Forget that, is it retirement age time yet? I am tired of thinking about this. I'm working three jobs, for slightly less than what my old TAships pay, all part time and without benefits, and between that and transportation between them, or having random holes of half hours between them here and 45 minutes there, I just don't have the time or energy to apply to jobs.
Of course, the classes (which are the majority of my income) are going to dry up when the quarter does, so I will have far more time than I'd like, and probably not have anything lined up so quickly, so that's scary too. But I just can't make myself apply to jobs at 9 or 10 at night after working. Sure, I can find jobs, just not get the crap together and my brain sharp enough to proofread stuff before actually sending it off. So I've got like twenty browser tabs open for twenty different jobs all in different professions, and no energy to actually fill out something. Meh.
I'm definitely too tired to think tonight. Hell, I'm too tired to get off the couch tonight. Maybe I should sit here and play online blackjack to raise money.
4 comments:
I'm sorry -- it sounds so hard. In a situation like this, though, perhaps what you need to do is be less responsible in your current positions. In other words, filling out those applications is ultimately more important than grading papers promptly or doing whatever else your current positions require of you on weekends.
It's a hard thing to do, to blow off students who expect you to be responsive etc. But ultimately, the institutions that hire you at exploitive wages and no benefits do not deserve so much of your energy that they drain you dry. Obviously, some of it is just classroom and transport time, and there's no way around that. But for other, additional tasks at home, I would give yourself permission to prioritize your future, over giving your best to an exploitive adjunct position.
Can't. The other two jobs are "on the floor" jobs --- I can't apply for jobs or write anything since I'm interacting with customers for the whole shift. And if it's slow, they send me home, which doesn't actually help, considering that I need money.
Grading and prep *is* what I'm doing on weekends. I couldn't even meet with students outside of office hours this week because I had scheduled shifts at the other jobs for every non-teaching day,
Time crunch, sounds exhausting. Temporary and seasonal hourly work is terrible for what it can do to people.
I remember a professor of mine who had a death in the family and, as a single older lady, had to raise two new children. I would see her sometimes at the movie theatre, working for extra money.
Makes me wonder why I want to get into teaching at the University level sometimes...
Good luck, I hope you find something. Try to focus, you can do it :)
Take care, Sisyphus. I hope something better turns up for you soon.
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