Back to school frenzy begins
This week I am in back to school frenzy full steam ahead no
stops. That’s usual for most parents but doubly true for those who also work at
universities. They, the kids, go back Sept. 5th and though my
classes start two days later in the meantime I have to meet and greet our new
graduate students who are just settling in. I also have to meet with the
ongoing students and discuss their summer research progress. During these chats
I often have to pretend not to notice who did or did not complete a marathon, begin
and end a torrid relationship, spend far too many hours on the patio at the
local pub, etc cte. Being a last minute sort myself it also means a panicky
review of my own summer research to do list as I try to at least cross a couple
more items off. Then there are the haircuts, eye appointments, doctor’s
appointments etc as my schedule pretty much forbids these things during the
teaching term. I used to wait until term had settled in to take care of my own
appointments but I found that students don’t react well to radical appearance
changes mid-term. They are fine with pink hair (or red or purple, whatever) as
long as you start with that colour.
An aside: I’ve been
debating and defending my decision to favour wild hair colours recently and I
think I have discovered the source of some peoples’ discomfort. Older friends,
some of my dear feminist friends, think that women should age naturally. And
for the most part. I agree. I will give Botox a miss, thank you. But I have been
colouring my hair for fun since I was a teenager. I don’t think I even know my
natural hair colour. Brown, I suppose. True it’s now more grey than brown but I
am not sure I need to stop because it’s grey, do I? At any rate I have decided that it would be
too weird to stop now. Besides I am still having fun. When it gets boring or
tedious, then I’ll stop.
Students are also not fans of serious haircuts mid-semester
and who can blame them really. They’ve just figured who their professors are,
where their classes are and what everyone looks like and then you go and
confuse them. Best not. For a few years I was a fan of the annual haircut, not
something women working in most places can get away with, but I some days think
I got a PhD just to avoid some of those appearance related demands, pantyhose
for example, ugh. I also need new glasses. I am shopping for new glasses right
now with only 11 days left before start of term. The pressure is on. I am also
working on my fall schedule. The fixed chunks are there—class times, meetings
with grad students, department talks, many many meetings—but I also trying to
schedule some time with friends, exercise time, family time. Used to think
scheduled fun was an oxymoron but as a busy person with lots of people and
interests in my life, the schedule helps. Also I find if I don’t begin term
with certain activities scheduled in, they don’t happen. I am a creature of
habit. If I start the first week of term swimming two nights a week, so it
continues. If I don’t, the very idea is doomed. Ditto fun.
So for academics—students and faculty–September is the
month for resolutions. We’ll leave January 1st to everyone else. But
more on my resolutions later. Right now I have to finish a course outline.
