I'd love a follow up post in about a year to see reflections on the first year as a tenure-track prof (congrats!) and to see if any of the thoughts on being a postdoc remain the same or different. I'm still pre-candidacy but posts like yours are helping me (hopefully!) have the confidence to know and demand/ask nicely for the things that will be beneficial for myself as the Dr. Scholar Mentor I want to be. Thank you so much!
Wow, that's a great idea! I would love to follow up and see what has changed. I am trying my best to be intentional about bringing work/life alignment into my career so that I don't repeat the burnout phase I was constantly in as a grad student.
Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom, it's really helped me think about the next year and stay motivated. I'll be applying to postdocs in the fall and really appreciated your insight.
I love the questions you pose and the honesty in which you reflect on the writer you want to be, who you want to converse with, and how you express yourself and for whom. We forget that we are also an audience to ourselves and forget to trust ourselves as meaningful audiences.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience and learning. When I left academia and started my own business (academic editing), I was surprised by my own resistance to hustle culture and the notion of working 24/7. Although building a new business takes time and lots of effort, I have taken it at my own (slow) pace, learning as I go how to be the businessperson I want to be, and how to have a life that feels authentic to me. So far, I love it. I love my clients, and I also love being able to choose pro bono projects/clients to work with -- it’s a far better life than I could have had as a professor. It’s important to listen to your emotions and experiences -- they’ll tell you where you need to go. Wishing you all the best in your journeys ❤️🙏🏼😁
Left with inspiration reading your thoughts. I am in my 3rd year, trying to move forward but it is sometimes very slow. Hard to know when I will finish, but still I try to focus on the chapter I am in and just work until it's approved. It's rough sometimes, hard to focus. But lots of people seem to have the same issue. Wish I did this PhD a decade ago!!!
Being knee deep in the program is so hard and makes it difficult to see the finish line. Remind yourself that there is always a finish line, and each day you're literally one step closer to it! Celebrate all the milestones, because grad school culture can make you feel like you need to rush to the next step.
This is such a thoughtful and generous post. So many of the fears and worries resonated with me! I am still trying to find my authorial voice thanks for reminding us again how important it is, especially in non-STEM disciplines.
That voice is unique and important and what you have to say matters. Sometimes I would have to remind myself of that by writing it down before I sat down to write!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I wish I’d had your wisdom when I was starting grad school, but you make it seem like it’s never too late to change my approach with myself (and others).
I didn't have this wisdom when I started grad school! I had to unlearn so many things along the way. I guess that's the beautiful part of the learning process, is that it's always happening. I am for sure not the same person I was when I started grad school.
I'd love a follow up post in about a year to see reflections on the first year as a tenure-track prof (congrats!) and to see if any of the thoughts on being a postdoc remain the same or different. I'm still pre-candidacy but posts like yours are helping me (hopefully!) have the confidence to know and demand/ask nicely for the things that will be beneficial for myself as the Dr. Scholar Mentor I want to be. Thank you so much!
Wow, that's a great idea! I would love to follow up and see what has changed. I am trying my best to be intentional about bringing work/life alignment into my career so that I don't repeat the burnout phase I was constantly in as a grad student.
I would love this too!
Let’s make it happen! 🥰
Thank you for sharing your insights. And such a good point about taking time and space to reflect on what kind of academic one wants to be!
Thank you for your kind words! I hope to always be reflecting on that throughout my career.
Thank you for sharing your experience! This is incredibly helpful.
Thank you for reading!
Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom, it's really helped me think about the next year and stay motivated. I'll be applying to postdocs in the fall and really appreciated your insight.
Thank you so much for reading, and good luck on the market! I pray that your postdoc experience will be amazing!
I love the questions you pose and the honesty in which you reflect on the writer you want to be, who you want to converse with, and how you express yourself and for whom. We forget that we are also an audience to ourselves and forget to trust ourselves as meaningful audiences.
Whew! "We are an audience to ourselves." Wow!
Thank you for your candor. I am your audience.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience and learning. When I left academia and started my own business (academic editing), I was surprised by my own resistance to hustle culture and the notion of working 24/7. Although building a new business takes time and lots of effort, I have taken it at my own (slow) pace, learning as I go how to be the businessperson I want to be, and how to have a life that feels authentic to me. So far, I love it. I love my clients, and I also love being able to choose pro bono projects/clients to work with -- it’s a far better life than I could have had as a professor. It’s important to listen to your emotions and experiences -- they’ll tell you where you need to go. Wishing you all the best in your journeys ❤️🙏🏼😁
Your posts have inspired me so much, so I'm so honored that you read my post! Thank you for modeling authenticity and courage!
So much wisdom and hard-won insight here. Thank you for sharing your journey. I can't wait to hear about where you go from here.
Thank you so much, I appreciate it!
Left with inspiration reading your thoughts. I am in my 3rd year, trying to move forward but it is sometimes very slow. Hard to know when I will finish, but still I try to focus on the chapter I am in and just work until it's approved. It's rough sometimes, hard to focus. But lots of people seem to have the same issue. Wish I did this PhD a decade ago!!!
Being knee deep in the program is so hard and makes it difficult to see the finish line. Remind yourself that there is always a finish line, and each day you're literally one step closer to it! Celebrate all the milestones, because grad school culture can make you feel like you need to rush to the next step.
This is such a thoughtful and generous post. So many of the fears and worries resonated with me! I am still trying to find my authorial voice thanks for reminding us again how important it is, especially in non-STEM disciplines.
That voice is unique and important and what you have to say matters. Sometimes I would have to remind myself of that by writing it down before I sat down to write!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I wish I’d had your wisdom when I was starting grad school, but you make it seem like it’s never too late to change my approach with myself (and others).
I didn't have this wisdom when I started grad school! I had to unlearn so many things along the way. I guess that's the beautiful part of the learning process, is that it's always happening. I am for sure not the same person I was when I started grad school.