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smurlein
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« on: November 29, 2006, 08:04:01 PM » |
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I had a disturbing conversation yesterday with someone who has worked for/with academics for more than 20 years. Hu said that academics have such easy lives. We come and go as we please. We have "all those months off." I was just so outraged. I have had a solid break since I started graduate school, and I have even less time now that I am close to tenure time.
Is there a smart, non-violent : ) way of dealing with this kind of ignorance?
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"There ain't nothin' cuter than a fat country baby eatin' peaches off a hard wood floor." --SNL skit
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prof_mom
Snarktastic
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 3,931
Mackerel smacking champion
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« Reply #1 on: November 29, 2006, 08:42:26 PM » |
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I personally like to agree with them. Tell them how easy the life is and how rewarding your job is every day. Talk about your smart students, and your engaging research.
Do not waste your time trying to explain what you do to strangers. It makes them jealous and they won't understand it anyway. If this person has been around for 20 years, hu was either joking or has decided not to try to understand.
I think all of us should agree to perpetuate the myth that we sit around drinking coffee and read large, dusty books for enjoyment. Right now, I am drinking a nice red wine, grading papers and writing an exam. I got my kids early so left work around noon and I'm making the time up now. I work a lot, but it's on my time.
Most non-academics don't understand why we spend a Friday night in a lab, or why we enjoy our Sunday coffee in the library.
Smile and declare victory over them. ;)
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*!* is contagious, but appropriate hu use can protect you (see http://www.hupronoun.org/). My God. Take your pom poms elsewhere unless you have something substantive to say. |
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smurlein
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« Reply #2 on: November 29, 2006, 08:47:05 PM » |
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You know, I think you are right! I guess it just finally got to me because hu is always complaining about how lazy we are, and how we have it so easy. Hu gets angry when none of us want to come in on our days "off," even though most of us have explained why a simple trip to campus can really break your work schedule for the day (and even the week).
But I like the idea of letting people think we are living the good life. Honestly, most of the time it is, but there are days, and weeks, especially around now, when I feel overwhelmed and resent such attitudes. I wish, sometimes, that I could leave my work at the door, but alas, I am here grading papers and revising an article.
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"There ain't nothin' cuter than a fat country baby eatin' peaches off a hard wood floor." --SNL skit
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prytania3
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« Reply #3 on: November 29, 2006, 09:03:52 PM » |
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What Prof Mom said.
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Clowns, I tell you. Clowns.
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acrimone
The Red Queen's Court Assassin
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 4,049
I am not a professor at all, despite what I say.
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« Reply #4 on: November 29, 2006, 09:11:42 PM » |
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What have they been doing with/for academics? It could be that they are, relatively speaking, 100% correct.
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"All right, but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?"
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threadkiller
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« Reply #5 on: November 29, 2006, 09:16:18 PM » |
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The zen approach is much healthier but I sometimes have the fantasy of forcing the naysayer to take over my job for a week and let them see how easy it is!
Naysayer: "You have it so cushy! I will gladly do your job for a week."
Threadkiller: "Great! By Friday I need that stack of essays graded, two exams written, oh, and revisions for that article are late and can you get that committee report to the Dean? Yes, those students are waiting to see you. Two are here to complain about their last test grade and the other three are trying switch english/history/biology sections for next semester because they can't wake up that early/have heard bad things about that professor/are already failing a class with that professor.
And don't forget to check and answer e-mails."
And with a smile, "Since you are done with class at noon, can you please take the cat to the vet/get the kid a haircut/go grocery shopping? It must be so nice to have so much free time!"
But I'm not bitter. :-)
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smurlein
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« Reply #6 on: November 29, 2006, 10:09:59 PM » |
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Threadkiller--It's like you're in my head!!
