tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27351861396293013642024-03-19T06:31:10.716-04:00Alice's Adventures in Academia"But I don't want to go among mad people," said Alice.
"Oh, you can't help that," said the cat. "We're all mad here."AliceAcademichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17793332996620824659noreply@blogger.comBlogger187125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735186139629301364.post-83518650944783198282018-06-27T12:13:00.001-04:002018-06-27T12:13:52.578-04:00In the waiting roomI've found that although I despise it when anyone makes me wait for them, even a medical doctor, the best way to make the time go by quickly is to bring along reading or a knitting project. Most people seem to occupy themselves with their cellphones in the waiting room, but I try to go low-tech over the summer. I arrived at 3.30pm for my appointment yesterday, right on time, armed with both a book and some knitting, and thankfully so, because the nurse didn't call me in until almost 4.45pm. I would have most likely been furious if I didn't have my knitting with me to keep me occupied and happy for over an hour. As it was, I even greeted the nurse and doctor with a big smile and friendly hello as if the last hour of my life was as irrelevant to me as it was to them. I made such good progress on the knitting that I can even see myself finishing the long-neglected project by the end of this week!AliceAcademichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17793332996620824659noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735186139629301364.post-56245850291589841402018-06-25T13:31:00.001-04:002018-06-25T13:31:43.182-04:00Starting over on neglected projectsI came across a knitting project that had been stagnating for an embarrassingly long amount of time. You know, like this poor neglected blog. Its something I've been meaning to get back to for years, and it's a beautiful lace project that I just couldn't seem to pick up again. This summer, I put it back on the needles and figured out where I was in the pattern. (Note to self: NEVER put down a project unless you've clearly marked where you stopped. I thought this was for all those people with bad memories, but now, apparently, I am one of them- this also applies to writing projects).<br />
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After a few hours of re-familiarizing myself with reading the chart and knitting through a few rows, I found myself back in a place where it became enjoyable again and I felt like I could have stayed up all night knitting. This seemed impossible prior to investing a few hours of hard work in the project but it just goes to show that sometimes in writing and knitting projects, effort investment is required before things become enjoyable and start going smoothly again. The hard part, for me, is remembering that it can become fun again when it feels daunting and impossible. What about you? Any tips for starting over on neglected projects?AliceAcademichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17793332996620824659noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735186139629301364.post-10214429546982373072017-08-05T12:19:00.002-04:002017-08-05T12:19:48.779-04:00Reading to writeI found <a href="http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a55985/christopher-nolan-interview/" target="_blank">Adam Grant's interview with Christopher Nolan</a> (director, screenwriter and producer, most recently of Dunkirk) to be fascinating. Some of Nolan's words of wisdom could just as easily apply to academic writing:<br />
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<li>"I don't fret about what I've done in a particular day as long as I've made progress by the end of the week." </li>
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This is something I need to remind myself of, because I have a tendency to feel like I've fallen off the track if a day goes badly, even if the rest of the week went well. That perspective isn't doing me any favors, so I'd like to shift to measuring progress in the longer term rather than daily.<br /><ul>
<li>On rejection: "You have to cross into this world of just pleasing yourself, just doing something because you want to do it...At the end of the day, all you really have is your own belief, your own passion. You can't ignore the feedback. But you tell the story because you love it." </li>
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At the end of the day, passion is the driver for the work, and this is so important to realize especially when you're facing down a rejection. You want to cultivate an ability to listen to your passionate voice even more at that moment of rejection and let it dictate what happens next.<br /><ul>
<li>"If you're going to write, you want to read a lot before you write, without any purpose...Just being open to things that might inspire you -- and staying open." </li>
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This last quote reminds me just how connected writing and reading are. I'm not one of those academics who subscribes to tables of contents emails for my favorite journals because I don't want to have all those extra emails to sift through. But reading and writing are deeply connected and I forget how important it is to read more "without any purpose." I'm not signing up for the emails anytime soon, but I will dedicate some time every week to enjoying guilt-free academic reading. <div>
