So here are a few pictures I did out here in Pittsburgh:
Yup, that's a Tux, with tails, a top hat and cane! Going for the fitting was very fun, they had to put me completely in boys sizes!
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Outside of School
So here's another update to make up for my lack of presence. A while back I revealed I do some amateur modeling type projects, while this has largely taken a backseat to grad school and life, recently I got to do a really awesome shoot and would love to share the results. The thumbnails here really don't do them justice, please click ( which you can do if you are accessing this on my actual blog site and not via email) for a full size view- promise it will be worth it!
So here are a few pictures I did out here in Pittsburgh:
Yup, that's a Tux, with tails, a top hat and cane! Going for the fitting was very fun, they had to put me completely in boys sizes!
So here are a few pictures I did out here in Pittsburgh:
Yup, that's a Tux, with tails, a top hat and cane! Going for the fitting was very fun, they had to put me completely in boys sizes!
Friday, March 25, 2011
The Gradschool Update
So, I haven’t updated in a long time. Just FYI, I’m still out here, plugging along, with my archival graduate student-y self.
As of right now, this very instant, the countdown to Real Life is as follows:
Approx. 4 weeks until the end of my second semester (April 28)
Approx. 4 months until I get my masters degree (July 28)
So, the future is looming (Let me emphasize on that word choice: LOOMING). And as such I have been faced with some major life questions as my classmates scramble to apply to as many jobs as possible and gain employment as soon after graduation as humanly possible. Already, schoolwork is taking a backseat to the job search for many. Today a friend remarked I seemed like the type of person to move into my own place with a job right after graduation, making it seem like anything less would be surprising, perhaps even a let-down.
Well, applying to every job I might remotely qualify for and placing enormous amounts of pressure on myself to secure something for the sake of my pride just doesn’t seem like a wise, well thought out, reasoned life choice. Never mind how to balance an intense job search with full course load and multiple internships. It seems like something to be done out of necessity, not by preference. I would much rather assess my skills, my academic interests and my ultimate career goals and which job would help me eventually move into a more ideal job. I don’t have to be hugely picky, but I do have to consider what first job will allow me to ultimately do what I want later on down the road. I want to my foot in the door- but I have to make sure I’m getting it in the right door.
Ideally, I want to work in academia- in college and university archives. This is a lofty goal for a fresh graduate- so, true, it might not happen with my first job, but I do want to get on a path that might more easily allow for the jump rather than getting off track by jumping into a job out of a panic that isn’t going to make me happy or get me where I want to go. What I’m getting at is everyone around me is mostly fueled by paranoia, huge debt and a mild panic that gives them the mindset of ‘I’ll take what I can get’
Well. Upon thinking on my own position I have realized:
1) The archival field in Pittsburgh is not a big enough job market to allow me to easily advance, and there are almost no full time jobs. I’m moving home to better take advantage of a better job market: more opportunities, more chances to move from job to job, more academic institutions. Thus, In September: back to New England I go!
2) I will regularly check job postings prior to finishing the program to make sure I don’t miss any great opportunities, but I’m going to try to avoid applying like a madwoman to every new posting and wait until I move home to concentrate my energies on putting forth stronger, more well thought out applications.
3) I want to see if having such a short program means interning for six more months while applying/searching to help me qualify for jobs without having to stretch my applications, and get gain me more networking in the New England area- ultimately making the job search easier than just rushing to get a job as soon as I move back.
4) …actually regardless of the above I’ll try to get a part time or intern position while I job search. Can’t be a couch potato!
Talking to working archivists it seems that some of them had to search for around a year for full-time work. Asking around has forced me to have more realistic expectations and forgive myself for potentially not having employment right after graduation.
This is easier said than done. Especially when I’m back at home wallowing in insecurities. Despite my attempts to be practical and level headed, part of me wants to jump in the job search in the manner my peers have so that I won’t look inferior or lazy if they are employed and I’m not when graduation rolls around.
Right now I’m trying to focus on finishing the program and thinking about how to network once I do graduate.
The news now is: I’m considering going to the biggest professional conference in our field in August- it’s a week-long conference in Chicago and is for the professional association the Society of American Archivists (I’m a member!)– the major professional group in our field. It’ll be a big investment (a week in Chicago!) so I’m waiting to see how much networking is built into the conference. The student group I’m part of submitted to present a poster of our work so going would allow me to do that and make connections using that professional presentation of my involvement during grad school in that- which might make it more likely I’ll go.
Oh, I also applied to a small scholarship due April 1, it's a stretch but I applied regardless because I'm an optimistic go-getter like that.
So that’s where I stand in major life decisions. And why you all need to tell me its okay to be jobless…for a little while.
