New Year’s Resolutions

It seems to me that September, and the start of a new academic year, is a more significant mark of the passage of time and the beginning of the new than January 1st.  This academic year also holds to be more significant than my previous years: working on research and writing a dissertation are the end-moves to a long term project like a PhD. I’m thinking that in order to be successful this year, I need to establish some resolutions and deadlines. Here’s what I’m thinking right now I would like to complete for this time next year:

Goals

1. Two publications in the pipe-line, one peer-reviewed and one other kind of publication
2. Present a paper at an 5th World Environmental Education Congress, one other conference presentation¹
3. Dissertation submitted and ready to be defended
4. Application in for at least one post-doc², one academic job and one non-academic job

Deadlines after the jump.

Deadlines

September, 2008:

• submit abstract for AAG 08 and 5th World Environmental Education Congress

November, 2008:

• Complete & submit York’s University Teaching Practicum

December, 2008:

• All research for dissertation complete
• Interviews transcribed and begin analysis

February, 2009:

• Analysis of work complete, begin writing dissertation
• Look for academic positions³

May, 2009:

• First draft of dissertation submitted to committee

Summer, 2009

• Apply for appropriate non-academic jobs⁴

August, 2009:

• Dissertation completed and ready to defend⁵
• Apply for SSHRC post-doc award for 2010

1. even better-turn these papers into publications, see goal #1 [↩]
2. the 2009 SSHRC post-doc is out of the question because I have to submit evidence of a dissertation exam by April 09–something that will not be happening. It makes more sense to apply for 2010 [↩]
3. I know that February isn’t the best time–the fall is the hot time for job postings, but who know what may pop up. Regardless, I would need to be well along in the dissertation writing to be anything resembling a competitive candidate [↩]
4. key here is the term appropriate–the kind of job that will let me re-enter academia, if I so wished, in the future [↩]
5. I kind of feel that this is a bit wishful thinking, but with a committee member on sabbatical next year, I need to be close enough to taste being done for August [↩]