Switching Into Research Mode: Priceless

By the numbers:

  • Exams graded: 16
  • Mean exam grade: 64%
  • Mean final grade for Physics 121: B-
  • Papers assigned: 17
  • Papers received and graded: 16
  • Mean final grade for Physics 311: B+
  • Students receiving grades of Incomplete: 1
  • Large bottles of Scottish ale drunk while watching “Dr. Who”: 1

And another academic year is in the books, but for a few odds and ends (one seriously ill student who needs to get me a final paper, receiving my course comment sheets for the term). This is the last term that will count toward my tenure review on the teaching side, so I’m vaguely apprehensive about the course comments, but there’s really nothing I can do about it, so I’m going to do my best to forget about it until Monday.

Tomorrow is graduation, and one of my two summer students starts work Monday. Which leaves me with, well, today to make the transition from Teaching Mode to Research Mode. The plan is to watch some soccer, maybe take a drive over to Williamstown, and not think about classes at all for at least one day.