As of right now, this very instant, the countdown to Real Life is as follows:
Approx. 4 weeks until the end of my second semester (April 28)
Approx. 4 months until I get my masters degree (July 28)
So, the future is looming (Let me emphasize on that word choice: LOOMING). And as such I have been faced with some major life questions as my classmates scramble to apply to as many jobs as possible and gain employment as soon after graduation as humanly possible. Already, schoolwork is taking a backseat to the job search for many. Today a friend remarked I seemed like the type of person to move into my own place with a job right after graduation, making it seem like anything less would be surprising, perhaps even a let-down.
Well, applying to every job I might remotely qualify for and placing enormous amounts of pressure on myself to secure something for the sake of my pride just doesn’t seem like a wise, well thought out, reasoned life choice. Never mind how to balance an intense job search with full course load and multiple internships. It seems like something to be done out of necessity, not by preference. I would much rather assess my skills, my academic interests and my ultimate career goals and which job would help me eventually move into a more ideal job. I don’t have to be hugely picky, but I do have to consider what first job will allow me to ultimately do what I want later on down the road. I want to my foot in the door- but I have to make sure I’m getting it in the right door.
Ideally, I want to work in academia- in college and university archives. This is a lofty goal for a fresh graduate- so, true, it might not happen with my first job, but I do want to get on a path that might more easily allow for the jump rather than getting off track by jumping into a job out of a panic that isn’t going to make me happy or get me where I want to go. What I’m getting at is everyone around me is mostly fueled by paranoia, huge debt and a mild panic that gives them the mindset of ‘I’ll take what I can get’
Well. Upon thinking on my own position I have realized:
1) The archival field in Pittsburgh is not a big enough job market to allow me to easily advance, and there are almost no full time jobs. I’m moving home to better take advantage of a better job market: more opportunities, more chances to move from job to job, more academic institutions. Thus, In September: back to New England I go!
2) I will regularly check job postings prior to finishing the program to make sure I don’t miss any great opportunities, but I’m going to try to avoid applying like a madwoman to every new posting and wait until I move home to concentrate my energies on putting forth stronger, more well thought out applications.
3) I want to see if having such a short program means interning for six more months while applying/searching to help me qualify for jobs without having to stretch my applications, and get gain me more networking in the New England area- ultimately making the job search easier than just rushing to get a job as soon as I move back.
4) …actually regardless of the above I’ll try to get a part time or intern position while I job search. Can’t be a couch potato!
Talking to working archivists it seems that some of them had to search for around a year for full-time work. Asking around has forced me to have more realistic expectations and forgive myself for potentially not having employment right after graduation.
This is easier said than done. Especially when I’m back at home wallowing in insecurities. Despite my attempts to be practical and level headed, part of me wants to jump in the job search in the manner my peers have so that I won’t look inferior or lazy if they are employed and I’m not when graduation rolls around.
Right now I’m trying to focus on finishing the program and thinking about how to network once I do graduate.
The news now is: I’m considering going to the biggest professional conference in our field in August- it’s a week-long conference in Chicago and is for the professional association the Society of American Archivists (I’m a member!)– the major professional group in our field. It’ll be a big investment (a week in Chicago!) so I’m waiting to see how much networking is built into the conference. The student group I’m part of submitted to present a poster of our work so going would allow me to do that and make connections using that professional presentation of my involvement during grad school in that- which might make it more likely I’ll go.
Oh, I also applied to a small scholarship due April 1, it's a stretch but I applied regardless because I'm an optimistic go-getter like that.
So that’s where I stand in major life decisions. And why you all need to tell me its okay to be jobless…for a little while.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Back to the grind
So, I haven't written in this blog in a fairly long time. Consistently anyway. I know people get it emailed to them but because I get so few replies, I forget people might wonder where I've gone off to. Or maybe you aren't wondering at all, haha!
I do wish blogger would let me add more than ten email addresses to send it out to though!
Anyway, last week I started my second semester at Pitt and though I had hoped to feel much less stressed this time around I am stepping into the same overworking habits that nearly destroyed me first semester. I have read much too much and been far too isolated for my first 11 days back.
I'm dismayed that although I know I can handle the courseload and that I made it through my first semester successfully I am still almost just as stressed and anxious. However, I do have a small amount more to worry about this semester as have taken on a field placement which is essentially a second internship.
I now go to the archives at the Heinz History Center once a week. While I've only been there once so far I'm generally nervous but forging ahead because it's positively ESSENTIAL to getting a job. It was not a matter of choice really. So I'm back to being a bit high strung and anxious in general. It's really a day by day battle. I think after this program though being away from academia will be a welcome change of scenery and perhaps even a necessary one.
I have a friend who commented recently about how the workplace is so much less anxiety inducing than academia...FOR HER. Knowing we are very similar in being a bit obsessive, anxious, and generally are perfectionists and such I'm hoping to find myself doing better once I can graduate.
It IS unfortunate that I have a mindset that is geared toward getting my education over with even going into my second semester but really I do believe it's understandable that I can't help but be burnt out.
