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Well, it seems to have snowed significantly, or at least appreciably, everywhere in the state except where I am. It would have been a nifty bit of serendipity to have a snow day on December 5 two years in a row. I needed the snow day much more last year, though. And this way I get to get paid, which is definitely A Good.
The snow's stuck enough to leave a few white patches on the plaza, but for the most part things are just wet. It's slacker snow that can't get going in the morning and fiddles about all day, neither doing what it's supposed to (being white, fluffy, pretty, and causing of cancellations of obligations) nor anything else (being rain, say, or being fog, or even sleet. Something more definite that near-snow.)
OK, maybe I'm projecting the tiniest bit.
Yesterday was a day of many appointments and much trotting up and down the stairs in the history building. The much-dreaded appointment with Prof2, the second member of my exam committee, actually went very well. I feared that she was going to want me to expand the chronological limits of my field all the way back to 1620, but it turns out all she wants to do is add a maximum of three books and one article to my reading list so I'll have at least an impression of what the women&medicine situation was like before the nineteenth century. And she said I can look at the books she suggested and let her know if I think that's a good idea or not. Also, she actually remembered me from her one guest-lecture slot in the intro seminar back in 2000. Also, I made her laugh, and she was impressed with my list.
Flushed with the unanticipated success of the meeting, I skipped up another two flights to my advisor's office. It turned into a meeting in which I had to say 'no' a lot once we stopped talking about The List. No, I'm not done with my research. No, I don't have an outline. Uh, m-maybe I can have one for you next week. Yes, I can go to the history office to get the deadlines and forms for comps and graduation! I'll do that now! Thanks! Bye!
Somewhat abashed, but still imbued with energy, I trotted back down two flights to the graduate office, where I bearded the secretary at her desk. She promptly sent me into the graduate director's office, which seemed odd, but hey, she's the secretary. The GD was busy at the computer, but urged me to come in. I gazed awkwardly at the one poster in her large but barren and, on that increasingly gray day, dark office as she typed and talked to herself. After a few minutes she looked up. "Okay. What can I do for you?"
"I have a couple questions about comps and forms."
She tipped her head back to look at me through her glasses, which had slipped down her nose. "Who are you?"
Oops. Dummy. I hastily introduced myself, adding the acronym of my program, the double-masters in History and Library Science.
"You're not taking comps. You're taking MA exams." The phrase 'MA exams' came out in a tone that I'm more accustomed to hearing with the words 'roach motel,' or maybe 'fundamentalist evangelical.'
"Oh. Y-yeah. Yes. Sorry." My advisor says comps. We say comps. MA comps, but... okay. Right.
"I haven't set a date for the exams. They will be April 1 or April 8. It should be April 1, but I don't think the students will like that, hm?"
"Oh." Polite one-syllable laugh. "N-no, I guess..."
"There are some forms you need to fill out. The secretary has them. The secretary has them all. She has all the information."
That's what I thought, but she sent me in here. "Oh, of course, sorry..."
The GD and the Secretary proceeded to have an argument about the sole departmental form, though when the GD asked the Secretary was able to produce all the Graduate School forms. The Secretary was quite nice, but the GD continued being brusque and precise and generally treating both the secretary and me as if we were about two inches tall.
Finally, though, I had my forms and as much information on deadlines as could be had. I slunk out of the office and down two flights to the ground level to take myself over to the library in search of the additional books Prof2 recommended.
I got necessary information and scored some important face-time, so really all is well... but I spent much of yesterday in the sort of anxiety that I've really, really enjoyed not experiencing for a while. Now I'm trying to fight it off, but I'm still thinking a shot of Bailey's might be wise preparation for calling OtherProf tonight.
The snow's stuck enough to leave a few white patches on the plaza, but for the most part things are just wet. It's slacker snow that can't get going in the morning and fiddles about all day, neither doing what it's supposed to (being white, fluffy, pretty, and causing of cancellations of obligations) nor anything else (being rain, say, or being fog, or even sleet. Something more definite that near-snow.)
OK, maybe I'm projecting the tiniest bit.
Yesterday was a day of many appointments and much trotting up and down the stairs in the history building. The much-dreaded appointment with Prof2, the second member of my exam committee, actually went very well. I feared that she was going to want me to expand the chronological limits of my field all the way back to 1620, but it turns out all she wants to do is add a maximum of three books and one article to my reading list so I'll have at least an impression of what the women&medicine situation was like before the nineteenth century. And she said I can look at the books she suggested and let her know if I think that's a good idea or not. Also, she actually remembered me from her one guest-lecture slot in the intro seminar back in 2000. Also, I made her laugh, and she was impressed with my list.
Flushed with the unanticipated success of the meeting, I skipped up another two flights to my advisor's office. It turned into a meeting in which I had to say 'no' a lot once we stopped talking about The List. No, I'm not done with my research. No, I don't have an outline. Uh, m-maybe I can have one for you next week. Yes, I can go to the history office to get the deadlines and forms for comps and graduation! I'll do that now! Thanks! Bye!
Somewhat abashed, but still imbued with energy, I trotted back down two flights to the graduate office, where I bearded the secretary at her desk. She promptly sent me into the graduate director's office, which seemed odd, but hey, she's the secretary. The GD was busy at the computer, but urged me to come in. I gazed awkwardly at the one poster in her large but barren and, on that increasingly gray day, dark office as she typed and talked to herself. After a few minutes she looked up. "Okay. What can I do for you?"
"I have a couple questions about comps and forms."
She tipped her head back to look at me through her glasses, which had slipped down her nose. "Who are you?"
Oops. Dummy. I hastily introduced myself, adding the acronym of my program, the double-masters in History and Library Science.
"You're not taking comps. You're taking MA exams." The phrase 'MA exams' came out in a tone that I'm more accustomed to hearing with the words 'roach motel,' or maybe 'fundamentalist evangelical.'
"Oh. Y-yeah. Yes. Sorry." My advisor says comps. We say comps. MA comps, but... okay. Right.
"I haven't set a date for the exams. They will be April 1 or April 8. It should be April 1, but I don't think the students will like that, hm?"
"Oh." Polite one-syllable laugh. "N-no, I guess..."
"There are some forms you need to fill out. The secretary has them. The secretary has them all. She has all the information."
That's what I thought, but she sent me in here. "Oh, of course, sorry..."
The GD and the Secretary proceeded to have an argument about the sole departmental form, though when the GD asked the Secretary was able to produce all the Graduate School forms. The Secretary was quite nice, but the GD continued being brusque and precise and generally treating both the secretary and me as if we were about two inches tall.
Finally, though, I had my forms and as much information on deadlines as could be had. I slunk out of the office and down two flights to the ground level to take myself over to the library in search of the additional books Prof2 recommended.
I got necessary information and scored some important face-time, so really all is well... but I spent much of yesterday in the sort of anxiety that I've really, really enjoyed not experiencing for a while. Now I'm trying to fight it off, but I'm still thinking a shot of Bailey's might be wise preparation for calling OtherProf tonight.
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Academia is there simply to lower one's self esteem. Those peeps who are snotty? Low self-esteem due to a career in academia. :P
I'm very proud of you, and I know you're going to do well on your exams and then I'll be even prouder.
*beams proudly*
*hug*