Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #AAUWAsks
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A6 #AAUWAsks I have so much to say on this one! First: You are more than academia. Being an academic is just one part of who you are. It’s important to maintain interests, social life & relationships outside of work!
A6 #AAUWAsks This is especially true for women of color, queer folks, & disabled folks: academia was not made for us & though our presence transforms it slowly, it can also wear on us, often being the only woman/POC/queer/disabled person in a room.
A5 Afrofuturism writes black folks & other marginalized groups into the future. In my book I argue black women writers of speculative fiction reimagine the meaning of the term disability, esp in relationship to race & gender. #AAUWAsks
A5 #AAUWAsks For instance, in @OctaviaEButler’s Kindred, Dana’s lost arm is the result of time travel, but her amputation (as well as her scarred back) also remind us of the disabling effect of anti-black violence in the antebellum period...& suggests we can’t escape that legacy.
A5 #AAUWAsks Other examples include thinking about how technology is developed, for what purpose & for whom? Who benefits & who does not? Afrofuturism forces us to think about racial & other power dynamics of future tech, esp medical tech. That’s ultimately about (dis)ability.
A4 #AAUWAsks Job market prep starts long before any applications! Summer is a good time to try to get a publication ready to submit. Since things slow down, it’s also a good time to follow up with potential mentors or collaborators you met at conferences during the year.
A4 #AAUWAsks For humanities folks, the UPenn English CFP site is a great place to find calls for papers & presentations. If you’re dissertating, writing should be your focus but it doesn’t hurt to start thinking about which chapter would make an ideal job talk.
A3 #AAUWAsks I wish I had known to make a long term plan that first summer, particularly making a list of all the deadlines for fellowships & grants in the fall. I highly recommend folks map out their coursework & comps timeline too.
A3 #AAUWAsks I also recommend new grad students take time to meet with peer mentors (folks ahead of you in the same program) to get insight into college/university/department specific opportunities you should be prepared to apply for in the future.
A3 #AAUWAsks I’ll also add that finishing your first year as a PhD student is a big deal. Summer is a good time to assess how that first year went, check in with yourself to ensure this is what you want to do & do things that remind you you’re a whole human not just a student!
A3 #AAUWAsks The biggest challenge of summer for me is the lack of immediate deadlines & accountability. With teaching, classes must be prepped each week but in summer it’s easier to put things off.
A3 #AAUWAsks Setting reasonable daily or weekly goals is a good way to keep up the pace w/out getting overwhelmed. Having an accountability partner helps too—you can do video, voice, e-mail or text weekly check-ins.
A3 #AAUWAsks Of course for folks who are parents, having kids home may be the biggest challenge!
A2 #AAUWAsks I’ve used summers to travel to archives for extended periods of time, to write & revise, to attend professional development events & to make long term plans.
A2 #AAUWAsks As a dissertating grad student I found @ncfdd’s Every Summer Needs a Plan workshop incredibly helpful. As an early career TT faculty member I benefitted from Duke’s SITPA program. This summer I’m renting a beach house with colleagues to do a 4 day writing retreat.
A2 #AAUWAsks Making plans that incorporate fun & relaxation in addition to work is also a key way to prevent burnout in my experience. Summer helps me remember what I love about research & being an academic.
