Active Avoidance, Passive Distraction
I remember with clarity the painful process of writing the two application essays two years ago. I was writing in one window while chatting in another, a swirly blue, Jetsons-theme-singing window. I had cheerleaders from the other side of the country. I seem to recall a grey fonted Geek, an orange dark chocolate loving enzyme guru, and a purple hockey loving ninja pastor.
No cheering section here. Just an empty office with endless opportunities for distraction. The lobby and phone have been busier today than they have in weeks. The drama of small town life has been the theme of the day. One call, one visitor after another. Visitors from the new Club Store. City Manager. City Councilman. Calls from board members, long established business people, active individual citizens. This job sometimes feels like I'm sitting on top of the world, perched happily in the crow's nest, watching things happen. Other times I'm the one cleaning the deck, or worse, the hold.
I received a packet yesterday by courier. In it were three Letter of Recommendation forms, a pamphlet about the program, several pages of catalog-type information, and the application to the program itself. Never before have I been so intrigued by a course listing for a program. Seriously, which sounds more interesting, Descriptive Linguistics* or International Relations Theory? To fulfull my course requirements, I can select such courses as HIST 521 The Soviet Union or PSCI 581 Political Economy of Russia or PSCI 622 Arms Control. Can you see me drooling? Is there any way that I won't absolutely love this?
After work today, I'll drive 32 miles round-trip to deliver Letter of Recommendation forms to my two favorite linguistics profs. The third form will go back to the man whose wife delivered it to me, for he is my future professor and the supplier of the most important recommendation. How can I go wrong when one of my recommendations is from a prof in the program?!
Transcript requests for the four previous colleges have been filled out. The online application is nearly complete. All that is left is the dreaded two-fold application essay. I'd best get the rest of my work done so as to eliminate my last rationalization for procrastination.
National Security Studies, here I come!
*Descriptive Linguistics was a core requirement in the Linguistics program. The material was fascinating and the professor eventually became one of my favorites. But let's be honest here. The class itself was the height of tedium. There were five of us in class, and we would jockey for the best seats every class session. The best seats were those immediately behind any other classmate, so as to hide the fact that we had fallen asleep. Again.
No cheering section here. Just an empty office with endless opportunities for distraction. The lobby and phone have been busier today than they have in weeks. The drama of small town life has been the theme of the day. One call, one visitor after another. Visitors from the new Club Store. City Manager. City Councilman. Calls from board members, long established business people, active individual citizens. This job sometimes feels like I'm sitting on top of the world, perched happily in the crow's nest, watching things happen. Other times I'm the one cleaning the deck, or worse, the hold.
I received a packet yesterday by courier. In it were three Letter of Recommendation forms, a pamphlet about the program, several pages of catalog-type information, and the application to the program itself. Never before have I been so intrigued by a course listing for a program. Seriously, which sounds more interesting, Descriptive Linguistics* or International Relations Theory? To fulfull my course requirements, I can select such courses as HIST 521 The Soviet Union or PSCI 581 Political Economy of Russia or PSCI 622 Arms Control. Can you see me drooling? Is there any way that I won't absolutely love this?
After work today, I'll drive 32 miles round-trip to deliver Letter of Recommendation forms to my two favorite linguistics profs. The third form will go back to the man whose wife delivered it to me, for he is my future professor and the supplier of the most important recommendation. How can I go wrong when one of my recommendations is from a prof in the program?!
Transcript requests for the four previous colleges have been filled out. The online application is nearly complete. All that is left is the dreaded two-fold application essay. I'd best get the rest of my work done so as to eliminate my last rationalization for procrastination.
National Security Studies, here I come!
*Descriptive Linguistics was a core requirement in the Linguistics program. The material was fascinating and the professor eventually became one of my favorites. But let's be honest here. The class itself was the height of tedium. There were five of us in class, and we would jockey for the best seats every class session. The best seats were those immediately behind any other classmate, so as to hide the fact that we had fallen asleep. Again.
Labels: Grad School
posted by Sam Gamgee at
2:36 PM
4 Comments:
That was only two years ago?!? Oh my.
Many things have changed, YA. Glad to see you heading back to the Life Academe. Prayers on your behalf are ascending.
Geek
--- still thinking in grey, of course.
Just over two years, actually. December '05.
We're cheering - just not in color this time.
Go Spidey!
Very nice! And having a prof in the department is a huge, huge boost indeed.
Though given the subject matter I guess we'll know you got accepted if you're not able to talk about this anymore. :-D
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