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bewilderedta
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« on: September 30, 2009, 07:08:54 PM » |
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In my relatively short period of posting and lurking on this forum, I have seen many posts seeking advice, commiseration, reassurance, or maybe just attention; I've read a lot of posts about problems and anxiety.
But tonight, it occurred to me that I am about to re-read one of my favorite novels ever, and it is my work. And I think that is pretty darn cool.
What makes you all feel happy about being in school? Big things, little things, moments when you feel like you're exactly where you ought to be, doing what you want to do...
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drlanguage
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« Reply #1 on: September 30, 2009, 09:52:29 PM » |
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I absolutely love having so many interesting people to talk to about so many interesting (to me) things!
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tinyboss
All these posts and I'm still just a
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« Reply #2 on: October 01, 2009, 08:48:47 AM » |
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I'm a nontraditional grad student--34 years old as I enter the PhD program. Having spent ten years or so working Real Jobs (office jobs that I hated), I am occasionally overwhelmed at just how much better things are now. I get paid, every day, just to absorb knowledge from masters of my field, and BS about it (or whatever else) with bright people who share my interests. I'm not even teaching this year...literally all the University requires from me is willingness and ability to accept their generosity.
Yeah, overwhelmed is the word.
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I freakin' hate those kind of ice breakers with a passion that is hard to describe since I can't write here with blood and spittle. |
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frogfactory
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« Reply #3 on: October 01, 2009, 10:11:24 AM » |
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I love working in the lab (more when things are working, but anyway). It's like the best kind of play. I get to use my hands and my mind, just like MacGyver! Building equipment from odds and ends in particular is so satisfying.
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At the end of the day, sometimes you just have to masturbate in the bathroom.
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ticklemepink
bottom of the ocean
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« Reply #4 on: October 01, 2009, 03:49:10 PM » |
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Getting full faculty and partial funding support to spend my summer doing exactly what I wanted to do- being out in the field, traveling, doing research, talking with people, etc for my MA thesis.
Now I'm writing it already.
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veriwhat
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« Reply #5 on: October 01, 2009, 06:23:16 PM » |
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I live in a beautiful city. I get paid to read and think about things I think are cool. Granted, not an overwhelming amount of money, but I have decent health insurance, access to fabulous libraries and archives, free fitness club, and money for summer research/study.
Life is very, very good.
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short4bob
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« Reply #6 on: October 01, 2009, 06:56:19 PM » |
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I get to study things I am passionate about, and I get to go camping as part of my job. My students this semester are enthusiastic, curious, and fun. People don't look at me like my head just fell off when I use big words, because they use them, too. And my faculty are delightful. I have every intention of emulating their humor and compassion wherever I land at the end of this great adventure.
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commcycle
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« Reply #7 on: October 01, 2009, 11:29:22 PM » |
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At the end of the day, after the outrageous workload, needless gossip, anti-social professors, sleep deprivation, lack of time with family, and worry, being a grad student is still more worthwhile and fun than any other occupation.
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bewilderedta
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« Reply #8 on: October 02, 2009, 09:15:05 AM » |
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Yay! I'm glad to see others happy about what they're doing... and along the lines of what commcycle wrote : sometimes I think about the amount of work I have to do, and the stress of it all, and the job market, or what have you - but then I think about the nice middle-of-the-road office job I had before I went back to school. And I think, at least for now, I have an interesting job that challenges me (even if it doesn't pay so great) and will hopefully open the door to other cool things down the road.
Now remind me of this at the end of the semester!
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smallways
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« Reply #9 on: October 02, 2009, 09:24:37 AM » |
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This is a great thread. I just had a hellish week full of endless due dates and was sick throughout. There was one class, though, where everything just clicked beautifully. I did a presentation on my area of interest for which I pulled out some really fascinating archival material. The presentation itself went very well, but even more satisfying was having people come up to me through the day and tell me how clear it was that I loved the material, and how infectious my enthusiasm was. When I can get my work done and help get other grad students feel cheerful through a busy day at the same time, life is good.
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commcycle
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« Reply #10 on: October 02, 2009, 04:01:37 PM » |
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The only thing that I really can't stand are the cubicles my Ph.D cohort has! They give me flashbacks to doing filing temp work during a particularly terrible time for finding work in my career. Mine is right under what I presume is the sewer line running out of the building. At least I don't HAVE to sit there. I'm probably the student who is least frequently seen in the fluorescent-lit dungeon.
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studiosa
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« Reply #11 on: October 03, 2009, 07:47:19 AM » |
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I love to be paid to do what I love and still to have lots of free time on my hands. I love to have a very flexible schedule and not to have to stroll to the bus stop at 7:30 am in any weather and day of the week, like my neighbour does. I love to think, read, write and teach.
What I don't like is that it should end this year and I am unlikely to get a job in this market :((
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topsitarian
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« Reply #12 on: October 05, 2009, 01:51:07 PM » |
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Getting paid to sit and read stuff that I find fascinating...
Being able to spend a day looking at fascinating centuries old documents and feel good about it because it counts as "work"...
Meeting interesting people who genuinely care about what they do and what you do and want to talk about it...
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watermarkup
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« Reply #13 on: October 05, 2009, 09:49:26 PM » |
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It was a long time ago, but I spent one fantastic summer in a well-stocked research library where the staff brought me every single book in one very large collection, cartfulls of priceless items at a time, and didn't even require me to fill out request forms. Opening every book felt like scratching off spots on a lottery ticket, except I would win dozens of time every week. Grad school had some rocky patches, but that summer was pretty freaking awesome.
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windmill
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« Reply #14 on: October 06, 2009, 11:28:48 PM » |
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I'm so glad I read this thread, especially those of you mentioned being non-traditional students embarking on your Ph.Ds. Thank you!
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