Professors Come in All Shapes and Sizes
A few weeks ago, a professor I've known for years asked me what I was hoping to do this Christmas.
Me: I'm thinking of seeing The Nutcracker. I've been wanting to go for a few years now and keep putting it off. The tickets are ridiculous.
Prof: I'm going again this year. Do you want to go?
Well, said professor bought me a ticket. And in one of my favourite sections in the theatre, too.
I tried to pay him back (repeatedly) but he shut it down with a firm: "You're not paying for your ticket. There's a huge economic imbalance here: I make a lot of money and you don't. And it's not a quid pro quo. You don't have to do anything in return."
Professors come in so many forms.
I've met professors who would insist grad students feed and caffeinate them at committee meetings and consider it a flaw if the student doesn't prepare a "proper" spread.
But I also meet professors like these who recognise their financial status is vastly diff…
Me: I'm thinking of seeing The Nutcracker. I've been wanting to go for a few years now and keep putting it off. The tickets are ridiculous.
Prof: I'm going again this year. Do you want to go?
Well, said professor bought me a ticket. And in one of my favourite sections in the theatre, too.
I tried to pay him back (repeatedly) but he shut it down with a firm: "You're not paying for your ticket. There's a huge economic imbalance here: I make a lot of money and you don't. And it's not a quid pro quo. You don't have to do anything in return."
Professors come in so many forms.
I've met professors who would insist grad students feed and caffeinate them at committee meetings and consider it a flaw if the student doesn't prepare a "proper" spread.
But I also meet professors like these who recognise their financial status is vastly diff…
