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Venting
Dec 2, 2009 16:25:13 GMT -5
Post by Bigelow on Dec 2, 2009 16:25:13 GMT -5
I don't believe all your naysaying, one of my friends who is an assistant professor says it's just like in middle school where all the teachers tell you "In high school, you won't be able to do x." and then you get all intimidated by the thought of how much harder it will be. But he says that it's just more of the same. Well, best of luck to you then. It may depend on where you are at. But at this R1 life is nuts for an assistant professor. None of us have lives. Or at least none of us have pleasant/balanced lives.
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Venting
Dec 2, 2009 16:49:07 GMT -5
Post by anonyms on Dec 2, 2009 16:49:07 GMT -5
well then it's probably a good thing that I have no chance of getting a job at an r1 or maybe I should say..I already work 80 hours a week and have no life, so that would be more of the same for me.
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Smackdown on Biggie
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Venting
Dec 2, 2009 17:42:57 GMT -5
Post by Smackdown on Biggie on Dec 2, 2009 17:42:57 GMT -5
Bigelow ... you're a jackass. Guess what, most people don't take jobs at R1s. Congratulations on your inflated ego, and on being sufficiently busy that you can only rarely break away from work to share your helpful insights with your inferiors. Now go away. Thanks!
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Venting
Dec 2, 2009 18:32:28 GMT -5
Post by Dante on Dec 2, 2009 18:32:28 GMT -5
I just heard about someone with *one* (mid-range) publication getting an interview at a school where I applied, because a Big Name pulled some strings for her. I know we study this kind of stuff (social capital!), but that doesn't make it any less frustrating. This is how the work world works. Not just in academia- everywhere. That's why networking, and publishing, and meeting influential scholars at meetings and presenting at conferences is a good thing to do in graduate school! "This is how the word world works" is not a super constructive comment, especially when I was just venting, as per the theme of this thread. And, to answer someone else's question, I was the first author on all four of those pubs. I have applied to about 40 places thus far. And, even with the book contract, I haven't made the short list anywhere. And so I get down in the dumps sometimes and sometimes I feel like airing my grievances to people I know will empathize. It's not about naivete but about having an outlet for one's emotions.
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Venting
Dec 2, 2009 19:21:17 GMT -5
Post by anonner on Dec 2, 2009 19:21:17 GMT -5
Thank goodness somebody said it...bigelow does sound like a jackass. Good to know somebody from "an R1" with "8 articles under review" has enough time to come down here and tell us proles what life is like in the big leagues (BTW I'm graduating from an R1 and have 2 interviews this year at R1s and my sense is that people have had about enough of this kind of posturing). Who wants to bet me that there are at most 2 real ideas between those "8 articles under review"?
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Venting
Dec 2, 2009 19:39:01 GMT -5
Post by anon365 on Dec 2, 2009 19:39:01 GMT -5
Dante,
If you're first author on 4 pubs and you have a book contract under review, venting is perfectly reasonable.
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Venting
Dec 2, 2009 21:20:14 GMT -5
Post by Bigelow on Dec 2, 2009 21:20:14 GMT -5
You really don't know the first thing about me - well, okay you do, I'm at an R1, but you don't know the second thing about me.
I didn't say I had 8 papers under review, I said I'm working on 8 or so papers - currently 2 are under review.
I also don't think I'm superior to anyone here. I'm just trying to be realistic here. Being an assistant professor really kind of sucks. And you ought to prepare yourselves for that. It doesn't get better, it gets worse. At least in my experience. And in the experience of my friends who are at a variety of institutions.
I also realize that the reason I got a job at an R1 is because I'm very smary and worked really hard in grad school. But all of us on here are really smart and probably work really hard in grad school. I just happened to have some "good" luck. I say "good" because really, I'm not very happy, and frankly, failing miserably here - why I'm on the market again.
So don't make assumptions about me, k?
But do keep in mind that it's not easy. And don't kid yourself that it is. Being an assistant professor is hard at most institutions where you will end up. And that was my original point. Figure out now how to balance your life - because the stakes only get higher.
Now it is highly likely that my dept is especially sucky - and lucky for you we are not hiring this year. But having said that, it really is true that just about every one of my friends who is an assistant professor at a range of institutions daydreams about bailing because it's so hard.
