Already Feel Like A Slacker...

[ferhin]

So, through some miracle, I survived the stress of the application process and somehow haggled my way into my top pick school. I have made "the big move" half way across the country and did not go crazy or need butt surgery after the two-day drive. The semester has not officially started, but, after the suggestion of a few professors, I have decided to get a head start reading (I was going to do it anyway). The issue is: I am struggling between the desire to enjoy my last summer (I didn't even feel this way before I got married) and my desire to start the semester strong; I believe my discipline is suffering for it. The semester hasn't started yet, but I feel like I am sinking already. How are people managing their pre-semester time? Is anyone struggling with the "but-it's-my-last-free-summer blues" (more like road/motivation block)?

[fuzzylogician]

In all honesty, I think you should enjoy your summer. You won't have a (completely) free summer again. You'll have enough work to do once the semester starts and I hardly think these few weeks will make that much of a difference.

[SeriousSillyPutty]

The funny thing is grad school is causing me to already look forward to next summer, because (while I will be doing something productive, I'm sure) it will be the first time I have some sort of summer vacation since I started working 5 years ago.

I know what you mean about feeling like a slacker though. On prof has been gracious enough to meet with me mutiple times this summer related to a book he recommended, and twice now I've been finishing the reading last minute. :-/

[TakeruK]

Grad school is a long process, and as the cliche goes: it's a marathon, not a sprint. There really isn't a rush, in my opinion, to start full time right away. Grad school is also about time management. Maybe you can take this opportunity to practice -- decide how much time you want to spend reading/doing work this month and make sure you stick to it and manage your time spent working as well as "playing".

[ferhin]

Thanks for all of the advice!

Grad school is a long process, and as the cliche goes: it's a marathon, not a sprint. There really isn't a rush, in my opinion, to start full time right away. Grad school is also about time management. Maybe you can take this opportunity to practice -- decide how much time you want to spend reading/doing work this month and make sure you stick to it and manage your time spent working as well as "playing".

Instead of jumping in "full time" (I set a goal to do 8-10 hours of reading each day), perhaps I will "practice" with an abbreviated work goal these last few weeks.

[Dal PhDer]

8-10hr each day?? I envy your motivation!

So, I'mma tell you my problem. I can go on vacation and/or take days off...but I often have a nagging feeling in the back of my head when I do...and this feeling is from the guilt I have about not doing work. How I combat this is that I say, 'I will do XX hours of work on Saturday, so I can take Friday night and Sunday off'. If I do the work, then I am completely free of that nagging feeling!

I would suggest that you say you will spend 1 day a week doing work- I would not do it at home, but in the library of your school if you can, or a coffee shop. Take yourself out of your comfort zone and place of relaxation, and put in a solid days work. Then when you are done, you can feel completely relaxed and satisfied that you accomplished something!

[Jimbo2]

I'd take it easy during the summer -- grad school is all about that guilty feeling that you should be working on something. You'll have plenty of time to feel guilty once the program officially starts haha.

[newpsyche]

Thank you to all of you. I've been having what might be (I've never experienced them before, so I wouldn't know) panic attacks these past few weeks now that I'm here and ready for grad school to begin. I feel like I should be getting my NSF proposal ready, or struggling to get started on reading textbooks, or something like that. But at the same time, I haven't rewarded myself with "down time" since long before undergrad--I've always had an office job or two for every day not in school. Now I want to curl up and read books, play with my new kittens, cook while listening to the Harry Potter audiobooks...and then I feel terribly guilty for doing so.