A Grad Student’s NYE
It’s New Year’s Eve and for some it’s a night of party seeking, fireworks, and countdown traditions. For some of the older generation, or those with family, it is creating or fulfilling traditions that you share with those closest to you. For me, a self-proclaimed introvert grad student, it is spending time with my beloved laptop, writing the next chapter on my thesis, and celebrating with an extra spicy hot apple cider. 😉
It’s 6:00pm 12/31/2023. I am sitting down to watch a little of the news and I catch the people already gathering for the traditional ball drop in Times Square. It was once a dream of mine to be one of the thousands to share that experience. As I have gotten older, that is less of a dream. Now I am happy to watch it play out on my television screen, maybe grab some grapes, and hide under my own kitchen table to ring in the new year. This year played out a bit differently though.
I am on a deadline. By mid April of the 2024 year, my thesis has to be completed. In complete Alana fashion, I am running a little behind schedule, so the winter break has been spent catching up; hence the midnight grind (and not the one on the dance floor of the local club) on New Year’s Eve. The picture I added to this post is one I snapped right before I sat down to work. My historian’s bible (iykyk…or for those who don’t Turabian’s Chicago Style Manual for Writing) is sitting beside me, my computer cursor is blinking ready for the next chapter’s content, and a celebatory drink is off to the side (the one and only for the night). I already know I am in for a long night.
I am in the “zone” for a while. Writing is not the hard part for me…citation however…well let’s just say that orange and white book comes in handy. I write for the good part of four hours until my phone rings allowing me to stop for a much needed break. Afterwards, I work a couple of hours more before I stop for the night. BTW, anyone else hate historiography?
I spend New Year’s day watching football games, as any southern (or more accurately Alabamian) would do. I remember not to wash any clothes and to pick up the grape stems from under the table. I check my calendar for the rest of the week’s schedule and realize that the school opens back up for buisness as usual on January 2nd. So, I will be doing the same. Next year may be more of the same but, I could not feel more accomplished than I do at this moment.
To everyone: Hope you had a great New Year’s in whatever way you experienced it and hopefully this will be the year that you find success in whatever crosses your path!
~Alana
