Buried and Resurrected!

BentonGrey · October 17, 2011, 11:49:01 PM

Howdy guys. Things are getting a bit overwhelming in the Grey household, and I haven't been as active on the forums for the past few weeks as I would have liked. I thought I'd post a message letting y'all know what was going on. The wife and I are both fine, but we're definitely feeling more than a little stressed these days. She's applying for jobs, and I'm working up the nerve to apply to doctoral programs and do about a thousand other things. My wife is teaching as she's applying, and is feeling a bit overworked trying to balance everything. I myself have four classes, revisions of my thesis, and grad school applications to juggle. On top of that, things are a bit tense because we really don't know what's going to happen next year. She'll almost certainly hear back from her job search before I hear back from my schools, and there isn't a whole lot of overlap. She may have to agree to take a job, leaving me to defer my enrollment if I get accepted somewhere else.

I'd like to ask those of y'all who pray to keep us in mind for the next few months. It's going to be a bit of a tough time. Adding to everything else is the fact that I'm not at all sure what exactly I want to do in grad school, and I've got very little time to figure that out. I used to think that I wanted to study the British Romantic poets, and while I still have a love for that material I don't think that's what I want to be doing. Instead, my real interest is in the development of heroism and the changes the concept undergoes through time. Unfortunately that doesn't fit too well in the traditional divisions of academia, and I'm not entirely sure where I fit into the modern schema. As for schools, I've got a short-list that look pretty promising, but without knowing exactly what I want to do, the application process is sort of stalled.

Anyway, that's what's going on with me. I am sorry that I haven't been keeping in particularly good touch, that I've been slow to respond to messages, and haven't been able to get projects finished and released. I'll be around more after everything is done, in January.

thalaw2 · October 18, 2011, 12:28:48 AM

Don't worry too much about finding your way in a PhD program. It'll find you! You'll be doing so much research across so many topics that you're bound to find exactly what you want. I was tossing and turning about what to for mine (I started in September and it looks like it will take 5 years instead of 3) and a my profs. pointed out that I had already written up a good idea in a paper I'm entering into a Leadership forum.

I'll certainly send out prayers to you and your family.

Cyber Burn · October 18, 2011, 01:56:34 AM

I'll be there eventually, so you definitely have my thought and prayers. Best of luck to those in the Benton Household.

ShawDAMAN · October 18, 2011, 02:35:44 AM

Definitely thoughts and prayers from me as well. I'm going through some job/household turmoil myself but nothing quite as complicated as yours

Keep smiling

Cyber Burn · October 18, 2011, 03:29:08 AM

Too bad you're not a philosophy major. I could sooo see the evolution of heroism being a mandatory subject.

Glitch Girl · October 18, 2011, 01:32:33 PM

Best of luck to you Benton. And while heroism may not fit in standard academia, that doesn't mean it's not there at all. I've heard about courses on specific books (Maus, Watchmen, etc) as well as courses on the visual storytelling medium. Hey, these things have to start somewhere you know.

May you find the guidance you need.

oldmanwinters · October 18, 2011, 10:06:59 PM

I know how stressful the academic side of things can be. I'll keep your family in prayer, man!

The Phantom Eyebrow · October 18, 2011, 10:52:55 PM

Hectic times Benton, but interesting stuff too. I certainly wish you all the best as it all settles out.

ow_tiobe_sb · October 19, 2011, 02:48:57 PM

Buck up, keep a stiff upper lip, and all that jazz, Dr. Grey. You'll survive the hardships you see before you, to be sure.

With any luck, you won't be as horribly maimed as I was during my times of trouble. No, wait, that was Death's Jester. Or was it Prem? Well, in any event, I'll be thinking of you and the missus and wishing you the best.

ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and Whirled Braker

cmdrkoenig67 · October 20, 2011, 02:23:49 AM

Good luck in everything, Benty buddy...Things will improve and you'll be in my thoughts till they do.

Best.

