Real Academics Blog

Dear Real Academics, You may or may not have heard of The Minimalists  (but it's more likely you have at least heard about them since they currently have an audience of 20 million viewers!). Joshua and Ryan's story has, for several years, intrigued me. Despite having high paying jobs and lots and lots of material things, they both craved meaning and a sense of freedom from the weight of work stress and material things to manage. So, they made radical life changes leading to becoming The Minimalists. You can read more about them in the link above (but first, finish reading below- ha!). What I most like about Joshua and Ryan's version of the minimalistic philosophy is that it focuses, not just on having less  stuff, but on making room for more of what is important.  The question then becomes, what is most important? I don't claim to be a philosopher, but this is a critical life question. Once you answer this question, you then need to ask yourself, "What do I need...

Dear Real Academics, Not too long ago, a friend with great taste recommended we watch Disney's Encanto . (If you have not watched it, I do highly recommend it. The music, animation, colors, and story are fabulous). The animation is set in Colombia, and the characters eat something called "arepas con queso". I know what "con queso" means (i.e., with cheese), but I had never heard of an "arepa." So, you can imagine my delight when I wandered into a bakery this weekend and saw they had arepas!  Arepas are like thick tortilla/biscuits. If you are familiar with Mexican cuisine, they are kind of like gorditas, but not so greasy (or tasty! lol). The closest thing I can think of in terms of American cuisine is like little corn bread you can stuff with ingredients. Here is a picture of my arepa con queso and shredded beef. My point in sharing this bit of new discovery is to share something you've probably heard before: It's good to try new things (given...

Dear Real Academics, This week I wanted to reflect on some practical points I've learned about working with clients seeking assistance with  academic writing and research. Even if you don't have "clients," I think these tips are helpful in working with other academics/people in general, be it peers or students. (1) Be prompt and organized in your communications. People feel more secure when they know they are being heard and recognized and that you have some plan in place. Waiting over a week (or even months -- yes, this has happened to me) for someone to reply to an email request or text may signal that the non-responder simply does not care. (2) Be grateful. It takes a lot of guts to share writing and/or research with someone. Make sure to thank anyone for trusting you with their writing and/or research. And, be grateful that you have something you can share. It is truly a privilege -- at least it is for me -- to teach someone something that I've learned from g...