It is that time of year where the sun still sets after 7:00 p.m. and the days are hot and languid. It is still very much summer, yet, like many of you, I can hear the rusty cogs of the fall semester starting to turn. On the one hand, I am excited to welcome a new group of students. They will be delightfully nervous, earnest, and willing to listen to the advice I give them. On the other hand, didn’t the bar exam just end?
I was hoping to do more this summer—and I was also hoping to do less. I know that you know what I mean. I am still hoping to start the semester completely ready: syllabi done, slides updated, pre-class surveys sent, and an office that doesn’t look like I ran out in the midst of a national disaster. And yet, a part of me still wants to go the beach, the weekly farmer’s market, and to have ice cream for a meal. That same part of me sits here looking at my office keys and wants to throw them in the ocean.
I have to remind myself about the joys of fall[1]: crisp days with endlessly blue skies, apple picking, and the energy of the building humming with activity. Days where cooking doesn’t seem masochistic. A schedule that is pre-set is always a bonus for me-it keeps me organized and less likely to wonder off into a rabbit hole of googling random thoughts for hours[2]. I will not miss walking outside and just saying, “ugh” while listening to my hair frizz. I love teaching and I am always happy to return, but I don’t want to wear socks. Sigh.
The last few weeks before we start orienting the newbies always feel like the longest Sunday night. It is hard to stay relaxed when the cogs are already turning but losing this time seems wasteful as well. I want to choose to do it all, or do nothing, for a little while longer.
I hope this summer, albeit brief, has been restorative and restful for you. I wish you the bluest skies as we move forward into the fray. We are Academic Support, and we’ve got this!
(Liz Stillman)
[1] If you thought Massachusetts was fun in May during the AASE conference-please come back in October and see the best of the best of times here.
[2] For example, did you know that NYC Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani went to the same high school that I attended? But sadly, there is no information about whether he was also on the debate team….he did form a cricket club though.