Dana

BentonGrey · November 08, 2011, 10:17:33 PM

Thanks for the support guys. Y'all are, as always, awesome. Things are somewhat better now. I've finished several tasks, and I now have date for my thesis defense! I'm defending on the 18th, and I am SUPER excited to get it done. Now I'm beginning work in earnest on my grad school applications, so I'm still pretty busy, but I've had a few moments in the last week to dedicate to FF stuff.

I'm somewhat frustrated today because I caught yet another plagiarist last night. I was hopeful I'd get through this semester without having anyone try to cheat. I should have known better. Bah. I really wish students would get it through their heads that they can't just take someone else's paper and pass it off as theirs. I notice. I ALWAYS notice. If you can't write a coherent sentence but you all of a sudden have a nice, clearly written argument, I start to get suspicious.

oldmanwinters · November 08, 2011, 09:26:12 PM

Quote from: BentonGrey on November 08, 2011, 10:17:33 PM
I'm somewhat frustrated today because I caught yet another plagiarist last night. I was hopeful I'd get through this semester without having anyone try to cheat. I should have known better. Bah. I really wish students would get it through their heads that they can't just take someone else's paper and pass it off as theirs. I notice. I ALWAYS notice. If you can't write a coherent sentence but you all of a sudden have a nice, clearly written argument, I start to get suspicious.

Yeah, that's a serious loss of "Prestige Points."

BentonGrey · November 08, 2011, 10:56:34 PM

Quote from: oldmanwinters on November 08, 2011, 09:26:12 PM
Quote from: BentonGrey on November 08, 2011, 10:17:33 PM
I'm somewhat frustrated today because I caught yet another plagiarist last night. I was hopeful I'd get through this semester without having anyone try to cheat. I should have known better. Bah. I really wish students would get it through their heads that they can't just take someone else's paper and pass it off as theirs. I notice. I ALWAYS notice. If you can't write a coherent sentence but you all of a sudden have a nice, clearly written argument, I start to get suspicious.

Yeah, that's a serious loss of "Prestige Points."

Haha, yeah! It's like they've dropped an entire city block on their heads.

thalaw2 · November 08, 2011, 10:38:21 PM

You only got one plagiarizer!!!! At my school in China we catch hundreds every term. I've begun to understand why they do it. it's not always because they are lazy (although some are), but because it is a cultural phenomenon here to not waste energy doing something someone else has already done...better. The really good students (academically) that would get caught were always saying, "but these are beautiful sentences." After exploring the culture more I started to understand what they were trying to do.

At the time I don't teach writing any more...so I can't test my theories for solving the problem. I don't want to get into those right now because it's 6:30am and I'm going jogging.

BentonGrey · November 08, 2011, 10:43:41 PM

Haha, yeah Thalaw, apparently the idea of intellectual property is a major issue, culturally speaking, between China and the West. It's a concept that seems to be alien over there. I've heard a lot about that in the last few years. Also, I usually catch a few plagiarists per semester, but you have to understand, I've got small class sizes. This one was in a class of 11.

BentonGrey · November 20, 2011, 03:46:32 AM

Frustration, frustration....bah, without going into things, this semester continues to be maddening and frustrating. Anyway, the wife and I are heading home for Thanksgiving, so I won't be able to do any FF stuff for about a week. Have a happy Thanksgiving everybody!

Cyber Burn · November 20, 2011, 04:51:06 AM

Have a safe trip Benton, Happy Thanksgiving.

BentonGrey · December 06, 2011, 11:02:14 PM

I successfully defended by thesis this last Friday! I am now DONE!

Cyber Burn · December 06, 2011, 11:49:16 PM

That's great news Benton. Congrats!

Tomato · December 07, 2011, 12:01:07 AM

Woo! PARTY TIME!

Glitch Girl · December 07, 2011, 02:50:29 AM

And there was much "Woo"tage! Congrats Benton!

thalaw2 · December 07, 2011, 05:19:35 AM

Congrats galore!!!!! Take a well deserved sigh of relief and get back out there!

Figure Fan · December 07, 2011, 06:28:52 AM

Congrats! :-D

oldmanwinters · December 09, 2011, 10:13:01 PM

Great to hear that, Benton. If you were a Freedom Force character, I'd give you the attribute of "Super Hardy!"

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Buried and Resurrected!