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I often feel guilty when I spend time reading because it feels like it is taking away from writing time, but the truth is, we can't write without reading anyway. I love Notorious Ph.D's idea of <a href="http://girlscholar.blogspot.com/2017/06/weekend-stockpiling.html" target="_blank">"Weekend Stockpiling,"</a> reading and taking notes over the weekend so that she's ready to write on Monday morning. I spend a lot of my dedicated writing time doing reading and note-taking where I should just be writing, and it seems like a great idea to carve out separate reading time both for more targeted reading and reading a lot "without any purpose." </div>
AliceAcademichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17793332996620824659noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735186139629301364.post-20747751985386271902017-08-04T12:55:00.000-04:002017-08-04T12:55:56.478-04:00Writing hack: Experiment with work and break intervalsThis summer, I tried using the Pomodoro technique to work on a couple of writing projects. At first, it was really helpful to do short poms (10 minutes long) to get into the writing process again after the end of the semester craziness when I wasn't writing at all. The 10 minute poms got me into writing again and after a few days I switched to 25 minutes writing with a 5 minute break, which is the pomodoro technique. After weeks of pomming, I found that just as I was getting in the groove, the timer would go off. I would force myself to take a 5 minute break. It felt too short and I was reluctant to get back to it. I felt like it would have been easier to just keep going when I was already in the groove. Then I read <a href="https://heleo.com/4-ways-make-8-hour-workday-truly-productive/15380/" target="_blank">this article</a> and decided to try working for longer sessions before I took a break. I didn't make it to 52 minutes, but I found that 45 minutes is a happy place for me to take a break after steadily writing, and it also gives me a hefty 15 minute break, which is so much more satisfying than the 5 minute break (which goes by before you know it, and doesn't really feel like a break). Now, I'm enjoying my writing sessions much more and making progress on the projects I'm working on. I'm amazed at what a difference this tiny hack makes in my day. What about you? What kind of time blocks do you work in?AliceAcademichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17793332996620824659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735186139629301364.post-47052394908302838342015-06-22T15:10:00.002-04:002015-06-22T15:10:59.508-04:00Halfway Last semester I submitted my third-year review file. It was a tedious process, but it enabled me to take stock of everything I have accomplished so far on my tenure track journey. I realized that I tend to not look back at what I've achieved. Spending a huge chunk of my semester working on the file made me realize the importance acknowledging what's been done so far before setting more goals and moving forward. In a smaller version of this, I want to acknowledge what I do each semester also. Last semester's tally is below:<div>
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<li>Completed and submitted third year review materials</li>
<li>Gave three presentations</li>
<li>Progress on a manuscript</li>
<li>Applied for interdisciplinary research grant</li>
<li>Established in-person writing group with peers</li>
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This is coming halfway though the summer because I haven't really come up for air since the end of the semester. I've been steadily writing with my new group on a book chapter which I plan to send to my co-author by the end of the week. With people traveling for the summer, the in-person writing group has disbanded for now but I'm pressing forward with the momentum I gained from working with others earlier in the summer. There is something wonderful about meeting with colleagues at a cafe with laptops and tablets and everyone getting down to their own writing projects for a few hours each day. I guess I am more social than I realize because my productivity really peaked when the group was going strong. I also enjoyed getting back to writing in coffee shops, which is something I did a lot while I was a graduate student and postdoc but haven't done much in the last three years. I find that there's something almost mischievous about being away from my office over the summer. Writing at home works, but rarely matches the caffeinated frenzies of writing in coffee shops. What about you? Where do you prefer to work? What's your most productive summer writing space? </div>
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AliceAcademichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17793332996620824659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735186139629301364.post-17181024708477288742015-04-13T20:08:00.000-04:002015-04-13T20:08:35.998-04:00Walking alongI've been going for a walk a couple of evenings each week, and I'm amazed at how just carving out a small amount of time for recreation can change the tone of the day. These thirty minutes are transformative for me. My mood and even my posture changes when I get back from a walk -- I'm not hunched over, even when I sit at the computer -- and I just feel like I can stand taller in more ways than one. Being in nature for a short period of time in the day is uplifting and rejuvenating. Seeing a ladybug crawling along, or some beautiful wild flowers blowing in the wind, listening to the birds, looking up at the sky, all things I don't get enough of. The walking itself does the body good, but there's no doubt this is good for overall well-being. I'm going to pencil in a walk at least twice a week. Its a great way to end the day, and hard to talk myself out of, since its only 30 