"I'm glad it's sunny out today. Because it sure is dark in here." So said a grad student during the Q and A following my talk last week at the University of Oregon. The talk, "Hacking the Academic Job Market," is a talk that I've given at almost 50 … [Read more...] about Starving the Beast
Ph.D. Poverty
Ph.D. Debt Survey Revisited
Remember my Ph.D. Debt Survey (who could forget it?) -- my crowdsourced google spreadsheet from 2014, of volunteered reader debt information from their undergraduate and graduate studies? (It's still open--feel free to add your own info using the … [Read more...] about Ph.D. Debt Survey Revisited
The “Tenuous Track” (A Guest Post)
by Anonymous, Ph.D. Given that the vast majority of faculty members now teach off the tenure track, landing one of these coveted positions feels like winning the academic lottery. Before accepting my current tenure track position, I was actually … [Read more...] about The “Tenuous Track” (A Guest Post)
On Foregone Earnings, or the Economics of Adjunct Life (A Guest Post)
by Russ Burgos In August 1994, at age 31, I started graduate school in the hope (widely shared) of becoming One Who Professes. In May 2015, at age 52 and stuck in the adjunct life like a bug on flypaper, I rather wish I hadn’t. It’s the money, you … [Read more...] about On Foregone Earnings, or the Economics of Adjunct Life (A Guest Post)
Update on My Book: Blurbs, Reviews, and a Promotion
The book inches closer to actually existing in the material world (August 4)! It has gotten some lovely blurbs by amazing people, like this one by the inimitable Rebecca Schuman: “If you would like your academic career to begin in delusion and end … [Read more...] about Update on My Book: Blurbs, Reviews, and a Promotion
My Graduate School Debt and Post-Ac Life (A Guest Post)
This post is by Honey Smith (pseudonym), a staff writer for the personal finance blog Get Rich Slowly. By the time I finished my PhD program in rhetoric and composition, I was geographically bound by my partner’s job -- as an attorney, he made … [Read more...] about My Graduate School Debt and Post-Ac Life (A Guest Post)
VAPS and Why They Suck – A Guest Post
This guest post is co-written by two veterans of the VAP-front who know whereof they speak. All too painfully. A followup from one of them: "One of these co-authors is taking another VAP because she hates herself." This piece was originally … [Read more...] about VAPS and Why They Suck – A Guest Post
Buy My Book!
Love the blog? Now get it in handy book form--only $11.40! Available for pre-order now--comes out August 4! Buy it at all these places! It also makes a great gift for all those struggling grad students in your life! For bulk orders for use … [Read more...] about Buy My Book!
An Inconvenient Truth (A Guest Post)
A reader got in touch to tell me about an infuriating experience at a recent conference. I asked her to write it up as a guest post, and here it is. Professors: stop the madness. Tell graduate students the goddamned truth. Dear Karen, I just … [Read more...] about An Inconvenient Truth (A Guest Post)
Revenue Generating Activities, or, Time IS Money and Don’t Be Afraid to Think of It That Way
By Sarita Jackson As a former tenure track professor, I was often inundated by numerous service requests and invitations to participate in various activities just within the first year alone. However, I realized that I had the power to … [Read more...] about Revenue Generating Activities, or, Time IS Money and Don’t Be Afraid to Think of It That Way