I know I should be more patient and understanding, but really I'm getting tired of this conversation that always happens when I meet new people.
New Person (NP): So what do you do for a living?
Me: I'm a grad student at UCLA.
NP: What do you study?
Me: Education.
NP: Are you getting a Masters?
Me: No, I'm working on my Ph.D.
NP: What will you do with that? Teach?
Me (In my head): What do other people do with a Ph.D.?? *sigh* Well yes I want to teach, but I'm assuming when you say "teach" you mean in K-12.
Me (out loud): Yes, I'd like to teach.
NP: That's a lot of school to teach.
Me: Well I want to be a university professor.
NP: What would you teach in a university?
Me: Education, Asian American Studies, or Ethnic Studies.
NP: You would teach people how to teach?
Me: Not necessarily. Professors do research and writing too. My research area is on racial equity and education, Asian Americans and educational institutions as spaces of oppression and empowerment.
NP: ...
At this point, the conversation dies, and I'm feeling frustrated and annoyed that people have such a narrow conception of education, academics, and are just ignorant even when they're "educated." No wonder I have a hard time meeting new people.
