tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post4408312097272150988..comments2024-03-24T21:12:27.165-07:00Comments on 100 Reasons NOT to Go to Graduate School: 61. Unstructured time.100 Reasonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655155303350793785noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-81521752248188189382015-06-02T15:48:02.797-07:002015-06-02T15:48:02.797-07:00There's your lesson: record every interaction...There's your lesson: record every interaction you have with faculty and other students.<br /><br />I wish I'd done that. Would have saved my ass.<br /><br />BTW - if Youtube had been around 13 years ago, I know of some profs. that would no longer be employed - the university could not have stood the embarrassment of having people teaching advanced engineering subjects who were not capable of communicating simple sentences in the language of instruction, much less anything more complicated.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-27906330288675325542015-04-02T12:16:22.754-07:002015-04-02T12:16:22.754-07:00Who would have guessed working to be an expert in ...Who would have guessed working to be an expert in something would require some self-discipline and ambition?!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-77216578813449072452014-11-14T23:46:48.781-08:002014-11-14T23:46:48.781-08:00So very TRUESo very TRUEAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-51674436429157734342014-07-25T12:18:10.915-07:002014-07-25T12:18:10.915-07:00Isaac Newton as a young man apparently spent about...Isaac Newton as a young man apparently spent about two years living in the country, which he did to avoid the plague. He spent much of this time in self-study, writing, and contemplation. It has been suggested that this is the period of time in which he came to many of the insights which he presented in later life in physics and mathematics.<br /><br />It would be difficult for anyone to be more successful academically or professionally.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-44610671601163008062013-06-13T22:28:13.752-07:002013-06-13T22:28:13.752-07:00Nope. I have two advisors who were supposed to gi...Nope. I have two advisors who were supposed to give me feedback on my dissertation proposal a few weeks ago and I just got it from both of them. One of them just completely forgot and didn't read anything. And my program is actually pretty great and I love my advisors. They just...forget. Because no one is hovering over them, either.penthesileiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08436004840734951906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-36490970667689268852013-05-29T20:01:00.172-07:002013-05-29T20:01:00.172-07:00"You're given a free hand down the mines,..."You're given a free hand down the mines, a complete free hand to do anything you like. Provided you get hold of two tons of coal a day." - 'The Miner Who Would Rather Have Been A Judge,' Beyond the Fringe (1961).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-72034942869472381672013-03-08T04:59:06.449-08:002013-03-08T04:59:06.449-08:00But... I don't have time to read it!But... I don't have time to read it!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-85353936489334709172013-01-26T09:16:25.520-08:002013-01-26T09:16:25.520-08:00i would suggest an inherent problem with our socie...i would suggest an inherent problem with our society is the notable lack of free/unstructured time. we live in a society which encourages us to micromanage just about every second of our waking lives, when in reality, unstructured creative/free time is equally as important as structured routines. if Americans had a better balance between structured/unstructured time, maybe our suicide rate wouldn't be double the national homicide rate. while i am in no way undermining the importance of self-discipline and time management, many of the greatest men in history spent a large amount of their time simply sitting in contemplation, taking long walks, and in general just remaining childishly curious about the world around them (tesla's autobiography has some great quotes about "work"). the modern american lifestyle and education system deters people from engaging in this free/unstructured time which is essential to our happiness, intelligence, health, and creativity.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-89808747247091403922012-08-31T11:52:01.358-07:002012-08-31T11:52:01.358-07:00This is definitely a problem.... Once you stop fee...This is definitely a problem.... Once you stop feeling like you're living a productive life, things just get sad...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-2456537156256856992012-08-12T18:56:23.271-07:002012-08-12T18:56:23.271-07:00Actually unstructured time is the one good thing a...Actually unstructured time is the one good thing about grad school. Because you can concentrate on something - on anything. Have you seen people with day jobs? Wake up at 7, go out at 8, come back at 5, cook & eat until 7, and then 2-3 hours of facebook & tv. No time to ever do anything serious. Because serious things require you to concentrate for 10+ hours per day for weeks and weeks. Depending on your school & department, you might be able to stop showing up to school (except to do your teaching or w/e) for 2-3 weeks without anybody noticing... And you have summer break. Of course, if you play your cards wrong, you end up in the lab 24/7. Then you're truly fucked.<br /><br />Writing a dissertation is not a serious activity in practice, though it feels like one. The test is simple. Is anybody gonna read your dissertation? Including your advisor and your mom? For most people the answer is no. Then how could it be important? <br />The lucky few who produce anything worthwhile are the rock stars of academia. Yah, academia is kind of like Hollywood - a few make it big, the rest get to be whores (temp professors). Though to be fair grading papers & alcoholism is probably better than getting fucked & alcoholism.<br /><br />But anyway, use your unstructured time wisely, because that's the one good thing you'll get out of grad school. Probably a good idea to read Ben Franklin's autobiography. Notice how Franklin didn't go to grad school. And then read some more.