Matt asks an interesting question:
For different people at top 5, top 10, top 20 departments --- as we age how do we allocate our time across these activities?
I would like to see the minutes count for #7 ---- how many people stay in the game and try to convince themselves that they are just a lowly assistant professor who hasn't done anything yet?
#7 is "writing hard stuff for peer reviewed publication." Even though I'm not at a top 20 (or 50) (or 100) department, I feel compelled to answer because:
I seem to recall that 2/16 is also John Whitehead's birthday. It is also Brooke Shield's birthday. So, I'm not sure what point is but I do wish us all a good peaceful day.
Thanks Matt*! Since it is also Brooke Shields' birthday, on to the answer ... I spend much less time trying to get a paper the very top journals (e.g., I spend something like zero minutes per year on JEEM ... for more reasons than age) than I did 19.5 years ago when I started my first job. I still think a lot about hitting the other top field journals. I'd say I spend more time these days on some of that other stuff on Matt's list. And I agree with this assessment:
While I know that my #7 minute count has fallen --- I would counter that my productivity per minute has gone up. Looking back to when I was an assistant professor at Columbia, I wasted a huge amount of time. Teaching used to exhaust me. Perhaps too much chalk inhalation in the pre-powerpoint slides days.
Except, substitute East Carolina Univeristy for Columbia.
*Also, you may remember that I'm a bit older and wiser than the 43 year old Matt.
