Comments on: First day of school. Of sorts. http://williamtozier.com/slurry/2005/09/08/first-day-of-school-of-sorts Pontification without all the gritty gravitas Fri, 21 Nov 2008 11:28:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Bill http://williamtozier.com/slurry/2005/09/08/first-day-of-school-of-sorts#comment-45 Bill Fri, 09 Sep 2005 00:43:35 +0000 http://williamtozier.com/slurry/?p=60#comment-45 I've spent a decade now in which students and not a few professors sidle quietly up to me at conferences, and with some trepidation whisper to me, "What so I need to I do to get a job like yours?" My response, of course, was, "I dunno. What can <i>I</i> do to have a job like <i>yours</i>?" A recent deep insight is that neither of us actually wants what the other has, but something that doesn't exist to date. I’ve spent a decade now in which students and not a few professors sidle quietly up to me at conferences, and with some trepidation whisper to me, “What so I need to I do to get a job like yours?”

My response, of course, was, “I dunno. What can I do to have a job like yours?”

A recent deep insight is that neither of us actually wants what the other has, but something that doesn’t exist to date.

]]> By: dave http://williamtozier.com/slurry/2005/09/08/first-day-of-school-of-sorts#comment-43 dave Thu, 08 Sep 2005 23:36:55 +0000 http://williamtozier.com/slurry/?p=60#comment-43 Aha, that explains how yr able to write the biting-the-hand-that-feeds-you sort of remarks you made to Tribble. I think, also being a 40-yr old nontradgrad student, is why i found your comments so utterly hilarious. many of the grad students i've met so far, desperately want an academic career, and are willfully blinding themselves to the dismal reality of committee meetings, faculty meetings, job talks, departmental rivalries and the high ratio of self-obsessed, narcissistic, academic prima donnas that seem to be a non-trivial portion of every department. personally, i'm looking forward to the infighting and petty jealousies! Aha, that explains how yr able to write the biting-the-hand-that-feeds-you sort of remarks you made to Tribble.

I think, also being a 40-yr old nontradgrad student, is why i found your comments so utterly hilarious. many of the grad students i’ve met so far, desperately want an academic career, and are willfully blinding themselves to the dismal reality of committee meetings, faculty meetings, job talks, departmental rivalries and the high ratio of self-obsessed, narcissistic, academic prima donnas that seem to be a non-trivial portion of every department.

personally, i’m looking forward to the infighting and petty jealousies!

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