Getting ready for our daughters' 6th birthday party: preparing a guest list...choosing a theme...strolling the aisles at the big party supply super stores...getting colored paper bags for 30 cents each and little goodies to fill them with---
When it occurred to me: Why don't more interactions, events and activities in the adult world come with "goodie bags"? Everybody likes a goodie bag, yes? They do not necessarily have to be the extravagant things handed out to celebs at awards shows. Just a simple sack with a few simple things.
Well, one adult activity that should definitely involve goodie bags is graduate work. Remember when you were admitted to your graduate program? Before I arrived I got several goodie bags--well, they were actually thick, padded envelopes, but the concept was similar. One was from the technology center, with bookmarks and a magnet and pamphlets and a CD-ROM with Internet downloadables. Another was from the department and contained maps of campus, bookmarks (what was with the bookmarks?), and lots of information about orientation. Once I arrived I got a goodie bag from the new second years (and I think this time it was an actual bag) with a pen and mug and a gift certificate to a local eatery and some other stuff (probably a bookmark or two).
But since then. No goodie bags.
Well, I think that's just a shame. All the expansive grad school reform efforts aside, improving the graduate school experience would be greatly facilitated simply by instituting the ritual of Goodie Bag Giving (GBG). This is especially so, I think, for ABD folks like me struggling with the uncertainty, isolation, and lack of continual reinforcement of dissertation work and with the fears of the much dreaded What Comes Next.
Well, I'm going to do my part today by handing out a Virtual Dissertators' Goodie Bag! Contents:
The Academic Coach's IHE piece on overcoming cycles of procrastination--In fact, do NOT just read this one. Print out several copies and post them in key places in your living environment (home and office work spaces, bathroom mirror, refrigerator door...)The dissertation handout from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Writing Center
From the Career Services Center of the University of California, San Diego, Prepare for the Non-Academic Job Market--Seems to me that many of these tips work just as well if you are looking to find an academic job in your own field, as well as an academic job outside of your field
Your own, personalized calendar and planner, from D*I*Y* Planner--You know, it's interesting: I love technology (Toys for adults? Who wouldn't love that?) and for a while had a shiny, fancy PDA. But after one too many syncs-gone-wrong and battery charge mishaps, I went back to my good old paper/pen/highlighter system.
Finally, why wait until graduation to buy your diploma frame? I'm gonna buy one of these and hang it--sans diploma--right in my home office. Every time I feel lost I will look up at it and remember my goal.
If you are not satisfied with this particular goodie bag, drop me an email and I'll be happy to send you one from my daughters' party (valued at approximately $3.00). Happy Dissertating!
Posted by perry032 at March 2, 2006 10:17 AM | TrackBackAwwww shucks...
May I add a a tidbit to the goodie bag?
Here's my collected list of web resources. There's lot to choose from (although the list needs updating because it is about 2 years old - please send suggestions if you know of more goodies.)
hmmm... the link didn't want to work.
here's the url in non-linking form:
http://www.successfulacademic.com/Related_sites2.htm