Your Career: Are you slowing yourself down?

How to spot-check your writing process to see if you’re unintentionally hampering your own progress. ADVERTISEMENT [Your Career Logo]( You can also [read this newsletter on the web](. Or, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, [unsubscribe](. How to spot-check your writing process to see if you’re unintentionally hampering your own progress It’s a common question for which there is no easy answer: “I feel like I’m working at a sloth’s pace — how can I write faster?” Thing is, your work is only “slow” relative to your perception of other people’s work speeds (which, truth be told, are probably a lot slower than they’re letting on). In the sloths’ world, they are going at exactly the speed their metabolism and needs allow. If your work is a slog, that is probably because you’ve chosen something difficult to write about, and it just takes time to come out with coherent thoughts about it. The first thing to do here is accept that your magical thinking about wanting to be done with a project does not equate to actually speeding up. All of those sped-up montage scenes of people building or renovating something on Instagram are sped up for a reason: Most of the work is way closer to the paint-drying end of the speed spectrum. You’re in more of a sloth’s world than you realize. Still, it still might be worth spot-checking your process to see if you’re unintentionally slowing yourself down. For example, do you need a reminder that getting your thoughts down on a draft and making them sound eloquent are actually two distinct activities? You may be borrowing trouble by attempting to conflate them into one. You’ll end up spending way more time on each sentence than you would if you knew, from the beginning, that you were going to write two versions: the “ugly” draft and the “real” one. Continue reading: “‘[How Do I Speed Up My Writing?]( by Rebecca Schuman Share your suggestions for the newsletter with Denise Magner, an editor at The Chronicle, at denise.magner@chronicle.com. If you’d like to opt out, you can log in to our website and [manage your newsletter preferences here](. Teaching alongside ChatGPT What has your fall semester been like now that ChatGPT and other generative AI tools are ubiquitous? Are students using them responsibly? Are you seeing cheating with AI on the rise? Have you redesigned your assignments to either promote or mitigate AI use? Are you talking with colleagues about the issues it raises for teaching and learning? Whether you love these new tools, hate them, or fall somewhere in between, we want to hear from you. Please fill out [this Google form]( and, with your permission, your experiences may appear in a story The Chronicle plans to run later this fall. ADVERTISEMENT SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to essential news, analysis, and advice. NEWSLETTER [Sign Up for the Teaching Newsletter]( Find insights to improve teaching and learning across your campus. Delivered on Thursdays. To read this newsletter as soon as it sends, [sign up]( to receive it in your email inbox. LATEST CAREER ADVICE, OPINION, AND NEWS ADVICE [How to Fix the Awkward Administrator-to-Professor Transition]( By Lisa Jasinski [STORY IMAGE]( It is time to shift how higher ed talks about, pays, and makes use of presidents, provosts, and deans who return to the faculty. SPONSOR CONTENT | Santa Clara University [How Santa Clara University Raised $250 Million for Scholarships]( ADVICE [Why Are We So Squeamish About Teaching ‘Skills’?]( By Leonard Cassuto [STORY IMAGE]( Professors have always preferred to teach content over skills. But shifting that focus might just revive our graduate programs. 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FROM THE CHRONICLE STORE [The Unionized Campus - The Chronicle Store]( [The Unionized Campus]( The number of graduate-student unions has increased more than four-fold since 2019. [Order your copy]( to learn what’s at stake as union membership grows, and explore effective strategies for colleges to build relationships with new and existing unions. SPONSOR CONTENT | The University of Queensland [From Waste to Wonder]( A University of Queensland research group is leading the way for widespread change in the mining industry. What we’re reading Here’s more on career issues and trends from around the web. See something we should include? [Let me know](mailto:denise.magner@chronicle.com?subject=Your Career feedback). - A [story]( in Science magazine explores the clash over whether journal articles should include the author’s race, gender, and other demographic details. - In the Harvard Business Review, advice on how to “[build a culture of curiosity]( in the workplace. - On Slate, a look at how pursuing a faculty career [requires academics to relocate]( a lot. MORE CAREER RESOURCES [Student Success: the New Year Ahead]( [STORY IMAGE]( UPCOMING: November 7, 2023 | 2 p.m. ET: As colleges try to improve post-pandemic student retention and graduation rates, join us to discuss what students need on campus. With Support From University of South Florida. [Register here.]( [International-Student Recruitment Trends]( [STORY IMAGE]( UPCOMING: November 15, 2023 | 2 p.m. ET: As global student trends shift and recruiting in China falls, colleges must consider alternative targets. 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