Not Dead, just Defending
Sep. 8th, 2013 09:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
beccastareyesWhat the subject line says. I am actually finishing grad school. My dissertation defense is set for 24 September (well, once I hunt down one more signature). A second-to-last draft of my dissertation mostly exists (I have one more section of the intro to revise, then it goes to my committee -- previous drafts were only seen by my adviser*). I also have a practice talk scheduled for this Friday.
Still no job. I'm heading to a conference in the first week in October, and a few group members suggested I bring a sandwich board that says 'will teach physics for cash'. After I get back from that, assuming no job leads, I pack up, ditch as much of my furniture as possible, and move back into Mom's guest room until I find a job. (Academic openings tends to be seasonal, with most job postings going up around now. A teaching position would be likely to start next fall, while a postdoc or fellowship can be more flexible. But, since many budgets go from a fiscal year starting in summer...)
I skipped my normal summer vacation to get my dissertation done; I'd be happy to take the rest of the year off after this (except for sending my CV out and hoping someone would hire me, and finishing up my last paper). I'm getting back into art, and I'd like to do more (fiction) writing, but spoons are on reserve for finishing.
* Technically, I was required to supply a first draft to the entire committee or get their permission to waive this. They all told me if I gave them anything that wasn't ready to go, they wouldn't read it. A few were surprised this was even a rule the grad school had, since NO ONE does this in the department.
Still no job. I'm heading to a conference in the first week in October, and a few group members suggested I bring a sandwich board that says 'will teach physics for cash'. After I get back from that, assuming no job leads, I pack up, ditch as much of my furniture as possible, and move back into Mom's guest room until I find a job. (Academic openings tends to be seasonal, with most job postings going up around now. A teaching position would be likely to start next fall, while a postdoc or fellowship can be more flexible. But, since many budgets go from a fiscal year starting in summer...)
I skipped my normal summer vacation to get my dissertation done; I'd be happy to take the rest of the year off after this (except for sending my CV out and hoping someone would hire me, and finishing up my last paper). I'm getting back into art, and I'd like to do more (fiction) writing, but spoons are on reserve for finishing.
* Technically, I was required to supply a first draft to the entire committee or get their permission to waive this. They all told me if I gave them anything that wasn't ready to go, they wouldn't read it. A few were surprised this was even a rule the grad school had, since NO ONE does this in the department.
