Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn. Benjamin Franklin

Friday, May 16, 2014

Academics should stop moaning – university life has many perks

Academic work offers much more flexibility and freedom than other jobs    

theguardian.com, Friday 16 May 2014

Last month over coffee, a talented PhD student in my department asked me whether it was realistic for her to pursue an academic career, given that she wants to have children soon.
The relentless negativity she had been hearing from other postdocs was making her doubt her career choice. It felt like breaking an almighty taboo, but I told her that being a parent with young kids, and an academic, can actually make for a nice life.
Let's get the caveats out of the way. There are structural problems in the academic workplace, and as other contributors to the Academics Anonymous blog attest, many seem to be getting worse, not better.
These pressures are more pronounced in some universities, and I have no doubt got off lightly working in a series of Russell Group institutions. Even so, I still don't have a permanent post and don't expect one in the next few years, despite having finished my undergraduate degree more than a decade ago.

Read more......

No comments:

Post a Comment