But I've still got seven months so I'll have to try not to obsess about the end.Perhaps though I just need to get to the halfway point, it certainly helped last semester and I was much better after midterms. I can only hope it holds true again.
In other news, I'm struggling a bit with living alone, not in that it doesn't suit me but it's a bad point in my life to be isolated. Unfortunately it's a matter of self discipline to tear myself away from my work to be social and it's something I struggle with. Most have trouble doing their school work...I have trouble not doing it. Some days are better than others, it varies.
Overall I am fortunate to have what I do and am for the most part doing well. I do believe though that when I look back at grad school will only be with relief that it's behind me. The other day I did feel I was actually coming to have opinions and becoming more engaged with my text and professional debates and it was absolutely wonderful. However, it was fleeting and the workload soon consumed me and I lost that enjoyment.
Overall, though I've met some awesome people I just haven't got the balance with a healthy social life I was able to keep in undergraduate and that is truly unfortunate. Today I did manage to read less and relax more so it was a small victory. However I have crammed my backpack with reading to bring to school tomorrow to get done in a read-a-thon before class. I'm guessing from 9:30-2:30 I'll hide in the library and get amazing amounts of reading done.
At my most productive, I read an average of 50 pages an hour (with careful underlining and note taking and questions made in the margins), meaning I usually can get up to 300 pages done on each day on the weekend and 150-200 on weekdays. This past weekend I read from 600-700 and have probably gotten up to a total of 1,000 pages by today. It's an insane amount to be reading and very little can truly be engaged with but I have begun writing questions such as "Do I agree with this?" or "this doesn't agree with -other author- " so despite that I can go back and examine before class and have some critical thinking points bookmarked.
Ever heard of that quote from the Lovestory of J Alfred Prufrock?
"I have measured out my life with coffee spoons"
Yeah welll....
I have measured out my life in pagecounts"
Sigh.
I do wish blogger would let me add more than ten email addresses to send it out to though!
Anyway, last week I started my second semester at Pitt and though I had hoped to feel much less stressed this time around I am stepping into the same overworking habits that nearly destroyed me first semester. I have read much too much and been far too isolated for my first 11 days back.
I'm dismayed that although I know I can handle the courseload and that I made it through my first semester successfully I am still almost just as stressed and anxious. However, I do have a small amount more to worry about this semester as have taken on a field placement which is essentially a second internship.
I now go to the archives at the Heinz History Center once a week. While I've only been there once so far I'm generally nervous but forging ahead because it's positively ESSENTIAL to getting a job. It was not a matter of choice really. So I'm back to being a bit high strung and anxious in general. It's really a day by day battle. I think after this program though being away from academia will be a welcome change of scenery and perhaps even a necessary one.
I have a friend who commented recently about how the workplace is so much less anxiety inducing than academia...FOR HER. Knowing we are very similar in being a bit obsessive, anxious, and generally are perfectionists and such I'm hoping to find myself doing better once I can graduate.
It IS unfortunate that I have a mindset that is geared toward getting my education over with even going into my second semester but really I do believe it's understandable that I can't help but be burnt out.
But I've still got seven months so I'll have to try not to obsess about the end.Perhaps though I just need to get to the halfway point, it certainly helped last semester and I was much better after midterms. I can only hope it holds true again.
In other news, I'm struggling a bit with living alone, not in that it doesn't suit me but it's a bad point in my life to be isolated. Unfortunately it's a matter of self discipline to tear myself away from my work to be social and it's something I struggle with. Most have trouble doing their school work...I have trouble not doing it. Some days are better than others, it varies.
Overall I am fortunate to have what I do and am for the most part doing well. I do believe though that when I look back at grad school will only be with relief that it's behind me. The other day I did feel I was actually coming to have opinions and becoming more engaged with my text and professional debates and it was absolutely wonderful. However, it was fleeting and the workload soon consumed me and I lost that enjoyment.
Overall, though I've met some awesome people I just haven't got the balance with a healthy social life I was able to keep in undergraduate and that is truly unfortunate. Today I did manage to read less and relax more so it was a small victory. However I have crammed my backpack with reading to bring to school tomorrow to get done in a read-a-thon before class. I'm guessing from 9:30-2:30 I'll hide in the library and get amazing amounts of reading done.
At my most productive, I read an average of 50 pages an hour (with careful underlining and note taking and questions made in the margins), meaning I usually can get up to 300 pages done on each day on the weekend and 150-200 on weekdays. This past weekend I read from 600-700 and have probably gotten up to a total of 1,000 pages by today. It's an insane amount to be reading and very little can truly be engaged with but I have begun writing questions such as "Do I agree with this?" or "this doesn't agree with -other author- " so despite that I can go back and examine before class and have some critical thinking points bookmarked.
Ever heard of that quote from the Lovestory of J Alfred Prufrock?
"I have measured out my life with coffee spoons"
Yeah welll....
I have measured out my life in pagecounts"
Sigh.
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