This week, I have been working on finishing papers to submit for publication. It is a rite of passage and a way of life for those in academia. A year ago, I would have stated that being an academia was my one goal. Now, I have a job I love, pays well, in a great area albeit an expensive one, and I am not sure I want to give this up to be in academia. But I still want to publish to have that option open to me. Unfortunately, part of my rationale is to prove a professor wrong. He spent an awful amount of time reiterating to us students that working in academia at a research institution was stressful and difficult. That if he had to start over now, he would not do so. It's a tremendous amount of work.
Considering that the people he was talking to worked full-time jobs, high-stress ones, and attended a PhD program part-time...I'm thinking that not even a tenure-track professorship at a research university could be more demanding than an average of 60-70 hours on the job, plus school, kids, home, animals, chronic disabilities, volunteer work, mentoring, and well - whatever else I had going on at the same time. So I'd like to show him that he should not judge how un-busy we are not. Good googli moo.
But back to the topic. The two papers are vastly different and wonderfully interesting. One is on electronic communications in the workplace that the professor volunteered to help me prep for submission for publication as long as he could be co-listed. Sure - he had good feedback and hopefully, connections.
The other is related to my desired dissertation topic, jury decision-making and reform. I asked a friend of mine from law school to join with me on this paper - cause I like the way she thinks and writes. She has two published papers already, so apparently, she knows the formula. I want to know the formula. So together, we are writing a paper on how civic education can improve jury decision making as part of the jury reform movement. It's turning out to be a heck of a paper.
Showing posts with label PhD. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PhD. Show all posts
Friday, August 17, 2012
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
JD vs. PhD
Paper still not done, but tonight I have a real topic - JD vs. PhD
Having one (JD) and entering dissertation phase of the other (PhD), I can speak to both academically if not how they impact life. Let's start with top ten lessons:
10. Procrastination is a bad study habit for either.
9. However, writing papers in a time crunch is good practice for attorney-work.
8. Extensive vocabulary is only effective when you charge by the hour or speak to a tenured professor.
7. Lawyers/Law students make "cussing like a sailor" unreasonable censorship.
6. #7 is equally valid for "drinking like a sailor."
5. "Reasonable man" jokes are only funny to others who study law.
4. Professors are generally not reasonable men.
3. Publish. Publish. Publish.
2. Citing oneself is generally frowned upon, but is sometimes the only path to increased cited numbers.
1. One of them makes a lot of money. One of them has a great quality of life as long they publish.
Having one (JD) and entering dissertation phase of the other (PhD), I can speak to both academically if not how they impact life. Let's start with top ten lessons:
10. Procrastination is a bad study habit for either.
9. However, writing papers in a time crunch is good practice for attorney-work.
8. Extensive vocabulary is only effective when you charge by the hour or speak to a tenured professor.
7. Lawyers/Law students make "cussing like a sailor" unreasonable censorship.
6. #7 is equally valid for "drinking like a sailor."
5. "Reasonable man" jokes are only funny to others who study law.
4. Professors are generally not reasonable men.
3. Publish. Publish. Publish.
2. Citing oneself is generally frowned upon, but is sometimes the only path to increased cited numbers.
1. One of them makes a lot of money. One of them has a great quality of life as long they publish.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Procrastination and Writing
Today I have my last written assignment due for my summer class - well, almost last. There is a final essay, but we don't know what it is yet. And of course, I have procrastinated in completing the paper. Part of what causes me to procrastinate is that I have no discipline. Apparently, I need that rush of stress to cause me to work like crazy. But logically, I know that a time will come when no matter what I do, I will not complete the task. Like the other paper I have procrastinated on. First, a little background:
I am in a PhD program at UTDallas in Public Affairs. I would never have thought to choose PA, because my loves are law, health, education, diversity/inclusivity, and technology - not in any order. I am a registered nurse with a bachelors in psychology and business administration. Before nursing, I worked in the mental health field. Then I became a lawyer. We can discuss career ADD in a later post. Now, I want to be a PhD - why? Two reasons. 1) That has always been my educational goal, PhD and apparently JD was not sufficient. 2) Job need. My first job after graduating Arizona State University College of Law was at the law school running the pro bono and student life. Essentially, anything outside academic credit was under me and a few things extra. I LOVED it. I cannot stress it enough = dream job.
But then my husband got a new job that took us to Texas right at the start of 2008 I had 4 years in the university setting, which was not enough experience to get me a similar job in Texas - they did not know how good I am. And I am good. It's like knowing you can write music or do gymnastics - you just know it. And when God gives you a talent like that - you should obey the calling. One of the obstacles was that I did not have a PhD. Despite all the rules stating that a JD should be treated like any other doctorate (PhD, EdD, etc.), it is not. Academic snubbery/snobbery at its best. And I was not elite enough in law school to garner a job as a law professor. So what's a girl to do - get a PhD, of course.
