[academicsecret] 12/01/2006 12:40:42 AM

I don't understand how people can't have even the curiosity to learn who the new folks are. Much harder when you're new and trying to learn many old guard names and faces.

It was half-way through my second year that a senior faculty member asked me, in front of one of the secretaries, who my major professor is. The secretary laughed and laughed, pointing out that "Dr. Youngun is faculty." Ugh! All that time he assumed I was just a grad student who hangs around a lot.

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Posted by Anonymous to academicsecret at 12/01/2006 12:40:42 AM

[academicsecret] 11/28/2006 12:00:20 AM

Wisteria is taken now, so it might be a little redundant to have a Wisteria monocytogenes. Too bad! Salmon needs a little pal.

Orange Ina--I don't know if I registered before or after you, either, but I also like Orangina and considered that name, too! Great minds... :)

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Posted by Salmon Ella to academicsecret at 11/28/2006 12:00:20 AM

[academicsecret] 11/27/2006 04:26:36 PM

I wonder if he or she knows. I think back to all the lame things I did as I was going through the professionalization process and it's really, really scary.

Can you tell if the author is a new or seasoned grad student? Is it themselves that they're referring to as professor, or is that just how they write instead of saying "Fraud asserts...," they're saying, "Professor Fraud asserts..."? Myabe the author didn't do enough homework to realize the author of the work he or she is citing is still a grad student?

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Posted by fraud, in denim to academicsecret at 11/27/2006 04:26:36 PM

[academicsecret] 11/27/2006 10:54:57 AM

is the person from outside the US? because in different systems/countries the titles assigned to ppl based on education are often different than ours.

that is the only possible reason i can think of. and yah, that is pretty dumb.

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Posted by strawberries to academicsecret at 11/27/2006 10:54:57 AM

[academicsecret] 11/26/2006 02:43:54 AM

Sorry to post now on such a recent (and end-of-semester) entry, but I had an amusing experience that might give you some perspective.

I had a similar group of back-of-the-room gigglers. Beyond the giggling, I liked these students, and I was fairly certain that they were enjoying the class and learning from it. Several times I evil-eyed them, and several times I stopped the class to ask them if they wanted to share. None of these tricks stopped the giggles.

A month after class ended, I had a beer with one of the students (not too professional, maybe, but wtf). She told me that the source of the giggles was the regular appearance of the ass crack of a student who sat in front of them (brutally unprofessional, I know). The giggles were half amusement (apparently there were a plethora of text messages that went back and forth on the topic of the crack) and half anxiety ("Should we tell her about it? It's not exactly the same as tucking in her the tag that's hanging out of the back of her shirt..."). Nothing to do with me. Rude, yes, but very human, I think.

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Posted by Lucid Peacock to academicsecret at 11/26/2006 02:43:54 AM

[academicsecret] 11/25/2006 07:42:07 PM

Strawberries makes a very interesting point. We are probably wrong in assuming that every student is aiming for an A. (Or is it really patronizing to suggest that not every student is aiming for an A??)

If the student is otherwise preoccupied and simply wants to get by, and who knows, maybe enjoys your style of teaching and/or the topic then why not take another class? Again, without knowing more about what he does that is annoying, it's hard to say whether these could be the reasons. But perhaps compared to all other possible courses/profs, you are still by far among the preferred lot.

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Posted by Navy Blue Blob to academicsecret at 11/25/2006 07:42:07 PM

[academicsecret] 11/25/2006 07:31:37 PM

thanks for sharing, everyone! your stories are very interesting :o)

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Posted by strawberries to academicsecret at 11/25/2006 07:31:37 PM

[academicsecret] 11/25/2006 07:30:37 PM

ooh, sorry about annoying kid coming back. i think there are some students who are ok with doing bad. or are at least used to it. doesn't make it easier though...

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Posted by strawberries to academicsecret at 11/25/2006 07:30:37 PM

[academicsecret] 11/25/2006 06:38:44 AM

My name is a bit like Salmon Ella's. It makes sense when read together, but also makes sense separately. I can't remember if I registered before Salmon or after. If I registered after then perhaps her name inspired my name. Otherwise, I'm just not sure anymore. Oh, and I happen to like the drink.:)

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Posted by Orange Ina to academicsecret at 11/25/2006 06:38:44 AM

[academicsecret] 11/25/2006 06:35:28 AM

Any chance of asking him directly what he is hoping to get out of another course with you? Or would that be problematic? (I really don't know. I've never been faced with such a situation, but if I were to be in this situation, I'd want to know.)