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-89329668872831856812012-03-07T18:55:48.177-08:002012-03-07T18:55:48.177-08:00Wow, this is so trueWow, this is so truepenthesileiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08436004840734951906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-31993068480842878982012-03-07T18:55:00.913-08:002012-03-07T18:55:00.913-08:00It is a reason if you do not like unstructured tim...It is a reason if you do not like unstructured time, or are not good at managing your own time as well as that of your supervisor's and your doctoral committee.penthesileiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08436004840734951906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-52535013738905058762012-01-02T16:39:40.917-08:002012-01-02T16:39:40.917-08:00This is the one that really did me in. I remember...This is the one that really did me in. I remember lying in bed on a cold winter morning thinking "wow, I REALLY don't want to get up and go to the university." Then I thought, "why should I? There's no one waiting for me to be there. I can make my own schedule." So I didn't go and... absolutely nothing happened. After I realized that it didn't really matter whether I went or not, I started staying home more and more, until I eventually just stopped going all together.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-57028160187304331172011-06-28T10:54:12.479-07:002011-06-28T10:54:12.479-07:00Jerry 5:45:
TITCRJerry 5:45:<br />TITCRAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-60932700653401234302011-06-27T17:45:19.592-07:002011-06-27T17:45:19.592-07:00I thoroughly enjoyed my master's degree progra...I thoroughly enjoyed my master's degree programs. Homework and exam deadlines would occasionally creep up on me and cause stress, and the weird personalities most profs had was sometimes grating. But overall, the experience was very positive. <br /><br />So I decided to continue and I enrolled in a Ph.D. program. It's so much different, and it's not fun in the least. It's completely unstructured, unguided, and fraught with hazards. I can deal with all that. But I really don't like the way it drags on and on, and consumes my personal time. The author of this piece nailed it exactly. <br /><br />If you have the interest and the ambition, and if it makes good financial sense, and if you have read all the previous reasons and know what you're getting into, then by all means, get yourself a master's degree. <br /><br />But DO NOT enroll in a Ph.D. program expecting more of the same. It's much different, and it could seriously hurt you.Jerrynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-7025162801655909922011-06-18T13:29:32.245-07:002011-06-18T13:29:32.245-07:00To Anonymous 7:01pm above:
This sounds so famili...To Anonymous 7:01pm above: <br /><br />This sounds so familiar! Another scenario: wake up feeling energized, work all day, and then realize that all you have to show for it is two measly sentences.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-26781818052767462172011-06-18T06:58:04.030-07:002011-06-18T06:58:04.030-07:00A) From all the comments here: so this is not a re...A) From all the comments here: so this is not a reason not to go to grad school. However it's a good reason to skip grad school if you are not admitted in a school in the top-tier.<br /><br />B)a blog entry beginning by a statement that since the Industrial Revolution all activities have some sort of schedule?<br /><br />Ah! Now you show your real face blogger! You are a STEM student (it's my first time on this blog FYI)!<br /><br />Cause, obviously, 1) no humanities student would ever quote that as a satisfying reason not to go to grad school... 2) Classics never lie: Discipline and Punish, Michel Foucault! Time managing is THE WAY OF SLAVERY! RESIST! GO TO GRAD SCHOOL!<br /><br />;)AChttp://aceylounge.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-69851174206013783672011-06-18T06:10:50.493-07:002011-06-18T06:10:50.493-07:00At least on the depressed day you get some reading...At least on the depressed day you get some reading done! You're more disciplined than I am. For me, depressed day = much housework, some online games, a little crying, zero reading. haven't looked at that piece o' crap thesis in weeks.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-35808047256059332882011-06-17T19:01:50.926-07:002011-06-17T19:01:50.926-07:00Difference in thesis writing efficiency:
happy day...Difference in thesis writing efficiency:<br />happy day: i wake up thinking i am creating knowledge. Two pages written.<br />depressed day: i wake up thinking my existence is pathetic. Some reading and zero page written.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-47662220582782913862011-06-17T14:56:14.057-07:002011-06-17T14:56:14.057-07:00To above anonymous:
Thanks for the clarification,...To above anonymous:<br /><br />Thanks for the clarification, but I didn't miss the point. We're just making different parts of the same argument. You're making the subjective point (if you really like your work, you're more likely to focus on it and finish); I'm making the objective point (whether or not you really like your work, it's probably not "important" in the way that academics typically pretend their work is. Unless you are remarkably brilliant, well-connected, and lucky, your academic work likely won't change much except your bank account--in either direction, depending upon your relationship to the job market and prevailing research fads. It's like being a painter, you produce work because it's pleasing to you. Then you hope it's gonna sell.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-21969080607158221312011-06-17T07:16:57.070-07:002011-06-17T07:16:57.070-07:00To above anonymous - I think you missed the point ...To above anonymous - I think you missed the point of my post you quoted, though I do totally understand what you're saying...