Kathryn VanArendonk: overhearing an enthusiastic young person in this coffee shop musing about how nice it might be to go to grad school, doing my best not to appear suddenly next to their table like the ghost of grad school future

overhearing an enthusiastic young person in this coffee shop musing about how nice it might be to go to grad school, doing my best not to appear suddenly next to their table like the ghost of grad school future

I used to do this regularly but no one listened so I’ve switched to reassuring people that there is life after leaving the academy.

this is much more helpful in my experience!

Yeah, I wouldn’t have listened to me either. Exceptionalism is a hell of a drug and some people still do make happy careers for themselves (I guess?). I will say my grad school once invited me to speak about “alt-ac” careers and they never invited me back bc I was too effective. 😌

oh my god I have also given alt-ac talks and it is WILD. i usually start with how weird it is to frame them as "alt ac" at all, with academia as a default and *the entire rest of the world* presented as some kind of lower class tier for failures

Yes, this is part of why I was not asked back. The other part was that I said things like, “I remember attending meetings like this with my whole heart on the line and being told how to readjust my CV. Instead I’m telling you there is no safety anywhere so do the risky thing you really want to do.”

And also things like, “Leaving a professional identity behind is very difficult. I know when I did it my heart was thoroughly broken. I hope you can build time to grieve into whatever plans you make.”

During my first year of grad school I was at a party in NYC and a guy tried to do this for me, warning me of the evils yet to come. It didn't work, but I do wonder if sometime in the future I will get access to a time machine.

I’ve thought about going to grad school because I’m in a bit of a rut and so many adults have very loudly told me not to lol

those adults are trying to save you!!

Haha I know I know but I still romanticize grad school but I won’t go lol

look: i have been there!! i get it

I always think about the scene from the Simpsons after Bart cut off a student's ponytail

The self control this takes

If I had known the job market for humanities when I went for a cinema studies phd I would have saved myself 10 years and not finishing!!

Some cliffs you need to free fall off of for yourself

I have a standing offer out to anyone who's thinking about going to grad school that if needed I will yell at them (and their parents) until they stop thinking about going to grad school

That this conversation keeps popping up is saving my life. From time to time I think I might want to go to grad school. Then someone talks about academic abuse.

Do it.

just drop some "If it weren't for my horse..." on 'em youtu.be/73GKhOwhPzs?...

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