Hi.
My name is Anthony, and I'm an alcoho-...grad student. I have spent
some four years in grad school so far, two years for my master’s and now
am “half way” through my PhD. For myself (and many other students) the
prospect of graduating in another few years is slightly terrifying. As I
write this first post I feel a sudden urge to
watch "The Shawshank Redemption" on repeat so that I might convince myself that lugging
out a pocket full of rocks each day over many years will eventually lead
to sweet sweet freedom!
For anyone who is/has been a grad student, or who knows one, it is probably clear that graduate students sometimes struggle with keeping up morale. A grad degree can be like walking through a long dark tunnel where you cannot tell if you are moving forward or backward. The light at the end of “the Grunnel” becomes apparent only when you are already there. For this reason...
Along
the way there are many things to stub your toes on and occasionally
someone has left open a cupboard door which you smack with your head in
that unforgiving way from below. I know what I’d do in such a
place...I’d sit the hell down! Procrastination and Distraction are two
of the grad student’s closest friends anyway! Self-Pity hangs out from
time to time too, but only close to the cupboards....
During
the first year of my PhD after defending my Master’s I was more
distracted than normal. To make a long story short, the reason was that
my morale was as absent as profs tend to be during grant season. I
seriously considered quitting. For some reasons which currently elude
me and other reasons which I will expand on later, I slowly realized,
“I’m not a quitter and I have to pick myself the hell up”. I spent my
second year trying to build up an arsenal of positive outlook that might
allow me to pass safely through the Grunnel.
Now
to the point. What’s the deal with this blog anyway and why is it
called The “Wealthy” Grad Student? There are three reasons. First, I
find it somewhat amusing to associate the idea of wealth with a grad
student. Second, the topic of saving money while maintaining equal or
greater happiness will be a recurring theme. Third and most importantly
- I sincerely believe that there is a great store of abstract wealth
(value) to be had in grad school and if we can find it, or maybe learn
it, it will be of tremendous benefit to us now and in perpetuity. The
“Wealthy” Grad Student will be a place where I commit these ideas to
writing. I am not thee wealthy grad student, it's just the name of the blog : )!
Why
am I doing this? I believe that writing helps me to crystallize my
thoughts and may help me to reinforce my ideas in my own head. I also
wish to share some of the ideas that really helped me out when I was
feeling low in the off chance that they might strike a chord with other
students who have a case of the grad school blues. Perhaps I feel the
need to create something tangible or maybe I just need some attention! Either way, hope you enjoy!
Cheers,
Tony
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