The Life of a Wannabe Academic

Detail of the life a new academic. The progress from graduate training to professor. Includes reflections on the job hunting process, research in technology and education, and what it is like to be a new college professor.

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

The ups and downs....

As with any other job out there, academic life also has it's highs and lows. This past week, I had a review article that I wrote for one of my comprehensive exams accepted for publication in a journal called Computers and Human Behavior, that same day, I once again had a manuscript based on my Master's Thesis rejected outright. What is strange about that was my advisor thought that the results should have come out the other way.

Now this week the job emotional rollercoaster has already began. I am very interested in a particular institution and have just been informed that they had already conducted some phone interviews and are in the process of requesting on-site interviews. I had not been contacted, which means once again, I was not one of the top candidates. One reason why may be because they are searching for a different field of interest, but the position sounds very interesting and having a chance at it would make other decisions a little easier as far as employment for my husband, Caleb.

Then today, I was interviewed by one of my Intro students for her Intro to Ulife course. I was touched that she chose me out of all of her professors this semester. I basically was asked questions about why I chose to be a professor and what my beliefs about higher education and some advice to freshman students would be. Also knowing that I am an avid Minnesota Twins fan, she asked who myy favorite player and what my predictions for the playoffs were.

So my life has many ups and downs now. However, it will really start when rejection letters and requests for phone interviews start coming, hopefully in the next month or so. For now I keep plugging away at teaching, research and generally trying to graduate and have some sort of livelihood in the future. Things should work out in the end, it is always a ride though!

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