(no subject)

[robinturner]

From an article in The Chronicle of Higher Education that someone posted on academics_anon:

The similarities between prison and academe are several. Both places have tiny rebellions and mutinies, mostly insignificant, sometimes violent. Most people are involved in sports. Everybody else reads. Lots of free concerts. There's also very bad pay. Squalid living conditions. Remedial classes. Drug use. Unusual carnal activity. Tattoos.

The most common parallel, though, is one's inability to leave either after years of regimen.

But you can leave. Here's how.

Write down all of the reasons you're in academe -- all the reasons you chose this life, the things you like about it, what you can't live without, what makes you an awesome teacher, all those things that make you think you're happy.

Now write down all the reasons why you might be unhappy -- the complaints about your students, the misgivings about your college, the grievances with your discipline, and job, and life. You have to have some or you wouldn't have read this far.

Then take both of those lists and mail them to your mom, because she's the only one who cares.

Well I won't bother mailing the lists to my mother ,since she's probably reading this entry anyway, but I'll write them, since I love lists (except for to-do lists).

Reasons to be happy.

As one Canadian academic whose name I forget put it, I get to talk to bright, friendly young people about stuff that really interests me, and on top of that, they pay me.
A pleasant working environment compared to, say, a mine or a steel foundry.
Free accommodation.
Free transport to work.
Free Internet connection.
Freedom to work how and when I want (with the obvious exception of classes and department meetings)
Being able to read about pretty much anything I'm interested in and call it "work".
Being surrounded by horny intellectual women.
More respect than I could otherwise get without carrying a firearm.

Oh, nearly forgot - the chance to do some good in the world by helping young people realise their intellectual potential.

Reasons to be unhappy

Correcting students' grammar mistakes.
University politics and the invasion of academia by management culture.
Having to get up in the morning to go to class.

Happy wins hands down.

Comments

[solri.livejournal.com]

Nice.

[ironed_orchid]

It's good to be reminded that there are people out there who do love working in academia. Lately, I've been listening to those who don't enjoy it. I've found that a semester of teaching has been the best thing to revive my flagging spirits and to get me interested in my research again - because I like teaching as much or more than I like the research. I don't get free accommodation or transport, but aside from that my list is quite similar.

[rainswolf.livejournal.com]

I hope the "horny" women you enjoy are other professors and not your students.

[solri.livejournal.com]

No, I have some pretty horny students as well. Note that I said I enjoyed being surrounded by horny women, not getting into their knickers. For that matter, the profs are out of bounds, too, though on the basis of marital rather than professional ethics.

happiness

[(Anonymous)]

Moms are here to listen without criticism or advice. (just like co-counselling rules) I'm listening.
Just when you think you've sussed it, academe does a U turn or moves the goal posts.
Ps as an ex- teacher I sympathise.