#quill studies

[quill-reads-books]

1.22.2018 Spending a grey and rainy day at a library, making note of all the things that didn't work. My advisor likes to say that the struggle for the thesis is the thesis. It feels strange to be writing about "failure" but it is giving me some perspective on just how much work I've actually done to get to this point.

[quill-reads-books]

Winter holidays are officially over. Back to work...

[quill-reads-books]

On stepping away from studying and a change of pace for the blog

So this summer should be my last as a graduate student.

Assuming I manage to complete my thesis and survive one last course, I’ll be done my master’s degree.

I’ve imagined for most of my life that I would get a doctorate, but a lot of thinking and self-reflecting has shown me that this isn’t the right path for me. I adore the gradblr community, and every week I see someone else’s research which makes me want to dive back in to a project of my own. It’s taken a lot to admit to myself that this isn’t the path I want to take.

Over the next few months as I wrap up my studies, this blog will shift away from a studyblr/gradblr, and more toward a booklr with splashes of writing and bookbinding. I haven’t been able to keep up my fiction writing while in school, and it’s the one thing I look forward to getting back to. There will still be original book photo posts and eventually they will be joined by posts on writing and various projects as I set up shop for bookbinding.

If this isn’t your cup of tea, then I thank you for sharing the journey so far with me. If you stick around for whatever comes next, then thank you for coming along for the ride.

[quill-reads-books]

Gradblr Challenge - Day 12

It’s been a rough week.

Three nights in a row of less than 5 hours sleep is not a good thing. I’ve survived all the “extra” presentations I had to do this term and am now staring down two papers (one which i put off from last week, and another due in April).

I cancelled my volunteer session today because I’m not feeling well, and my day was split between catching up on cleaning (most of the dishes are done! three weeks of laundry is washed and folded! the bathroom is vacuumed!), and on being completely exhausted and falling asleep at my desk. I also took a minute to set up my journal for next week because I have a busy weekend ahead of me.

I want to start on the paper tonight, but I honestly don’t know if I’ll be able to.

[quill-reads-books]

Gradblr Challenge - Day 10

Today was taken up mostly by class. A guest lecture from a late-ish career archivist who gave some wonderful insight to the realities of appraisal and the factors that go into that decision (especially on how to consider access and discoverability in the process).

I am also currently preparing for a lecture tomorrow where I get to teach for half an hour! My program doesn’t really have any TA opportunities for the Masters level students, so this is very exciting. I’m planning on spending my night with my notes, powerpoint, a stack of books, and some tea.

A kind of observation... I tend to be really hard on myself in that I de-value the work that I do. I feel like I’m standing still right now and everything is just piling up on me. But objectively, I presented at a conference and professors are still paying complements to my advisor four days later. I took 8 full pages of notes on and did a complete inventory (item level!!) of three boxes of archival materials yesterday. Even if it doesn’t feel like it, I am getting things done and I am doing work. I just have to keep reminding myself of that! (Anyone else have trouble feeling a sense of accomplishment? any tips on how you manage it?)

[quill-reads-books]

Gradblr Challenge Day 9 (recap)

Spent 2 hours in the media commons today, going through three boxes of archival material to be processes for accessioning. Our appraisal class had the option of using real materials to develop our final paper (an appraisal plan), and it was fascinating going through everything. I started the dishes, but didn't get through them all. After the two hours, I felt very weak and unfocused. I might be having energy problems again. I didn't get through nearly as much as I hoped, but I did all the necessary things at least. Sometimes, that's victory enough. Thank you all for your kind words for day 8. They really do help.

[quill-reads-books]

Gradblr Challenge - Day 8

Today’s been kind of rough for me. Saw my partner off to the airport as he heads home to teach for the rest of term, and then turned my attention to the paper I have to do, only to be hit with a nice wall of anxiety. Sigh. Completed tasks today:

Emailed my advisor about pulling the books I need for my lecture on Thursday

Finished gathering and reading sources for this paper (sub point: practiced my French, as most of the articles weren’t in English)

Made a general outline of the paper

Updated my bullet journal with new tasks

Registered for a video preservation workshop

Still to do:

Dishes (omg just do them already)

Add detail to the paper outline

Make the works cited list for the paper

[quill-reads-books]

Gradblr Challenge - Week 1 recap

I’m jumping in a bit late, but it’s for productive reasons at least.

Last week, I presented at my school’s Graduate Conference as part of a panel on current thesis research. I kept putting off preparation going, “It’s not till March!” Of course, I realized rather abruptly that it was March now, and oh crap the conference is the second weekend, not the third... Fortunately, it went well. Despite not telling my advisor I was selected, he was still there to see the panel, and was pleased with my work. So all things considered, I’m happy with the week’s worth of work I put into it, and with the results.

This week I have to catch up on too many things to count... Today’s list: - research, outline and draft a 6-8 page paper - organize weekly tasks in my journal so I don’t forget anything - wash the dishes, goddamnit