I heard a knock on the door. "Honey, it's bad news." I hesitated for a minute--maybe I could delay the onset of the consequences to come if I remained in ignorance for a moment longer. The desire for certainty, however, quickly took over, and I entered the bedroom, ready, as much as possible, for what …
Tag: phd problems
The Last Epic Library Trip
In two weeks, the school year will begin. For the second year, I am amazed by how quickly the summer, which always appears to stretch out endlessly when classes end in May, slips by. There's no question that this was a very good summer in a number of ways. I criticize myself for taking vacation …
Day One Verdict: Meh
So, I set an ambitious goal--get through one section of one bibliography focusing on the Reformation by the middle of next week. This means reading through more than one book a day. And, unfortunately, that didn't happen today. Today turned out to be busier than I thought. I had an unexpected project to take …
What happens when. . .
. . . I attempt to study.
Here It Starts: books, exams, and, of course, cats
And so it begins. Last week, it finally had to happen. I spent hours looking up call numbers on the university library website. I dragged out the rollerboard luggage (and my partner, Stephen). And, together, we went to pick up the first batch of comprehensive exam books. I think I underestimated the amount of time …
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My Week
So, what's been going on this week? Here's Emily, providing me with what is, to her, much-needed notetaking help. This is Oscar. This is NOT our house. Oscar decided to go and visit the neighbors yesterday afternoon (observe door cracked open in the background). He is now under "house arrest." Introducing: the inside of my (tiny) office and …
Somehow. . .
. . . I will move these books from my office to my house.
A Grad Student’s Plea for Standard-Sized Books
As a PhD student, reading is a daily activity. And not just reading, but reading as much as you can as quickly as you can. Training to speed-read is like training for a marathon--each book is a new opportunity to improve upon the overall time it takes you to understand: the author's argument, the sources …
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Stop thinking about it. . .
Inevitably, working as a PhD student places one in close professional proximity to many important, influential individuals--professors, other scholars, university administration, graduate students, library and archive staff; the list goes on. Arguably, one of the most important professional relationships--if not THE most important professional relationship--is a PhD student's relationship with his or her faculty advisors.I …
Medievalist in the Making 