minutes. Give it a try if you aren't already doing something like this. I wish I had sooner.AliceAcademichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17793332996620824659noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735186139629301364.post-51486267269924864252015-04-08T15:41:00.000-04:002015-04-08T15:41:15.470-04:00A cup to save the dayThough I am not generally a fan of flavored teas, <a href="https://www.teaforte.com/store/gourmet-tea/black-tea/black-currant/" target="_blank">Tea forte's Black currant tea</a> is quite exceptional. It is a deliciously full, rich black tea, underlined with a tart blackberry flavor that compliments the tea and rounds out the flavor. I was sold on this tea by its scent alone. Even in the package, when I popped open the tin at my local grocery store, this bold and fruity black tea stood out among its peers. This tea easily stands alone but I'd recommend drinking it with lemon and honey (emphasizes tart and sweet notes). Don't underestimate this tea -- it's my post-lunch weapon to conquer end-of-semester malaise, and I can't count how many times it has literally turned my day around.<br />
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<br />AliceAcademichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17793332996620824659noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735186139629301364.post-73000442358214035732015-04-06T22:08:00.002-04:002015-04-06T22:08:39.730-04:00Wheel of lifeI did a wheel of life exercise the other day, scoring where I am in each area of my life, and setting goals to work on priority areas for the next few months.<br />
I'm not the least bit surprised to find that my life isn't very balanced right now, but it was helpful to see what areas I want to work on. I specifically need to pay lots more attention to recreation and friendships. I am sure this is true of most academics. Anyway, these are the minimum threshold goals I've set for the next three months:<br />
1. Lunch or dinner once a month with key friends. In some cases, this will involve cooking, which is another fun activity I've been neglecting lately<br />
2. Read one novel per month<br />
3. Go for two 25-min walks each week<br />
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You can find the exercise here if you want to try it:<br />
<a href="http://www.thecoaches.com/docs/resources/toolkit/pdfs/18-Wheel-of-Life-Exercise.pdf">http://www.thecoaches.com/docs/resources/toolkit/pdfs/18-Wheel-of-Life-Exercise.pdf</a><br />
<br />AliceAcademichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17793332996620824659noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735186139629301364.post-74267145098732879942015-03-07T12:20:00.000-05:002015-03-07T12:21:08.402-05:00Update<div>
First, a bit of an update: The summer plans did work out. Writing all summer paid off. That article is now published! And almost as soon as it was out, it got me an invitation to an exclusive symposium at an Ivy, which I am really looking forward to attending. </div>
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Another major milestone is the submission of my Third Year Review File. The process of putting together the file was nothing short of excruciating, especially by the end of it. I'm a perfectionist, and we have a manual that is 20 pages long describing how to put the file together! The combination of those two meant that I was in my office up until the last second, trying to get everything to look fabulous.I still have doubts about the file - have I done enough?- but, I'm just so glad that it is out of my hands.</div>
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For the next two weeks, I'm working on an article that I put down at the end of the semester, to tackle grant submissions and then put together the third year review file. Now, I can finally get back to what I really want to work on. Unfortunately, these are some very grading-intensive weeks for the courses I'm teaching. I am staring down a giant stack of essays that need grading. And we have a conference in my department this weekend. </div>
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Time management continues to be a challenge. I want to re-calibrate my sleep patterns and get to bed earlier, to extract more time from my mornings, when I am most productive. Maybe I can start setting up the coffee maker the night before, and get into campus by 7.30am. Hopefully this will give me a boost to generate some writing in the next two weeks.</div>
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AliceAcademichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17793332996620824659noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735186139629301364.post-4452659940133385342014-05-21T19:56:00.002-04:002014-05-21T19:56:58.114-04:00The summer that isn'tTaking a summer break seems all well and good but this year I'm trying something different. Rather than getting all amped up about summer plans, and then getting depressed at the end of the summer when I haven't accomplished anything, I'm just going to keep applying continuous energy towards my research, as if I worked in any other industry. I'm still going into work everyday, it all looks the same on the outside, I am just working on research instead of teaching. <div>
