During my HUC orientation, we had some excellent times provided for us to get to know the faculty and other graduate students in our departments (often over a wonderful breakfast, lunch, or dinner). At one point, myself and other new Graduate students–both those from the PhD programs and the MA programs–solicited advice from those more experienced than ourselves. Dr. Nili Fox, the Director of the Graduate School–gave us the following advice:
- No one will understand why you\’re doing this.
- Everyone will wonder why it\’s taking you so long.
- Your family won\’t understand why you\’re doing this.
- You family will wonder what\’s taking you so long.
- Everyone will think you\’re crazy.
Pithy–if depressing–advice. But likely true of all PhD programs, but particularly the case in the humanities (and even more specifically anything concerning the ANE and Classical World!).
I consider myself warned.
Ben Neviim 