<br /><br />I was just saying that doing research you personally love and think is important (it IS important if YOU love it and it's important to you) is a big key to finishing the diss. <br /><br />You don't need the rest of the world's opinion on whether something is important or not if it's something you're truly interested in and excited about, because it'll be of great importance to you personally. <br />Of course if you want to play games of who is the bigger shot in the department, etc. then yeah, you'll be deluded if you're doing something that is not groundbreaking but you think it is.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-24022454929577043122011-06-17T06:10:47.548-07:002011-06-17T06:10:47.548-07:00"I think a big part is whether you feel like ..."I think a big part is whether you feel like you love what your dissertation is about, and maybe even more importantly, that you THINK it is important and will make some sort of advancement in the field" (emphasis mine).<br /><br />Very little of the work a grad student does is consequential in any way beyond the establishment of her/his own reputation, regardless of whether said research sees the light of day in a reputable journal. The publishing thing is about marketing yourself as a regular, reliable producer of X-type of widgets (papers on Y in Z caliber journals with an impact factor of >Q). Because most of what we churn out is useless in terms of real world impact or even intellectual influence, THINKING how important and influential your work is an act of self-delusion that keeps you from slipping into despair. The happiest grad students I know (besides one True Believer dawn-to-after-midnight workaholic), are those who have an inflated/unrealistic view of their own importance. Narcissists seems to flourish in academia. <br /><br />Here's an example. I was stuck marking time with a couple of sociology grad students, both more than a decade younger than I am. They were whoopin' it up--congratulating each other on what brilliant thinkers they are. How funky and awful the older generation of feminists are. Temporarily horrified, one turned to the other and essentially said, "You don't think our generation will ever get entrenched in stupid, old-fashioned ideas, do you?" Oh no, of course not, never mind that sociologists are supposed to understand that ideas are produced and supplanted in a sociopolitical context. Never mind that one of those old feminists is sitting right here. Don't worry, cocky young jackasses, you're so brilliant that you'll never go outta style.<br /><br />On another note, one of my profs led us through this big talk about publications. His/her IMPORTANT, groundbreaking pub that got him/her the job at venerable UWY (University of Wasted Years). This IMPORTANT paper was published in the 1980s. I looked it up--since then only 6 citations--half of which are the professor's.<br /><br />So pump yourself up if that's what it takes to graduate. But don't delude yourself for life.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-8358239811447222382011-06-16T15:36:13.858-07:002011-06-16T15:36:13.858-07:00I think a big part is whether you feel like you lo...I think a big part is whether you feel like you love what your dissertation is about, and maybe even more importantly, that you think it is important and will make some sort of advancement in the field.<br />If you have that, then the unstructured time is less of a problem - you WANT to be working on your dissertation, because humans like to do things they feel matter and make a difference, especially in a field they love. You can't wait to crack on and unpack the elements that you're looking at to add your contribution to human knowledge. <br /><br />If you don't have that, and would rather be doing a thousand other things rather than your diss, then unstructured time is going to be hell because you'll fill it with more stimulating things.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-78614085057310077482011-06-16T14:44:40.061-07:002011-06-16T14:44:40.061-07:00Unstructured time is both a curse and a blessing. ...Unstructured time is both a curse and a blessing. For reasons already stated, learning to prioritize and be organized is not for everyone. Conversely, not having anyone consistently around to bust your balls all day, every day, is not too shabby either. <br /><br />In my program, faculty were constantly crawling up my @$$ to see what I was doing. Fellow grad students were no better; very much a keeping up with the Jones' mentality. Strangely, many more were equally insulted that I didn't--ever--ask for their help. I'm sure every program and everyone's experience differs for a variety of reasons, but I've always been the kind of guy that met deadlines and exceeded expectations provided that no one was trying to micromanage me.<br /><br />The real trick in figuring out the dissertation and grad school, while already explicated in some parts and various comments throughout this blog, is not so much about managing your time but having a feasible research agenda that you can realistically complete within a specified time-frame. Yea, I know, easier said than done.<br /><br />Still, when I entered my program, I already knew what I wanted to do. Everything was paid for. The only challenge was enduring 4 years of bullshit. But that's nothing a vice or 20 can't fix to help you cope when need be. In the end, being organized helps, but being masochistically stubborn and unconditionally committed to the task at hand matters more.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-26108709418164305032011-06-15T23:01:53.600-07:002011-06-15T23:01:53.600-07:00You all know what they say: If you want something ...You all know what they say: If you want something done, give it to a busy person. They'll know how to fit it in. I'm a schedule-and-order person myself. For me, taking off the outside pressure is like taking the lid off a boiling pot—all the steam escapes and you're left with no force at all. The days when my kids were young and demanding were hectic and exhausting beyond belief, but I have the strong impression that I was a lot more efficient then than I am now, when they no longer live at home. (Or maybe I'm just getting old.) By all means, everyone, get a life outside your work. It'll add a little structure, if nothing else.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com