One constant of the new school year is those awkward sussing conversations that contain a "so are you..." and end with a nice surprise that often reveals as much about the person doing the guessing as it does the person being guessed about.
For example, yesterday at the english grad student potluck, I went up to one of our new graduate students to introduce myself and to express my delight that the grad student chose our program over the other formidable ones in the running, and then after a little discussion about what courses the new grad student is taking, the new grad student said, "So, are you done with coursework?" This grad student is not alone--at the speech comm get-to-know-new-students lunch, a new grad asked me if I was in the PhD program (implying that the other choice was the MA program).
Honestly, though, the most surprising was the one who got it right. At the chancellor's reception for new faculty JM (who is new on the faculty) and I were eating at a table with a few empty chairs, and a new hire in ag economics joined us. He talked with JM for a bit and then turned to me and said "so are you an associate professor?"
Believe me, I much prefer to be mistaken for someone who is ABD.
But JM's recent encounter with a campus gym rat wins the prize. Here it is:
CGR to JM: So, how tall are you, like 6'6"?
JM: yeah.
CGR: Dude, can you fit under the showers in the dorms?
JM: I don't live in the dorms.
CGR: So you're like a junior?
