1st Year of PhD Work and future hopes
Grades posted yesterday. I earned an A in each class, including Arthurian Lit, which I had figured I would have a B in. Currently I have a 4.0 for PhD work, and I hope to maintain it. I feel like I really worked for my grades this semester whereas last semester was fairly easy.
Ok, so this academic year 2008-2009, I completed 18 PhD hours, with an A in each class. I attended and presented at 1 conference, submitted to several magazines and had at least 1 publication (more might come: I haven't heard back from everyone), won 1 department award, and established several positive professor relationships. I managed to maintain a barely acceptable level of creative production and reading, but it could have been more. My dog died, I had to have a tooth pulled, and I have been sick repeatedly. Perhaps it's time to take somewhat better care physically. I suppose I could add basic things like a daily vitamin to my routine.
Next year (2009-2010) I hope to: finish coursework and maintain A average. Publish, publish, publish. Attend and present at at least 1 conference, but hopefully more. Successfully teach my classes. Maintain existing relationships/contacts and establish new ones. Write, write, write. Read, read, read. Stay healthy. Maintain remaining living pet. See family sometimes.
The year after that (2010-2011): I hope to: sit for and pass all of my exams, attend and present at at least 1 conference per semester, begin serious work on the dissertation, get my dissertation committee together, write, read, publish. Stay healthy. Maintain remaining living pet. See family sometimes.
The year after that (2011-2012): I hope to: finish the dissertation and graduate, find decent employment, publish, write, read, and remain active on the conference scene. Stay healthy. Maintain remaining living pet. See family sometimes.
Hopefully the world won't end in 2012 because I'd like some time to enjoy being out of school. For the first time in my life (even if I'll still be working at one). At some point, if we're ever ahead enough financially, we'll have another baby or two as well. But that has to wait until we can afford the medical care involved, a bigger place, etc. So it probably won't happen very soon at all.
Ok, so this academic year 2008-2009, I completed 18 PhD hours, with an A in each class. I attended and presented at 1 conference, submitted to several magazines and had at least 1 publication (more might come: I haven't heard back from everyone), won 1 department award, and established several positive professor relationships. I managed to maintain a barely acceptable level of creative production and reading, but it could have been more. My dog died, I had to have a tooth pulled, and I have been sick repeatedly. Perhaps it's time to take somewhat better care physically. I suppose I could add basic things like a daily vitamin to my routine.
Next year (2009-2010) I hope to: finish coursework and maintain A average. Publish, publish, publish. Attend and present at at least 1 conference, but hopefully more. Successfully teach my classes. Maintain existing relationships/contacts and establish new ones. Write, write, write. Read, read, read. Stay healthy. Maintain remaining living pet. See family sometimes.
The year after that (2010-2011): I hope to: sit for and pass all of my exams, attend and present at at least 1 conference per semester, begin serious work on the dissertation, get my dissertation committee together, write, read, publish. Stay healthy. Maintain remaining living pet. See family sometimes.
The year after that (2011-2012): I hope to: finish the dissertation and graduate, find decent employment, publish, write, read, and remain active on the conference scene. Stay healthy. Maintain remaining living pet. See family sometimes.
Hopefully the world won't end in 2012 because I'd like some time to enjoy being out of school. For the first time in my life (even if I'll still be working at one). At some point, if we're ever ahead enough financially, we'll have another baby or two as well. But that has to wait until we can afford the medical care involved, a bigger place, etc. So it probably won't happen very soon at all.