Oh, there was one more reason, I was completely stressed out and overloaded at work. I was doing nothing for me. In order to force myself to do something for me, I had to be under a commitment. So I committed to a PhD. Which brings us back to needing that stress to force me to write. And oh my good googli moo, I have another paper due for independent study class due on August 8. It's going to be a kick-ass paper if I can write it properly. I'll discuss it in a later post too, just hang with me, people, we have lots to share!
Writing - and a PhD program - takes discipline. Well, law school does, too for that matter. I can write another post about law school and what it takes to survive later. I lots of insight and some tricks. Anyway, as the PhD program is part-time, designed for working professionals, it's not the same environment as law school. I only have about 14 others in my cohort and we lock-step through the program like good little students. This summer is supposed to be our last coursework before starting the dissertation phase, but because I took a job in California, I had to adapt my summer courses to fit my absenteeism. So it is an I.S. under the professor who is teaching the summer course: leadership and change management. I hate that I am not in there. What a fascinating topic.
So here I sit, blogging on a new blog rather than writing. I have given myself until 3 pm today (about 3.5 hours from now, 4 when I set the deadline) to finish the paper. Lack of discipline. The paper is due by 10 pm tonight, so I know I have some leeway in it. But seriously, why didn't I just write the durn thing throughout the week? procrastination.
One needs to recognize and accept one's faults and put in a plan to accommodate and counter said weaknesses.
That's my advice. Calendaring works for some people. Having loved ones stay on your case works for others. Putting it on a project management works for some. Me? I scope out the extent of the work needed and form a plan to prepare for the need. Then I bust ass to make it work. I am usually well-prepared to do so, my execution of said plan just sucks at times. It's brilliant if hectic and somewhat frantic. So here I am still procrastinating about it - but now I have verbalized my worries and reinforced the stupidity of delay...increases guilt and feelings of inferiority. That works for me.
I am in a PhD program at UTDallas in Public Affairs. I would never have thought to choose PA, because my loves are law, health, education, diversity/inclusivity, and technology - not in any order. I am a registered nurse with a bachelors in psychology and business administration. Before nursing, I worked in the mental health field. Then I became a lawyer. We can discuss career ADD in a later post. Now, I want to be a PhD - why? Two reasons. 1) That has always been my educational goal, PhD and apparently JD was not sufficient. 2) Job need. My first job after graduating Arizona State University College of Law was at the law school running the pro bono and student life. Essentially, anything outside academic credit was under me and a few things extra. I LOVED it. I cannot stress it enough = dream job.
But then my husband got a new job that took us to Texas right at the start of 2008 I had 4 years in the university setting, which was not enough experience to get me a similar job in Texas - they did not know how good I am. And I am good. It's like knowing you can write music or do gymnastics - you just know it. And when God gives you a talent like that - you should obey the calling. One of the obstacles was that I did not have a PhD. Despite all the rules stating that a JD should be treated like any other doctorate (PhD, EdD, etc.), it is not. Academic snubbery/snobbery at its best. And I was not elite enough in law school to garner a job as a law professor. So what's a girl to do - get a PhD, of course.
Oh, there was one more reason, I was completely stressed out and overloaded at work. I was doing nothing for me. In order to force myself to do something for me, I had to be under a commitment. So I committed to a PhD. Which brings us back to needing that stress to force me to write. And oh my good googli moo, I have another paper due for independent study class due on August 8. It's going to be a kick-ass paper if I can write it properly. I'll discuss it in a later post too, just hang with me, people, we have lots to share!
Writing - and a PhD program - takes discipline. Well, law school does, too for that matter. I can write another post about law school and what it takes to survive later. I lots of insight and some tricks. Anyway, as the PhD program is part-time, designed for working professionals, it's not the same environment as law school. I only have about 14 others in my cohort and we lock-step through the program like good little students. This summer is supposed to be our last coursework before starting the dissertation phase, but because I took a job in California, I had to adapt my summer courses to fit my absenteeism. So it is an I.S. under the professor who is teaching the summer course: leadership and change management. I hate that I am not in there. What a fascinating topic.
So here I sit, blogging on a new blog rather than writing. I have given myself until 3 pm today (about 3.5 hours from now, 4 when I set the deadline) to finish the paper. Lack of discipline. The paper is due by 10 pm tonight, so I know I have some leeway in it. But seriously, why didn't I just write the durn thing throughout the week? procrastination.
One needs to recognize and accept one's faults and put in a plan to accommodate and counter said weaknesses.
That's my advice. Calendaring works for some people. Having loved ones stay on your case works for others. Putting it on a project management works for some. Me? I scope out the extent of the work needed and form a plan to prepare for the need. Then I bust ass to make it work. I am usually well-prepared to do so, my execution of said plan just sucks at times. It's brilliant if hectic and somewhat frantic. So here I am still procrastinating about it - but now I have verbalized my worries and reinforced the stupidity of delay...increases guilt and feelings of inferiority. That works for me.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Intent - About me and this blog...
I have started numerous blogs before and like most else in my life, procrastinated and let them die from disuse. In this blog, which you will never know about unless I am successful, I plan to blog about several things: life as a lawyer, my journey through PhD school, and privacy - with a healthy dose of whatever my ADD throws in at the time. Maybe by taking this in broad strokes, I will finally be successful.
