lasercats11

Haha. I did meet the Frumanator, although I was utterly unaware that that was a name people called him. I liked UCI and most of the people that I met there, but the research was just not a good fit for me. It's definitely one of those things that you can't always get a good feel for just from looking at faculty pages and reading some of their papers. As for WOW, I need a new pair of glasses REAL BAD, so my main priority is figuring how to get that process started. The rest of the events I feel pretty "meh" about.

Hey guys! I'm going to be starting the Microbiology PhD program at UC Davis this fall. Pretty excited about this new step in my life. I've been looking at the WOW schedule and will probably only go to a few of the nitty-gritty events, like library resources and how the health insurance program works. I'm not much for mixers; I just feel too awkward at those kind of events. I also have a house in Woodland (about a 10 minutes drive from Davis) and am looking for a roommate. PM if you would like more info.

I set a date for my Master's thesis defense (July 1st!!) so that will definitely occupy my time for a while. Then I'm planning to stay in my current town for about another month, so I have time to hang out with friends and do all the things I want to do before I leave. The big move will take place sometime in August, so that will definitely be a large distraction. I do like the idea of taking a class though and I was planning on starting a book on R, but I like the idea of an online course too. The Data Science courses look like to be right up my alley. My current school is kind of weak in that area, so I would like to learn a bit about it before starting my PhD program. Thanks for that link Monochrome, I'm definitely going to look further into that.

Thanks! I'm really excited about starting my PhD there. I was able to visit the campus twice and I really liked the vibe. Luckily, their program also meshed well with my research interests, so I can have the best of both worlds.

Ugh. This too. I was never the kid who picked out baby names and played house and I was never the kid who planned her future wedding. I just don't care about marriage. This is not to say that I don't value a strong, committed relationship; I just don't see any need for a wedding. And I'm not a shrew - I don't criticize those who get married or have kids, but the amount of crap that I have had to put up regarding my views on marriage and children is borderline ridiculous. It probably doesn't help that I've been in a conservative Christian educational environment for my entire life. The unofficial nickname for my college is "Western Wedding College" for crap's sake. I can't even with that. Definitely ready to move on.

After reading this thread, I'm starting to feel like a male roommate trapped in a female roommate's body. Let's be real - no roommates is the dream.

My school didn't have most of these programs and academic standards were pretty low, so I didn't really spend much time on my academics in high school because I didn't have to. High school was a time for playing all the sports, even the ones I didn't really like. I kind of miss it because now my main form of exercise is running up and down the stairs between my lab and the centrifuge room.

I will never have kids. There is no compromising on this point. I am not interested and have never been interested in kids. I don't feel anything towards them. I don't mind being the "fun aunt" but I could never see myself having kids. I'm 27 and a lot of my friends are getting married and getting pregnant, which is fine for them, but when I imagine my life with the addition of kids I just want out of that situation. The loss of independence and additional stress of having children is not something that I want to add to my life. I've also never had any sort of biological urge to procreate, so my life will be child free and I am super stoked about it. There are so many other things that I want to do with my life. Also, that's super exciting that tubal ligation is covered under graduate insurance. I will have to look into that at my school when I start in the fall. It's something I've been considering, but I just haven't had insurance for a while. I'm pretty paranoid about the possibility of getting pregnant which definitely takes some of the fun out of sex. I brought it up at a doctor's appointment a few years ago only to get the "You'll change your mind" speech (which I find super condescending, but even more so from a doctor). Hopefully, as I get closer to 30, people will start taking me a bit more serious about not wanting to have kids.

I recently adopted a cat from a shelter, which I highly recommend for all the reasons that have been stated before. I really appreciate that shelters cover the cost to spay/neuter, update vaccinations, microchip, etc. My cat was brought to the shelter after falling off a telephone pole and the shelter also covered all the costs of an amputation and recovery. Thus, I was able to adopt a three-legged cat that was on the mend for only $20. That's a good deal. He's 2 years old and was previously an outdoor cat, so he's a bit needy as he adjusts to being indoor only. I work fairly long hours and late into the night, but right now I only work five minutes from home so I can run home when I have some down time and socialize with him for 15 minutes or so. I'll be moving and starting a PhD program in August and I'm a bit worried that I won't be able to run home as often so I'm already considering getting a second cat after I move to keep him company (one step closer to crazy cat lady status - it sets in fast!). Does anyone have pet insurance? The shelter gave me two free months of pet insurance and I am trying to decide if I am going to stay enrolled after the free trial period expires.

I'm sorry to hear that. I was really rooting for you to get into UCI. It sucks to be sitting on top of the waitlist and not quite make it in the end.

No, a thousand times no. I have already been in this situation and I got a divorce because of it (admittedly it was a stupid decision of mine to marry him in the first place). A relationship is not healthy and not worth keeping if you are expected to give up your dream, no exceptions. I am at a place now where I do not even want to compromise on my dreams which is why I have chosen not to get involved in serious relationships. I think it's just a matter of being self-aware and knowing what your priorities are and what matters to you. For me, it is research and my career. If a relationship comes along, fine, but it's not something that I am actively pursuing.

I also accepted the offer for the Microbiology program at UC Davis. Hello future classmate!

This. I was originally planning to work as long as possible before I move, but now I just want my supervisor to post the job opening and start looking for a replacement for me so I can get out of this dead-end office job.

Now that I've accepted an offer, I just feel restless all the time. I'm probably not going to move until early August, the coordinator isn't going to send out information about the program until June or July, so I just need to keep living my normal life. I still have to work at my boring office job for a few more months and I need to write my master's thesis but it is so hard to focus because I am quite ready to move on and now I know that I definitely will be, just not for a few months. It's kind of a let-down after the hectic and nerve-wracking application season to just have to wait quietly for a few months before the big changes can begin.

THIS. The uncertainty has been really distracting. And I though it would get better after I got an acceptance and it did, but shortly after, I was put on a wait list and the waiting began again. I'm a planner; I like to know what I'm going to be doing with my life and where I'm going to end up and this whole experience has been the opposite of having a organized life plan. At least the distraction is happening at work and not while I'm writing my thesis. So I have that going for me.