lifeasanacademic

After graduating from MIT, I started out my professional life as a visiting assistant professor. The pay wasn't great ($15,000 per academic year). It was the most money I had ever made, however. After four years of not being able to afford a winter coat (and knitting sweaters out of scraps), I felt kind of rich. I didn't mind sleeping on the floor. I had wheels -- the bike I bought in high school. I didn't really need much.

This picture was taken during my first semester of teaching. I'm with several of my students, though the guy behind me was another professor, and later my boyfriend for the next 5 years.