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Posted by Orange Ina to academicsecret at 11/25/2006 06:35:28 AM

[academicsecret] 11/23/2006 08:48:11 PM

I think it's really not so much this student, but what he symbolizes. I wanted a fresh start, particularly from this class that he's currently enrolled in and I'm bummed that I won't have that fresh start.

I'm getting used to the idea, though, and hope I'm just pleasantly surprised and that I'm still able to really enjoy this coming semester so much more than this past one.

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Posted by fraud, in denim to academicsecret at 11/23/2006 08:48:11 PM

[academicsecret] 11/23/2006 08:43:29 AM

Gosh, sorry to hear about this! I can see why this would be an issue generally speaking, but I don't fully follow the level of negativety in your comment. Does he disrupt class? Is he disrespectful? In what way does his mere presence constitute a problem? I'm not questioning your negative reaction, I'm just wondering what exactly underlies it.

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Posted by Navy Blue Blob to academicsecret at 11/23/2006 08:43:29 AM

[academicsecret] 11/23/2006 08:40:21 AM

Could you shorten it to Wysteria Monocyt?

As for me, I just like blue so I picked it. I also like the word blob, although I really can't explain why. I'm also not sure why I didn't simply go with Blue Blob and why I had to specify that it's Navy Blue Blob. Perhaps because I didn't want to be mistaken for another type of blue, like powder blue or some such thing. Plus I suspect this was on the Crayola list. (Wait, is there such a thing as powder blue? I meant the light version.)

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Posted by Navy Blue Blob to academicsecret at 11/23/2006 08:40:21 AM

[academicsecret] 11/23/2006 08:36:38 AM

Dr. Kirk, yes, I think there are definitely some fields that have yielded more blogs than others. I don't know how it looks from field-to-field, but my impression is that there are a ton of law prof blogs. You are commenting about a b-school blog. I wonder if professional schools see more of a link/relevance.

It would be interesting to know what fields are represented here on a.secret, but it's unlikely people will post that given the already high levels of paranoia about being found out.

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Posted by Navy Blue Blob to academicsecret at 11/23/2006 08:36:38 AM

[academicsecret] 11/23/2006 05:21:59 AM

Wisteria monocytogenes is an awesome name! It is a pity it's so long, or I'd be tempted to steal it :)

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Posted by Dandelion to academicsecret at 11/23/2006 05:21:59 AM

[academicsecret] 11/22/2006 10:17:29 PM

There is no deep explanation for my name. I wanted something that reflects my academic interests (kind of, anyway) and I also wanted something that was a play on words. Salmon Ella was one of the first things I thought of. I figured Wisteria monocytogenes was too long, ha ha.

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Posted by Salmon Ella to academicsecret at 11/22/2006 10:17:29 PM

[academicsecret] 11/22/2006 07:18:43 PM

I actually spent a dorkily long time thinking about what colors I liked, and what colors had cool names, and where they would fit in the list of colors in the sidebar and whether they'd clash with their alphabetical neighbors. And then I found this icon and had to pick Dandelion.
Yellow makes me happy, though. It's so nice and sunny.

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Posted by Dandelion to academicsecret at 11/22/2006 07:18:43 PM

[academicsecret] 11/22/2006 06:15:15 PM

Nice post, Strawberries, thanks!

I, too, don't think I have anything as eloquent and well thought-out, even in retrospect.

Like you, Strawberries, I picked the color based on preference. I like turquoise. Of course, turquoise can be lots of different colors, so to illustrate what version I like, I created my little icon.

Regarding "stuff", I chose it precisely because it is so vague and general. I figured whatever I picked, my interests and preferences would change over time so it was good to go with something relatively all-encompassing.

I don't know, could the fact that I'm a pack-rat have influeced that choice?:)

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Posted by Turquoise Stuff to academicsecret at 11/22/2006 06:15:15 PM

[academicsecret] 11/21/2006 10:55:52 PM

I wish I had something as eloquent to write about my name.

