sarahmichelef (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sarahmichelef) wrote2003-08-04 03:48 pm
sarahmichelef) wrote2003-08-04 03:48 pm
Entry tags:
Ways to tell you're a Grown Up
My friend Ilene mentioned to me today that she seems to have gone from the age of 18 to the age of 30. I suggested that maybe this wasn't a bad thing. :^)
But one of the things that seriously freaks me out about being an "adult" in an academic environment is that students come to me to write them letters of recommendation. Now, this isn't all that surprising considering that UMass has bazillions of students and often the people that kids (and yes, I use that word intentionally... and am aware of the possible irony) get to know best are their teaching assistants. What the hell do I know about whether or not these students are qualified to go on off-campus programs (2 of the 3 I've been asked to write have been for off-campus study)? All I can say is what I know about them. (Y'know how you probably thought it was dumb that your teachers asked you for a little writeup of what you wanted them to say in recommendation letters? It wasn't dumb.)
I'm just thinking this as I sit down to try to write another recommendation. And this one is for a student who ended up doing okay in the class where I met her, but really didn't do well in the beginning. Which is really easy to spin into positive stuff, but still...
The other thing that freaks me out, but has only happened once: being asked to review articles. What the hell do I know about what's worth publishing?
But one of the things that seriously freaks me out about being an "adult" in an academic environment is that students come to me to write them letters of recommendation. Now, this isn't all that surprising considering that UMass has bazillions of students and often the people that kids (and yes, I use that word intentionally... and am aware of the possible irony) get to know best are their teaching assistants. What the hell do I know about whether or not these students are qualified to go on off-campus programs (2 of the 3 I've been asked to write have been for off-campus study)? All I can say is what I know about them. (Y'know how you probably thought it was dumb that your teachers asked you for a little writeup of what you wanted them to say in recommendation letters? It wasn't dumb.)
I'm just thinking this as I sit down to try to write another recommendation. And this one is for a student who ended up doing okay in the class where I met her, but really didn't do well in the beginning. Which is really easy to spin into positive stuff, but still...
The other thing that freaks me out, but has only happened once: being asked to review articles. What the hell do I know about what's worth publishing?