Hidden Discouragement

From: Misplaced Advice

To: Emancipator 

Subject: a long overdue hello

Hi!

I hope this email finds you well. It's good to be in contact with you after so many years! 

I've been hearing from family members that you would like to have a conversation with me about PhD work. I am definitely interested in your thoughts on the process as well as your experiences as a doctoral student. 

Are you teaching for the summer term? What campus do you teach at? It would be so fortuitous if you were teaching at Story campus; that could make for an easily coordinated cup of coffee. 

Let me know when you're available. I can be contacted at this email address this.email@address.com. 

Cheers!

E

From: Misplaced Advice

To: Emancipator 

Subject: PhD talk

Hi,

Thanks for getting in touch.  It's great to hear from you.

I am a full time prof at Story College - Phonics Campus which is at Range Road and 1008.  I teach part-time at Gold Plated University and The Newer University.  I used to teach part-time at The University of Critical Studies but not since 2005.  Right now I am just wrapping up a compressed 7 weeks course at Story College, am at Gold Plated University- BURB campus for one course all Summer and am doing an on-line course for The Newer University for the Summer term.  I am also doing a course for An Important Demographic through The Newer University - I see those students next weekend for a two day intensive.

If you haven't yet committed to a PhD program, I thought we should talk.  I didn't really understand what a PhD was until I was 2/3 of the way through it.  By that point I had too much invested to stop doing it.  I'm not sorry that I did it - it opened a lot of doors and there is a world of difference between having part of a PhD and having a completed PhD.  My big advantage in the job market was my 18 years of experience as an HR professional.  Even though my research sucks, no one else in my field has my work experience and a PhD.

What part of the city do you live in?  We live in Somewhere which is north of Nowhere.

All the best, 

Misplaced