Vene

To add to this, I think it's good to have a pitch for specialists (people who you're likely to cite in your papers), non-specialists with the same degree (people who would work in the same department as you or have the same job title, but don't work on your exact topic), and non-specialists who have minimal familiarity with the field (neighbors, HR, administration).
 
So, for my work, I think I'd want to be able to explain what I do quickly to somebody else working on thyroids, where I can ignore a lot of background information. I'd want to be able to explain it to another biologist, where I could assume that they know cell biology and biochemistry. And I'd want to be able to explain it to the HR rep that is sitting in for an interview, who likely has only the roughest idea of what a thyroid does.

This would depend on the program. Only they could answer your questions.

Would you prefer this? (Journal link)
 
Figures 1 and 2 are key:


 
Sustained overtime lead to enough of a decline that they would have been better off just doing a 40 hour week. For example, that asymptote for figure 1 is below 75%, but even rounding up to 75% yields 0.75*50 hours = 37.5 hours. By week 12, they were doing less work in 50 hours than what would have been done in 40 hours if they never started 50 hour workweeks.

It's been done. This has been known about for 100 years.
 

Where I attend the only way to get into a microbiology lab is to either apply for a biomedical science umbrella PhD or apply for a biology PhD if your POI is in that department instead of the college of medicine.

I can't comment on whether or not this is common, but expecting you to be there full time for no pay seems unreasonable.

Google Dictionary definition of independent: "not depending on another for livelihood or subsistence". In academia, this is generally considered a good trait because you are able to figure things out on your own and are good at working on your own. However, being too independent can be bad if you are not able to work well with others. The prof is making this statement because you implied that you are able to do this project by yourself (or that you prefer to work by yourself). 
 
However, I agree with Eigen and everyone else that you are over-analyzing every little thing someone says. This is a "throwaway comment", I bet the prof forgot they already said this. To me, it sounds like a natural reaction to acknowledge a statement, like "oh", or "hmmm" or "uh-huh". For example consider these conversations between two friends, A and B.
 
A: "If I was an ice cream flavour, I would be rocky road!"
B: "Because you love chocolate."
 
or
 
A: "I hope to take a vacation in Hawaii someday"
B: "Because you like beaches."
 
The reason that "B" says what they say comes both from B's knowledge of A as well as inferring information from A. But the purpose of these statements are usually just filler/acknowledgement. Sometimes they can be almost a question (e.g. if B really wanted to go to Hawaii because they want to eat a lot of pineapples rather than visit beaches, this would be a good chance for B to correct A and continue the conversation).
 
For the email question--let him email you at the end of the month. If he doesn't, send a reminder at the end of the month.
 
Overall, what is the reason that you are unsure of everything the prof is saying? Like Eigen said, if you don't trust him, then don't work for him. If it's just a language issue (perhaps English is not your first language and you're not sure what people mean?) then don't worry, you will understand more when you work with the prof more. Like meeting any new person, it takes a little time before you figure out when they are serious, when they are joking, etc. You can also ask your friends for language help and use a dictionary. And if the professor says something that sounds really weird, it might be an expression that you haven't heard before and you should just ask him to clarify.
 
It's okay to ask for clarification when it's a strange expression. Although, English is not my first language, I consider it my most fluent language (it's the only language I can fluently write and speak in) and I still ask for clarifications when hearing strange idioms for the first time (e.g. "Doing X is like herding cats" or "it's the tragedy of the commons"). 

Absolutely this. I know of too many cases where companies will knowingly screw over employees (including moving people across the country with full intent of laying them off) to be concerned for their wellbeing. Companies look out for their interests, not yours. You have to look out for your own and not theirs. That is how the game is played.

Honesty is not the best policy. The modern relationship with your employer is that you will show up and do the job, and they will pay you money for showing up and doing the job. You don't owe them anything else, and you owe it to yourself to be financially solvent until you go to school.

I think people overestimate the importance of gre scores

Hi Everyone,
 
I would like to ask for a help to my problem. 
 
I would like to know if our in house method is same with USP method
 
I would like to use T statistics to compare if my the two methods are similar but I don't know how to proceed.
 
Below are the data that 
 
USP    97.9   98   97.9   98   98.7   96.5   97.5   97.4   96.6   96.6    
In house 99.5 98.9 98.6 98.9 99.8 97.3 97.3 98.2 98.3 98.3 Any help that you can extend is highly appreciated.
 
Thank you so much.
 
thong

I think things have changed a bit now, but I have never considered rote arithmetic that useful for graduate school, or that indicative of someone being intelligent. 
 
Accordingly, doing long division by hand (old style GRE) was not very useful to determine a "good" physical scientist, or engineer. In the real world, you'll always double check with a calculator anyway. No reason to rest the results of a costly experiment (time, materials, etc) on the result of back of the envelope math. 
 
I strongly, strongly disagree that taking exams is what we're trained to do. If you feel that way about your education, I would personally say that school failed you. 
 