So today's blog is about me and why would anyone want to read my words. I don't know. I am writing because it appeals to me and people tell me I should share stories about my life. Which was not within the scope of what is listed above, so consider it a bonus. I am 43 right now, from Mississippi currently living in San Jose, Ca via Tennessee, Arizona, and Texas. I am on my third husband and we will soon celebrate 11 years of marriage. Note I do not say wedded bliss. While being married to him is bliss, there is certainly nothing blissful about the daily management of said marriage. I adore him. I also adore lying around, debating, zoning off in front of the TV, reading, doing school work and work work, managing family duties - ummmm, did anyone but me miss where I included cooking, cleaning, or other home engineering, old-fashioned mommy-like tasks? Yeah, not missing them. Not doing them. I recently heard that cleaning house when you have kids is like brushing your teeth with Oreos. That's a good one. Here's another: cleaning house when you are me is like witnessing a virgin birth- by faith it could have happened once, but unless the world comes to a spectacular end and history starts anew, I'm guessing we won't likely see another.
My first two husbands were abusive - mostly mental and emotional. Some physical. Very controlling. One is dead now. Not by my hand, but by that of Karma's - love her, that Karma gal. She kicks ass and kills bad people.
My daughters are from the first mistake and while he is not necessarily a dead beat, he is so close Occam's razor looks like a 10 lane freeway. and if you think I am mixing metaphors, once you get the point (ha) it makes lots of simple sense. My daughters are now 19 and 21 - and you'll be hearing lots about them later - cause my sole purpose in existing was to unleash these two on the world skewed with my views of it. Good luck.
What else do you need to know about me to entice you to read this blog? raised dirt poor, now an attorney, was also an RN (mainly oncology. hospice, and cardiac). I have systemic lupus, sjogrens, fibromyalgia, osteoporosis, hypothyroid, and a host of other systemic impairments. I blow type A personality to smithereens, my spouse calls me type triple A, but I have slowed down some and would call it at least lower case aaa. I am in a PhD program, soon to enter the dissertation phase. I read prodigiously, but read enough nonfiction at work and school that I love to read trash - mainly vampire romances. Love animals. Part Native American though they will never claim me, I claim them. My IQ was once measured around 189, my mother is alcoholic, my brother tried to kill me, I miss my grandmother like crazy, and have never known my biological father. Oh, and I just started an in-house job with a silicon valley global company and have never practiced law. Intrigued yet? hang on. We'll see if I make it to another blog.
So today's blog is about me and why would anyone want to read my words. I don't know. I am writing because it appeals to me and people tell me I should share stories about my life. Which was not within the scope of what is listed above, so consider it a bonus. I am 43 right now, from Mississippi currently living in San Jose, Ca via Tennessee, Arizona, and Texas. I am on my third husband and we will soon celebrate 11 years of marriage. Note I do not say wedded bliss. While being married to him is bliss, there is certainly nothing blissful about the daily management of said marriage. I adore him. I also adore lying around, debating, zoning off in front of the TV, reading, doing school work and work work, managing family duties - ummmm, did anyone but me miss where I included cooking, cleaning, or other home engineering, old-fashioned mommy-like tasks? Yeah, not missing them. Not doing them. I recently heard that cleaning house when you have kids is like brushing your teeth with Oreos. That's a good one. Here's another: cleaning house when you are me is like witnessing a virgin birth- by faith it could have happened once, but unless the world comes to a spectacular end and history starts anew, I'm guessing we won't likely see another.
My first two husbands were abusive - mostly mental and emotional. Some physical. Very controlling. One is dead now. Not by my hand, but by that of Karma's - love her, that Karma gal. She kicks ass and kills bad people.
My daughters are from the first mistake and while he is not necessarily a dead beat, he is so close Occam's razor looks like a 10 lane freeway. and if you think I am mixing metaphors, once you get the point (ha) it makes lots of simple sense. My daughters are now 19 and 21 - and you'll be hearing lots about them later - cause my sole purpose in existing was to unleash these two on the world skewed with my views of it. Good luck.
What else do you need to know about me to entice you to read this blog? raised dirt poor, now an attorney, was also an RN (mainly oncology. hospice, and cardiac). I have systemic lupus, sjogrens, fibromyalgia, osteoporosis, hypothyroid, and a host of other systemic impairments. I blow type A personality to smithereens, my spouse calls me type triple A, but I have slowed down some and would call it at least lower case aaa. I am in a PhD program, soon to enter the dissertation phase. I read prodigiously, but read enough nonfiction at work and school that I love to read trash - mainly vampire romances. Love animals. Part Native American though they will never claim me, I claim them. My IQ was once measured around 189, my mother is alcoholic, my brother tried to kill me, I miss my grandmother like crazy, and have never known my biological father. Oh, and I just started an in-house job with a silicon valley global company and have never practiced law. Intrigued yet? hang on. We'll see if I make it to another blog.
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