Students – Page 4 – The Kelsey Blog

Writing a dissertation on the archaic Forum Boarium

BY ANDREA BROCK, PhD candidate in the Interdepartmental Program in Classical Art and Archaeology, University of Michigan

“Every journey begins with one step.” — my mom

dissertation station — My at-home workspace, complete with furry dissertation buddy.

Enough with the background reading and procrastinating. This fall semester marked the official start of my dissertation, in written form at least. I feel like I’ve been working on this project for a decade already (although three years is more realistic). My dissertation is centered on my fieldwork at the Sant’Omobono Project in Rome. Specifically, I am interested in reconstructing the environment and topography of the archaic Forum Boarium. After returning from Rome at the end of the summer, I wrote a long to-do list of my intended accomplishments for the upcoming semester. A major part of that list was to write the opening chapters of my dissertation.

Although the primary goal was always hanging over my head, for weeks I couldn’t even begin to think about the dissertation. First there were conference abstracts that needed to be submitted, then countless grant proposals that needed to be dealt with if I had any hope of supporting my fieldwork in 2015, then just another book that I needed to read, then a meeting with my advisor, then some data crunching, then writing the conference papers … and so it goes. By the time the day came when I had nothing else to do, I just stared at my computer screen. An entire day wasted doing nothing but sitting in front of my computer! It is incredibly daunting to write the first sentence of such an intimidatingly long task. Upon lamenting (read: procrastinating) to my mom, she offered the true, albeit corny, words of encouragement above. I finally realized that I couldn’t avoid it any longer and started typing.

The main strategy that helped me get started on my first dissertation chapter was to write an extensive outline first. That way, I was able to get all of my thoughts on paper without having to worry about constructing vaguely coherent prose. This outline included the abundant references, which I would ultimately need to put into footnotes. After discussing the outline with the applicable committee member — and fortunately getting her approval — I was able to write more freely and quickly. I still encountered days where my momentum slowed, but I tried to keep the task in perspective. Each day was just focused on a particular section of a particular chapter. And each chapter isn’t so different from a seminar term paper, right? And I knocked those out tons of times as a pre-candidate, so why be intimidated by my dissertation? Well, that thought process worked for me at least. The semester is nearing an end and that long to-do list I wrote has been largely completed. Now, I just need to repeat the process next semester, and the semester after that, and the semester after that. But first, a break!

Teaching Roman history for the first time

1 Comment / Students / November 17, 2014

Arianna Zapelloni Pavia prepares to teach her class.

BY ARIANNA ZAPELLONI PAVIA, PhD student, Interdepartmental Program in Classical Art and Archaeology

My life as a PhD student is not always easy. The commitment it requires sometimes feels like a heavy load that I am not sure I am handling well. On top of these difficulties, as an international student, I also face the challenge of being far from home. I have learned to accept that I will lie awake on certain nights and think of all the things I am missing out on back home.

Suddenly, in my second year, after only three days of training, I entered my first class as an instructor: 25 students are sitting in front of me, some looking at me with curiosity, others still busy with their phones, but all waiting for me to say something.

Honestly, I thought I would exit the classroom after my first day feeling unworthy. Looking back, I do not know exactly what happened that day, but as soon as I began talking, the insecurity and anxiety vanished. My fear of being ill equipped slowly faded away and made me realize that I am a young scholar who loves what she does, and facing the challenge of teaching is part of my role as a student. I recognized that I was just being myself, trying to pass on to my students my own energy and passion for the topic.

Now, teaching is one of the most stimulating and rewarding parts of my semester. It is amazing to see how the class develops its own personality and reactions to my teaching style. One of the most valuable things I am learning is that humor can be effective in breaking barriers between me and the students. I also noticed that making connections with personal experience helps students see Roman history as something more than just a remote past. Once, while reading Livy, I remarked that Camillus’s feelings toward Rome are the same feelings I have when I think about this city, my hometown. It is when I see that the students are becoming more engaged and are learning new concepts, while at the same time I manage to create a relaxing environment, that I know I am on the right path to one day becoming a professor.

Learning is not a one-way street. I, myself, am learning a lot. Every time I leave the classroom I carry with me new insights that I received from my students. Interacting with undergraduates from a wide range of disciplines, who do not necessarily have the background I take for granted, sometimes leads to questions about fundamentals of Roman history that many of us in academia consider self-evident. Moreover, explaining these fundamentals to students helps me to focus on the most important things, to simplify difficult concepts and make them approachable. As a result I have clearer ideas of the topic I am teaching.

Teaching is also a refuge for me. When I feel overwhelmed by classes and research, it is very comforting to know that I can still shut everything out of my mind for the two hours I spend in the classroom talking about the Roman Republic.

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