Congratulations! You have now learned a lot about the rhythms of your year. This can be the most stressful part of any new job: figuring out how long it takes to do this or that. Were you baffled or stressed by not knowing how much prep goes into a grant proposal? How long grading would or should take? Now you know more and can plan more accurately.
The most successful and least stressed faculty think ahead and think flexibly. They take advantage of the inherent autonomy of faculty life to make their own specific, deliberate plans and then adjust as they go.
Here are some ways to keep your productivity up and your stress down:
Ensure you have at least some vacation. Go, go, go, go, go = Crash!
Are there things that you want to take care of before the fall semester starts? June and July are your most unscheduled times, if you aren’t teaching.
Spend August getting reconnected with your school and your department, making plans for the academic year and completing class preparations.
The theme is: don’t just do, plan.
Don't Forget: New Faculty Notes Survey
Tell us about your experience reading New Faculty Notes via the Qualtrics survey!
The Forum Network’s summer writing groups start on May 20. There are two options to participate:
In-Person Meet every Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 12 noon in the Faculty Crossing (University Library, room 1125M). Group members report on progress toward their writing goals and, then, sit quietly and write.
Online Record time spent writing into an online spreadsheet each day. The spreadsheet is shared with the other writers who “check in” and offer supportive feedback.