I came here and posted whispers as fraud. Later, when I was invited to join as a regular poster, I had to choose a color but wasn't quite ready to let go of that fraud-quality so I had to think of a way to add some color to it.

I thought about on golden fraud, but I'm not all that golden. fraud, in denim made sense because I wear jeans whenever possible, but also because I was feeling a little blue.

It works because some days I feel more fraudulent, some days more blue, and some days more comfortable, like a worn pair of denim jeans.

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Posted by fraud, in denim to academicsecret at 11/21/2006 10:55:52 PM

[academicsecret] 11/20/2006 10:57:52 PM

None of my colleagues have a blog and think I am strange to spend time writing on one. I wonder if blogwriting is more common among some academic areas (I'm in a Business College). Any thoughts on that?

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Posted by Dr. Delaney Kirk to academicsecret at 11/20/2006 10:57:52 PM

[academicsecret] 11/20/2006 06:04:46 PM

I can think of lots of things that make sense. I'm in a really small department at a mapus with really meagre facilities. If a faculty person has insufficient knowledge to help a student with a research topic (not a problem as much when the library has the resources), then the student will have to find a different topic or work with someone who does.

And frankly, I know one student who is desperate to do a thesis on Oranges. Except Oranges is the student's personal hobbyhorse, and the student has Ideas about it. Every conversation with the student says that the student cannot get past preconceived notions about what the thesis will show in order to ask questions or better, to let the documentary evidence lead the way for the thesis research. Telling the student to do a subject that is more in line with what the person teaching the thesis seminar (not me) and that can be supported and that will allow the student to be objective are all good reasons to nix a topic.

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Posted by Another Damned Medievalist to academicsecret at 11/20/2006 06:04:46 PM

[academicsecret] 11/19/2006 12:54:26 AM

I was one of the people inviting folks on here and even I am clueless for the most part when it comes to various identities. So I highly doubt that random people stumbling on this blog will know much.

But I understand. I get paranoid, too. Of course, freedom to comment here may be related to how free (or not) you are to discuss relevant (to this blog) issues with people in your environment. If you're not - which may make you the most needy of such an outlet - then you shouldn't be too concerned that things you mention here will resonate too much with those around you, no?

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Posted by Plaid to academicsecret at 11/19/2006 12:54:26 AM

[academicsecret] 11/17/2006 01:34:21 AM

I wouldn't worry about it too much. I think there is an interesting social networks effect where several members of a department might be intrigued all at once by blogs--say, for instance, if a particular post gets e-mailed around--and maybe even a new person or two will start a blog, but trends toward dissipation can lead all that to be over fairly quickly.

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Posted by Clear to academicsecret at 11/17/2006 01:34:21 AM

[academicsecret] 11/16/2006 07:56:30 PM

I feel it. I've already been recognized, so it's quite possible! And I'm pretty sure that if my advisor were to stumble across this site, he'd know who I was. Heck, maybe he already has...

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Posted by Salmon Ella to academicsecret at 11/16/2006 07:56:30 PM

[academicsecret] 11/16/2006 07:20:02 PM

I'm glad that you're enjoying yourself here, anonymous. You know, your free to join at any time, just email Clear or Plaid. Your "bimbo" fear is much like where my name originates from.

I don't think that any of us says enough here that we could be tracked down by a reader with a keen eye coupled with a worthy search engine. I am more afraid that someone will stumble on the blog and read my words, or experiences and "know" that it's me. I talk a lot in my not-secret life and I write much like I talk and I just don't want anyone to catch on. Maybe I'm just being paranoid.

I do stop myself from posting funny stories here, for fear that I'll be discovered because I'll tell them to someone else. I wish I didn't have to do that.

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Posted by fraud, in denim to academicsecret at 11/16/2006 07:20:02 PM

[academicsecret] 11/16/2006 06:45:12 PM

I've been reading/observing this blog for some time now and I've been coming back to it because a) I find it enjoyable; b) as a graduate student myself I find this environment comforting and familiar.
So forgive me if I'm crossing some line now but it seems to me that the worry that your secret identities might be revealed is preventing the blog from developing in its full potential. (This is a recurrent worry is it not?)

Perhaps I should put this in the form of a `paradox': Assume: purpose of anonymous blogging is freedom of expression. But if one were to express oneself freely then one's identity would be revealed. Therefore, one must not express oneself freely when blogging.

