I have the sudden urge to watch History of the World: Part I. Not sure why, but I guess it’s always nice to have a good laugh, especially after an exhaustive day at the Classics Colloquium. I was up at 7:15 this morning getting things finished up and polished. I didn’t sleep well last night, so it was a little tough. But I did get everything done and was prepared for my 11:30 time slot. All of the presentations today were interesting and I’m glad I stayed around for the ones that followed mine. I’m also pleased that many more people signed up for it this year. Last year of course there were only four of us; but this year, there were eleven. A huge improvement! Congrats to everyone!
Anyway though, presenting again this year has made me think about my future career plans more. I have a general idea of what I would like to do, but I don’t always find myself thoroughly content with it. I mean, with a doctorate in Classical Studies, I could expect to be teaching, preferably in a college setting. But then again, I suppose beggars can’t be choosers in the world of employment. I would be inclined to refuse high school level positions, teaching Latin, Roman history or otherwise. But if that had to be a starting point for a few years, I guess I could suffer it. Not happily, but alas. But I often think about being a professor as a career. It seems both exhilarating and daunting as hell, given what my own Classics profs have to deal with in their classes. But one thing always comes through strong: they are having FUN, on a daily basis. I can tell that they love their subject matter, as I do, and with that in mind I think I could just pull off the teaching gig after all.
If there’s one aspect of the Colloquium that I appreciate the most, it’s that it preps me for my future plans. It gives me that chance to lecture in front of an academic audience, face tough questions and defend my theories. I’m already doing independent research, so I suppose I’m well on my way. In that respect, the Colloquium is a godsend.
