Graduate school is bootcamp. Kick butt and take names!

Today my roommate and I went to a class at the gym called Bootcamp.  We've been touring all of the different classes and ranking them.  So far we like one of the cycle teachers and not the other, we hate Zumba and the girl that teaches it, and we are toying with the idea of Turbo Kickbox.  Today, we tried out Bootcamp - and I loved it.

First of all, the teacher was great.  Just energetic enough to not make we want to slap the blonde off her head and just friendly enough to keep my interest.  Plus she wasn't barbie proportions - who wants to look at Little Miss Plastic for an hour?  No one.  So, we liked her.  Plus she had great music.  I know people have different tastes, but I have no interest in listening to 70s music set to dance beats.  No, I want Euro Trash Techno turned up super loud.  And that's what I got.  It was pretty great.  For a second, if I forgot that I was covered in sweat and about to fall over and die, I could have been in some little discoteca italiana.

So here's my thought for the day: graduate school is bootcamp....for academia.  If anyone ever told you that academia was fun, they lied.  If they told you everyone got along.  They really lied.  And if they told you it worked like a well oiled machine, they might as well have told you they were a purple triceratops with wings and a unicorn horn.  THEY LIED.  Academia is the most backwards, bureaucratic, old boys club that has ever been.  And we all want to be part of it, so don't make too much fun of it.  So yes, it sucks, and so does graduate school sometimes, so here's what you do: kick butt and take names.  Don't burn bridges, you never know what journal that annoying guy over there edits or what department that loud talking, mouth breathing, bleach blondie over there heads up.  It's all about who you know, and no matter what you study, the academic world is small and cut throat.  Always smile, always send a thank you email and stay in touch with everyone you can.  You never know who you'll need to call in a favor from to get a job, get a better job, get that article published, or edit that anthology.  Only talk crap at home and with people who will never spill your secrets, and never do it in a public place - everyone loves to share secrets!