I am trying to say that you have a dilemma---either keep the content of posts generic enough to be un--traceable; or say what you want to say (within reasonable limits of course) and risk, erm, `exposure'.

So perhaps you could ask yourselves:
How realistic is it to expect that what you say here could be traced back to your person?
If what you say does get traced back what would the consequences be?
Is the combination of (risk of exposure) plus (undesirable consequences) significant enough to warrant caution in what gets said?
If so, what would this mean for the blog? Is it worthwhile to have it, will its purpose have to be re--evaluated, etc?

I guess because I may come off as pedantic I could give you a secret to redeem myself (for what it's worth). I have a recurrent fear that my colleagues think I'm a bimbo. One of my fears is that one day `they' will realise that I'm not supposed to be here (or they have realised already but haven't been able to get rid of me yet).

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Posted by Anonymous to academicsecret at 11/16/2006 06:45:12 PM

[academicsecret] 11/16/2006 06:39:13 AM

Related, but with some aspects tweaked a bit. I've always wanted to be on the academic track and sort of assumed that that was all my advisors in grad school would want to hear. For me, it was not pretending to say so. However, I felt badly for friends who felt like they couldn't be up front about this.

Now that I'm on the other side I see this differently and have also since realized that my advisors could support other paths as well.

First, you want your students to be happy. It's pointless to get people in this field (or in your case in a location) if they're going to be miserable. We're talking about people's lives here, after all.

Second, I have personally also realized that just because people leave academia (or in your case decide to focus on teaching) doesn't mean that they have failed us (that being academics or research or whatever). It just means that they will be making important contributions elsewhere.

The question is whether you can assume your mentors to be reasonable in that way. Fortunately, their recommendations may be less important for non-academic positions (or possibly teaching jobs as well) so hopefully even if they can't be supportive it won't be to your preferred career's detriment.

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Posted by Turquoise Stuff to academicsecret at 11/16/2006 06:39:13 AM

[academicsecret] 11/16/2006 01:10:28 AM

Thanks everyone, so much, for your thoughts and stories. It's good to know I'm not alone, and to be reminded of the options I have!

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Posted by Poppy Red to academicsecret at 11/16/2006 01:10:28 AM

[academicsecret] 11/14/2006 11:49:30 PM

I don't know about you, Poppy, but I got my PhD for flexibility, and went into academia for that reason (although to support my role as a mother). I knew I could get a job teaching someplace - whether it was an R1 or a community college - and be doing what I loved.

I'm sure that you went in with some purpose of your own and that doesn't have to be to get a stellar job somewhere, but the job that's right for you. A grad student career doesn't have to end with a job in a far-away place, or an academic job at all, and that's okay.

In my grad program we had a number of adjuncts who stayed at the school for personal reasons (usually centered around family) and while they didn't get paid as well and had little job security, I don't think that any of them would have chosen a different path given the chance, or that anyone looked down on them for making a decision like that.

You know, my partner turned down some big-time jobs to land at the same school as me and email after email from the schools he turned down applauded him for his commitment to his family and those that he loved.

Academics might seem cold and heartless, and they do want their students to grow up to be just like them, but they've all made decisions and (the vast majority at least) have people who they care about and are close to.

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Posted by fraud, in denim to academicsecret at 11/14/2006 11:49:30 PM

[academicsecret] 11/14/2006 11:29:00 PM

I've moved three times in the past five years. I moved first for post doc 1 (city 1), which I hated...I fled months later to post doc 2 (city 2), which was fantastic and from which I got my dream job (city 3). By most measures, I've done well. I live in a great city, I have wonderful colleagues, I teach smart students, I do work that I love. Given that I've only been in my new "home" for a few months, I am quite well settled and have met lots of really lovely people. At the same time, I am staggered lately - now that I've "landed" - at the wear and tear caused by moving around so much, which has been hard both on my friendships and on what was my romantic relationship (honestly, it would've ended anyway, but that I chose to move certainly made the ending rather abrupt and emphatic). All my metaphors from this come from the plant world - I feel planted in soil that isn't sufficiently deep, I have rootshock, I'm worried the graft won't take, etc. (though I recognize that I've had agency in these decisions, I really do!) Anyway, all this to say, I want to affirm your sense that moving can be really difficult and that it can be entirely reasonable and rational to choose not to do it and/or to limit where you're willing to go. After all, it's your LIFE and that can never be only about work...

