What I've Learned

Hello friends,

Long time no see. Yeah, I suck as a blogger. Not because I don't have things to say, but because I never have time to write them down. I am not complaining, because I do love this job and I'm very thankful to have it. But I just never thought I would be so busy.

Back in December, I started to write this blog post about putting together my first T&P (tenure and promotion) packet. In short, it is a sucky process that involves lots of writing and reflecting on what you've accomplished this year and what you plan to accomplish next year, and why you should get to keep your job. I had to write an 8 page reflection about what I've learned. Keep in mind, this document is read by every member of my department and by my dean, so while I tried to be honest, there are a few things I left out.

What I've really learned so far:

• Lab prep is hard and messy and physically demanding, and I don't much care for it. No, in fact, I mostly hate it. It involves entirely too much glassware. Setting it out in the labs for students, washing it, putting it away, (sweeping up pieces that I drop on the floor), etc. It sucks. And I never appreciated my lab instructors/coordinators nearly enough.
  
• I still feel very much like a grad student. This is problematic, as I am supposed to be supervising grad student TAs, which is super awkward sometimes when I feel more like a peer than their boss. And I have a feeling they pick up on this. Luckily, they're mostly great people, so it's okay.
• I can in fact work hard for 12 straight hours and still smile at the end. It's a gift.
• Though I am incredibly lazy at home, I think I do actually have it in me to become a workaholic. I really have to nip that in the bud right now. I've started taking at least half a day off each weekend, and it's been glorious.
• Orange-tinis are very important.
• Imposter syndrome does not end after grad school. I'm pretty sure I will feel this way until I die. I think being in the classroom 3 days a week only amplifies it, because students think you know everything. Ha!
  

In other news, I am writing a grant. I know, I know, a big part of the reason I decided not to continue in research was to avoid writing grants. But I actually want to write this one, and I think the work it could produce is super important. And I'm writing it with two awesome colleagues, who have both written like 20 grants already, so I'm hoping they'll show me the ropes. And since it is not part of my job requirements, if it doesn't get funded, nobody's career is affected. So no pressure!

So, yay for me, I actually wrote a blog entry. Albeit, not a super awesome one, but still. Oh, and just to make it prettier, check out my backyard this morning. It's pretty, with all the snow, but we did get our car stuck twice yesterday. Dumb southerners, don't know how to drive in the snow.

That's about a foot of snow that piled up over the past week.

Peace out!
Carly