u/maroon_bug

Moin!

I (28F) have just shifted to Hamburg and I'm looking for a reading community for English readers.

More importantly, I would prefer flexibility regarding how much I'm expected to read in a given time frame because I don't want to turn reading into yet another chore.

I have been part of book clubs where I could just join a discussion without having read something entirely, even just as an observer. And I'm looking for a similar space where I can absorb knowledge in my own time instead of having this pressure to finish reading.

I'm mostly a serious reader, and my favorite genres are philosophical and political fiction. However, I would love some new exposure too as long as the reading material has some substance. I know this is highly subjective but thought it's worth mentioning.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions! :))

Hello, not sure if this is the right sub to ask this, but here goes nothing.

I'm a master's student in Germany and recently got offered an 8-hour-per-week student assistant position. The work for this position aligns very closely with my long-term research interests and PhD goals.

But I needed closer to 20 hours of work per week (maximum allowed for a student) to cover my expenses, so I asked my professors about openings. She initially told me there were no openings, but later spoke with the committee and managed to get a 20-hour student assistant position approved for me.

Now I don't want to give up the original 8-hour position. The projects there seem highly appealing to me, the team seems very flexible, and most of the work can be done remotely. It would also start a month earlier than the 20-hour position.

So I asked my professor whether I could work 12 hours in her department and keep the other 8-hour position too. She said she could make that arrangement work, but she would not recommend it because balancing two jobs alongside my studies could become demanding. She emphasized that the decision is ultimately mine.

Now my concern is not so much the workload. I'm worried that choosing the 12+8 arrangement after she put in the effort to create a position for me could come across as ungrateful or as if I don't value her advice.

My questions are:

1. What would be the practically sounder decision - keeping just 1 job or splitting between the 2?

2. Am I overthinking the possibility of disappointing the professor?

TL;DR: I found an 8h/week student job that aligns closely with my future academic interests. Later, a professor got a 20h/week position approved for me. She's willing to reduce it to 12h so I can keep both jobs, but she doesn't recommend it. Should I take the full 20h position or keep both opportunities (12+8)?

Thank you in advance for your thoughts!