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Posted by twilight blue to academicsecret at 11/14/2006 11:29:00 PM

[academicsecret] 11/14/2006 07:41:22 PM

I'm in a kind of similar situation, mentally anyway. It's not so much that I have to stay in any one place for my partner's job, but at this point I can really not imagine uprooting the family to go around the country doing post-docs and then going anywhere that I can find a job. At the same time I know that's what it takes.

My department recently hired a new faculty member who is about my age and has a similar personal situation in that she has a husband and kid. At first I was thinking that I might spend a lot of time being jealous of her, seeing as how she's already in a position that I'm supposedly wanting to be in someday. However, I have found that I don't really don't admire her life too much, which has led me to seriously reconsider my career goals.

Like you, my major goal is financial independence (or at least knowing that I could be--the concept of independence kind of changes when you have a shared kid), and I can see myself being perfectly happy teaching in a variety of situations. At the same time I do wonder if one day I'll regret not trying to be all that I can be academically and professionally.

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Posted by Salmon Ella to academicsecret at 11/14/2006 07:41:22 PM

[academicsecret] 11/14/2006 12:43:10 PM

i don't want to have to go "anywhere" either. I hate certain parts of the country....

i hope that you can find something close by your partner though...

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Posted by strawberries to academicsecret at 11/14/2006 12:43:10 PM

[academicsecret] 11/11/2006 05:16:53 PM

FYI, I also read Blob as Bob often so I don't think that activity suggests any irregularity. Alternatively, I share said irregularity. Bob is not my actual name, by the way. But that's not surprising, I'm sure, given that this is a secret blog.

As for fields being similar, I had a good friend in grad school who was in a field that couldn't have been less like my own. Nonetheless, we shared lots of stories about our experiences and it was unbelievable how many things overlapped. So yes, I think academia in general has a lot of similarities regardless of your particular field.

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Posted by Navy Blue Blob to academicsecret at 11/11/2006 05:16:53 PM

[academicsecret] 11/09/2006 12:12:00 AM

Fraud, do you know who I am?! I have no idea who you are! But I guess we like similar colors perhaps.:-) I fear you might know who I am. Otherwise, how do you have a dream about someone you don't know at all?? Or did you mean to say you had a dream about who you think is NBB?

Regarding the blogs, I agree with you, the IR one seems somehow more mature. Then again, to be fair to the sociology group, the IR blog has been around longer (already last year, I think).

As for comparisons, yes, one could drive oneself crazy over this. In reality, the hiring process is not nearly rational enough for a CV comparison to give any hints about much, but that's hard for candidates to understand.

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Posted by Navy Blue Blob to academicsecret at 11/09/2006 12:12:00 AM

[academicsecret] 11/07/2006 07:48:00 PM

I agree with the others--you cannot allow this to continue as it will (is) affecting you and your teaching. You will get to the point where you hate going into that classroom which means your confidence will be lower which then affects your lecture and the rest of the students. I would split them up. Or stop every time they are laughing and say that you see them talking to each other and assume they have a question. They will get the point.

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Posted by Dr. Delaney Kirk to academicsecret at 11/07/2006 07:48:00 PM

[academicsecret] 11/08/2006 01:10:08 PM

Hi, NBB!

Can I tell you that I had a dream about you a few weeks back? I somehow found out that you knew where I lived and were on the hunt to find out who I was. It was much scarier than it should have been. If you know who I am, let's just keep that secret between us.

Now about your post. Wow! The information is amazing! That was something that I wished for when I was on the market - particularly some clue about who was hired where, or what searches were a lost cause, etc. I think that I actually like the names better. The sociologists sound so desperate and lost, but at least the IR folks have CVs they can look at to know "who" gets brought in to the top schools or who the hot shots are.

That said, I remember being on an interview last year and finding out who the three other candidates were while I was there (I'd had literally no idea) and I sent myself into a frenzy comparing myself to each of them.

I don't know. Maybe it's the pretty little table, but there's some semblence of order - and progress - on the IR page that I just don't see on the sociology blog or wiki.