I also consistently find that the least prepared graduate students were the ones who "did really well in class" or "did really well on exams". A thorough knowledge of your subject area is important. Being able to work things out is important. 
 
Being able to have ideas that have the potential to revolutionize fields is crucial. As is the ability to practically troubleshoot and carry those ideas through. 
 
Personally, I'd argue that the more elite schools are less reliant on scores- they're getting more than enough applicants with publications and research experience that allows them to not rely on scores that they really don't care about. 
 
Also, who cares about being on probation due to low grades if you're publishing? I know plenty of fellow students that spent years in grad school on academic probation because of grades, but came out with great publications, grant proposals, etc. and went on to do fine. None of the faculty really cared either. 

I don't think you're well versed in what qualifying exams generally are. 
 
And I think you'd also be surprised at the difference in tests between undergraduate and graduate courses, as well as the relative importance placed on tests vs projects. 
 
Past a certain threshold a better Q score doesn't really benefit you as much as a better verbal. 
 
In physical sciences, last I saw the statistics, over 20% of applicants had perfect Q scores. Far fewer had perfect or near perfect verbal scores. 
 
Accordingly, having a high verbal score will set you apart more than a high quantitate score- it's rarer. 
 
I know I got comments on having a high percentile verbal score when I applied, with people saying it was usually indicative of a larger vocabulary, and more ease writing & reading. All of which are quite important for grad school, as the further you go the more time is spent writing. 
 
Your grades in math courses matter more for physical sciences in showing whether or not you get math- the GRE is pretty much arithmetic anyway. 

Would you prefer this? (Journal link)
 
Figures 1 and 2 are key:


 
Sustained overtime lead to enough of a decline that they would have been better off just doing a 40 hour week. For example, that asymptote for figure 1 is below 75%, but even rounding up to 75% yields 0.75*50 hours = 37.5 hours. By week 12, they were doing less work in 50 hours than what would have been done in 40 hours if they never started 50 hour workweeks.

Speaking in generalities here:
 
When a male student flirts with a female TA, he's doing it because he is attracted to her. She is an object of his desire. Emphasis on her being an object.
 
When a female student flirts with a male TA, it's because he's in a position of authority and she wants favor. It is not because she desires him, instead she is trying to use her body as currency.
 
There is a world of difference between these two events.

Would you prefer this? (Journal link)
 
Figures 1 and 2 are key:


 
Sustained overtime lead to enough of a decline that they would have been better off just doing a 40 hour week. For example, that asymptote for figure 1 is below 75%, but even rounding up to 75% yields 0.75*50 hours = 37.5 hours. By week 12, they were doing less work in 50 hours than what would have been done in 40 hours if they never started 50 hour workweeks.

pshawwww those two are only the tops because everest college went bankrupt. That place was much prestige, so academy. Wow.

Friendly reminder via @rundavidrun on Twitter.

Well, if you'd rather go to where you have already accepted it's pretty simple, you politely say you've accepted another offer.
 
 
If you would rather attend the school where you were previously waitlisted then it's tougher as you don't want to burn bridges at where you previously said yes. It is possible to do this, but it requires tact as well as the program being understanding about this sort of thing. Regardless, you can say that you have decided to withdraw your acceptance and say yes to the new acceptance.
 
If you ask me, people are overly concerned about burning bridges. It is impossible to please everybody and you ultimately need to do what is best for you and your career. You don't want to piss people off without reason, but you also absolutely need to take advantage of an opportunity if it arises. I can't say if this is one of those times, that's up to you.

*bolded for emphasis*
 
It can actually be really hard to notice implicit bias when you're not the target of it. But, talk to most any woman and you'll hear plenty of stories.

trust Allah. he will guide you to the promise land. 

Very much this. It is not your job to recruit for a university, they have staff to do that for them instead. If they can't attract the students they want, that is honestly their problem they need to solve.

Your first obligation has to be to you. Sure, you want to be nice and deal with everyone with integrity, and I think you are doing that, but any final decisions have to be based upon what would be best for you and your career. If it is better for you to attend your top choice, then go there - you don't want to spend the next 5 years at a program and the next 30 years of your career with that program on your CV simply because you felt some momentary guilt.
 
With that said, I agree - if they want a decision by April 15 and you don't think your top choice is going to get back to you by then, then you should ask if they can give you an extension to decide because you had an unexpected interview and an offer is pending. I then would contact your top choice and tell them that you're really excited about the prospect of going there, but that you have an offer from another department and you'd really like to hear from them soon.
 
And you're not doing anything wrong. Every program has their own yield management strategies - they might have a waitlist, or they might have admitted a few more students than they intend to take in knowing that X% declines every year, or something else. Let them worry about how they are going to get the number of students they want; you worry about selecting the right program for you.

I have these and I have to answer then URGENTLY!! 4a i know it . 4B is it counting the dot and crosses? Others who can answer them for me?

I'd first make sure that top choice really is going to make an offer. It's April 15th is Wednesday, call them up on Monday and ask, they really should know by now. If you're not actually getting into that program all of this is a moot point anyway.