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[colette_capricious]

I just wanted to say thank you to those of you who have answered my questions and the questions of those who came before me.  I feel so much more prepared and have a much more realistic picture of grad school and beyond.

Like many other life-changing things, I seem to have stumbled upon these boards just when I needed them most.

You all may have terrified me about academia and the TT life, but if I recall correctly I followed some suggestions on non-academic careers to find this place. Or it may have been the link to something about not taking on a non-funded graduate degree in the humanities.

That would be one of the many things I have done 'wrong' so far. (I can't believe I even got into the only grad school to which I applied.) But it can't be undone and so many paths have opened up to get me there that I can't feel it was a mistake. It's a UK masters and it's only 1 year, so I think I will have minimized that.

I'm still very unsure about the future. But I think - from reading many, many hours of board postings - that teaching is not the field for me. I'm sure I will spend many more hours reading while I go through school and I know those hours will help me make the best of the experience!

Thanks again. I hope you all have nice summers. (And I swear I'm not drinking - I love you guys, really -  or under the influence of anything. <g> Does posting with a migraine count?) 

[athenaq]

I don't know, maybe I'm being overly optimistic and naive, but...

I think this forum presents a somewhat skewed opinion of academia.  There are probably lots of people out in academia who are happy and content in what they're doing, and thus have no reason to visit these forums.  They don't need to vent, warn, or gather information about entering into academia.

Just a thought. 

[notaprof]

I don't know, maybe I'm being overly optimistic and naive, but...

I think this forum presents a somewhat skewed opinion of academia.  There are probably lots of people out in academia who are happy and content in what they're doing, and thus have no reason to visit these forums.  They don't need to vent, warn, or gather information about entering into academia.

Just a thought. 

Venting doesn't mean someone isn't happy and content.  I am happy and content in my marriage but from time to time I have to vent about my husband so I don't bring the petty irritations into our relationship.  Venting means letting off steam so there is no blow up.  Actually, venting can  lead to happiness and contentment when on an anonymous forum.

[sciencephd]

I don't know, maybe I'm being overly optimistic and naive, but...

I think this forum presents a somewhat skewed opinion of academia. 

You haven't even started grad school yet, so this statement falls in the category of "spouting off about something that you have no direct knowledge of ", rather than "overly optimistic and naive".

[athenaq]

Fair enough, sciencephd.

I should have said:

"I think this forum MIGHT present a somewhat skewed opinion of academia."

Please accept my apologies if I sounded as if I were "spouting off about something that you have no direct knowledge of ", that was not my intent at all. 

However, it is the case that not everyone in academia posts on these forums.  The people who do post may come to these boards with a pre-existing negative attitude toward academia, for example, the sub-board "Leaving Academia."  There is a selection bias of sorts in effect here.  This was actually brought to my attention by someone on these forums.  Someone asked how one goes about becoming a "super star" graduate student in their department.  Someone else answered with something to the effect of, "Don't spend huge amounts of time on the Chronicle forums." 

[notaprof]

Fair enough, sciencephd.

I should have said:

"I think this forum MIGHT present a somewhat skewed opinion of academia."

Please accept my apologies if I sounded as if I were "spouting off about something that you have no direct knowledge of ", that was not my intent at all. 

However, it is the case that not everyone in academia posts on these forums.  The people who do post may come to these boards with a pre-existing negative attitude toward academia, for example, the sub-board "Leaving Academia."  There is a selection bias of sorts in effect here.  This was actually brought to my attention by someone on these forums.  Someone asked how one goes about becoming a "super star" graduate student in their department.  Someone else answered with something to the effect of, "Don't spend huge amounts of time on the Chronicle forums." 

That advice would apply to many things - to be a superstar don't spend hugh amounts of time in strip clubs, playing video games, watching television, at one end of the sprectrum up to  spending time with family and friends, or just in general, having a life at the other end of the spectrum. 