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Posted by fraud, in denim to academicsecret at 11/08/2006 01:10:08 PM

[academicsecret] 11/06/2006 01:26:45 PM

YOU are in charge of the classroom. If a student or students want to cause a problem, YOU resolve it.
My favorite tactic was to call on the problem children repeatedly in every session. They get the hint rather quickly when they're (as usual) unprepared, and you verbally flail their hides. If necessary, after a couple days of this treatment, a casual discussion with them after class can make their options crystal clear.
Alternatively, just pick the ringleader and make him/her into toxic waste by showing how unprepared and idiotic he/she is, then calling on anyone who shares chat with him/her that class.
Why tolerate disrespect?

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Posted by Shark to academicsecret at 11/06/2006 01:26:45 PM

[academicsecret] 11/06/2006 12:30:46 PM

yes, ignoring trolls, good plan!

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Posted by strawberries to academicsecret at 11/06/2006 12:30:46 PM

[academicsecret] 11/06/2006 04:17:21 AM

I am "officially" declaring these hostile Anon posts trolling behavior and suggest that no one engage with them.

I've been inspired by TS's ability to walk away from these.

[delete substantive response]

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Posted by Orange Ina to academicsecret at 11/06/2006 04:17:21 AM

[academicsecret] 11/06/2006 02:55:46 AM

It's like I'm back in pre-school reading the comments on this blog. What's wrong with you people? These comments really underscore what is wrong with academics these days. It appears that the cademics on this blog are careerists, not people that will say what they think. Thank God for academics like Ann Bartow, for example - someone that says what she thinks no matter what the cost. I only wish that there were mote Anns in the world!! see sivacracy.net.

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Posted by Anonymous to academicsecret at 11/06/2006 02:55:46 AM

[academicsecret] 11/06/2006 02:44:49 AM

Well, isn't it just a tiny bit ironic to be getting a lecture about being spineless from someone who is too scared to put his/her name on a comment on a blog? Yikes!

Of course you have to be careful about what you say to people! First, no one likes to have their feelings or egos hurt. And YES, it can come back and haunt you. I'm not even going to justify that stupid comment with anything more.

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Posted by Orange Ina to academicsecret at 11/06/2006 02:44:49 AM

[academicsecret] 11/06/2006 01:45:13 AM

Hey - I'm your advisor!!! Are you ever in trouble now! But thanks for correcting the spelling error. It was very helpful and much appreciated! Glad to see that you still have your fine eye for detail!

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Posted by Anonymous to academicsecret at 11/06/2006 01:45:13 AM

[academicsecret] 11/05/2006 10:36:15 PM

Grow a spine and speak up. With your current attitude, you will never amount to much or authentially live your life.

Thanks for the great amount of support, anonymous asshole, but I think I'm amounting to plenty and living my life 'authentially' (sic) enough. I think there's a difference between having a spine and being an abrasive and egotistical nitpicker.

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Posted by Salmon Ella to academicsecret at 11/05/2006 10:36:15 PM

[academicsecret] 11/05/2006 09:35:42 PM

I agree with what others have said.

I find that my advisor writes in a certain style that I can't combat with comments and when she asks for feedback, she wants to know if something's unclear, she missed something, a typo and anything that's not exactly comments about her "style."

Also, I've never felt like I was looked down on for suggesting something that she might have missed. I'm only further valued in those kinds of endeavors after something like that.

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Posted by fraud, in denim to academicsecret at 11/05/2006 09:35:42 PM

[academicsecret] 11/05/2006 07:45:21 PM

Ignore the perceived class structure and say what you think. Why go through life scared of your own shadow? "Oh my! If I say what I really think it may come back to haunt me." Are you really that weak? Let the chips fall where they may. Grow a spine and speak up. With your current attitude, you will never amount to much or authentially live your life. If your advisor takes offense, why would you want the respect of such a person anyway?

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Posted by Anonymous to academicsecret at 11/05/2006 07:45:21 PM

[academicsecret] 11/05/2006 02:46:42 PM

I think that the larger problem is that the students doing this may not be shamed into silence by the evil eye or by being told that their behavior is rude.

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Posted by Anonymous to academicsecret at 11/05/2006 02:46:42 PM

[academicsecret] 11/04/2006 11:25:54 PM

That's a great answer, Twilight, I should start doing that!

This is a tough one. Is generally hard, but I think there is the added component of status difference here.

