By Lara Arnason (Chinese Studies)
The first day of EdJoWriWe left me with loads to think about. I began the day as I might begin any productive day – drinking loads of coffee somewhere in George Square. Instead of being on my own with my work and my thoughts and my procrastination, however, today was different. Not only were there were loads of other people in the same position, there were also inspiring mentors with advice to make the work seem more approachable.
After introductions and sharing our goals for the week, Lisa and Mary Elizabeth gave a publication workshop, and I am still uncertain whether this or the Tai Chi was my favourite part of the day. The workshop felt extremely useful. Lisa and Mary E. shared wisdom based on their long experience of journal editing and their personal writing journeys as scholars. The idea of crafting articles to fit with specific journals seems like extremely good advice, and I felt that advice about maintaining my own voice in the literature review would be really useful for structuring the overall plan for my article.
The Q&A panel with LLC scholars was great for information, but after thinking so much about the need to publish and what will be required in the job hunting process, I was grateful to join the stress management workshop. The day ended with Tai Chi, which was unexpectedly relaxing and left me feeling at peace with my stress and ready to tackle my goals for the week. I feel motivated and relaxed at the same time, which I have to say, is quite a new feeling! I’m in the library preparing my writing materials for tomorrow, feeling no stress at all. Thanks for the great start!