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This might be the worst way to tackle a summer, I don't know. But last year, I didn't get it quite right. I had a sense of dread as the semester approached, and I don't want to repeat that. I'm trying a different tack this year. There's still plenty to relish about summer even while being at work full-time. I still get to enjoy my early morning, my lunch break, and evening, as long as I get to bed at a decent hour. I still get to do whatever I please on the weekends. I'm just not getting myself in and out of an intense work-mode like a yo-yo between semesters and summers. I'm not making any grand summer plans, just trying to stay on an even keel and keep pressing forward. What about you? How do you change your work habits over the summer? Or don't you? </div>
AliceAcademichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17793332996620824659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735186139629301364.post-58984074066321402112013-12-30T19:48:00.003-05:002013-12-30T19:48:36.395-05:00Writing modeI received an email this afternoon requesting a progress report on my manuscript. It read "When the hell are you going to send this to me?" Just kidding. That's what it said in my head. It was more like, "How are the revisions going?" <br />
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I felt like I was busted. I have been taking a long break since I got my grades turned in. I was just so burned out that I couldn't even look at the manuscript. I needed some time to veg- out and have a bit of a holiday. This included lots of sleep, knitting, and Netflix. I may post pictures of my completed knitting projects soon. Now I need to get back to work! Back to writing mode.<br />
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I've been thinking about what I envision for 2014, and although I am not sure I can rise at four a.m. to write, I would indeed like to develop the kind of routine and mental willpower that Haruki Murakami describes in his Paris Review interview :<br />
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"When I’m in writing mode for a novel, I get up at four a.m. and work for five to six hours. In the afternoon, I run for ten kilometers or swim for fifteen hundred meters (or do both), then I read a bit and listen to some music. I go to bed at nine p.m. I keep to this routine every day without variation. The repetition itself becomes the important thing; it’s a form of mesmerism. I mesmerize myself to reach a deeper state of mind. But to hold to such repetition for so long—six months to a year—requires a good amount of mental and physical strength. In that sense, writing a long novel is like survival training. Physical strength is as necessary as artistic sensitivity." <a href="http://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/2/the-art-of-fiction-no-182-haruki-murakami" target="_blank">Haruki Murakami quoted in Paris Review</a><br />
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AliceAcademichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17793332996620824659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735186139629301364.post-20475132980169543732013-08-27T22:05:00.000-04:002013-08-27T22:05:55.104-04:00TensionThat's a quote from the meditation class I attended tonight. It was very new-agey, touchy-feely but I did end up feeling super-relaxed at the end of the class. I guess we all walk around with all kinds of tension in our bodies, totally unaware of it, until someone says, "stop holding silliness in your ankles!" Yes, you did read silliness, and honestly, that is what my meditation teacher said. Ok so maybe I am a little loopy now that I'm all relaxed, but I found that it made sense at the time, but I also thought it was so hilarious I almost laughed out loud in the class. He was making a point about how tensing up makes you hold yourself back from achieving your full potential. It does seem odd that letting go can be so productive, though!<br />
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<br />AliceAcademichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17793332996620824659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735186139629301364.post-74378069646684296882013-08-26T20:35:00.001-04:002013-08-26T20:35:12.651-04:00Launching the second yearSummer session abroad, which was lovely in some ways, but poorly timed, came at the end of a long year, and too close to the beginning of the fall semester. Now, I am barely feeling ready for classes to begin tomorrow. Like every other semester, ready or not, its here. Syllabii have been written, clothes pressed, gym bag and lunch bag packed. Its an early night for me tonight, because the first day is likely to be all kinds of stressful for me. I don't handle change as well as I would like to. This is one of those transitions that is likely to be more difficult because of the schedule I have this semester. I've crammed all of my classes into Tuesday and Thursday, so I'm likely to be wiped out by the end of it. At least I can come home and crash on my brand new loveseat when the day is done. I'm finally getting my apartment set up, and it feels good to have decent furniture. Want a peek? <a href="http://www.worldmarket.com/product/erin-cute-as-a-button-loveseat.do" target="_blank">This is my new loveseat. </a> Wishing you all a great start to the new academic year!AliceAcademichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17793332996620824659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735186139629301364.post-71228086062065017672013-03-03T21:56:00.001-05:002013-03-03T21:56:07.426-05:00Sunday soup routine<div>
This vegetable soup, which I had for dinner tonight, happens to be the best kind of soup to clean out the fridge, have something veggie-laden for dinner, and, since it makes a huge potful, even a few lunches for the rest of the week. Use what you have in your refrigerator, I'm listing what I put in tonight, but it tastes yummy with any vegetables, even frozen :</div>