For one thing, it's important to stay positive. Start with something positive. There's got to be something positive in there. Then if you have critical comments, be sure to focus on those as traits of the paper, not the author. Example: "I thought this section may be easier to understand if it included a description of x." as opposed to "You shouldn't have said this here, you should say y."

I think catching typos or grammatical errors is certainly helpful and you're right that it shows you read the paper. Regarding content, I would want to know whether my argument makes sense. I would want to know if the reader finds the evidence convincing and if the analyses are clear to follow and understand. I'd also definitely want to know if I missed some obvious related literature that I should be citing.

If you get this type of a request about a paper that has already been published and especially if it's from someone you don't know that well then I highly recommend staying positive. Also, I always find it poor form when a person has nothing else to say except that you forgot to cite the ten related pieces that they have written in the area.

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Posted by Orange Ina to academicsecret at 11/04/2006 11:25:54 PM

[academicsecret] 11/04/2006 11:19:04 PM

This is interesting. You raise a question, and I'll attempt a response, but I wanted to react to another part of this. WHAAA! It drives me crazy when I see tiny tiny projects that are not really projects. I hate it. After all the work I did on my dissertation (or even BA thesis), I'd like to see people doing at least half as much. Not that this is a hazing type of thing, but c'mon, I think we're awarding BAs and PhDs a bit too easily at times.

Okay, but to answer your question. This is a hard one. I do think it is very much an advisor's responsibility to discourage a student from a bad project. But I agree with you that some justification needs to be given. Otherwise, the student almost rightly can continue to be enthusiastic about his/her project assuming the prof just didn't get it.

I'd just try to explain that for xyz reasons where xyz could be a lack of theoretical contribution, triviality, something that's already been covered, something that's too hard, something that's empirically impossible or too hard at that stage, etc. the student shouldn't embark on the topic.

All that said, I would then work with the student to find something suitable. For one thing, I would ask what it is about x topic that attracted them to it and then see whether we can find another approach that still includes their core interest.

As to CW's comment, I considered a program where one of the few people who was suitable for PhD advising said to me: "Who cares about Apples?" where Apples stands for the topic that was absolutely dear to my heart and has constituted my entire career ever since. Needless to say, I didn't pursue my PhD in his program.

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Posted by Orange Ina to academicsecret at 11/04/2006 11:19:04 PM

[academicsecret] 11/04/2006 08:37:10 PM

When I am given a draft, whether by a colleague or a student, I try to remember to ask, "what kind of feedback are you looking for?" or "tell me how I can be most helpful to you here?" this might be harder to say to ones advisor...but, in general, life is so much less exhausting when I am not attempting to read people's minds (a bad habit of mine, to be sure)...

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Posted by twilight blue to academicsecret at 11/04/2006 08:37:10 PM

[academicsecret] 11/04/2006 08:14:08 PM

i am SO glad you are not working with prof. Y then. happy orange studying!

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Posted by strawberries to academicsecret at 11/04/2006 08:14:08 PM

[academicsecret] 11/04/2006 08:12:02 PM

if i gave something to a grad student to read, or to anyone for that matter, it would mean that i valued their opinion, and thus, would want any sort of information possible. from their thoughts on the whole paper, to organization, to whats confusing, to whats not needed, to typos.

but this guy sounds like maybe he acts differently (based on your he revises everything). but you gave him a good response though!

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Posted by strawberries to academicsecret at 11/04/2006 08:12:02 PM

[academicsecret] 11/04/2006 06:34:50 PM

Sorry I'm late to this conversation. What a really unfortunate situation, Apricot! I would hate it. And I woudn't have tolerated it this long. I like people's suggestions and hope to keep them in mind for future occurences that are, unfortunately, likely to happen.

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Posted by Turquoise Stuff to academicsecret at 11/04/2006 06:34:50 PM

[academicsecret] 11/04/2006 06:30:02 PM

Anon - great to hear that you feel safe here and find the place friendly, I do, too.

Nice to hear from others as well.

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Posted by Turquoise Stuff to academicsecret at 11/04/2006 06:30:02 PM

[academicsecret] 11/04/2006 09:56:46 AM

generally speaking, if my advisor sends me a preprint of his, it's more because he thinks i'd find it interesting or he wants to keep up grad student abreast of what else he's doing...

