The End of My Second Year of My PhD Program*

*Almost
So my week has ended better than it began, but that wouldn't be hard barring alien attack from the sky.
Tuesday I had my last of one of my classes, saw grad students not doing their work in action, and had another person try to lecture me on my dissertation topic (HULK SMASH), but the professor's feedback was helpful and that will be a short revision process.
And since that's a good chunk of the culminating chapter of my dissertation, so that's good.

I spent what little time I had on Tuesday between teaching and that class, revising my #OldEnglishDevil conference paper. And I have nothing to really say about that other than it's done, and I can now spend today and tomorrow finishing the actual article revisions. I'm only on page eight of thirty (so far) and still have four additional books to read, so...

At least the revisions seem reasonable at this point, which is a lot more than I can say that I felt on Monday. 

The final draft of this paper is due by noon Monday, and the Milton paper by Tuesday night, so it'll be a busy five days of revision, but it will also just be me sitting at my desk pounding it out, so it'll be fine.
This has been a busy year, and these last couple of weeks have been rough. Trying to complete a PhD in record time is not easy. And as I've said before, doing it without a safety net and support system is harder.
I'm trying to make my life easier for next semester though.
I will not be the Core Writing Coordinator again. So I will just have to teach my two classes, and only hold office hours for that.
I'm not on any committees, I'm not volunteering for anything, if it's not the #DevilDiss or job market prep I'm not doing it.
I'm finishing my language requirement (Old English) with an independent study, which I plan on working ahead on this summer so the beginning of the semester with job materials being due, is as easy as I can make it.
I am enrolled in a pre-semester Job Seekers Workshop in August so all my job market materials will be prepped, vetted, and ready to go as soon as the job list hits in September.

I'm not getting roped into stuff.
I'm learning to walk away.
Say no.
Because there's no one looking out for me other than me.

But I first I have to finish THIS semester. I was hoping to be finished with course papers this week, so next week I could focus on adding the secondary sources to CH 2 of the dissertation, and fleshing out the methodology/introduction/how to read for my director.

But then I was told I have to hold office hours next week.

And at least Monday and Tuesday are now for revision of final papers.

And Wednesday will be spent grading final projects and posting grades.

So it'll be Thursday and Friday before my dissertation work gets done. And after all my work this semester, there's more additions to be done than I thought (but all really good stuff, so that's okay). But my director said she won't get to it until June, so that's okay too.

Originally the week after the semester ended was going to be my treat to myself for a hard semester/year- I was going to take it off, read Nora Roberts, sit in the sun, and not do anything. But now I have a meeting for a class class, and I have an article revision due, so that week will have to get pushed again. At least I know I'm not alone in pushing my personal-me time for other things.

But I will take it. Because I desperately needed. But I also hate that I'm moving the goal post on myself. 

I have a long list of summer projects-

I want to write an article on demonizing Others in turn of the century dime novels, spending some quality time at the Center for Southwest Research.

I need to expand chapter three- The Absence of Devils in Shakespeare from conference paper to actual dissertation chapter. I'm thinking too about changing the title to Dramatic Devil, but that seems to indicate that drama will only be there, and the first two survey chapters cover all genres, so we'll see.

I also need to research where the devil appears in 16th century pamphlets and write chapter four.

I need to expand the Milton article version into the dissertation chapter by adding references to the rest of the dissertation.

I also (at some point this summer) will get the notes back on my prospectus and can revise that and then make it my introduction and write my conclusion.

All that dissertation work will go to director in August, and she'll give me notes on chapters one and two, so a switch- I'll revise as she reads, then switch again.

So a busy summer. But after this semester, frankly, I'm looking forward to just staying home. Being along, playing with Nehi, and working.

I've kind of had it with people at this point, and desperately need the time by myself to recharge.

So here's to there being an end in sight, the end of another successful semester, and if nothing else, the second year of my PhD program is in the bag*.

*almost