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Chop up and put in a large pot with a tablespoon of olive oil (in this order, add while you chop, so you can cook faster):-</div>
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One yellow onion (let this get translucent before you put in the zucchini)</div>
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Two zucchini</div>
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One green bell pepper </div>
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Handful of carrots</div>
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Handful of fresh green beans</div>
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Salt to taste</div>
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Saute the vegetables for about 5 minutes with the lid closed on medium high heat. Then add: </div>
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1/2 cup of pasta sauce (Barilla Tomato and Basil)</div>
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one carton of vegetable broth (Pacific Foods)</div>
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Fistful of quick cooking barley (10 min Quaker brand) OR Small Pasta of your choice</div>
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Freshly ground black pepper to taste</div>
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Cook for 15-20 minutes on medium-low heat until the pasta or barley is soft. You don't need to watch it, this is a good time to take a shower before dinner! </div>
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I have done so little in the kitchen this year, but I still regularly make this easy peasy soup. Hope you enjoy it too. </div>
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AliceAcademichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17793332996620824659noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735186139629301364.post-58026486636138120582013-01-03T10:37:00.002-05:002013-01-03T10:37:31.681-05:00Cues and rewardsI have unfortunately fallen out of my daily morning writing habit, and I'm trying desperately to bring it back. I'm reading <a href="http://charlesduhigg.com/the-power-of-habit/" target="_blank">The Power of Habit</a>, and learning that cues and rewards sustain habits. Not sure what my cue for writing would be, but I am pretty awful with the rewards. I've been so good at depriving myself of pleasure throughout my life and it has always been so natural to me. I could say I am gifted at punishing myself, but don't do so well in the area of rewards. I think I might set up a new writing routine that involves going to a cafe in the morning, since I don't seem to function well at home during the break. Then, my cue would be getting dressed, and I would get out and go to the cafe, the reward could be a treat at the cafe.AliceAcademichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17793332996620824659noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735186139629301364.post-6289546308082155722013-01-02T14:32:00.000-05:002013-01-02T14:32:19.715-05:00How to multiply your minutes in 2013I thought I was going to blog the first semester on the tenure track, but I was too busy to eat!or sleep! or be human, really! Adjusting to a new institution and two new course preps plus too much service, it was all I could do to even pretend to have a research agenda. I did give a research talk this fall, get invited to be on a panel in spring, and spend some time working on a paper that I'm planning to submit before classes start up again. Lots of people make this job look easy, but it is far, far more challenging than I expected. I'm sure that a lot of this has to do with the first-ness of it all, and I have been convinced by my colleagues that things will get exponentially easier as I learn the ropes.<br />
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What seems to have contributed most to my challenges was my running entirely on adrenaline, which makes everything more challenging, even when it isn't. I have discovered (a bit too late) that it also has the most unwanted side-effect of body totally crashing when the semester is over with no hope of budging because one just physically cannot.do.anything. If I can work on staying out of that adrenaline-fueled-mode next semester, and avoid the consequent crash, things have a chance to be even better. If adrenaline-fueled frenzies carve up time by clouding one's judgement in situations that wouldn't be so challenging otherwise, then time is multiplied by certain kinds of activities, activities which need to be identified and increased.<br />
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As you can see, I've been made acutely aware of the importance of time, and as I turn the corner from 2012 to 2013, I know things will change for me in how I view and spend my time. I used to think that blogging was mostly a waste of time. I enjoyed it, but it didn't fit into a busy semester, it was one of the first "luxuries" of my time to go when things got too busy. But now that I've been away from it for so long, I find that blogging is more of a neccesity for me than I had realized. I'd go so far as to say that I'm a better person when I blog, certainly more reflective and thoughtful. No matter how busy one is, time for reflection is surely as vital as breathing. Knitting is another such activity, it smoothes out my thinking in a similar way. I find a sort of refuge in knitting, it is like going into a virtual woman-cave, and when I come out of it, I feel like I can handle things better, no matter what they may be. 2013 will include more time-multiplier activities like practicing piano, going for walks, yoga, meditating, cooking and cultivating friendships.
