The new academic year is upon us and we have resumed normal activities: developing courses, revising syllabi, faculty meetings, advising students, and of course, catching up on research projects we didn’t complete this summers.
We are experts now on navigating teaching, research, and service. The Big Three is etched into our academic brains early in our careers as our mentors advised us to ensure favorable teaching evaluations and publish our asses off.
What we aren’t so good at is those other unmentionables in academia. Academia didn’t prep us on how to navigate the things that fall outside this big three. What do I mean? Well I’ve created a list of academic requirements that we have to better navigate to ensure survival. The name of the game this year (and every other year) is self-care. In order for us to cope, deal, survive, grow, exist (whatever you have to do to thrive in academia), we must take an affirmative stand to protect our time and ourselves. It’s the name of the game that we’ve been given and this is how we play.
- I will NOT say YES to everything
- I will prioritize my research and publish
- I will not pop off in (every) faculty meeting
- I will close my office door more often
- I won’t take on every student project
- I have a mentor but I also need an advocate
- I will develop and rely on a support team to help me make academic decisions
- I will NOT let rejections determine my value
- I must be prepared for alternate paths – academia may not be it
- I can say NO
And this list is for those who made it through round 1 (completing the dissertation), round 2 (getting the job), and round 3 (making it the first year). Many of us haven’t even made it to round 12 (tenure). But no matter what round you’re in, the name of the game at every turn is “self-care.”
We often look to our corners for support and guidance, so please contribute to this conversation to help our communities survive academia.
What’s your #AcademicYearResolution?
