calliope_dogstar

TakeruK, Thank you! This is all extremely helpful, every bit of it. It is nice to know I am on the right track generally and have been thinking the right things- you echoed what has been bouncing around in my head as what I imagine is the proper "plan". I spoke to my advisor this week (it's her lab I work in) and am ready to start some experimental work next semester under independent problems course credit. I explained to her my goal of preparing myself for graduate school and becoming familiar with the types of work and experience that I will have. I have gotten to do a run-through on a type of simple experiment done in the lab and will become familiar with more techniques over the next semester. I understand the comment about TA work- for now it is a nice fit for me because I need to improve my speaking skills and work through some social anxiety issues. Teaching about the things I love to the introductory students has helped a lot, because it is building some confidence. I suspect I will want to TA some in grad school for similar reasons, as my anxieties will rise again with a new location. I had been seeking a path to be a high school teacher when I changed my mind and realized how much more I want and desire to do this instead. I still have an interest in teaching and outreach- so doing TA work has been helping me hone those skills. Thank you so much for your replies TakeruK and meeb!!

This year (early into Junior year) I made some big decisions and wound up deciding to go to grad school. This has been occupying my thoughts like crazy, and I am hoping for some advice- I am planning to enter grad school fall of 2014, and I am a mom of two kids and a wife of an awesomely supportive husband. How early is too early to make contact with professors? I have so many concerns, like how to move my whole family some other place on short notice when we've been buying a house that is now worth less than when we bought it. Also, what are some good things to do over the next three semesters to make myself a more competitive candidate? -I took the practice GRE, and scored something like 156 V and 154 Q with no preparation, a roomful of noise, and not much time to think about each question. - My major area GPA is 4.0 (but will drop slightly after this genetics course ). - I am working as an undergraduate teaching assistant in introductory biology lab courses, and as a lab assistant working with an organism of interest to my long term plans. Thank you!