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Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Managing your energy The academic year varies in intensity. The typical structure of an academic year has 2 teaching semesters, or 3 teaching terms with shorter breaks between them and then a long break in the summer. Everyone involved needs time to recover and recharge, and to integrate knowledge. […]
Read More »Welcome to the Library
The Library is an archive of my writing about academic work since launching this website in 2009. The top section contains the most recent additions. If you are new here, scroll down to see a few suggestions for good posts to start with to get a sense of my general approach. The Spotlight section at the bottom highlights a series of posts on a specific topic, and is updated regularly.
Most of my writing is sent to Studio members or my newsletter before appearing here. Since 2020 I’ve been creating audio versions of most new posts. They are embedded here but you can also follow me on Soundcloud if you prefer to listen.
Recent posts
You are not lazy
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · You are not lazy You do not have to guard against laziness vigilantly, watching out for the slightest sign and nipping it in the bud. There isn’t even a risk that you will become lazy. I would argue that no one is lazy. Many years ago I bought Havi Brooks’ […]
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Are things getting worse? Or is dystopia the new normal?
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Is dystopia the new normal? Things were already bad. You were already more tired than usual before the break. Maybe you’d just started getting your head around how to keep going in a pandemic, even if you didn’t like it much. The readers of this newsletter are based in […]
Read More »Start Here
What an academic career looks like
There are a lot of different ways to have an academic career. Your academic career is affected by both your own values and desires, and by forces beyond your control. Although a lot of academic career advice suggests that there is a clear path to success, there are lots of reasons you may not end […]
Read More »Optimizing Focus: 3 elements to consider
Everyone struggles with focus. This is why I prompt participants in A Meeting With Your Writing to think about what they’d like to try that day to optimise their focus. In this rather long post, I set out the fundamental principles that underpin those prompts. There are lots of links to other posts, both here […]
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Juggling 101: Elements of a good plan
A good plan can reduce the stress and overwhelm that you experience when trying to juggle all your different responsibilities. This is why I have developed planning classes for members of the Academic Writing Studio. In this rather long post, I set out the fundamental principles that guide my planning classes. There are lots of […]
Read More »Spotlight on Self Care in Dystopian Times
Two themes that I’ve addressed in the past seem particularly relevant as we begin 2021. How do we keep going when there are truly awful things going on around us? Is it really reasonable to keep working? This year you are asking yourself that question while also being more tired than you usually are due to the additional strain of the pandemic. Cognitive, emotional, and practical labour directly related to the effects of the disease (or trying to prevent it), and the additional work involved in adapting your teaching. I wrote a post pulling together a selection of posts on both working in dystopian times, and basic self care (rest, nourishing food, movement) to help you navigate.
