PRODUCTIVE WEEK IN THE LIFE OF A PHD STUDENT: dissertating, teaching & working in the writing center

[@maryap8821]

Sarah, you're on a roll! Congrats on being 2nd place! And congrats to Megan on those chapter submissions! (Can Megan share a bit about her research? I remember you mentioning it a bit before and it sounded very interesting)

[@KaelynGraceApple]

Congrats on the teaching award and congrats Meghan on submitting two chapters!!

[@SarahFischerVlogs]

Thank you and thank you! ❤

[@TimothyFewless]

I love your videos; they are so helpful! I appreciate you discussing your grocery hauls as well. Fitting groceries into a grad school stipend is not always easy!

[@ambermay7131]

EEEEE YAY!!!! Congratulations!!!!! 12:45 gap in literature is a fun but stressful thing. I wanted to share the thought of writing down the scholars and then list their take aways, going as broad and big as possible and seeing what it looks like. Im certain that you already know the primary characteristics of the articles you are reading but it can be a good activity to do to make your brain zoom out and go back to the basics Congratulations again, you deserve it!:)

[@SanjanaRanade]

Congrats, Sarah! Really happy for you and for your recent accomplishments

[@emigonzalez9765]

I watched this video in between student conferences… your continent is so comforting and inspiring… huge congratulations on the award and Megan's chapter submissions! I would love to hear more about her research!

[@LoganPrewett101]

so good to see all your hard work paying off! we never got an update on the shoes? can’t believe Megan never had chic-fil-a breakfast 😩

[@SarahFischerVlogs]

The shoes shipped in a men’s 7.5 instead of a women’s 😭 so sad!!!

[@jadareyes6553]

girl you are amazing!!!! so happy for you.

[@SarahFischerVlogs]

Thank you so much 🥹❤️

[@caro0258]

also CONGRATS on runner-up!! incredible!!!

[@SarahFischerVlogs]

Thank you so much! ❤

[@caro0258]

would love to hear about the chapters of your dissertation! as in what each one is about/how it progresses!!

[@SarahFischerVlogs]

This would be a great TikTok series 😏

[@jcmeducationstudioportal1994]

Your videos are prompting me to go back to another PhD Program or maybe an EdD. I took a PhD entrance exam in 2017, passed, deferred to 1 semester and started 2018 January. I lasted 1 semester and went back to my professorial work the same year. I want to start anew because I see your journey, and Im feeling it's time. Probably 2025 for me. Manifesting

[@marissajones5899]

Congrats on the runner up and Megan’s chapter submissions! Also, you do you, and bring that switch! Since you finished HP, you should get the switch game Hogwarts Legacy. It’s everything.

[@SarahFischerVlogs]

I thought about buying that game!!! Honestly it looked a little hard???

[@marissajones5899]

The game was the first time I’ve ever played a “fighting” video game (idk the terminology, haha). There are sections that are challenging, but I really enjoyed the various storylines. Plus the side quests and friendship quests balanced out the hard parts. Did I sometimes have high stress levels… yes. Was it worth it? Yes.

[@Squigsnwiggs]

What do you mean by (this is paraphrasing) "self embodiment makes one more aware of others" [around 12 ish mins into video]? To me, this is not obviously true. Let us consider the example of anxiety. I choose anxiety in particular because such a mindset forces self-centered focus, particularly when it is unmediated (either by medications or therapeutic techniques). Ok, so: suppose that I visit a gym and I suffer from 'gym anxiety,' i.e., I get anxiety when I am at the gym using equipment around others. Then, while I am using weights at the gym and others are present, I am hyperaware of my own body (my movements, my physical body's form, my breathing, my exercise form, etc). I am, on the other hand, only tangentially aware of others: I may steal glances at what others are doing occasionally, but by and large my focus is self-centered due to my state of mind. In this case, my intense self embodiment (which is heightened due to my anxious state of mind) actually makes me less aware of others. And, even if I do look at someone else weight lifting, my mind is not really processing the "other" due to the anxiety. (Now that I am writing this out, it reminds me of Sartre's anxiety due to "the other." You may or may not want to look into that.) Anyways, what do you make of this example?

[@Squigsnwiggs]

There is more to say, but I was trying to be brief. Hope this isn't too much.

[@SarahFischerVlogs]

Yes yes & yes! This is exactly why this kind of thinking/logical leap is so hard for me. In the vlog, when I said embodied awareness of ourselves makes us more aware of others, I was thinking about the writing/content creating process specifically. Cedillo makes the argument that she, as a disabled woman, writes with disability in mind and aims to make her writing as accessible as possible. But your example of the gym anxiety makes a lot of sense! My whole entry point into thinking about embodied awareness stems from my own hyper vigilance as someone with PTSD. All this to say, it’s a complex argument and I appreciate your insights!

[@Squigsnwiggs]

@@SarahFischerVlogs It’s interesting that you mention hyper vigilance due to ptsd, because something I failed to mention in my original comment is the following. For my gym anxiety example, although I am aware of others, it comes in the form of hyperawareness. That is, I am aware of others insofar as *I* perceive them, perceiving me. Thus, even my focus on others is self-centered. In a way, this kind of anxiety induced hyper awareness mirrors hyper vigilance, as it is an intense kind of self consciousness. And, furthermore, the inclusion of the other is based solely on my mind’s eye focusing on *myself* and my own feelings, thoughts, body, etc. But I understand what Cedillo is saying re her own example of disability. It’s just that I’m not sure if it seamlessly applies to all situations.

[@constantparadox]

Congratulations!🙌🙌