Each Ph.D. is unique, and my experiences as an engineer on North Campus are not easily translatable to the doctoral student culture on Central Campus. The nature of an experimental engineering Ph.D. is one of constant collaboration – with my labmates, with the building supervisor, with the trusty machinists, with custom part suppliers in other parts of the country. On the other hand, with a philosophy Ph.D., for example, one’s interactions within and without the university are likely different. But there are three common threads that unite all Ph.D. experiences – the student-advisor relationship, our individuality, and Ann Arbor, the town we live in. I believe the balance we need as graduate students comes from a healthy relationship with your advisor, a recognition that we are in control of our experience here, and an appreciation for where we live.
As Ph.D. students, we have to work within the bounds of the student-advisor relationship. There are two extreme kinds of advisors - advisors that are micromanagers, those that direct you in every way possible, and advisors that are advisors only in name, those that you see once in a while, passing through the hallway. The majority of advisors fall between these two ends of the spectrum. The outcome of our work depends on how well we are able to manage the expectations of our advisors with the way we as students see it fit to work. Doing our work well is confluence of several factors – the trust of our advisors, the given freedom to pursue a thread of reasoning, and the understanding that our advisors are there for you no matter what. This is an ideal, an ideal that I have been fortunate to experience.
What makes us happy is doing something difficult well. The work that we do as graduate students is challenging on many levels – emotionally, physically, and intellectually. But for many, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that we as individuals have the power to control our experience here. It is we who are in control of what we like and what we don’t like. And liking what you do gives you a different perspective of what work is all about, and how we feel about our time outside of work. Of course we have to do things that we don’t like from time to time, whether it is data analysis, writing, or bureaucratic work. While these things contribute to our overall experience here, they are secondary to whether we find purpose in our work.
A healthy balance between work and life can come only from a deep connection and appreciation of place, because no matter how amazing our work may be, if we are to leave work and find ourselves longing to be elsewhere, unhappiness sets in. But we are lucky to be here in Ann Arbor, in this beautiful state of Michigan. We are immersed in a vibrant culture of arts, community, and activism, within a town of a manageable size. I have lived in Ann Arbor for the better part of eight years now (having done my undergraduate work here, too), and each year, a new layer of town opens up for me; it has unfolded in ways unexpected. As time has passed, I have discovered new nooks of town and met new people that have lived here long enough to see the town and its culture evolve. The stories are fascinating.
I have had the most amazing time here in Ann Arbor. I have been able to merge my personal interests with my academic ones, with the good grace and blessings of my advisor, Professor Margaret Wooldridge. She is a gem. I am not exaggerating when I say that the things that occupy my thoughts outside of work – issues of justice, environment, sustainability, and activism – are those that enrich, comment on, and influence my work, my reading, and my writing for work. Outside of “work,” then, I always give myself time to do the things that I enjoy. I go to concerts every other week or so, and play soccer, and garden. I have been exploring Detroit for the past few years, and am amazed at how bizarrely charismatic the city is. I try to see a friend every day, no matter what, whether it is early in the morning or late at night, for a drink, for a walk, to sit by the river, or to just cook with him or her. And I don’t normally check email after five o’clock in the evening.
Published in: Student Voices