Posted by llrrrpp on August 28, 2006, at 21:13:11
I am so silly! This time of year rolls around, and I feel a primal urge to buy new notebooks and hiliters!!
I exercised extreme restraint and bought only a memo pad to write my daily goals on (it has polka dots), and a few yellow legal pads.
I'm only taking 3 classes this semester. None of them are for credit- my attendance and participation is voluntary and will be rewarded by professors who don't ask me to "vacate" my office, as they will forget that I am an advanced grad student. Proximity to 2nd and 3rd years is often enough to trick the human mind into placing me in their category... ha!
One is a seminar on education, policy, and related empirical research. I will be expected to present my dissertation stuff at least twice, I imagine.
Another is the departmental seminar. Outside speakers, paper-airplane throwing, and the mad pizza rush 5 minutes before commencing. Funny how profs seem hungrier & greedier than students nowadays. Academia apparently does not provide a living wage. I should contact the food bank.
The last is an intensive workshop on university teaching practices. I get to hone the fine art of syllabus preparation, the teaching portfolio, and lecturing without allowing my anxiety-ridden voice to cause me to go into coughing spasms. I might need to sign up for extra psychotherapy to deal with the human rights violation that is considered "constructive criticism" in these parts. The best part is organizing a "discussion section" HAHA! I've never spent more than an hour prepping to lead my discussion sections. And for this workshop I won't even be paid. (grumble grumble...)
So, no grades, just a lot of public speaking and oppourtunities to embarrass myself in front of the people who I'd like to help me get a job next year.
-ll
poster:llrrrpp
thread:681010
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/studs/20060709/msgs/681010.html