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Posted by Anonymous to academicsecret at 11/04/2006 09:56:46 AM

[academicsecret] 11/03/2006 11:41:13 PM

I'm still here, just ultra super duper busy!

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Posted by Salmon Ella to academicsecret at 11/03/2006 11:41:13 PM

[academicsecret] 11/03/2006 11:40:35 PM

Stand in front of them and give them the Evil Eye until they stop. The prof I TA for is a master at humiliating rude students in this manner.

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Posted by Salmon Ella to academicsecret at 11/03/2006 11:40:35 PM

[academicsecret] 11/03/2006 04:26:43 PM

When I interviewed at university X for grad school, I had an interview with professor Y, the head of the department. I told him I wanted to study something like Oranges. He said, "Now, I'm not telling you that Oranges are too difficult for you," and then told me how Oranges were too difficult for me. His own group researched Oranges!

Now I am happily studying Oranges at university Z.

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Posted by carolina wolverine to academicsecret at 11/03/2006 04:26:43 PM

[academicsecret] 11/03/2006 03:12:49 PM

Thanks, all. These are good suggestions!

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Posted by Apricot to academicsecret at 11/03/2006 03:12:49 PM

[academicsecret] 11/03/2006 01:42:01 PM

An alternative to kicking them out (though, I would support that, as well!) would be to make it verboten for them to sit together. I have taken to periodically rearranging my students' habitual seating patterns. Sometimes I do this by getting to class 5 minutes early and writing on the board, "today, you must sit in a different part of the room" or "make sure that when class begins you are sitting next to someone you do NOT already know" (I then have them introduce themselves and talk with that someone new for 5 minutes about the assigned reading). Other times, I've had them "count off" and then asked them to sit with their group (we then do a group exercise for part of class and I don't let them return to their original seats following). I was worried about such strategies, because they were so evocative of, um, kindergarten, but they've actually proven very helpful, both for breaking up cliques and for getting students who don't talk much in class to be more interactive.

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Posted by twilight blue to academicsecret at 11/03/2006 01:42:01 PM

[academicsecret] 11/02/2006 10:02:39 PM

I'm still around! I'm kind of a lurker since I only comment anonymously. I have to say that fear of engaging with trolls is what keeps me from commenting on almost all the blogs I frequent. I got burned long, long ago on a listserv conversation (before chat rooms & blogs existed)and having people misunderstand my comments still scares me. But a.secret is the one place I will put up a comment - it feels safe & friendly here. So please don't go away!

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Posted by Anonymous to academicsecret at 11/02/2006 10:02:39 PM

[academicsecret] 11/02/2006 01:00:15 PM

I agree with Lime. I bet they are disrupting the students who have the misfortune of sitting near them.

i am a strong proponent of telling people to get out if they are rude. of course i have never had to or had the pleasure of doing it...

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Posted by strawberries to academicsecret at 11/02/2006 01:00:15 PM

[academicsecret] 11/02/2006 09:07:33 PM

Can you move around the lecture hall? Because doing a Donahue and walking up and down the aisles can be a really effective way of shutting the gigglers up. If you spend a few minutes delivering the lecture standing right next to them for a few lectures in a row, I bet they simmer down. Especially if you go stand right next to them immediately following a giggling episode.

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Posted by thistle to academicsecret at 11/02/2006 09:07:33 PM

[academicsecret] 11/02/2006 02:00:51 AM

You march right up to them before class and tell them that they can leave if they don't care to listen quietly. How dare they act so rudely!

And after you warn them, if they continue, I think you should stop the whole class, ask them to leave, and then wait for them to do so.

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Posted by lime to academicsecret at 11/02/2006 02:00:51 AM

[academicsecret] 11/01/2006 09:42:27 PM

ps. this blog rocks, I hope you guys don't abandon it!

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Posted by JustMe to academicsecret at 11/01/2006 09:42:27 PM

[academicsecret] 11/01/2006 09:37:46 PM

i'm still here!
and glad that you walked away from the trolls! i never can manage to not get engaged and then end up angry.

my most recent a.secret? i have been hiding out from my visiting position and doing work at home. I am growing to not like these people.

all i'm gonna say is people at depts/universities who have janitors are quite fortunate.

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Posted by JustMe to academicsecret at 11/01/2006 09:37:46 PM