Thursday, January 31, 2008

Summing up January

I've been going back and forth about posting this all day. I think I'm just a bit down, in general, and I'm not sure if posting about it is worthwhile. I guess I'm posting it with that caveat: this post sucks.

Possibly the most disappointing thing about this month was the lack of interviews. I applied for very few positions this year - four total, I think - but two of them were spot-on. One was a two-year (and they've hired ABD's way further out from completion in the past) and one was only a year and definitely takes ABD's every year they do this. So it's not the lack of dissertation, in this case.

With the one-year, I know my advisor dropped the ball again -- she didn't even try to get my letter in on time, and it ended up there two weeks after the deadline. I did contact the chair of the committee directly to explain that my advisor was out of town, etc., and she seemed understanding... but the end of January has come, and no interview.

How many people in the area could have possibly applied for this? It's a one-year, it's in the middle of nowhere, and I just don't understand.

I should be happy with my renewed interest in the dissertation, although I'm not really feeling it today (uh, the interest, that is. Or the happiness, actually). I'm feeling very positive that I can complete it, although I have worries about the rest of the process.

In fact, I suppose I'm just worried. With no job on the horizon for next fall, things could get difficult. I have some adjunct work already lined up, but two classes won't cover bills. I know that it will work out, somehow, but I feel down about just about everything academic.

On the personal/family side of things, January was fine. Ups and downs, obviously, but overall an okay month. Probably would have been better without the three weeks of illness.

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