Anti-Climacus

I am occasionally asked by my friends not quite past the prospectus stage what it's like to be ABD. The usual response is to say that it's better. Doing the work you set out for yourself is very gratifying (indeed, it has to be, or else you're in the wrong line of work), and whatever one might say in defence of the earlier stages of a PhD program, you're doing the work someone else thinks fit for you.

The flipside to this professionalization is that you acquire the responsibilities of a professional--not surprising when one reflects on it logically, but nonetheless shocking when encountered in real life. I now set aside one day a week (usually Thursday) to respond to emails, do research for my RA assignment, work on my syllabus, and do whatever other tasks need to be finished. I am beginning to worry, however, since one day is proving to not be enough time so far this semester, and I've not yet made it halfway through February (which means no midterm grading yet).

My caffeine intake, already increased once by notable measure this semester, will likely need to be increased again. I have measured out my life with coffee spoons, indeed.