thought it was important to point out.

[@mbarbierif]

Hey, thanks for the video! I want to apply for a Sociology Ph.D. but I have an engineering/software developer background, so this content is really helpful and revealing in terms of what I'll find without an undergrad sociology degree! Thanks again!

[@vernonheadley3512]

I love this! So inspiring, right now I am currently working my masters in medical sociology. In the near future I will pursue my doctoral degree in medical sociology. My goal is to become a researcher and focus on chronic diseases and race. I love researching, writing and reading. The reason why I choose medical sociology is because the lack of African American males in the field and also to influence more minority men on higher education. Thanks and God bless.

[@ishaw500]

You were at the top of my search!!! You’re amazing 😊😊 so helpful ✨✨

[@dearkathmandu879]

Are you a daughter of Max Weber?

[@mohammadebrahimi6266]

Hello, In part of video you explained how to read a book fast, I didn't understand what you mean can you explain it to me please?

[@eccentriclullaby1357]

Thank you Sonita! I am considering pursuing a PhD in sociology, and I am glad I found your video.

[@russelldavid27]

Thank you so much for your videos! I am thinking of (finally) applying for my Sociology PhD and you have given some brilliant advice. Much appreciated!

[@lillianbowles9902]

I have a love-hate relationship with writing and know I must overcome this to succeed in a Ph.D. program. Do you have any suggestions or resources that you've found to be helpful? Thank you

[@erivera8193]

Late to the party and starting now. Any advice on splitting my applications to 4 sociology schools and 4 Education schools? Should language from the Education department bleed into my sociology statements? (Currently work for an Ed dept)

[@SoulfulRose]

Hi, I did my undergraduate in sociology and really passionate about it. I'm currently doing a Masters programme in Social Work which is a great transition. I am considering a PhD for the future and might explore Sociology again. Thanks for the tips :)

[@qariel8103]

Thank you for this video. I am going into sociology so this was just the introduction I needed. Keep it up :)

[@PoshTosh81]

How did you know what school you wanted to complete your doctoral program at?

[@ScholarNoire]

hi natarsha - when i applied i intended to study race & education so i looked at the top 10 list and identified professors at each school with that focus. penn was the school that had the most professors studying in that area so it was immediately a top choice.

[@kmeinnc1]

I am finishing my Master of Science in Psychology and I was considering a PhD. Although, I'm not studying sociology I did find your video extremely helpful and would like more detailed information on the dissertation process, itself. Such as choosing a topic that is not to broad, has been overly researched or too narrow. Where to begin when conduct your research? How to find great research material? Finding out more about "who's who" in your research field? Great video. Thanks.

[@ScholarNoire]

Hi! Thanks for the question and forgive my late response. Your question is an important one -- So I didn't consider any of those questions when I applied (gulp) because I assumed I would figure it out as I went along. And I did! This is a long answer, but I hope it answers your question. While I, along with most of my peers, applied with a highly specific statement of purpose, nearly all of us changed our research foci! This is because as you study sociology more intensively in classes, your interests and understandings deepen and progress. I went from wanting to study education inequality to being passionate about food systems inequality. Because my program requires a Master's thesis, it was a good chance to actually conduct independent research and realize that I was happy to receive an M.A. on the food topic, but I did not want to continue on with it for a dissertation! Some programs don't require the M.A. thesis, but it was a blessing that I had to do it because otherwise I may have carried on with a topic I wasn't as passionate about. Simply put, you begin with the spark - something captures your attention. You then begin to read more about it - through google, or JSTOR, or books! You speak with scholars who have conducted this research and ask them questions - hopefully your advisors are attentive and helpful (mine was). Once you have support for the topic, you must forge ahead - read, read, start creating your methodology (research method ++ theoretical framework), read more, and then, of course, write up a research proposal. The "who's who" answer comes from literally googling, reading relevant journals, going to conferences, and your social networks (advisors, colleagues, random emails). Never be afraid to send a cold email to a scholar who is well-established - many are really generous with their time and want to help you to succeed. For real. You will receive training in how to conduct sociological research through courses and workshops, so don't worry. The toughest thing to answer is the dissertation topic - it is very difficult for some, and easy for others! My dissertation is not proposed yet, but I am passionate about my topic and have found support from my home advisors, as well as experts on the subject. The only way to find out is to try, try, and try again. Even if you "fail" (switch ideas, discover you hate it, etc.), you have gotten that much closer to discovering what will work by process of elimination. This is hard to relay because it's so *personal* - again, some of my peers have not changed their topic since year one, while most have. The only caveat is that we have all learned a great deal, and gained more confidence in our understanding of what it means to "do" sociology. Please let me know if you have more questions!

[@aixaburgos4813]

Very well said and thoroughly explained. Your intelligence exudes in this video. Congratulations.

[@ScholarNoire]

thank you so much

[@cleophusatukwase8025]

Many thanks for highlighting the skills.

[@prettyproblem16]

Thank you Noire I'm in undergrad a junior and I aspire to get my PhD in Sociology so I can become a writer I love bell hooks; maybe another video idea can be notable authors for an advanced degree in Soc but also some of your favorites in general

[@ScholarNoire]

thank you for the feedback - i will do this video! i can also do one on application tips?

[@curt6697]

Yes yes yes please!!!

[@naturalQueeP]

Scholar Noire I would love a video on application tips.

[@ScholarNoire]

***** sure thing!

[@ScholarNoire]

working on this one right now :)

[@akbar8477]

Is your voice naturally raspy? I love it! So have you completed your comps yet?

[@VanessaTS28]

Hey, I was just wondering if there were specific resources that helped you with your academic writing, or whether it was just learning by feedback from the writing you were doing. If there's anything you can recommend to prepare you for academic writing, could you share them? Love your channel!

[@ScholarNoire]

hi vanessa, thanks for the love. i learned (and am learning!) by trial and error - taking writing courses at the grad level, actually writing (academic and non-academic things) and reading books. two i would highly recommend are 'becoming an academic writer' and 'write your journal article in 12 weeks'. i have thought a lot about doing a video on this -- i think i will when i gather my thoughts. thank you for the feedback!!

[@hestiadelibas869]

Hey, thank you for the video, I find it very useful.

[@ScholarNoire]

i'm so glad you did

[@baalunka9]

hey thanks for the video it is very insightful. I am currently a junior in college and really want to go straight into grad school after i graduate 2019. I know that it is early but i am determined to earn my PhD in sociology and would like to know if i should be doing anyhting right now to prepare or make getting into a program easier aside from trying to get research experience, high gpa, building relations with proffesors, and researching studies. I have done an extensive amount of research online but if you have anything to add i would greatly appreciate it. Thank you.

[@ScholarNoire]

hey, thank you for the feedback! you're dong all of the right things because that is the rundown of 'how to get in'. GPA, research, professors, test scores, and a STRONG personal statement. i'm going to do a video on this - i don't think it can be underscored enough how important it is to have a strong, concise personal statement. if you are determined you can do it -but for what it's worth, i'd suggest you consider taking some time off. :)

[@yoneyo87]

look this doesn't have much to do with your ....but you fine!