What about you? What are your time-multipliers? How do you ensure they remain on your schedule, especially when things get busy?
AliceAcademichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17793332996620824659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735186139629301364.post-91733377236108511052012-07-17T16:04:00.002-04:002012-07-17T16:04:42.230-04:00Soon-to-be Assistant Professor AliceI’m moving to start a tenure track position this fall!
I feel mostly relieved that I won’t need to reinvent myself and become someone outside of academia. I also feel very excited about the possibilities of the position, launching my career past the postdoc.
I’m surrounded by boxes, wondering how so many objects in the world could possibly belong to a single human being. Cannot wait until this is all unpacked and I get settled in. So excited about this new job, yet I also have some impostor feelings coming up too. What do you wish you knew/did differently before you started your first position?
AliceAcademichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17793332996620824659noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735186139629301364.post-43927002159338347922012-03-07T13:03:00.011-05:002012-03-07T14:06:09.031-05:00Transformations of travelI'm utterly amazed at how different I feel after a week of travel. This could be because I was walking everywhere (at home, I can't even take a walk without driving to a trail first). So, more exercise may be a factor. I did a lot of walking around and exploring, plus, I have a penchant for getting lost, so I walked more than to simply get from one place to the next. It has also meant that since I've come back, I'm going for a walk everyday, because I now realize the importance of walking for refreshing my mind and body.<br /><br />It may also be related to positive events, or comforts of living...I felt my talk was well-received, I met a number of dear friends, ate some of the best meals I have had in years, and enjoyed a quiet, clean, and modestly priced hotel room that still managed to have a completely luxurious feel. <br /><br />Most of all, I was thrilled by an enduring feeling that I could accomplish something of value in my lifetime, regardless of whether or not I became an academic. This feeling is both fleeting and priceless for someone with my insecurities, so I'm wondering now what conditions bring about such feelings, and whether I can set up my life to recreate those conditions more frequently, preferably on a daily basis. <br /><br />Some of what I enjoyed was convenience, because I was able to get from one place to another easily via public transportation or walking. Some of it was the wonderment of being in a new place, where suddenly nothing is familiar and everything is interesting. That level of stimulation only comes from being in a new place, and I doubt that can be recreated without travel. Good food and good friends (preferably both at once) add immeasurable value to life, and I'm always trying to cultivate these, so I don't envision developing any new habits on that front. <br /><br />So...what was it? Probably some combination of all these, and I'm going to keep chewing on this question. I also wonder if it was the "vibe" of the place I was in. I've lived in places that seem to have higher and lower levels of "energy," and I find that I absorb these quite easily. This was a very high-energy place, and all I want is a way to go back, even if it isn't physically. I want to return to how my mind felt in that space. <br /><br />There will be nostalgia for this week for a while, but just knowing that an amazing week is possible has already had some lasting effects. It will keep me going and keep me walking, writing, and thinking for a while. Best of all, it will keep me reaching for more at a time when I was on the verge of accepting my unemployment as a sign that I'm not good enough to achieve my dream. <br /><br />Have you adopted any new habits after a trip? Have you quit any bad habits while traveling?AliceAcademichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17793332996620824659noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735186139629301364.post-47686077855929665602012-02-09T02:29:00.003-05:002012-02-09T02:35:12.405-05:00You know you're really losing itWhen you find <a href="http://school.failblog.org/2012/02/04/homework-class-test-rejection-rejection-university/">this</a> amusing.AliceAcademichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17793332996620824659noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735186139629301364.post-19960732620604036502012-02-02T15:54:00.003-05:002012-02-02T16:05:59.112-05:00The wonders of sleepIt seems like I always lose the most sleep when I'm feeling pressed for time at work, but this might be the fatal error that stands between me and my academic potential. <br /><br />I've had a "beef" with an author in the literature review I've been working on, but I couldn't articulate exactly what it was for weeks and weeks. Even though I take lots of reading notes, there is something so slippery about this argument that I couldn't quite put my finger on what was bothering me about it. This morning, after getting a couple of extra hours of sleep