Academics Chat Thread

[LRDtheFeministDragon]

I believe the old Chat thread has fallen off the front page of this section, and I thought it might be time to reinstate it. I know it's only sporadically useful, but sometimes it's nice, right?

I am a lowly postdoctoral English Lit type. Finished my PhD in 2014, teaching associate for a couple of years, and now part-time while DD is a baby. I'm currently working frantically to get my book manuscript to the publisher by my deadline (October), and also trying to regain enthusiasm for the job market.

Who else is lurking around here?

What secret FB group. I wanna know it....feeling excluded! Do you need to be invited...

Maybe ask your RL female academic colleagues if they're members

Ooh can you pm me borchester? I'm not in the uk so my colleagues are unlikely to be members.

I'm really sorry - I can't. Because of trolling, new members can only be introduced by people who know them. But google "Women in Academia Support Network"

OK no worries. I think my sister might be a member actually now I see the name.

Borchester - although, if there are international candidates, they may not realise the speed of the UK system. I interviewed on a Friday and was offered the job the following Monday - in the US, the process of interviewing all candidates usually takes ~2 months (1 a week for a few weeks, sometimes skipping a week, for 4-6 candidates), and then more time for all the committees for deciding, so it was an absolute shock to get an offer so fast. I had several interviews already lined up over the coming months, and made them wait until I had been to at least one!

Yeah, Fluctuat, my guess is that you are 'reserve'.

I didn't get the internal post. I've got a meeting with the Dean lined up for feedback - oof. Hope that isn't too painful. Right now I feel like I won't get all fired up over another one of these - hard to not get it two years in a row. But I guess I can't tell until I see what comes around.

Where I am you get a call the same day, but a friend in Germzny told me it takes months to filter through the system there.

Yes, the first chair I was offered, the call came the next morning after interview. It's often a surprise to US candidates how quickly we make decisions here in the UK.

I don't suppose on the off-chance anyone is going to the British Library / Bodleian / SOAS / Trinity Dollege Dublin library in the next few days? I could really do with a quick reference check on a book that's not available here and would take months to get here via international ILL. Happy to bung you / your favourite charity a fiver for the trouble.

This is very sad: www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/university-tutor-died-after-silently-14751533#ICID=sharebar_facebook

I saw that news too flucuat. Beyond sad.

fluct I can help with your ref. Either tomorrow in soas or next week after Monday

Sorry to gate crash but I am in Bloomsbury tomorrow and have a SOAS card so can look up your reference if you PM me, unless you have it already.

Yoga that would be great, I'll send you a PM. Mercedes it would be great as well but don't make a special trip on my behalf, only if you're already going to the library.

fluct cool no probs. I should be able to do it today (unless it's off-site!)

Thanks yoga you're a doll.

BTW there's a great gap in the market here. You could have an app that pairs researchers going to a library and people needing a quick check on something there. You could even tie it to a charity donation. It would be much quicker and easier than inter-library loans and emailing librarians for help. Anyone know any academic-friendly app developers?

Yes, ha ha. Altho might have to run it by the libraries. If it was commercial they might see it as directing ££ away from them. Maybe with a cap. So 3 turns per person, otherwise they'd better get library membership

I found the book. Can't send attachments via mumsnet msging but can attach the pics here (if people don't mind the hijack) or open a thread just for you. Or pm me a number and I can whassap the scan

I am here, but looks like you are sorted. I am here lots so should the need arise.

That's great Mercedes, I'll bear it in mind for future reference. Yoga, did you get the PM with my email? My internet was playing up yesterday so I'm not sure it went through.

fluct I did yes. I didn't send til late in the end but should be with you. Let me know. Multiple attachments (there is a lot of front matter on that book!) so might be slow to open. Can break down and resend if needed.

How's everyone doing? Lovely to see us helping each other!

Our marking and stuff is over, and I'm in that period when my brain said "I'll have time to do X" (and Y and Z and B and C and Q and R... you may see my problem...). And I'm overloaded because all the stuff I put off is now due!

Child will also soon be off school - this will be the first time she's been home full-time for more than a week for several years now. Starting to get the fear of the summer holidays. Looked into holiday clubs, but they are all ones I and not DH would need to do pick-up/drop-off due to location, and would thus make cramming all my academic work into less than time than she's there very difficult (e.g., drop off at 9am and pick up at 5pm - I can't work just 9:30-4:30 each day!). So she'll be home with DH. I hope he survives.

A bigup for Yoga whose help has let me send an article off just now, hurrah!

I have The Fear of this summer too. We're having our kitchen redone in July so will basically have to move out for the month. I will get NOTHING done, then in August we're on holiday. Slight (major) argh. Kids at an age where they need constant wrangling.

Woohoo invigilated my last set of exams today, nearly the holidays!

I realise this is of very little interest to anyone but me but I asked for an update on when I might expect to hear back from my interview and it turns out there is a very specific administrative reason for the delay. So the fat lady hasn't quite sung yet.