There are a few rules I’ve developed to make sure I’m here for the right reasons, and don’t fall into the unhappy and trapped academic category. I repeat these to myself daily.
1- Be funded, since that means I’m future fundable.
2- Separation of work and play. Work 9 to 5 hours. It can be stretched a wee bit, but no late nights or weekends in general. Office must be in separate room.
3- The only exceptions are for big scholarship applications that I stand a chance for (see rule 1).
4- Stay until I don’t enjoy learning anymore. It’s okay to drop out, as long as I’ve hit the point of feeling satisfied with my knowledge.
5- No jobs outside academia, no jobs outside my subject area. If I’m here, I should *be* here.
6- Have fun.
Rule 2 is allowing me time to secure my new identity as home maker, farmer’s market dweller, and mother of my internationally adopted dolls.
Rule 4 is allowing me to just have fun with my coursework and papers–I try not to take too long to get them done, and just insert much of what I know already into the mix.
I almost broke rule 5 this week, because I have this terrible instinct of sniffing out jobs, and I have actually developed the opportunistic skill of asking people if they have work for me as though I am doing them a favour–despite the fact that I started the PhD to become *less* relevant. Which means that I need a bright streak of some unnatural colour in my hair and possibly another face piercing (despite my fear of needles) to keep straight-up industry away.
Rule 6 is getting me up and running and doing yoga in the mornings, getting outside, bellydancing, and hitting up the 4 year olds for some play time at the end of a long day of proposal writing. And of course, I am making time for my beloved dolls.
All my children
October 14, 2008 at 4:31 pm |
I think “all your children” need a soap opera. You could post 30-second clips of them in stop animation to your blog, complete with voice-overs of them opining on all matters of things. I’m sure they have many of tidbits of wisdom that should be shared with the world. (What else are university A/V services for?)
October 14, 2008 at 5:31 pm |
Funnily enough, I know one of the university A/V staff as he is also in the master’s program. I suggested a photo shoot of the dolls, but he told me I may as well just borrow school equipment and make home movies. It would just be a lot easier if I could figure out how to get credit for it… Perhaps they could do an after school special on some resource topic. I’m picturing Bear in a convertible, the Girls riding public transit, Elephant walking and Monkey swinging as transportation options.