What I wish I had known before day 1 as an assistant professor

The semester is about to start (sorry!), which means you might be doing the very, very big things that happen in academia: transitioning from a grad student into a postdoc, instructor, or assistant professor. As I enter my 6th year as a professor (seriously WHAT) here are some things I wish I had known that first year <3

Research

1. The only way to get tenure is “ass in seat” (a retired professor told me this, hehe). It’s not networking, applying for shiny grants (unless that’s part of your tenure requirements), or giving guest research talks (ok, maybe like 1-2). If you aren’t sitting down to write, the rest of the shiny stuff won’t matter so much. So, take a deep breath, and try to put all of your “I should be out doing things!!” thoughts aside. If you’re sitting and writing for 30 minutes a day, that’s exactly where you’re supposed to be <3
2. The first and second years as you try to build a “publication pipeline” can be brutal for impostor syndrome. Please remember that it’s normal not to have much to show in terms of research productivity at that time! If you’re submitting to journals, you’re doing a great job.
3. On that note, a counselor or therapist can change your life and your work style. Sometimes, they are available at a low cost through the university. I highly recommend them to deal with work/life balance, anxiety, and impostor syndrome!
4. The NCFDD has amazing webinars about building a writing habit, making a semester plan, and all kinds of other hidden scripts of academia. I highly recommend them. Many institutions have access so check on their website to see if yours does!

Teaching

1. Teaching grad students is very different than teaching undergrad students. It can be a steep learning curve. All your good pedagogy tips still apply. Otherwise, be very nice to yourself. Sometimes, grad students complain just because they think it’s something scholars do (which, touche. lol).
2. Figure out what the priority is with teaching in your department. Is it career preparedness (maybe bring in a guest speaker from industry)? High retention rates (which might involve reaching out to struggling students)? Rigor/academic reputation (check in with other faculty about the expectations for student assignments)?
3. In general, you will never be cool to students, so don’t worry about it. Students will respect you if you are fair, transparent about why they’re doing the work they’re doing, and empathetic. Having an agenda at the start of class and explaining the goal of the class session goes a long way.

Service and everything else

1. If you see an email asking who can do service and it does not mention you by name or starts with “Hi all,” it is not for you in the first year. Ask your chair what service would be a good place to start! And stick to that.
2. People will tell you to protect your time, forget they said that, and then ask you to do things. You can say:
   • “Thank you for the offer! I am currently working on research/setting up new courses/etc and won’t be able to take this on at this time”
   • “That sounds interesting, let me get back to you after I look at my schedule. Right now I’m working on…” [this is my go-to verbal response, never say yes in a hallway]
3. Be aware (and I’m not trying to make you paranoid here) that sometimes people ask you how you are because they care, and sometimes they ask to treat it like information. You will soon know who is who, but keep anything to yourself that you don’t want to circulate until you sort it out.
4. Look out for new professor mentoring groups and meetings on campus! New faculty also need friends, and they understand the struggle. I met mine at new faculty orientation and never let them go <3

Finally, a few books that helped me a lot during the first year: The Slow Professor, Writing Your Journal Article in 12 Weeks, and How to Write A Lot.

Good luck, you’re going to be wonderful 🙂