Feeling lucky?
They say the first year of grad school is the hardest. I'd have to say that has been true for me thus far...and not because of the academics. However, in the past couple weeks, things have gotten back on track. Things are going better for research, I'm almost done with classes, Mike has finally finished his PhD, he still has a job (which he probably wouldn't had he moved down here with me), and our house didn't get flooded.
I've been feeling pretty lucky.
Wouldn't you know it, a bunch of friends crawl out of the woodwork with their woes and misery over the past couple days. I guess that since I no longer have a bunch to gripe about, it's my turn to get their back.
It's hard when many of your friends are aspiring academics. There's the friend who is contemplating quitting after a MS; the friend who was pretty sure he'd be going to grad school a certain place, only to find out that he was on the waiting list but is now not going because the spot has been filled; job searches that leave a bad taste in your mouth; people having problems with their advisors; people having money issues; and the accomplished, hard-working people who lose out to the schmoozers.
Is it something in the water? It seems to be happening to a lot of different people in a lot of different places at the same time. And it doesn't do anything to boost my confidence in academia as the bastion of objectivity that people sometimes claim it is (or is supposed to be).
Anyway, I hope everyone can hang in there. I know that's easy for me to say when I'm sitting pretty...but I do mean it.
I've been feeling pretty lucky.
Wouldn't you know it, a bunch of friends crawl out of the woodwork with their woes and misery over the past couple days. I guess that since I no longer have a bunch to gripe about, it's my turn to get their back.
It's hard when many of your friends are aspiring academics. There's the friend who is contemplating quitting after a MS; the friend who was pretty sure he'd be going to grad school a certain place, only to find out that he was on the waiting list but is now not going because the spot has been filled; job searches that leave a bad taste in your mouth; people having problems with their advisors; people having money issues; and the accomplished, hard-working people who lose out to the schmoozers.
Is it something in the water? It seems to be happening to a lot of different people in a lot of different places at the same time. And it doesn't do anything to boost my confidence in academia as the bastion of objectivity that people sometimes claim it is (or is supposed to be).
Anyway, I hope everyone can hang in there. I know that's easy for me to say when I'm sitting pretty...but I do mean it.