[scampster]

Someone else answered with something to the effect of, "Don't spend huge amounts of time on the Chronicle forums." 

I didn't read that thread, but my guess is they were just implying the procrastination potential of the fora.

Anyway, I can't speak for anyone else, but I don't have a negative attitude about academia - it's just nice to communicate here with people who can sympathize with your life. And that means venting too, but that is mostly because non-academics don't "get" some of the quirks of the profession (which can be said of all professions).

[athenaq]

That advice would apply to many things - to be a superstar don't spend hugh amounts of time in strip clubs, playing video games, watching television, or just in general, having a life.

Yes, I understand that.  My point was only that there is a whole separate group of people in academia whose opinions don't get aired on these forums for whatever reason.  From what I know of forum behavior, one main reason people use forums is to vent and commiserate with each other.  Hence, the selection bias.

[notaprof]

That advice would apply to many things - to be a superstar don't spend hugh amounts of time in strip clubs, playing video games, watching television, or just in general, having a life.

Yes, I understand that.  My point was only that there is a whole separate group of people in academia whose opinions don't get aired on these forums for whatever reason.  From what I know of forum behavior, one main reason people use forums is to vent and commiserate with each other.  Hence, the selection bias.

True - 1,062,653 Posts in 44,837 Topics by 29,463 Members is not representative of all of academia.  I have no idea of the total number of professors/grad students and others like me in the English speaking world but I am sure this is a small fraction of the total.  However much of what I have learned here, or read about here, has been quite accurate to what it is like in the real world.  I am not a super star by any means but I don't want to be.  I am just happy starring in my own life and enjoy the forum as a diversion from time to time. 

[athenaq]

Anyway, I can't speak for anyone else, but I don't have a negative attitude about academia - it's just nice to communicate here with people who can sympathize with your life. And that means venting too, but that is mostly because non-academics don't "get" some of the quirks of the profession (which can be said of all professions).

Scampster, you posted that as I was posting my last comment or I would have addressed your comment as well.

It is REALLY nice to see someone come out DIRECTLY and say that.  Again, as evidenced by the OP, a lot of new graduate students come here for information and what they find is a lot of venting and sympathizing.  For example, the venting about Snowflakes really made me rethink whether or not I ever wanted to step foot in a classroom.  However, I know that not every student is a Snowflake.  It's just that Snowflakes get a LOT of mention here, due to the reasons you listed above plus the anonymity the forum provides.  For every day a professor has a terrible encounter with a Snowflake, there's probably three days that's Snowflake-free.  They just don't get discussed too much around here.

[notaprof]

Athenaq,

There are threads that celebrate the good students as well.  They are just not as entertaining as talking about the snowflakes. And in the midst of summer, there are usually threads about what a great life it is to be in academia.  As I said about helicopter parents once - it is not that there are so many helicopter parents, it is just that those who you do meet are so memorable!  The same can be said about snowflakes.  There are not that many of them but they do tend to take up a disproportionate amount of one's time and people often resent the time they do take.  A good student can take up just as much of one's time, but that is time well spent.

And then there are different strokes for different folks. 

[watermarkup]

I find the good folks on the fora are on average kinder, wiser, and more content with life than the academics I work with in real life. Scary, but true.

[yellowtractor]

I find the good folks on the fora are on average kinder, wiser, and more content with life than the academics I work with in real life. Scary, but true.

Yes.  That's a large part of the reason that I am here.  (I mean, to balance out the curve.)

[barred_owl]

I find the good folks on the fora are on average kinder, wiser, and more content with life than the academics I work with in real life. Scary, but true.

Yes.  That's a large part of the reason that I am here.  (I mean, to balance out the curve.)

I'd add that these good folks are also funnier than many of the academics I've known!  (And, personally, I need the laughs these days.)

[dellaroux]

Meanwhile, we could thank Collette for her kind words and suggest that she be sure to keep us all honest, as well.