Michelle
and Charles Lee came to The University of Texas (UT) in their early thirties,
she for an MA in fiction writing which led her into a PhD in English, and he
for a PhD in Engineering. They live in Northwest Austin and have been married
for almost thirteen years.
How do you motivate yourself and each other to finish?
Charles: We support each other over every grad school hurdle. When one of us has a major event, like a qualifying exam or prospectus, the other helps out. Specifically, one of us will cook or clean that week so the other person doesn't have to worry about it.
How do you keep your standard of living high while being students?
Michelle: I think it's important not to get mired in the seriousness of grad school. Certainly there are deadlines, responsibilities, and commitments, but you have to remember to commit to SANITY as well! I've had crazy semesters where having coffee with my friends was a luxury. No more -- I've realized that I create my own stress. So the more fun I can plan in a routine of reading, teaching, writing, and researching the better. I even make dinner dates with Charles from time to time, to make sure we remember we're people first and students second.
What do you want your degree to mean?
Charles: I don't see my degree as the end-all. As a matter of fact, I see my degree as a license to begin doing things I finally want to do. Grad school is just a place for me to gain skills and knowledge that I can finally put to use afterwards. It also gives me the chance to do things I can't ever do in the "real world". One day I can sit in on a lecture on Anthropology, then look at art in the Blanton, look at cutting edge designs in the Architecture building and of course, watch the latest plays by other up and coming graduate students.
Michelle: My degree is a magic door to me. I don't even know what's behind it, but the possibilities excite me to no end. My degree also represents this fabulous journey -- it symbolizes all of the wonderful experiences I would never have had in the real world, like writing and producing a play, spending summers chaperoning undergrads at Oxford, working at the undergraduate writing center, teaching literature classes, meeting so many incredible people.
Q & A by Elisabeth McKetta, February, 2007
