http://greengabbro.net/2002/02/21/academic-angst/ rock out to the apparatus Tue, 06 Jan 2009 09:21:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 http://greengabbro.net/2002/02/21/academic-angst/#comment-257 yami Wed, 03 Jul 2002 15:57:00 +0000 http://greengabbro.net/2002/02/21/academic-angst/#comment-257 I can work alone - I can't work alone, always. Bah humbug! I can work alone - I can’t work alone, always.
Bah humbug!

]]> http://greengabbro.net/2002/02/21/academic-angst/#comment-256 des Wed, 03 Jul 2002 15:55:00 +0000 http://greengabbro.net/2002/02/21/academic-angst/#comment-256 [guilt-assuaging backtrack mode: ON] Glurp! It's the nature of specialisation that fewer and fewer people understand what you do. It's practically the definition of original research that noone (including you) knows what's going on. If you like the subject (Pow!) and you want to expand the frontiers of knowledge (corny, but still true), you have to put up with this (Zoof!). Research groups can be social up to a point (maths is probably worst for that, and even then my group is pretty cool), but you do need to be able to work alone. Zing! The main difference is that we expect research to be slow: groping (Slap!) your way along is natural. It's the whizzing (Vrooom! Nyeeeow!) through mostly pre-masticated problem sets that's artificial. Personally (Ker-Zam!), I'm just in it for the post-seminar tea and cakes. And remember: It's Still February. [guilt-assuaging backtrack mode: ON]
Glurp! It’s the nature of specialisation that fewer and fewer people understand what you do. It’s practically the definition of original research that noone (including you) knows what’s going on.
If you like the subject (Pow!) and you want to expand the frontiers of knowledge (corny, but still true), you have to put up with this (Zoof!).
Research groups can be social up to a point (maths is probably worst for that, and even then my group is pretty cool), but you do need to be able to work alone.
Zing! The main difference is that we expect research to be slow: groping (Slap!) your way along is natural. It’s the whizzing (Vrooom! Nyeeeow!) through mostly pre-masticated problem sets that’s artificial.
Personally (Ker-Zam!), I’m just in it for the post-seminar tea and cakes.
And remember: It’s Still February.

]]> http://greengabbro.net/2002/02/21/academic-angst/#comment-255 Tinka Wed, 03 Jul 2002 15:53:00 +0000 http://greengabbro.net/2002/02/21/academic-angst/#comment-255 It's the loneliness which is the hardest for me, really. I am quite sociable despite appearances. It can get awfully lonely sitting on your own for years writing about things nobody else cares about. On the other hand, I enjoy working on my own. I like solitude too. Hmmm.. it's a funny old world, really. It’s the loneliness which is the hardest for me, really. I am quite sociable despite appearances. It can get awfully lonely sitting on your own for years writing about things nobody else cares about. On the other hand, I enjoy working on my own. I like solitude too. Hmmm.. it’s a funny old world, really.

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