and then taking a stab at this first thing after breakfast, I quickly figured out not only what my problem is with this argument, but also how to articulate my critique with supportive evidence from other sources. It feels like a major breakthrough in this manuscript, and it will make it a much stronger piece. <br /><br />I've always been an advocate of "power-napping" but this is all just reminding me how important sleep is to my productivity. I will have to up my sleep quota to make me more productive. What about you? How many hours of sleep do you get on average? What about when you are swamped with work and trying to squeeze more minutes out of each day?AliceAcademichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17793332996620824659noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735186139629301364.post-35774624329368697442012-01-25T15:09:00.006-05:002012-01-25T16:04:20.849-05:00Getting back on the horse that threw meI recently had a phone interview that I over-prepared for, and I felt that I did pretty well on, but it was cut ridiculously short, most likely because it was lunchtime in the committee's timezone, and they were running far behind schedule. For some reason, I felt so stung by this that over the past several days, I've seriously questioned whether I want to continue putting myself out there as search committee bait. I'm not sure why I had such a strong reaction to this... maybe because I was more excited about this position than most of them. <br /><br />Having so little control on the outcome of one's labor is one of the more difficult aspects of job-hunting. This is not news to anyone, but the reminders that you are not the one holding the cards are everywhere. Maybe this is more difficult for my personality than most, but I find that extreme denial is required for persistence(denial of all the rejections thus far, denial of all the time wasted on applications that went nowhere, etc. etc.) It is a demoralizing process, and multiple years on the market, (which seems to be the norm in my field since the recession), can lead to severe magnification of any existing insecurities.<br /><br />So what now? I have been finding ways to gently persuade myself to get back on the horse. Over the past few days, I've been cutting myself some slack on my schedule after the massive disappointment of this one interview. And now is precisely when I have to remind myself that I do have a plan. I have set a limit to how long I plan to continue to apply for positions, and I will stick to that, rather than make decisions from inside the "disappointment bubble," which, let's face it, is not a place of much rational thinking.AliceAcademichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17793332996620824659noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735186139629301364.post-29346557520641287202012-01-17T11:45:00.016-05:002012-01-17T13:00:34.604-05:00Productivity in writing projectsWrite first - This little tip from Joan Bolker's <a href="http://www.cs.umb.edu/~eb/joan/diss15/">book</a> on Writing your dissertation in 15 minutes is sheer magic. Putting my writing as the first order of business for the day, before checking email, before getting involved in anything else, has created a fundamental shift in my writing habits, a shift that I hope I can maintain for years to come. As part of this, something I learned from <a href="http://girlscholar.blogspot.com/2009/09/you-know-what-helps.html">Notorious Ph.D.</a>, is making a note to myself the night before and getting out the materials I need to do that writing task, so that I'm ready to go first thing. <br /><br /><a href="http://academicwritingclub.com/">The Academic Ladder Writing Club</a> - Daily accountability, even though its virtual, seems key to my productivity. I could take notes elsewhere on my progress, but this on-line tracking system ensures that I continue to track my progress daily. It also keeps me from feeling isolated in my writing struggles -- I can see that others have similar things going on, and everyone is encouraging and helpful. I've also learned countless productivity tips from other people enrolled in this club, like the one I'll describe next.<br /><br />The Sunday Meeting - This came from Kerry Ann Rockquemore, and if you haven't heard of it, go read her own description of it <a href="http://www.insidehighered.com/advice/surviving/fall2">here.</a> Go ahead, I'll wait. It sounds like something ridiculously obvious, and I thought I was a good planner before, but this is a killer system that has completely revolutionized my work habits. I'm much more conscious about how I spend my time, and I'm much less likely to get derailed by an hour watching t.v. or cleaning the house. Though I heard about it a while back, I didn't try it until recently. I mean, this all seems patently obvious, and seems like stuff we all do anyway - make a list of goals and tasks, put them in your calendar, right? Well, there's something about this system that makes it more effective, maybe its the longer-range of the planning and how everything is connected to a semester plan. I first tried this system a couple of months ago, and my productivity has probably doubled since I started this, (No, I'm not exaggerating). I guess this is the academic equivalent of the reason for McDonalds success- everyone knows you're supposed to keep restaurants clean to improve your business, but McDonalds is one of the few businesses that consistently does this. (Hopefully this will translate into McDonalds' level of academic success for me.)