Summer Tasks

Every time I see this Ph.D. comic, I can’t help but smile.

A picture paints a thousand words, and these two frames explain a lot.

Summer is different in academia. Not everyone understands what happens over the summer, but you sure do. Academia never stops. Sure, we try to catch up from the busyness of the fall and spring semesters and then try to recharge our batteries. But we also spend a lot of time catching up on research, reviews, and other tasks we didn’t have time to accomplish during the academic year. On campus, there are building repairs, equipment updates, office moves, various minor projects, orientation, summer events, and preparation for the fall semester. It’s a more intentional pace and a time when we can be more proactive and less reactive.

That hasn’t been quite the case in recent summers as we navigated the pandemic and organizational changes. We were all just wondering, what’s next? Yet, despite those challenges, you continued to move things forward.

There are still challenges/opportunities, but I hope you are starting to sense that things are heading in a good direction. You have the confidence to plan a bit more and look forward to a new fall term. I hope you find the time to do the things you want to do that move you closer to your goals and take some time to recharge. Remember to take care of yourself.

YOU make a difference.

Keep in mind: