Midyear Session 2025 Week 14: The End! Party Time!

Mid-August! Let's celebrate all the things we've done this summer, because we have done things. Many goals have been met. We've traveled, seen people, tried to balance life and work. Maybe there have been fun books read in place of serious reading, or time with companion animals and family in place of work, or just plain summery drifting instead of crossing off list items. Celebrate those things, too. 

In fact, here's a toast to each of you: to Susan, who sent off Famous Author and spent the summer in famous libraries, with a side trip to Paris! To Julie, who got promoted and went to Iceland! To JaneB, who sets a good example in making incremental progress, taking time for creativity, and keeping a sense of humor in the face of institutional incompetence! To heu mihi, who read a lot of Italian and saw a lot of family (those things seem like they go together well)! To Daisy, whose work facilitates Real Summer goals (and who can repel bears with curry!)! To me, who did stuff even though it doesn't feel like it! We have Prosecco (rather than champagne, because of the Italian readers), we have elderflower pressé, we have gin and tonic; help yourself to a sparkling drink and some nibbles, and make yourself at home in the comments section.

First I'll list your goals from last week, and below those, the session goals as revised in week 7 or 8. As you respond to both, make sure you include your ALSO items: those things that cropped up or offered themselves, that may not have been on your radar but which you can nonetheless note having done. For session goals, I kept things that people had finished by midterm, because we are all about the celebrating the DONE this week!

Last week:

Daisy

Next major document from giant meetings
Finish up pile of work from committee
Decide on promotion, if yes, start writing
Work on student projects
Send away rest of samples
Finish really depressingly overdue review
Write one section of new paper
Keep learning new music [can I just say that I love this goal? --ed.]

Dame Eleanor Hull

- cardio x3, PT 2x/day, weights at least once
- at least one campus day, meet with grad, continue project known as 'tidying' (actually cataloguing, but it will lead to a tidier office eventually); at least two other meetings
- make time for 5 hours research on projects W and M
- plan fall teaching, complete at least one syllabus
- do something fun and summery b/c it's not over yet!

heu mihi

1. Read grad student's prospectus
2. Read other article to decide whether I want to teach it
3. Do some "for real" course prep (e.g. setting up some of the ViLE)
4. Make the anniversary book! Our anniversary is Friday!
5. Return to in-earnest exercise.

JaneB

1) Building better habits: yarn project, read, D&D, hobby things

2) improving my environment: well, let's be ambitious! sorting out the war/floor-drobe situation, progress the sofa-and-shelving ideas, get the front gutters replaced, do chores.

3) blocks: One block for the first year module - class slides and activities, handout, assessment questions. Make a revised revised block list.

4) Writing - the week after next I have multiple meetings, so I am going to set the goal of at least 1 hour on each of the projects for which I have a meeting scheduled later in August.

5) check in with all the graduate students

6) Check the timetable for trimester 1 and make SURE it meets my reasonable adjustments. Complete one CPD thing (urgent). Catch up with all email. Make appointment to have the I Have Issues/Adjustments conversation with the new interim Head of School.

Julie

1. Organise trip for kids.
2. Post-holiday email catch-up.
3. Start reading one of the two PhDs I am examining in the autumn.
4. Start some reading for chapter for second edited volume.
5. House/life admin: pay car tax, physio appointment.
6. Self-care/fun: meet up with old friend for the day, enjoy kid-free time!

Susan

1. Get over jet lag
2. Do as much admin stuff today and tomorrow so I can pivot to Famous Author when it arrives.
3. Get going on next round of revisions, which I've been promised are not huge
4. Get back into exercise regime
5. Finish organizing the odd stuff that I haven't put away yet
6. Draft syllabi. (I got as far last week as putting my classes into my calendar.)
6. See friends, enjoy myself.

Session goals (updated at midterm):

Daisy

Two new papers submitted 
Revised course material for fall and winter
One defensible graduate thesis 
Good experience for 3 hired undergraduates 
Kayaking 
Exercise 
Garden improvement 

Dame Eleanor Hull

* write essay due at the start of September
* plan work for summer TA and do some supervising of her
* write and deliver two conference papers, focusing most energy on the one that will be the core of a book chapter.
* plan classes for next year
* submit two course proposals
* swim 2-3 times a week: 
* work in the garden 3x/week: KEEP BUT tailor to weather, and keep sessions brief, 20-30 minutes
* do 5 Life Stuff tasks, aiming for one per week
* think about conference proposals for next two years (!)

heu mihi

1. Research/writing: Complete copy-edits of book, submit revised article, submit abstract for MK, start working (idly) on research for MK, read and review book. Revise article for collection. 

2. Creative: Finish green sweater, work on knit dress, make a book or two, other projects!!

3. House: Clear out storage area, fix basement doors that don't close properly, wash windows at some point

4. Family: Costa Rica album, anniversary book, vol. 2 of uncle's memoirs

5. Personal: Read Italian novel vol. 2, get outdoors as much as possible, lots of exercise

6. Misc. work: Update program website, prep new class

JaneB

Home, self and life:

1) Building better habits: more small things that bring joy, especially in terms of making stuff/doing art. More things which engage my brain and are Not Work (D&D, reading for fun). Paying attention to eating as a self-kindness not as a tool to shut up the toddler/appease the negative brain weather.

2) improving my environment: sorting out the war/floor-drobe situation, doing one big Improvement Thing (I'd like that to be getting a sofa - so would ShoutyPants!), getting the front gutters replaced, doing a big turn out of the spare bedroom/craft space/home office where I spend most of my time at home.

Academic work (the job and the work both):

3) use the block model as last summer - aiming for 24 blocks (3-4 hours of future-focused work like preparing for teaching in the following year). Aims are to get on top of teaching prep and maybe do some "just for me" research tasks (exploring future ideas).

4) I have a lot of writing projects (grant ideas and journal articles) which all involve other people therefore are not fully in my control - I'm setting the goal of substantial progress on four of them this summer.

5) supporting graduate students (it's only sort of a TLQ thing, but it is taking up a larger than normal amount of my summer, and it is important, so I'm including it).

Julie

1. Research & writing (this will be buffet style)

i) Revisions to article currently under review if necessary
ii) Outline at least, write if possible, two different chapters I've been invited to contribute to edited volumes. 
iii) Organise workshop in June.
iv) Do some research on current project. Depending on outcome of grant application, work out priorities for next year.
v) book reviews

2. Teaching

i) Get all marking done.
ii) Read final final drafts for one PhD student; wait to see if other student will ever send written work (this is heading for a car crash).
iii) read added PhD drafts

3. House

i) Big project for this session: getting the garden how I want it. 
ii) Small jobs as and when time allows. 

4. Fun stuff/self care

i) Exercise - improve fitness. 
ii) Eat healthily - this session will either be great for this or terrible.
iii) Sleep! 
iv) Continue reading for pleasure.
v) Journaling, more creative stuff. 

Susan (original goals, as I couldn't find an update)

1. Get Famous Author out the door (goal June 1)
2. Write short essay about recent book, theoretically due June 1
3. Write keynote address for late June workshop, preferably before I fly to the UK on June 15
4. Start poking around in archives on new project
5. Have a good vacation with my sister in Paris and with friend
6. Start preparing my head for the fall and a return to teaching.
7. Keep up with some kind of exercise/ fitness
8. Enjoy myself - museums, theatre, etc.
9. Be sociable, try to meet people