<br /><br />Earplugs - I used to use earplugs while writing, but since I had been writing in a quiet and undistracting place for so long, I fell out of that habit. This week, since I've been reading Wendy Belcher's book, I had to revisit the question of my work site, and what improvements I will make to it. That's when I realized that I need to go back to the earplugs to block out other sounds around me, so I can keep writing. I briefly considered purchasing noise cancelling headphones, but some of the reviews I read of these noted that earplugs were quite effective, which reminded me,<a href="http://aliceacademic.blogspot.com/2010/05/music-or-earplugs-for-productivity.html"> yes, they are. </a><br /><br /><a href="http://aliceacademic.blogspot.com/2007/11/secret-weapon.html">Setting a timer</a>- Timed writing sessions, which I learned from the Academic Ladder, seem to make a huge difference for me. Maybe knowing that there is a finite stopping point helps me to focus on the task at hand for a set time period. <br /><br />What about you? What's been effective in making you productive?AliceAcademichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17793332996620824659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735186139629301364.post-61216580144606340432012-01-11T19:31:00.008-05:002012-01-15T16:43:35.777-05:00Shopping in my closetI'm getting ready to travel for the first of my invited talks this semester. As I've been preparing this talk, which is based on my dissertation project, but framed a bit differently to suit the conference theme, I've found an entirely new angle on my data. This angle has always been there, hiding, under the surface, but I didn't notice it before. This confirms what people say about writing being thinking, because my thoughts didn't get to this place without the writing I did to prep the talk. I'm not going to explicitly present on this angle, but this is certainly a direction that I'll be taking some of my future work, which is really exciting! This feels like going shopping in my closet, discovering a great new outfit from pieces you already had but didn't put together.AliceAcademichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17793332996620824659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735186139629301364.post-83586075097978002962012-01-10T02:39:00.006-05:002012-01-10T02:54:08.977-05:00Putting off procrastinationSometimes, the thing you spend all day avoiding turns out to be an enjoyable challenge that takes half as much time and energy as you thought it would. Should I be surprised? Or...does this always happen, but I somehow forget this portion of my procrastination cycle? Either way, I'm marking this happy outcome (and boring the blog world with it) for future times when procrastination turns up, so I'll be armed and ready for the fight.AliceAcademichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17793332996620824659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735186139629301364.post-2096857357154952672012-01-08T23:39:00.008-05:002012-01-09T00:06:03.388-05:00Out of hidingI've been joking that my 2012 resolutions are to quit smoking and give up eating meat, but since I don't smoke and I'm vegetarian, I'm sure to accomplish both of those, at least, this year!<br /><br />What remains to be seen, however, is whether or not I'll get a position as an academic this year. I've continued to put in applications and had a few interviews last year, but nothing has panned out so far. The one position that I was a finalist for last year ended up getting cut at the last minute. I have a feeling, though, that this year I will get a great position.<br /><br />Though I have been hiding from my blog(mostly in shame of unemployment, I admit), a week into the new year, I'm finally ready to stop blaming myself. Circumstances are what they are, and all I can really do is keep putting in the applications and hoping for the best. I have come to a level of acceptance of this situation that I really didn't have last year. <br /><br />I'm living at home, which is challenging, for sure, but I do feel fortunate to have my meals and rent covered so that I can focus on giving the academic gig one last shot. I have always been fiercely independent, so this is new territory for me. I have been feeling considerably better since I learned that two distant colleagues are also living at home to conduct an academic job search.<br /><br />Thankfully, I'm staying active with writing articles, and I have a couple of invited talks coming up to look forward to. Getting these invitations has really gone a long way in making me feel more legit as an academic, knowing that someone is willing to shell out money to hear what I have to say, even when that money isn't tuition!<br /><br />Belated good wishes to everyone for 2012!AliceAcademichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17793332996620824659noreply@blogger.com4