Congratulations on getting that check-in email out, Amstr! I totally relate to the neat and pretty packaging dilemma; it contributes more to delays that I usually remember. Hurray for free-writing! Lately, I've taken to sitting in the metaphorical seat of one of my students to get my own ass in gear when it comes to putting words on a page. I really like what you said about starting again with blank page instead of tinkering with old ones. I still have my conference paper on my wall of shame because I've been tinkering too long, and the count down is on. Just days before the conference, and I'm wondering "how long should this be?" And I should be asking you guys, how long should it be? I know, 8-10 pages. Argh.
I loved your motivation list too. Although I'm a ways away from the dissertation, here's my list of why I'm gonna finish this PhD:
- I'm been wanting to do this forEver.
- I'll be fulfilling a dream.
- I love the idea of being "Dr. B!"
- It opens up possibilities for work and research.
- I can feel responsible without feeling trapped in a "quiet life of desperation."
- Small liberal arts college here I come! (We hope).
- It motivates me to keep questioning, learning, and reaching further shores of understanding ... and more questioning (myself, the world, others, etc.).
- All this constant exposure to new ideas makes me feel more alive.
- It helps me feel connected to a world of text and art in a way that reminds me that I don't just want but need to discard convention (including that of academia! ;)).
I hope you're getting more done GEW. It was great to chat the other day, and thanks for the input and insights. I've got all kinds of new ideas on the subject of science as a result -- and a much better understanding. Gads, to work with me. I'll be able to check in more often over the next couple of months, and I'll be adding much to my wall of shame. (Including the non-PhD driven idea for that book I was talking about in December).
Good luck everyone!
2 comments:
I love your list, SafiaK. You'll be teaching at Sarah Lawrence before long. (Batty used to always tell me to do ESL or tech writing so I could actually get a job--"60% of English PhD don't get jobs in their field" or somesuch. I always wanted to answer back, "what makes you so sure I'm not part of the other 40%!")
You're right. 8-10 pages. You only need one good idea to develop. Stay focused. You can always hint about how it's relevant to other works or areas.
And I've been at a number of conferences where people are editing in the lobby 5 minutes before their session. (I've always thought that was kind of lame, but I'm sure I'll eat my words some day.) At this point, you're still way ahead! Good luck!
Safiak, you migth want to check out this recent post about presentations on another blog. It was just posted:
http://girlscholar.blogspot.com/2009/03/on-presentations.html
More later!
Post a Comment