Thursday, February 28, 2013

There's no going back!

Literally: my backspace key flew off during a frenzy of dissertation writing. Hours later, I have only succeeded in taking the entire back of the key-assembly apart, putting it back together, and failing to get it to stick to my keyboard again. Time for the gorilla glue? Anyway... back to writing my dissertation, only this time, very carefully.

Monday, February 18, 2013

Six years!

It's really hard to wrap my mind around the fact that I've been here at UNL for almost six years now. I've been getting a little nostalgic as my defense date and subsequent graduation gets closer and closer... Today, I'm dealing with this overload of emotions by cleaning my desk and tending to my poor Pothos plant (which I have nearly killed at least once a year).

The plant was an impulse buy during my first year, and it has survived admirably even under great duress.  I used to say that if I could keep this plant alive, I would make it through graduate school.  So far, so good.  I'm even considering starting some cuttings for some of my friends who aren't making graduating this year (but after I defend; I don't want to jinx anything by accidentally killing my plant after all).

Some of the interesting detritus on my desk right now is getting put into a "scan and toss" pile so that I can keep the happy notes, cartoons, and reminders from my friends without all the clutter.

As hard as it will be to say goodbye to Avery Hall, I'm excited to be moving on to a single-occupancy office where I can spread out my books, throw banana peels in the garbage (our office voted against this practice), and get a 20 minute catnap after lunch without having to check for office hours.  Oh, and my Pothos plant, Matsumura, will enjoy having room to spread out!  Because, you know, as long as I can keep this plant alive, I'm going to make it to tenure...

Friday, February 15, 2013

The Promising Syllabus


The Promising Syllabus - Advice - The Chronicle of Higher Education

I just accepted a job offer (first real job!), and now I'm really supposed to be finishing writing my dissertation, but instead I'm geeking out about all the fun things I want to do as a professor at a liberal arts school.  First and foremost, I want to make my syllabi awesome. Thus the link above.  Have any of you tried something new and different with a syllabus?  Especially in math?