Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Self-Interest Disguised as Professorial Generosity

Grad student e-mail (paraphrased): Here's my outline for our meeting/discussion today. It's not what I'd like for it to be, and I apologize: I've been very sick this past week. But I'll do my best in our meeting today. Thanks.

Me, thinking about my to-do list for today (in order):
  • Read and comment grad student thesis chapter
  • Read and rank 20 potential award files
  • Reread materials for seminar tonight
  • Read/grade a dozen short (@ 3 pp.) reading reviews for same seminar and return to students by 6 p.m.
  • Read above student submission and meet with student
  • Meet with thesis student
  • Hold office hours 
  • Lead evening seminar
  • IF TIME PERMITS: grade 5-8 short student writing projects (@ 3-4 pp) from survey course; eat something; remember to put on pants.
My reply to student (again, paraphrased): Oh, you poor dear! I want you to get better, and I'd like not to get sick myself. Would it be better for you if we rescheduled later in the week?

There. With one e-mail I just crossed one item off my to-do list.

4 comments:

Notorious Ph.D. said...

Would you believe that now, at 9 p.m., 14 hours after I woke up, I managed to do *all* of these things (except the "if time permits" one)?

I'm going to pass out now.

Fie upon this quiet life! said...

You're a rock star! Good job getting all that done!

I have done the same sort of "Oh you poor thing -- let's reschedule" myself. It's great when something like that comes up and I can have a little extra time to do all the other stuff I need to do. Plus, it makes you look so nice!

Marissa said...

Wow. Wish my profs wrote to me like that! I feel special if they even respond to me. On a totally different note, WTF is with the captchas on this site. Had to say that.

Notorious Ph.D. said...

Marissa, yes, I'm real. But you may have missed the part where my generosity was largely motivated by self-interest.

But the captcha is a nice note, indeed.