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Know what’s super-fun?
Posted by on April 21, 2010
When you’re running a lab exam tomorrow, and have lovingly created two challenging yet fair and thoughful versions of the exam, and the Prof in charge of the course (but who has not stepped foot in the lab since Day 1) decides the exam “asks too much of the students (i.e. it’s too long)” at 3:00pm the day before the exam, and you have to create two new SUPER-BORING exams to satisfy said Prof, and then the other TA who was supposed to be helping you calls at 3:30pm to say a) he’s not coming in that day, b) his wife is going into labour so he will not be in the day of the exam either, therefore, c) he cannot help with revisions to the exams nor the exam setup, and then you frantically run down to the lab and start pulling out and fiddling with microscopes and slides and labels and buckets of wet specimens, then stay up past your intended bedtime polishing up the new exams, with the understanding that you will be BACK in the lab ridonculously early to do dissections and set up all the wet stuff and
AUGH
I’m going to bed.
That takes me back. I remember having easy, carefree days like that before I decided to go to work for the U.S. Government. I miss having a lab. Well, enjoy these days while you can.
That was sarcasm, right?
Ha. I generally can’t complain…the past 48 hours have been nutso, but it sure as heck beats working for the Feds. Been there, done that, got the ulcer.
That does *not* sound super-fun. It’s a good thing you’re a super-woman though!
I’ve survived. Three exam rotations completed, 120 exams to mark. Phew. I plan to sip beer and grade papers on my deck tomorrow afternoon.
Hope you got some rest, C.
Eventually, yes. Not as much as I would have liked, but I’ll make it. The exams went well, despite the last-minute-ness, and the students were well-served in the end, which is the important thing. I’m going to bed early today, and did not do a lick of work this evening. My brain has not yet shut off, though…I do believe I will be dreaming of dissections and microscopes tonight, sigh.
You’re the backbone of a broken, corrupted academic system, you and your fellow grad students. Take a nap, then organize a strike.
Awwwwww, it’s not that bad (it’s certainly not as bad as working for the government, anyway, yeesh!) It’s over, and according to my calculations, the TA who bailed on me (albeit for legitimate reasons) owes me a case of beer. Plus, the absentee Prof said today that he wants me back next year. That = money (albeit a pittance) and experience. It’s win-win, really.
That sucks! I’ve never had that happen to me and it’s looking likely I will become a prof myself before it ever will, thank goodness. Ah, the joys of being completely under the control of another person’s whims…
Yep, super-fun. Not. Looks like I’ll be running the lab again next winter…this time I hope to work WITH the prof AHEAD of time to exert a little influence on how things play out over the semester.