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"There ain't nothin' cuter than a fat country baby eatin' peaches off a hard wood floor." --SNL skit
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grasshopper
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« Reply #7 on: November 30, 2006, 09:08:02 AM » |
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Mr. Blue Collar Superhero Moving Guy actually yelled at me on the street last week, after having almost run me over (on the sidewalk) with his manly-man moving van. His beef was that I was reading a book as I walked down the sidewalk. He works for his money, whereas I'm just a student with the luxury of living in my own world. (Of course, the reason I was reading a book as I walked from the bus stop to my house was because I have so much work to do before the end of the term that I need every spare 15 minutes I can grab).
What could I say to him? I could have tried to explain to him what my work week is like, or that I put myself through my undergrad by working one-two jobs, and that I know exactly what "real work" is. Or I could have told him to go build a shrine to Billy Joel, if he wants to be a martyr.
But in the end, he apparently needed to hate university students - at least on that day, anyway - so any explanation would not only have gone unheard, but it would also have been unwelcome. So I told him to have a good weekend, and to just be fabulous. He didn't like that much, either. Sometimes, you just can't win.
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acrimone
The Red Queen's Court Assassin
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 4,049
I am not a professor at all, despite what I say.
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« Reply #8 on: November 30, 2006, 11:21:02 AM » |
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You told a moving guy to be "fabulous"?
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"All right, but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?"
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grasshopper
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« Reply #9 on: November 30, 2006, 03:05:47 PM » |
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I wondered if anyone would catch that.
Yes. And there was quite a bit of snarkiness in my voice as I said it. I was pissed. How dare he, and all that. Perhaps the snark is why I just couldn't win.
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prof_mom
Snarktastic
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 3,931
Mackerel smacking champion
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« Reply #10 on: November 30, 2006, 04:31:47 PM » |
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You told a moving guy to be "fabulous"?
Oh, moving guys can be fabulous--particularly the superhero type. I have stories... In this case, she can declare victory over the moving guy because she took the high road even though he wasn't fabulous. |
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*!* is contagious, but appropriate hu use can protect you (see http://www.hupronoun.org/). My God. Take your pom poms elsewhere unless you have something substantive to say. |
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prytania3
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« Reply #11 on: November 30, 2006, 04:36:44 PM » |
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You told a moving guy to be "fabulous"?
Oh, moving guys can be fabulous--particularly the superhero type. I have stories... In this case, she can declare victory over the moving guy because she took the high road even though he wasn't fabulous. Prof Mom, do you have a secret life.....? |
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Clowns, I tell you. Clowns.
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prof_mom
Snarktastic
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 3,931
Mackerel smacking champion
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« Reply #12 on: November 30, 2006, 04:43:58 PM » |
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You told a moving guy to be "fabulous"?
Oh, moving guys can be fabulous--particularly the superhero type. I have stories... In this case, she can declare victory over the moving guy because she took the high road even though he wasn't fabulous. Prof Mom, do you have a secret life.....? Not secret life so much as past life. It's all history now...:) |
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« Last Edit: November 30, 2006, 04:44:39 PM by prof_mom »
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*!* is contagious, but appropriate hu use can protect you (see http://www.hupronoun.org/). My God. Take your pom poms elsewhere unless you have something substantive to say. |
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eternal_adjunct
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« Reply #13 on: November 30, 2006, 05:12:30 PM » |
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I'll sometimes respond to people who think I have such an easy time of things (particularly since I mostly work at home) with a request to hear about everything they actually do it a day.
It usually turns out they are a lot less busy than they thought they were.
I also like to point out that, while it is nice to have so much time "off," there is a bit of a down-side to it, too. People in "regular" jobs can pretty much take a day whenever they want. Sure, they may not get as many days "off" as we do. But I can't just take Halloween night off (as I was asked to do by several people) when I have a class that night. Nor can I just take off the first two days of March Madness if I have classes to teach then. There is also the juggling that happens when people plan weddings, anniversary parties, holiday get-togethers, etc, that assume people can just take a day off whenever they want to, more or less.
But prof_mom is quite right to suggest that there is little point in trying to explain all of this.
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