The Perfect Study Spot

Finding a study spot is like the elusive search for the best cup of coffee. First, you have to try out various chains--Starbuck's, Dunkin Donuts, Peet's, and the local coffee shop down the street. Then, after finding a coffee you actually like, you have to experiment with the ratio of milk to coffee, one teaspoon of sugar or two, sweetener vs. creamer, or perhaps honey...? After much searching and experimentation, you can finally revel in the perfect combination of ingredients that creates the delicious, warm coffee experience for you.


The search for a perfect study spot began early in my PhD journey, even at the time of my first visit. I looked around campus for awhile, and tried out different buildings, but I finally discovered the spot in the library. The library is a building I originally and immediately HATED. If I could summarize the library in several words, it would be: DAMP, DARK, CONCRETE, GEOMETRIC.

Its exterior consists of slabs of ugly brown concrete and rectangular windows. The interior is not much of an improvement. The carpets are either a dull, reddish color or a dank blue color and the furniture is probably from the 1970s. Hard wooden chairs and ugly orange signs pointing to the direction of books.. I found out later that the library is constructed in the brutalist form of architecture, which is charactered by "striking repetitive angular geometries, and where concrete is used, often revealing the texture of the wooden forms used for the in-situ casting. Although concrete is the material most widely associated with Brutalist architecture, not all Brutalist buildings are formed from concrete." More examples of Brutalist Architecture are here. Now it all makes sense, right?

In the midst of the uglinessness, there is one beautiful spot in the library. The journey begins by ascending to the fourth floor, the highest story in the library. Then, it is merely a short walk to the tables against the windows. The view is phenomenal---Six full story windows pour light from the indoors, and the view is gorgeous--you can see the entire city, hills in the background, and even the city of Albany in the background. It is like being as close to nature as possible, except some concrete and windows separate you from the outside world.

I will take a picture, but for now, you can see it through the library's image.


Ahhhh, that's the spot.

More apartment photos!

View from my roof of the sunset


Part of the wide open room


Enough space for desk, table, bookcase, etc.


Bathroom


Kitchen area


Kitchen space

Hot Weather, Cool Food

I find whenever it is humid out my appetite changes completely. I'm not hungry most of the day, but I force myself to eat anyway--I need energy whether it's freezing or super hot. And I find that I've been eating mainly fresh fruit. My newest addiction are kiwis, which you can easily slice in half then eat with a spoon, like you're scooping out ice cream. Yesterday, I ate lunch in the air conditioned student center, and worked there until around 5pm, when I got the strong and sudden craving for bananas, something I didn't pick up. I raced to Price Chopper to purchase some, along with eggs and saran wrap, two staples I neglected to purchase at Trader Joe's.

My next mission is to find some organic fruit produce, since Price Chopper just doesn't cut it.

Luckily, my fridge is stocked with deliciousness.


The best purchase I made was a case of coconut water, since it is vital for days like today, when I sweat excessively. It helps to restore electroyltes, is a great source of potassium and magnesium to regulate blood pressure, and is low in sugar, too. To read more about coconut water, check out Zico's website.

Moving In

I’m officially moved into my apartment, which is a one bed in the historic district. It is a lot of space for one person--a good size kitchen, a bathroom, a bedroom, and my favorite room by far, a large open room with many windows--it fits a couch, bookcase, desk, two tables, and many chairs. It is easily the sunniest and most cheery area.


And here I am doing dishes in the kitchen (my 2nd favorite room)--mom and dad would be proud.


I encountered some issues with the place in general--there aren’t any screens in the windows so a huge bee flew in, and there are many quirks living in a place that isn’t so modern. For instance, every time I flush the toliet, I hear a gurgling noise in the bathtub. I haven’t taken a shower yet, but I imagine the toliet and shower are closely connected.

I am not used to living alone. I haven’t done it since I was in grad school last, and there is something odd about being alone at night with complete silence. I do like some white noise, so I’ve been leaving the fan on at night and letting the whirring sound lull me to sleep. It also blocks out some of the city noise, including a garbage truck that passed by around 5am.

Also, I must have sweated out most of my weight in water. With the heat being so brutal, I sweat in the apartment during the day--then I sweat at night, even with two fans blowing on me. A new tactic I tried was putting my sheets in the freezer and my pillowcase--that should provide me some solace for a good five minutes.

Right now I am blissfully comfortable, sitting in the bottom level of the student union center. There are comfy tables and chairs, and I have hooked up my mac to the system. I am also in the midst of adjusting my life. With any new Ph.D. program, the courses seem to be only half of the equation--the other, and arguably more important part, is living. Figuring out a daily routine, getting to know people in the neighborhood, and adjusting to a completely new environment. It takes, time, I know. And I need to be patient.

Rationale of the Title/Welcome

Believe it or not, I spent awhile agonizing over the title of this blog. I wanted something less cliched than the ever popular expression "piled higher and deeper," yet something more complex than "doctor, doctor, give me the news" or another catchy song lyric. I finally selected the professing student after looking up the definition of the term "professing." It means:

1. To affirm openly; declare or claim: "a physics major [who] professes to be a stickler when it comes to data" (Gina Maranto).
2. To make a pretense of; pretend: "top officials who were deeply involved with the arms sales but later professed ignorance of them" (David Johnston).
3.
a. To practice as a profession or claim knowledge of: profess medicine.
b. To teach (a subject) as a professor: profess literature.
4. To affirm belief in: profess Catholicism.
5. To receive into a religious order or congregation.
v.intr.
1. To make an open affirmation.
2. To take the vows of a religious order or congregation.
(according to dictionary.com)

I particularly like "belief"--I am the believing student. I believe in possibility. I am not yet at the declaration state yet, but hoping to be there someday. Which brings me to the next point....


I decided to start this blog as a pseudo-testiment to my entry this fall (okay, in merely a few weeks) as a student in a PhD program in the humanities. My field in particular blends communication, composition, rhetoric, and writing, and I hope to emerge as a professor. **Fingers crossed of course*** I figure though that the skill of communication--whether it be in person, on paper, or in this new technological era, is and always will be a necessary skill not only to flourish, but to survive.

This blog offers my reader a glimpse into my life as a PhD student--particularly the challenges and excitements of PhD study, but also a blend of the real--including my own life. Welcome and enjoy!

ALSO, the photo is from my trip to Italy in 2004--the spiral staircase inside the Vatican museum.