MEMEHUNTER

Nonproductive

It's no good.

I was meant to end today with at least 2000 words of my project written. What have I got so far?
381 words of w a n k.

Ah well.

I'm just not feeling the urgency here. Have to come up with at least 10 000 words by the end of the month. Ah well. If I head to the lab tomorrow morning, at least I can write up the stats section and the methodology. I've got 3000 words of an introduction that needs to be tinkered with. So by monday (hopefully) will have ... er... somewhere around 5000 words, I guess. Leaving 5000 words of discussion? Hmm. What's to discuss? It works. End of.

Sigh.

Chatting to various pg types yesterday. One who thinks that academia is not for her at all. She spoke about academia as if it were something she'd be involved in later. Hmm. She said she'd rather own a travel company and a coffee shop. Fair enough I guess. The other phd stude there said she loved the research but hated what she kept referring to as "the politics". They both went on about it. On and on and on.

Now. First off, show me a career path that does not involve "politics". Show me, in fact, any way of grouping humans together that does not require them to behave politically. It's a game, yes, and among academics it's a strange one because you are dealing with MASSIVE egos and people who are not entirely *normal*, but you have to play. Even choosing not to play is a strategy.

This is the thing: you cannot help but play.

She kept saying how she didn't want to kiss arse... how she didn't want to have to tell people she loved their work when they thought it was rubbish. Personally, I don't see the need to do that. If someone is renowned for something, you treat them with respect. This involves being polite and attempting not to wade in with "your theory SUCKS". I mean, that's just rude.

At the end of the day, people need people. We're social beasts. You have to play.

Sigh.

It annoys me when people say they refuse to play games they are manifestly playing.

So the world of academia turns out to be a world of networks and nepotism... are we surprised? What world isn't?

Hmm.

So I ordered a new phone on Friday.

Should be here on Monday, hoorah! Strange story: went to Orange shop in Dundee, was told I could get £50 off the phone I wanted if I took an 18 month contract, but couldn't upgrade till next week. Then was in London and was told that no, honey, they couldn't do that. Then was back here and phoned Orange and said I wanted the phone but could we bring the price down?
"yes," she said, "you can have that for free"

I mean...
... what?

posted by Memehunter @ 5:24 PM