11 Jul Summer va-What?!?
There is a fallacy among friends and families of grad students that we have “summers off”…summer? off? Do you live in a plastic bubble at the bottom of the ocean?!
This summer has been a never-ending process of going through emails, notebooks, and notes taken at meetings for books that should be read by the Fall. Katie was given six books to read “by July” by her chair – with another 6 for August. Monica is reading four books every other week by her chair. I have a list of about 20 books that i’d like to have done by the end of summer, in preparation for my general exams – all things that address what i do plus the another 10 or 15 recommended by the chairs. Oh yes, and we all need to start working on getting published. And i still owe a professor a paper from two quarters ago because i was in Singapore working on transnational learning modules for the AAG the week before and during Spring break (which i’m still working on – we’re in edits Round 2). Not to mention the NSF grant, the doctoral research proposal, the general’s statement, and the 3,000 pages of notes i need to transcribe from lectures, readings, etc.
But really? we’ve all been sleeping. We’re exhausted. We’re emotionally, physically, and mentally drained. I sleep 10 hours a night and loaf at least 3 hours a day. How idyllic, you say? We work 10-18 hours a day 6-7 days a week for eight months straight. A “lazy” day, is a half day where we work for 5 or 6, which is quickly compensated for by a 15 hour day shortly after. This year, alone, i have read one box-worth of articles and about 20 books. My bookshelves are not pompously filled with books that “i pretend or hope to read someday”, rather, are filled with books that i have read or am in the process of reading right now. I am currently reading four books. Plus a Vanity Fair (oh yes, and one Wired, stashed in the bathroom).
I am not complaining.
No. Really. I’m not!!! I worked four extra jobs this school year (on top of my TAship and general course work) to be able to take this summer off to read and write. I saved my pennies and skipped a lot of lunches to save enough money to actually get to do my own work this summer. I love it!! My house is (kind of) clean. I have no schedule (sort of, except for the 2 hours of French language study done each day, and the one hour of email work, and the occasional Bikram class) to speak of. But each day is punctuated by writing and reading.
My point? We grad students are never “off”. Never. This is not a complaint. You have to be a special kind of crazy to even get this far in education – to want to subject yourself to this kind of rigor. A lot of people think they want to do it (16% of college graduates go on to a Master’s or professional program) but not many can handle it (only 1% of them will go on to a PhD). I love what i do. I LOVE summer!!! I get to actually do MY reading and to prepare for MY work, and to write what I’M interested in!!!
Yes, i still work 5-10 hours a day, 6-7 days a week – but you know what? I LOVE it! It doesn’t even really feel like work, half that time. I love falling in love with other academics’ work. I love following my favourite authors’ blogs and getting to write random notes to myself about more stuff that needs to be read. I love having the luxury to explore the things that important to me.
Hot-Damn! i am still the luckiest person i know!
But…on that note: next time you think your grad student is “off” and flying places, just know:
1. planes and trains are awesome places for us to read! we love travelling half for the adventure and half for the freedom to actually focus on one thing for a set number of hours without interruption!
2. exotic locations often mean research, interviews, work groups, and other sundry coordinated (and often uncoordinated) moments / hours / days / weeks/ months of work! (not beaches, tans and delicious food)
3. we are crazy. all of us. fully and completely crazy. but mostly – we believe strongly and thoroughly in what we do and have dedicated our lives (even our “summers off”) to what we do
4. even when we’re out having a drink with friends or enjoying a birthday celebration, there is a part of us that is still working
5. we love you – even when we don’t return phone calls or make it to parties
Mostly, i just hope people who have grad students in their lives understand that we are an odd and special breed. We do love the people who love us (and some who don’t – David Harvey, are you listening? I swoon for you ever day!) but we love our work, too…we’ve given up a lot to be where we are! and while it seems that we’ve given up you, know that we’ve not! We are forever grateful that you are there for us, that you respect us, that you try to understand us, and that you let us love you the best we can – because, really, we’re all just a bit insane….
And the next time you think, “But s/he’s off for the summer”, remember that our idea of “off” is very, VERY different from your idea of “off”…
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