So it begins... the fall semester thread

[Sun_Worshiper]

We all know that the best thing about being a prof is the summers, but all good things must come to an end and fall is just around the corner. So... Did you make the most of your summer? Are you ready to face those little angelic snowflakes for a fresh round of teaching? How about seeing your always pleasant and never petty or self-serving colleagues?

[Parasaurolophus]

Alas, no to all.

I still have a few weeks before we start, but I'm already fielding student questions (apparently, they don't know what 'synchronous' or 'asynchronous' mean. Sigh.).


EDIT: I taught until the end of June, so as far as I'm concerned the summer has only just begun.

[sinenomine]

I just cringed when I realized that classes start in three weeks. I've had a productive summer as far as research and publishing go, but haven't gotten to any of the home maintenance projects on my list. And now faculty I supervise are starting to pepper me with questions; none from my students yet, but I'm sure they'll start soon.

[apl68]

Not an academic, so the new semester doesn't directly affect me.  It does work noticeable changes on the sort of patron activity we see at the public library--we see a noticeable drop in business around the time school starts, but will see an increase as the semester progresses.  At least that's the classic pattern.  Since COVID, K-12 students outside of school have become a rare sight.  Our efforts to partner with local schools, which had finally started bearing fruit after years of trying, have all been snuffed out.  The schools' natural instinct to keep the students in a bubble of school and school resources, and shut the rest of the world out, has only grown that much greater.

The most direct affect on me personally is that I now have much more traffic to dodge on my morning walk back from the park, since that corresponds with maximum local school traffic, and I must pass near two of our local schools.

Wishing everybody here the best as they begin a new fall semester!

[OneMoreYear]

Nope, nope, nope.
Classes start next week, this week is meetings week, and I'm in the weeds with a new prep. I taught through June, finished a grant in July, and am definitely not ready to start the Fall semester.
I knew I should have spent more time this summer focusing on that time machine project. . .

[downer]

I still have a couple of weeks and then there's Labor day. I've actually done a lot of prep for the fall, and I have a ridiculous fantasy that the courses will practically teach themselves. I am sort of looking forward to being back on campus.

[mythbuster]

I got back from vacation yesterday. Maine was gloriously breezy and mild. Classes start Monday. I'm avoiding it today, but will need to deal with it all tomorrow-Friday is the giant departmental meeting day.

I see in my email that last minute changes have been made to out departmental assessment exam. So now I have to redo that part of my online course for the third time this summer- make up your minds!

[mamselle]

My private students will come roaring back from far-flung places like Germany and California, so I'll see an uptick in lessons, although they're never all gone at any one time in the summer, so I keep teaching (I think it might contribute to parent sanity some days, and I don't mind the income) throughout.

I have finished one writing project as of yesterday, and have three others that may in fact all get done by 9/1 (one is due then, the other two have been chuffing along under the radar and I suddenly realized they might be ready to send in sooner rather than later as well.)

I'm pondering doing some more teaching online, and/or tutoring, but will finish these first before starting to send out feelers to my contacts for those activities.

So, maybe it's not a saw-tooth curve, but more of a gentle wave.

M. 

[waterboy]

The College has decided to keep admitting students so we now have a VERY large group in the building. All great, says the College. Except we had to reduce teaching space to accommodate the students. Wonder how that will turn out.

[Puget]

I'M NOT READY!!!

I'm actually pretty ready in terms of prep, but not psychologically. Where did the summer go yet again?

I co-lead a pre-orientation program for freshlings who need extra support making the transition due to mental health issues, which runs this Friday-Sunday, so I have a very high intensity non-weekend weekend ahead. Then classes start next Thursday. Oh, and *this* Thursday I have a PhD student defending. So, yah. Not ready.

[paddington_bear]

This summer was a stressful shit show.  Classes start on Monday and while technically I'm ready, I think I've already checked out.  :/ I'm going to try to do a much better job of managing my energy this semester than I have in past ones.

[Ruralguy]

No, because a long standing project got a reject  after resubmission, so not sure what to do next. sort of ready for students, though Im in new digs that arent quite finished. Colleagues are fine. the petty ones wont show themselves for a bit.

[bio-nonymous]

I am ready for classes to start again, but what I am not ready for is how much time teaching will take! I had a number of projects concerning my research agenda that did not move forward as well as I had hoped over the summer and will thus need to be finished during the semester (not to mention a new grant submission for October deadline...). WHERE will I find the time to do everything! (and stay sane...)
:(

[mamselle]

Come join us on the monthly Research thread if it helps to have some accountability for your grantwriting and other projects...always room for more!

It's here:

    http://thefora.org/index.php?topic=3048.msg111278#msg111278

Allez-y!

M.

[the_geneticist]

We are still in summer session.  I'm not ready for Fall yet, but I'll have to be.  My summer was not quite as productive and also not quite as relaxing as I'd hoped.