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Venting
Dec 2, 2009 21:49:57 GMT -5
Post by Get a grip people on Dec 2, 2009 21:49:57 GMT -5
Wow, back off of biggie. You all need to calm down. Being an assistant prof is a lot busier than being in grad school. That was all that was being said. I, like biggie, am an asst prof now at an R1, hate it, am failing at it, and back on the market. My first go around on the market, I applied to about 60 places, had 7 on campus interviews, and the combo of that and my TA work and my dissertation...I thought my head was going to explode. But, it was a million times better than the past 5 years in my department as an assistant prof. I have never known pressure like this. Some people may find the whole thing easy and enjoyable, but for a good bit of us, it is worse than we could have imagined.
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Venting
Dec 2, 2009 22:20:39 GMT -5
Post by Poorme on Dec 2, 2009 22:20:39 GMT -5
Oh, give me a break...
Because, like, life as an R1 professor is really hard and stuff, so we should all count our lucky stars that we are lowly grad students earning little to no money and have no idea how we will feed ourselves 8 months from now. Lucky indeed.
news flash: no one forced you to take that job.
Here's an idea: why don't you quit? Oh, yeah, you won't quit because a sucky job is better than no job at all. Because if you quit, you'd be in the same boat as most people here...
Want to know pressure? Try being unemployed or on the last year of your stipend with a family.
Want to know real pressure? Try being an international student, unemployed, with a family, and a student visa that expires in 6 months, with any additional visas conditional on employment.
Those two scenarios apply to at least 4 people in my department.
Your worst case scenario (not getting tenure) leads you right back to where most of us here are. Your second worst case scenario (staying put) is significantly better than what most of us here have.
And as a final note, maybe the reason you hate your departments and colleagues so much is that you have really poor people skills. You know, kind of like coming to a VENT thread on a forum composed mostly of people who are currently out of a job in the worst academic job market in decades and talking about how a prestigious full time job is oh, so, difficult.
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Venting
Dec 2, 2009 22:28:04 GMT -5
Post by Seriously on Dec 2, 2009 22:28:04 GMT -5
Wow, a lot of bitter people on here. I hope you find a good job and pay for some serious mental therapy, or at least some meds or alcohol.
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Venting
Dec 2, 2009 22:44:46 GMT -5
Post by Poorme on Dec 2, 2009 22:44:46 GMT -5
Wow, a lot of bitter people on here. I hope you find a good job and pay for some serious mental therapy, or at least some meds or alcohol. Get some money, buy a dictionary, look up definition of venting.
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Venting
Dec 2, 2009 22:46:22 GMT -5
Post by hmmm on Dec 2, 2009 22:46:22 GMT -5
I have money...I have the great job, remember?
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Venting
Dec 2, 2009 22:59:01 GMT -5
Post by Poorme on Dec 2, 2009 22:59:01 GMT -5
I have money...I have the great job, remember? Good job, bad job, doesn't matter. Why are people surprised about others venting on a... VENT thread? Why do people feel the need to discuss vents? Or pass judgment? Or be condescending? Don't want to see negative posts? Don't click on the f**king "venting" thread.
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Venting
Dec 2, 2009 23:13:20 GMT -5
Post by not so poor me on Dec 2, 2009 23:13:20 GMT -5
Listen, I am really not trying to pick a fight. This market sucks, and I am aware that having a job for the rest of the year (and that is all I have) is better than nothing. I am on the market too, came here to vent about how bad it is this year, no hits so far. I was just a bit shocked that biggie was slammed so hard for what seemed like a simple enough statement. Anyway, best of luck to you, I hope something works out.
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Venting
Dec 2, 2009 23:31:36 GMT -5
Post by Poorme on Dec 2, 2009 23:31:36 GMT -5
Listen, I am really not trying to pick a fight. This market sucks, and I am aware that having a job for the rest of the year (and that is all I have) is better than nothing. I am on the market too, came here to vent about how bad it is this year, no hits so far. I was just a bit shocked that biggie was slammed so hard for what seemed like a simple enough statement. Anyway, best of luck to you, I hope something works out. Whatever "slams" he received, it doesn't really compare to coming on a vent thread and poo-pooing on people venting, and so he deserved all he got. This isn't the "what is harder, grad school or tenure track?" thread. This isn't the "help me manage my time" thread. This isn't the "what awaits me on my new job" thread. This is the venting thread. Venting, that which normal human beings do when feeling discouraged, upset or stressed. I can guarantee you that no one who is posting on a venting thread is actually looking for the answer to their problems, or for an evaluation of their skills and comments. They are just looking to vent. It is extremely poor form and bad taste for someone to "pile on" those venting. It is specially so when someone in a better position does it. And I say this not to pick a fight either, but it seems to me that you and others are missing the point of a vent thread. People vent, not looking for judgment or snark. So the appropriate response is to either be supportive, vent as well, or STFU.
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