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夏休みの計画
アメリカの大学は一般的に6月上旬から夏休みに入ります。以前から夏休みの仕事を求めて、ワシントンにまで面接に出かけた雅子さんですが、ついに結果がでました。今年の雅子さんの夏休みの計画を見てみましょう。
Summer Plans
By MASAKO YAMADA
lmost a month after I'd interviewed for a summer position at "The Economist," I still hadn't received a reply. During the interview, the interviewer told me not to get too antsy about late notification, but I couldn't wait around any longer, so I decided to give the London office a call. The man who answered the phone was the man who had interviewed me, and I asked him whether he'd reached a decision yet. He told me that he had but hadn't gotten around to notifying everybody. Then he told me that he was sorry it wasn't me.
Considering how much I'd wanted this job, I was surprised at how calmly I took this news. I thanked him for his time and told him that I hoped to speak to him again in the future. I put down the phone without showing emotion, and without demanding an explanation. Even after I was by myself, though, I didn't feel the sadness, regret or bitterness that I thought I'd feel. I don't know if this is good or bad ― is it a sign of mature acceptance, or is it sign of apathy? ― but it certainly surprised me.
I had put all of my hopes into getting this job, so suddenly being confronted with three and a half months of "free time" was daunting. It seemed like a big, white space. Maybe I was simply in a state of shock. However, after I began thinking of all of the things I wanted to ― and could ― do during this period, I realized that I was lucky. My summers hadn't been truly free even when I was an undergraduate. I was constantly trying to figure out ways to get ahead back then, and occupying my summers with work was one of the ways that I felt I could do this. Now that I know my position and funding within the physics department are guaranteed for the next four years (that is, as long as I pass my general physics exam before next January and as long as I don't decide to leave), I don't need to worry so much about such large issues as finding a job or getting into graduate school.
This may sound hokey, but because I know that my work schedule is going to be fairly constant while I'm in graduate school, I'm more concerned than ever to find day-to-day contentment through extracurricular activities. This will be especially important during the summer. For instance, taking Chinese is something that is completely "unnecessary," but it's something that I've wanted to do since I was 19. Now that I have the opportunity to take classes, I'm taking advantage of it. I plan on resuming piano lessons so that I may pursue group performance again in the fall. I want to write some highly polished short stories and try to sell them in the mass market. I also want to take care of my family and friends, since it's hard to treat them with priority when school is in session.
Of course, I'm still a graduate student in the physics department, and I can't let my brain let go of physics during this long vacation. It might be relaxing, but it's sure to cause adverse effects in the fall. First of all, I'm taking the general exams again in September, and I've been told that I ought to study for them full-time for at least six weeks during the summer. I know that since I was educated at a liberal arts college, my background in hard-core science is relatively weak. Given that the exam is an important hurdle, which I have to clear before even considering a Ph.D., I know that I cannot treat it lightly.
I also plan on beginning research at one of the groups at BU. I don't want to commit myself to full-time research right now ― especially since I know that as I get older, I'm going to have fewer opportunities to spend time on myself ― but I know that I can begin to read academic papers and get a grasp of the contemporary trends and issues within my field of computer simulations. Since I am fortunate enough to have government funding, I don't have to earn my keep by TA-ing or by being a full-time assistant to a professor. I've been told that I shouldn't overexert myself out of any strange sense of guilt. After all, if I get burned out and I drop out, the investment in my education will be completely lost. I've been told that I should count my blessings and appreciate what I have to the fullest extent. I'd surely like to do so.
lmost a month after I'd interviewed for a summer position at "The Economist," I still hadn't received a reply. During the interview, the interviewer told me not to get too antsy about late notification, but I couldn't wait around any longer, so I decided to give the London office a call. The man who answered the phone was the man who had interviewed me, and I asked him whether he'd reached a decision yet. He told me that he had but hadn't gotten around to notifying everybody. Then he told me that he was sorry it wasn't me.
Considering how much I'd wanted this job, I was surprised at how calmly I took this news. I thanked him for his time and told him that I hoped to speak to him again in the future. I put down the phone without showing emotion, and without demanding an explanation. Even after I was by myself, though, I didn't feel the sadness, regret or bitterness that I thought I'd feel. I don't know if this is good or bad ― is it a sign of mature acceptance, or is it sign of apathy? ― but it certainly surprised me.
I had put all of my hopes into getting this job, so suddenly being confronted with three and a half months of "free time" was daunting. It seemed like a big, white space. Maybe I was simply in a state of shock. However, after I began thinking of all of the things I wanted to ― and could ― do during this period, I realized that I was lucky. My summers hadn't been truly free even when I was an undergraduate. I was constantly trying to figure out ways to get ahead back then, and occupying my summers with work was one of the ways that I felt I could do this. Now that I know my position and funding within the physics department are guaranteed for the next four years (that is, as long as I pass my general physics exam before next January and as long as I don't decide to leave), I don't need to worry so much about such large issues as finding a job or getting into graduate school.
