Originally Posted by
nolens volans
Never, ever tell them you're a student unless you're prepared to give a mini-seminar on what you're studying. They seem to love making people explain all about what molecular biology or knot theory or morphosyntax is - and then of course you get sent to secondary anyway because everybody knows students are dodgy people who use drugs and so on.
This 'explain your discipline and the nature of your research in 30 seconds' happened to me numerous times until I had a good enough day job to disguise my studentry, so your experience was not an isolated incident by any means (and I occasionally got 'you don't *look* like a student' too). It doesn't serve any Customs-related purpose as far as I can tell and is really freaking annoying.
It's somehow comforting to learn that there are others who have experienced the same 'legitimize your research and methodology to me' question that I've been subject to. What's infuriating to me (and here's my own personal thorn) is that I look young. I typically look about 10 years younger than I am and am constantly mistaken for a late teen or early 20s gal. His, 'you look old' comment really hit a nerve because I was quite aware that after a 9 hour flight, I wasn't looking my best and perhaps the bags under my eyes could have contributed to the general haggard appearance I seemed to be carrying that day. But, as a customs agent, he really should have known better than to insult me and tell me I look too old to be a student.
So if I should never say I'm a student, what might be a more appropriate response? Professional gadabout? Procrastinator? Aimless wanderer? I'm quite certain all of those would lead me to a lovely secondary.