OK. I'm going to steal five minutes and update. Basically, I'm an idiot and that's why I'm not around so much. As it stands, I am taking three courses, acting as a TA for another, AND working on my dissertation proposal. Weep for me, little ones. Weep.
It's really not so bad as it sounds. One of my classes has no homework, just a bit of reading. The other has pretty easy homework and almost no reading. So that only leaves one REAL class. My grading duties are not so bad. And I'm getting somewhere on my proposal.
I have a question.
I have a theory.
Those of you who have suffered through dissertation proposals now how happy this makes me. I literally just want to grab my colleagues in the hallway and screech: "I have a theory!" (I think it's bunnies?)
On top of all this, a month ago was "prospective's weekend" - which is when all the fresh-faced potential students come and visit. They're so cute. With their "research programs" and "methodological predispositions" that make no goddamn sense. I got into an argument with one girl who claimed she was an Americanist but not a positivist. I'm not a methods troll, but that's just fucking impossible. Take my word for it.
The bad thing about prospie weekend is that I had to plan a lot of it, and I got saddled with lots of shit. The nice thing about it is that it's an excuse to take a bunch of my grad students friends out to dinner on the departments dime, in the name of "romancing" prospective students.
Hilariously, this was totally "my year." The woman who stayed with me and my wife was interested in "space and African agriculture." Another guy was into urban politics and federalism. Finally, there was a woman who wanted to do American political development. I chatted them up real fine. The first two are coming here for sure. Apparently, a lot of faculty were tossing my name around, in the context of: "Oh, you should talk to Zac." I also achieve fame among the prospie's because I'm a 3rd year who has finished both his exams and his tearing up the dissertation proposal process. I'm like the poster child for not spending 12 years in grad school at UChicago.
In other news, I went to Providence a week ago. Presented a paper and stuff. It was nice.
I also got sick. Which wasn't so nice. I'm mostly better, but still cannot get a good night's sleep on account of I keep hacking up phlegm. But I think we're in the homestretch.
All right. I'm going to go read.
It's really not so bad as it sounds. One of my classes has no homework, just a bit of reading. The other has pretty easy homework and almost no reading. So that only leaves one REAL class. My grading duties are not so bad. And I'm getting somewhere on my proposal.
I have a question.
I have a theory.
Those of you who have suffered through dissertation proposals now how happy this makes me. I literally just want to grab my colleagues in the hallway and screech: "I have a theory!" (I think it's bunnies?)
On top of all this, a month ago was "prospective's weekend" - which is when all the fresh-faced potential students come and visit. They're so cute. With their "research programs" and "methodological predispositions" that make no goddamn sense. I got into an argument with one girl who claimed she was an Americanist but not a positivist. I'm not a methods troll, but that's just fucking impossible. Take my word for it.
The bad thing about prospie weekend is that I had to plan a lot of it, and I got saddled with lots of shit. The nice thing about it is that it's an excuse to take a bunch of my grad students friends out to dinner on the departments dime, in the name of "romancing" prospective students.
Hilariously, this was totally "my year." The woman who stayed with me and my wife was interested in "space and African agriculture." Another guy was into urban politics and federalism. Finally, there was a woman who wanted to do American political development. I chatted them up real fine. The first two are coming here for sure. Apparently, a lot of faculty were tossing my name around, in the context of: "Oh, you should talk to Zac." I also achieve fame among the prospie's because I'm a 3rd year who has finished both his exams and his tearing up the dissertation proposal process. I'm like the poster child for not spending 12 years in grad school at UChicago.
In other news, I went to Providence a week ago. Presented a paper and stuff. It was nice.
I also got sick. Which wasn't so nice. I'm mostly better, but still cannot get a good night's sleep on account of I keep hacking up phlegm. But I think we're in the homestretch.
All right. I'm going to go read.
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What's your dissertation proposal? Good luck juggling it all.