I alluded to this a few posts ago, and those of you who know me in person have already heard this . .  but I know that some of you are reading from afar, so I need to update you guys on a little something . . . I’ve decided to stay an extra year in grad school.  I can hear the collective groans now.  What?  ANOTHER year in grad school?  Haven’t you already spent more time in grad school than most people?  Yes and yes.  It’s true–I got a 2-year Master’s degree and then went into a PhD program that incorporates a Master’s degree, so technically, I should have been able to shave at least a year off of the 5 year PhD program.  Well, I’ve decided to make it a 6 year PhD program, which makes 8 years of graduate education and 12 years of higher education.  Yes, that is a really long time, but you can’t say you’re surprised, because if I’m anything, I”m a student.

The reasons for this extra year are multiple, but the simplest explanation is that I realized that if I went ahead with my original plan, by the time I was on the job market, I would have a very confusing resume.  Specifically, I have spent the last few years working on my advisor’s research, which was great for getting extra publications (and I’m actually still waiting on those to actually get published, but that’s another story), but not so great for getting to study anything I am remotely interested in.  Now that I have finally moved into my own research area, I have been re-energized by the idea of academia (although I am still more gung-ho about the teaching than the research), and I realized that I need to have publications on my resume in my area (academic engagement/motivation) if I went to get hired as an expert in that area.  So, the extra year will allow for that.

The extra year has additional perks, too.  It gives us more time to accrue equity on our home, as well as for us to continue to make additions like the deck and landscaping that make our house more valuable than the surrounding houses.  We also love Athens and have just started to feel settled into the social network, so we’re in no hurry to move.  And then there’s the bonus that we will definitely be in-state for the year leading up to Abby and Sydney’s wedding, which will make it easier for us to get things done that need doing leading up to October 2009, so yay for that, too!