Comments | paisley1974: "Career Path"

paisley1974

"Career Path"

Sep 27, 2008 14:47

That's not a phrase I've ever really thought I would apply to myself, but strangely enough, here I am. I got to school at 9 this morning for the department's "professionalization" seminar which they hold every two years, which covers things that are helpful to people who want to go on the job market to be an English professor. I was a little ( Read more... )

Comments 4

fyshmom September 28 2008, 01:14:44 UTC

"I felt so weird about asking him to "officially" be my advisor. I felt like I was asking him to the prom or something."

That cracked me up. :

paisley1974 September 28 2008, 03:10:02 UTC

My self-care has become critically important to my sanity! I felt myself falling off at the beginning of the semester, and quickly started making plans to get back on it--when I started feeling panicky and freaked out about classes and my lack of knowledge and how much there is to learn, I realized that I could easily keep spiralling if I wasn't careful ( ... )

part two-my previous message exceeded the max word count! paisley1974 September 28 2008, 03:11:38 UTC

Though it made me nervous to ask Bill to be my advisor, I actually am glad that we aren't all assigned to the program director--he's a really entertaining speaker, and is the guru of critical theory, but he kind of lacks skills of being personable (to say it in a nice way). During my meeting with him the beginning of the semester, I definitely go the feeling that a big part of his purpose was to try to scare and intimidate me; I don't have a lot of patience for such things. However, his attitude is quite unusual in this department--so many of my other professors have been quite generous with their time and support. In addition to my taking care of myself, seeking out other people has been the other key to my sanity. When I got my BA and started grad school, Uncle Rick sent me a card that said, "Welcome to the fellowship," and it really does seem to be like that--the profs I've talked to have all been really interested in finding out how I'm doing, and assuring me that the freaking out and stuff is a normal experience that everyone ( ... )

fyshmom September 28 2008, 16:22:18 UTC

I agree -- Faulkner *is* a bloody genius. :<) As you know, he was my entrance into "real literature" when I was twelve -- The Sound and the Fury opened a new door in my head that never closed again, and for that I am grateful ( ... )