Freaking over Fonts

I am really, really, really hung up over what font to use for my dissertation. There are a few options, and there is a part of me that wants to choose something other than Times New Roman just cause I can.

But all the fonts are way bigger. Verdana 12 is huge compared to Times 12. Same thing with Georgia and Arial and Trebuchet. The obvious answer is to go smaller--Georgia 11 or Verdana 10. Those look better. But they are actually smaller than Times 12. Quite a bit smaller. So when I change the font size, the page length goes down, too.

And as dumb as it is, I am having a really, really hard time not mapping all my emotions onto the length of this thing. I don't want to care about how long my diss is. But I do care. And so does everyone else. That is all anyone asks. The first words out of every one's mouth is "how long is it?" I feel like it is a trap.

Changing the font and dropping that number is killing me. The difference between Times 12 and Georgia 11 is about 25 pages. The difference between Georgia 12 and Georgia 11 is almost 50 pages. That is crazy!

I have no idea why I care so much about this, but somehow page number has become this weird and crazy badge of honor for me and I am literally going without sleep freaking out about this.

What if it is too short?
What if it is too long?
What if it looks like I padded it?
What if people don't think it counts because it seems too short?
What if the font looks too hip?
Too formal?
Too cheesy?


Why the heck is this such an issue????


Advice?

Of Dissertations

I have been avoiding talking about my dissertation on here for quite a while. I left to go home to St. Louis for Christmas break feeling really good about things, but I think I was afraid to really talk about it since then for fear that I would jinx myself. Things are good. Things are scary. I am a little bit in limbo.

On February 1st I turned in a revised draft of the entire dissertation to my committee. They have a month to review and read the whole thing, but they could come back with any number of requests or revisions. They have seen it once and I have addressed their concerns, so hopefully there isn't much to say... but I really won't know.

While I wait to hear back, I have a million things to do. I have to check my citations, finish my formatting, write my abstract and summary and acknowledgements. I need to edit. Oh, and I need to get a HUGE head start on the month of March so that when they DO come back with issues I need to address, I will be able to devote 100% of my attention towards the diss.

But, at the end of the day and despite the work I need to do, I have finished writing my dissertation. I need to edit and revise, but I am no longer "writing my dissertation." I am excited about that. But after the excitement settled, I got pretty weirded out. I am nervous. And very, very sad. I am in mourning a little bit, I have to admit. There is something sort of wonderful and horrible and magical and insane and incredible about writing a dissertation. If you romanticize academia the way I do, it is the pinnacle of what we do. And that is over for me and I am sad.

I know. That is probably totally weird.

Charity: ShelterBox

Last month I decided I would start donating ten percent of my income each month to a charity. I begin with ShelterBox, an organization which sends emergency shelter boxes to those facing disasters. You can learn more about the organization here.

I knew I wanted to donate to an organization to help the people of Haiti, and I decided a few weeks ago that I wanted to give to an organization focused on shelter. Medicine and orphans seem to be getting a great deal of attention in the media, but I really felt like shelter and basic supplies was where the greatest need was at the moment. There is nothing glamorous about mosquito nets and tools to dig a latrine, but it is something that everyone can use.

ShelterBox creates a box with a sturdy 10-person tent, cookware, basic tools, water purification tablets, blankets, and tools specific to the area where the boxes are sent. After the people use the items, the box can become a water tank, a container for food storage, a table, or even a crib.


I really, really like what this organization is trying to do. I really like the idea of helping people find a place to sleep, a place to to call home (even if it is just a tent), and the basic supplies necessary to carve out a life again.

Plus, all the shelter boxes include a small children's activity kit with crayons, a coloring book, and stickers. I love that.

What a great cause!

A Lack of Posts

I wish I blogged more. I don't do it very often. No one really reads it. I spend so much time writing my diss that I don't have the energy to type very much more.

I feel like all my recent posts have been depressing and somber. Blah.

Oh well...