How was your semester?

[dodi1978]

I am finishing tomorrow (last class and last meetings), going on holiday on Friday!
So... submitted two papers (one today), wrote up most of report of major research project, ran the university's first MOOC, ran an extracurricular course for the university, taught three modules (not all sessions on each of them), coordinated a MA programme (only 7 students, so not tooo bad really), took a programme through pre-validation.

Needless to say, I am shattered. Add to this a three year old and six year old on altogether six sick days at home and two old cars constantly on the brink, I am ready for a holiday.

Bring on 2020. Preferably with less working till midnight....

Reading that made me tired! :)

Brain too full. I'm not even sure what I did. It was a lot. No papers finished, but a lot of proposals - and some small, internal ones succesful. Still waiting to hear on big external ones. Lots of admin. Chaired a few meetings. Started a new postgrad. Still have major exam marking to come - expecting it tomorrow morning, and I'm planning to see I can push through and do it all before the weekend and then just take off!

Are you in the US? I thought we called them “terms”?

Family I think there are very few universities left who have terms instead of semesters and it’s been like that for a long time. I still call it term sometimes though but it’s definitely a semester where I work.

I submitted three grants, found out I’d won two I submitted in the spring and started spending on them immediately... supervised two MSc students in the lab as well as my PhDers... started as secretary of a group associated with my national body... joined an editorial board. Reviewed five papers. Submitted two new ethics applications which were approved.

Now I am writing a paper and that’s all I have to do until January 9th 🙂

I think there are very few universities left who have terms instead of semesters and it’s been like that for a long time.

DS is at uni and calls them terms.

He might do, but almost every university officially calls them semesters.

Family I presume you don’t work at a university then. This section of the site is mainly populated by academics so any posts will inevitably contain university-jargon, including the word semester rather than term. Some of my students call seminars lessons too 🤷‍♀️

Newcastle University switched from terms to semesters in 1994...I don't know of any universities that operate under the old 3 terms system.

Oxford and Cambridge have three terms.

Technically Durham has terms too, although the third term is a bit pointless as far as I understand. Everywhere I've worked (in the UK) is now on semester systems!

It's been a long, very tiring one for me. I am finding it very hard to summon up enthusiasm for anything right now, and (as a precarious ecr) the likelihood of having to restart applications soon isn't helping much. Sigh. Hopefully some time off over the break helps.

We refer to Term 1, Term 2 teaching, I have a horrible feeling we also have semesters but no-one knows when they are (RG uni).

We have three terms split over two semesters!