I keep thinking I will get a break in various time commitments I make for myself. July was going to be *the* month to get *everything* done in lab.
June had a conference and a wedding and lots of visitors (roommate's parents, brother, and friend). I felt BUSY.
August has MOVING, a week in Montana, a week in Oregon, and hopefully a mid-week visit to my friend who will have given birth to her baby by then. How am I supposed to get work done in August?
July. July was going to be it. Lots of work to get done. NOW? Fourth of July weekend is almost over, Sox game, dinner with the boy, a friend won a home spa night thing and does not have room so it is at my place, dinner for the student council officers for which I am cooking, friend of a friend's birthday party, wedding shower 2 hours away, party at a French couple's place for the 14th, weekend in VT, PACKING?!, MOVING?!, wanting to spend time with the boy. How am I going to get anything done in July??????
Thursday night around 7:30 I was DONE for the day. I totally crashed and did not know how I was going to stay awake until a reasonable hour (i.e. 8:30 or 9:00) to go to bed. Happened again today but I am pushing through to get the laundry done. Tomorrow is the last class for the Sunday yoga I do and that was always a great way to start the week. Oiy.
The Groomsman (what a handy nickname!) and I spent 3 and a half hours meandering around the city talking today. We were sitting on a bench and he was asking me about when I think I'll be finishing. The plan, which I am sure I have mentioned, is to graduate next May. This means I have to hand in my FINAL version of my dissertation by APRIL 11. This means I have to defend my dissertation by the end of MARCH. AHHHH...
But that's not the point. The point is that it is strange to talk about what you are doing a year from now with someone you just met. I always thought to look in this area and Oregon for a post-doc (i.e. the job right after grad school). Maybe the next few months will determine if it is just this area? The stranger part was tiptoeing around what we, two practical strangers who are interested in each other, were talking about and trying to get a sense of. How long will you *really* be around? What are you goals? What do you want to do next? Only I guess it is weird to come out and ask these things on what would technically be called your first date.
So tonight, I'm tired again. I need a good sleep and maybe I will be inspired in my sleep. Now I have had a glass of wine, rambled on about random stuff, and Friends reruns are calling to me.
7 comments:
Lots of distractions, you just need to be very well organized with your time. Hopefully you don't have to cut back on the extra curricular to much because your social is as important as the rest.
That's great that you're both inquiring. Maybe you're tiptoeing around it but still, those are important questions. It's good that you can discuss them easily.
Ron, I am usually more productive when busy, so here's hoping I can balance it all out!
Aurora, true! It is so different when you are intentionally getting to know someone versus just become friends with an acquaintance!
Maybe you can occasionally find time for a nap? I find that 30 minutes of nap can buy hours of functional wakefulness. It's a good investment.
Hmmmm. I'm not sure I have any suggestions for how to get more lab work done. Unfortunately, the only way I was able to do it was to cut out all social activities. But I don't think that is healthy, and I wouldn't recommend it.
If you don't get done in May, is it really such a big deal? I know it is important to have a goal and all, but I'm just wondering why May. Is your committee supportive of a defense in early spring?
First of all, AH!, so excited that the Groomsman called. Can't wait to hear more stories.
As for getting things done in July: You've listed about 10 non-work activities/tasks. But you still have over three full weeks left in July. Am I wrong, or is that still lots of time? Do you have a list of your specific research goals and what it will take to reach them? Can you calendar them in along with your social activities? I have faith that you can make tons of progress this month.
If you have some sort of schedule for your lab work as well as your social life, maybe you can enjoy your social events more?
Spark, that is a wonderful idea! I'm definitely going to try it out.
Danielle, it wouldn't be such a big deal and am thinking of it as a goal. I certainly want this to be my last school year though. So definitely next summer!
Molly, I still do have lots of time, it's just crazy how it all disappears. I probably should come up with a more solid schedule for experiments, huh? :-)
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