For various reasons I don't usually post about work here, although I might start - maybe it'll make it more interesting to read, who knows. I did write about the grant that is unofficially funded, which is a big success, and that's nice. I've been reading a few other academic blogs recently, mainly when my favourite other parenting blogs haven't been updated and I want something to read. Female Science Professor is really good, although discussions of tenure and whatnot are obviously more oriented to the American scene than the UK one. There was recently some stuff about how to handle it when one has an "unproductive" student or postdoc -- in particular, one should not blame these individuals for one's potentially weak tenure file, for example, as most faculty have dealt with this in one way or another over the years. I am extremely lucky with my PhD students so far; all are variously hard-working, creative, good programmers, good writers, and so on, to differing degrees in each, and with different personal styles, of course.
The one thing they really have in common?
They are too cold. One ran into A- late the other evening and explained that it's warmer at work; she doesn't control the heat in her apartment and it's too cold. Especially in the mornings, it's very cold, because it's only on for a little while, so she has to get up and out pretty fast. Another said you can always see your breath in her flat. And a third said she bought a little heater, so now she'd like to work at home more, because it's cold at her desk. How am I supposed to be so productive, to involve my students in more publications and projects, when the temperature of the spaces around them effectively controls where they spend their time? This country is crazy, I tell you. People work with toques on in our library, and scarves too. The wind blows the papers around on my desk. Nothing has insulation. Every year, people explain that we are really not set up for winter here, as it doesn't happen often - but in fact, it does happen approximately every 12 months. And it makes the students too cold.
2 comments:
After my brief visit to the UK in what could arguably be called Spring (or late winter I guess) I have come to believe that the British conquered island nations and the rest of the world only to find a place that was warm.
:) Yeah. The thing is, it's really not all that cold outside, compared to lots of places anyway -- maybe -3C. It's really *inside* that's so different. I never fully appreciated central heating, and especially thermostats, before I moved here. Not exactly 21st century technology.
Post a Comment