Thursday, June 1, 2006

Good news

Good news #1: I paid off my credit cards

As of today my credit card balance is $0.00. (Well, actually, on my Visa there's the amount I spent on good bras yesterday, but I can easily pay that off, so I'm not counting that. ) The point is, I just finished paying off the nearly $12,000 in credit card debt that I'd left graduate school with. (Oh, there's more debt than that total, but the rest is student loan debt.) And I did it in 3 years, all while amassing a bit more debt for things like computers and car repairs and conference expenses not covered by my university. And now it's ALL GONE.

Yippee!!! Woo hoo!!!

Credit card debt: $0.00. Feelings of joyous liberation: Priceless.

Good news #2: My students like me! They really like me!

Not long ago my Chair asked our top graduating English major to write a welcoming letter to incoming English majors about the department and her experiences. For some gosh-darn reason, this student decided that to demonstrate how wonderful the department as a whole was, she'd use me as her primary example! And since she's our top student this year, her glowing praise of me was also eloquently written, although I have to say I can't take any credit for that -- she was a terrific writer when I first had her as a student her sophomore year. And what's more, the Chair forwarded the letter to the entire department.

*Blush*

And then yeseterday I found a letter from the Dean in my mailbox. In this letter, the Dean said that the survery of graduating seniors had asked students to name a faculty member who'd had a particularly strong and positive impact on their academic careers, and I'd been singled out for praise.

*Blush*

They like me, they really like me!

Both letters are of course going into my dossier, but it's also good to know that the department and the Dean all know that the students dig me. Yay me!

11 comments:

MT said...

So cool! Congratulations! You're not so bad a blogger either, actually.

Dr. Virago said...

Aw shucks. *Blush*

Tiruncula said...

Excellent news! Congratulations all around!

Unknown said...

Congratulations on both counts! Those are wonderful achievements and I'm glad they've come to you - I hope that you're doing well right now.

Anonymous said...

Good news indeed! I'm happy for you on both accounts; both should make life easier in the future.

Anonymous said...

Good news indeed! I'm happy for you on both accounts; both should make life easier in the future.

Ancrene Wiseass said...

That is so cool.

Congrats!

Chaser said...

Oh, congratulations on being debt free! And of course your students like you--we knew that already. But congrats on that, too.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations. Especially on point 2. We know how wonderful you are. Glad they appreciate it, too.

Another Damned Medievalist said...

Soooo cool! Speaking as someone who's trying to get to place #1, and is hoping to be at the other places .... Go you!!

Bardiac said...

Wow, both of those are GREAT!

Congratulations!!!!

The moment of becoming debt free was huge for me. Then I got a mortgage, which doesn't feel nearly as scary or overwhelming because the bank actually lets me live in the house. (It would be nice if they'd come clean their half, though!)