change of venue

I moved offices today; I suppose I can consider this a step up in the graduate student world. Space for grad students is a hot issue around here, simply because it's so hard to come by. Now, after some good-old fashioned lobbying, we're doing quite well - two large, communal offices with numerous desks; one two-desk office; one small conference room; and a classroom-sized lounge. When I started here, we had the lounge, period, and it wasn't nearly as nice a place as it is now.

I trudged back and forth through the hall today, moving all my accumulated crap from one of the communal offices to the two-person office. I don't have an office buddy yet but I'm sure someone will be assigned soon, space being such a hot commodity. May s/he be a quiet breather, a non-hummer, and available for the occasional drink.

The amount of working space is probably the same but the simple reality of having a door that opens into "my" work space makes things a little different. (That, and the lack of any windows - I think I'm actually working in a grotto.) I have high hopes, however, that the lack of foot traffic, the decrease in social conversation and the absence of outside stimulation will contribute to my productivity. The odds of me writing a dissertation while surrounded by living, breathing humans are exceptionally low.