End of my Grant Funding

The grant funding that's allowed me to work outside of my home department (the English department) ends next week. Translation? Back to the English department, about which I am less than thrilled. Sure, I like teaching and all, but the department atmosphere leaves something to be desired.

Besides that, I really don't like the beginning of any new semester -- the next of which is rapidly approaching. Fall semesters always bring a swarm of new graduate students -- eager, bright-eyed, somewhat uneducated, and delightfully full of themselves. Sure, I was all of those things too when I started grad school. When you're new here, the world really does revolve around you. You get to know all the other new students, the professors and staff are as friendly as they get, and the second year grads are willing to take you under their wing.

As a new graduate student in such a large department, the only strange thing you might notice are the ghosts. You'll hear a graduate student's name floated around a little and you'll get the feeling that person is important, accomplished, or otherwise notable. Perhaps, you find yourself dropping that person's name into conversation too for some reason. Strange thing is, that by the end of the year, you've never met, nor seen, this notable graduate student ghost. The ghosts are legendary for their "work" (or lack of) but altogether absent.

Does she even take classes any more? Does he teach composition? She's probably off writing her dissertation. He's studying for his exams...