Good Habits Start Early

Today's blog is inspired by a recent post by Jodi McDavid, who suggested that academics should Stop Working and Go Knit (visit her blog, show her some love).

This blog hit home for me. I have many different interests and a long list of hobbies (cake decorating, baking, cooking, crafting, swimming, playing board games, participating in a seasonal book club...). Sometimes it can be a challenge to find time for leisurely pursuits while juggling academic projects, looming deadlines, and CV-building activities. More and more, though, I am prioritizing them.

I remember chatting with a professor during my doctoral studies about things I like to do outside of academic pursuits. She replied, "I only read fiction when I'm on a plane." Whether she intended it or not, it came across as if it were some badge of honour to deny oneself the pleasure of fiction in all other contexts. I interpreted it as a commentary on the place of hobbies and other pleasure pursuits in the life of an academic, as well as the workload expected. I'm not saying that she believes that academic pursuits should expand to fill your entire life, but I think it's often taken for granted that they will -- and many don't question that (which is a little ironic, since we're trained to question everything, no?).

I remember promising myself that day that I wouldn't lose myself to my career. And I remember saying to a senior ethnomusicologist who has become a mentor and friend, that I couldn't be that person who "only [reads] fiction when [she's] on a plane." He supports me completely -- he knows as an academic administrator that such work-life balance is critically important for a sustainable career.

So, I make time to do things I enjoy. And I prioritize socializing with friends (even if it means I end up working late into the night to meet a deadline after having some fun).

It's a delicate balance. But good habits start early. So, as you push forward on your thesis, don't lose sight of your mental health and the things you enjoy. You'll need them to sustain you through your career.

Back Up Your Files

It's January!

It's a chance to start over. If you're like most people, you're feeling positive. You may even have made some New Year's resolutions related to your thesis or dissertation. You're on fire! And so, instead of a motivational post today (I'll save that for about 6 weeks from now when you'll be needing a pep talk), I'm going to give you some solid advice: this year, commit to backing up your files.

This is something we all know we should do, but usually don't think about until we're in a dire situation and it may already be too late. Hard drive failure is a real thing and it can happen without notice. The last thing you need is for your hard work to be in jeopardy. Even the most skilled tech can't always recover data -- it's the nature of the beast.

Chances are that Boxing Day sales, which seem to now last for weeks, are still going on in your city. Take the opportunity to purchase an external hard drive and back up all of your data. While you're at it, consider a jump drive for your active files. Whatever you pay, it will be money well spent. Then be sure that you back up all of your data regularly (at least once a month) and your active files daily. Yes, you can use the "cloud" for storage and backup -- DropBox is an incredibly convenient solution for moving between workstations -- but it shouldn't be your only document storage location.

I'm also a big believer in making a backup of your backup...

Overkill? You may think so, but let me share a personal experience from my own doctoral studies.

I was visiting my sister on Labour Day weekend during the last year of my PhD program. I remember being strangely ill-at-ease the entire weekend and I ended up driving back to St. John's early because of it, even though we had an adventure planned in New-Wes-Valley. Once home, I called a friend and asked if she wanted to go for a coffee that evening. Around 6:30pm, I left my apartment and made it all the way to my car before I realized I didn't have my jump drive with the most recent backup of my dissertation on it. For a moment I considered going on without it -- what could be the harm? But then I turned around and went back to my apartment to get it, all the while telling myself I was crazy and obsessed.

I had a lovely coffee with my friend and when I returned to my apartment that night at 9pm, it was pretty well destroyed. A hot water tank in the apartment above me had exploded without the elderly couple who lived there realizing it (they were napping after supper). Water poured through my ceiling for two hours -- enough that it also went through my floor and the ceiling of the apartment below me. Many of my belongings were damaged. It took a month for the apartment to be repaired (new ceiling, new flooring). I was displaced. (And I am forever thankful for the friend and his family who took me in during this time.)

Lucky for me, none of my electronics were damaged in the great flood of 2007. It's hard to believe, but around my desk was the only place that didn't have water. But if they had been damaged, I wouldn't have lost the most recent version of my research and dissertation, because I was carrying them on a jump drive in my purse.

So that's why I say to you this January: back up your files!

And stay tuned for more practical tips from Dr. Squirrel to help you crack the thesis nut in 2016!