Being so frustrated by my current research, I spent the past days surfing the internet and thinking about an alternative PhD project (something about the posthuman and sexuality in Michel Houellebecq's novels - don't steal this idea, it's MINE MINE MINE!!!). Yesterday, I got a Call for Applications for St Andrews University (yes, you've guessed right, it's the one charming prince William also went to). Since I don't care at all anymore about what I do or where I end up, I had a look at the website of their Deparment for German Studies and found a lecturer who - unbelievably, amazingly, unlikely - has done research in the same field as my current project. So I wrote an email to this person, asking whether he would be interested in supervising my PhD (cleary, a last call for help to the academic world out there; it took me about three hours to write an email of 5 lines). And - unbelievably, amazingly, unlikely - he replied almost immediately, very friendly and cheeringly, saying that my project sounds very interesting (NOTE: not "interesting", but "VERY interesting"), that I should send him my outline and he would look at it, that his next project was somewhat connected to the research I am doing right now etc. etc.
I'm shocked! I'm thrilled! I'm excited! Is he the academic superhero supervisor I hope he is - interested, committed, smart, well-read (does someone like that REALLY exist)??? Have I finally found someone who shares my unreasonable admiration for Michel Foucault (and willing to start a Foucault cult with me)??? Will he find the case studies of Richard von Krafft-Ebing as entertaining and idiosyncratic as I do??? Could this possibly be the end of all my academic frustration and desperation??? Until I have answers to those questions, I will enjoy the newly found enthusiasm and motivation and maybe even use it for a couple of productive hours of work on my project.
Conclusion: Barely motivated mood swings from utter desperation to being Leonardo di Caprio on the Titanic screaming "I feel like the king of the world" are part of the basic, daily routine of academic life.
(NB: Second conclusion of academic logic is in total unisono with first conclusion of academic logic. Who but an irrational, masochistic nerd would get so excited about one single email from a complete stranger?)
I'm shocked! I'm thrilled! I'm excited! Is he the academic superhero supervisor I hope he is - interested, committed, smart, well-read (does someone like that REALLY exist)??? Have I finally found someone who shares my unreasonable admiration for Michel Foucault (and willing to start a Foucault cult with me)??? Will he find the case studies of Richard von Krafft-Ebing as entertaining and idiosyncratic as I do??? Could this possibly be the end of all my academic frustration and desperation??? Until I have answers to those questions, I will enjoy the newly found enthusiasm and motivation and maybe even use it for a couple of productive hours of work on my project.
Conclusion: Barely motivated mood swings from utter desperation to being Leonardo di Caprio on the Titanic screaming "I feel like the king of the world" are part of the basic, daily routine of academic life.
(NB: Second conclusion of academic logic is in total unisono with first conclusion of academic logic. Who but an irrational, masochistic nerd would get so excited about one single email from a complete stranger?)
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