This is late for halloween, but was inspired by a conversation with a good friend. I was expressing my sheer exhaustion with where I am in my diss and my prospects on the job market. I'm exhausted trying to write my diss, get it in an acceptable form, and do all the stuff I need to do to be competitive on the market. Considering I'm probably facing several years on the market, this means several years of this: frustrating, exhaustion, rejection, getting floored by the rejection, and picking my self back up off the floor. Now, if I could guarantee that I'd have a job at the end of it, great. It's the cost of getting a job. Like my sister's current grueling intern year. But instead it feels like I'm going to keep doing this with little likelihood of ever getting let into the Elite Club Ivory Tower. Anyway, it inspired some photoshopping.
Behold! An object that will strike terror into the heart of grads, post docs, and adjuncts alike! Behold the Grad School Treadmill of Doom!
A perfect addition to all grad school haunted houses. Hop on and prepare for 6, 8 10 years of grueling pounding! Chase those dreams (grants, research, TT job) and find them always just out of reach! Run through a graveyard of cancelled job searches, cancelled grants due to the budget crisis, rejection letters, dissertation outlines, and chapter drafts! And at the end of all of it, you're right back where you began!
This is actually a brilliant idea/theme for a Halloween party. The decorations alone would be awesome! Let's do this next year!
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