schweblog

There’s a lot advice out there about how to succeed in graduate school.  “Write for 15 minutes each day!”  “Set aside a day of the weekend to dedicate entirely to research.”  “Don’t be afraid to speak up in class.”  While all of this certainly seems like sound advice, it seems to me that nearly all of the advice out there is far too general and concerned with issues far outside of the daily grind.  While there’s no shortage of information on how to succeed at graduate school, there’s very little on how to survive it.  Here’s what’s missing, in my opinion:

1. Caffeine: Lots of it.  This is your manna.  Live and die by caffeine.  Protect your sippy mug with your life.  Do not be embarrassed to suckle the teat of the Starbucks goddess unceasingly.
2. Earplugs: One could speculate about the impact of cell phones on our social interactions for an entire academic career (actually, I’m sure someone actually is).  All I know is that there is an appalling lack of cell phone etiquette in libraries and other “quiet places” around campus.  As much as I like glaring at people, I don’t feel as if I can do a really good job of glaring at rude people if my mind is in another place—like a Derrida text.  Earplugs are like solipsism lite and they are wonderful.
3. A raging sense of one’s own mortality: You are a finite being.  Plan accordingly.  You will never get all of your reading done.  You will not have time to prepare for every single class.  You cannot juggle a girlfriend, journal submissions, teaching a class, and taking classes.  You need to sleep.  Embrace that.