This may sound hokey, but because I know that my work schedule is going to be fairly constant while I'm in graduate school, I'm more concerned than ever to find day-to-day contentment through extracurricular activities. This will be especially important during the summer. For instance, taking Chinese is something that is completely "unnecessary," but it's something that I've wanted to do since I was 19. Now that I have the opportunity to take classes, I'm taking advantage of it. I plan on resuming piano lessons so that I may pursue group performance again in the fall. I want to write some highly polished short stories and try to sell them in the mass market. I also want to take care of my family and friends, since it's hard to treat them with priority when school is in session.
Of course, I'm still a graduate student in the physics department, and I can't let my brain let go of physics during this long vacation. It might be relaxing, but it's sure to cause adverse effects in the fall. First of all, I'm taking the general exams again in September, and I've been told that I ought to study for them full-time for at least six weeks during the summer. I know that since I was educated at a liberal arts college, my background in hard-core science is relatively weak. Given that the exam is an important hurdle, which I have to clear before even considering a Ph.D., I know that I cannot treat it lightly.
I also plan on beginning research at one of the groups at BU. I don't want to commit myself to full-time research right now ― especially since I know that as I get older, I'm going to have fewer opportunities to spend time on myself ― but I know that I can begin to read academic papers and get a grasp of the contemporary trends and issues within my field of computer simulations. Since I am fortunate enough to have government funding, I don't have to earn my keep by TA-ing or by being a full-time assistant to a professor. I've been told that I shouldn't overexert myself out of any strange sense of guilt. After all, if I get burned out and I drop out, the investment in my education will be completely lost. I've been told that I should count my blessings and appreciate what I have to the fullest extent. I'd surely like to do so.
Shukan ST: May 23, 1997
(C) All rights reserved
- (had)interviewed
- 面接を受けた
- summer position
- 夏休みの仕事口
- "The Economist"
- 英国経済情報誌『エコノミスト』
- (get)antsy
- じりじりする
- late notification
- 遅い通知
- give 〜 a call
- 〜 に電話する
- hadn't gotten around to 〜
- 〜 することに取りかかっていなかった
- calmly
- 冷静に
- without showing emotion, and without demanding an explanation
- 感情を表に出したり説明を求めたりせず
- Even after I was by myself
- ひとりになってからも
- regret
- 後悔
- bitterness
- 苦い思い
- mature
- 大人の
- apathy
- 無感動
- being confronted with 〜
- 〜 と向き合わせられること
- was daunting
- 気力をくじくものだった
- undergraduate
- 学部生
- figure out 〜
- 〜 を見つけ出す
- occupying 〜 with 〜
- 〜 で 〜 を占めること
- funding
- 奨学金
- physics department
- 物理学部
- are guaranteed
- 保証されている
- issues
- 問題
- hokey
- 陳腐な
- fairly
- かなり
- (am)more concerned than ever to 〜
- 以前にも増して 〜 を心がける
- day-to-day contentment
- 日々の満足感
- extracurricular activities
- 勉強以外のこと
- For instance
- 例えば
- opportunity
- 機会
- (am)taking advantage of 〜
- 〜 を利用している
- resuming
- 再開する
- pursue
- 行なう
- highly polished
- 非常に洗練された
- treat 〜 with priority
- 〜 を最優先に扱う
- when school is in session
- 学校がある間は
- let my brain let go of 〜
- 〜 を忘れ去る
- adverse effects
- 悪い効果
- liberal arts college
- (教養学科のある)普通の大学
- hard-core science
- 堅苦しい科学
- relatively
- 比較的
- Given that 〜
- 〜 を考慮すると
- Ph.D.(=Doctor of Philosophy)
- 博士号
- research
- 研究
- BU =Boston University
-
- commit myself to 〜
- 〜 に打ち込む
- academic papers
- 学術論文
- get a grasp of 〜
- 〜 を理解する
- contemporary trends
- 現代の動向
- fortunate
- 恵まれている
- earn my keep
- 生計をたてる
- TA-ing
- (TA=teaching assistant)
- 授業の空き時間を利用して大学内で学生を指導する仕事
- overexert
- 精を出しすぎる
- sense of guilt
- 罪悪感
- get burned out
- 精力を使い尽くす
- drop out
- 退学する
- investment
- 投資
- count my blessings
- いい事を思う起こす
- appreciate
- 認識する
- to the fullest extent
- 精いっぱい