RunnerGrad

Food - one of my favourite topics! I am in nutrition/dietetics after all! One thing I would recommend for everyone: make sure you combine a protein source with a carbohydrate source at each meal and snack. That will help to prevent blood sugar highs and lows, and provide you with longer-lasting energy. For snacks I like to combine yogourt with fruit (unsweetened yogourt to avoid excess sugar), apples with natural peanut butter (again, with no added sugar), vegetables with hummus, homemade protein/energy balls or bars (that way I can control what's in them and can limit the amount of sugar and processed ingredients), homemade protein smoothies that I put in an insulated thermos (frozen berries, whey protein, skim milk blended together). For lunches I do bring some leftovers (I basically cook a bunch of freezer-friendly meals once a month, since my husband and I commute to work/university an hour each way, so when we get home the last thing we want to do is cook). I also like salads with local, organic cheese in them, or chunks of chicken breast. Sandwiches made from 100% whole grain bread baked at a local bakery that uses all local and organic ingredients (I avoid grocery store bread at all costs) with either natural peanut butter or grilled meats (processed sandwich meats I avoid. Homemade chili is great to warm up in a microwave, as are bean burritos made with whole wheat tortillas. I have an insulated lunch bag that I use (again, I commute, so I need something to keep my food cold). This one: http://www.fenigo.com/GoodbynRolltop.htm (in dark blue). I also use quality containers that don't leak for my items: http://www.fenigo.com/SistemaKlipIt.htm

So I technically don't start until tomorrow, but we were sent an email about an online module we would complete ahead of time if we chose to do so - basically just an introduction to public health in Canada put out by the Public Health Agency of Canada. I just completed it - figured I might as well get it done before I have other work to do (it's actually due in two or three weeks). At least this little online module was easy - although I did work for PHAC at one point, so a lot of the information was common knowledge from having worked there. I don't anticipate the rest of my grad work being this easy!

I definitely prefer physical textbooks. For casual reading (i.e. novels) and journal articles, I use electronic copies, and read on my iPad. Fortunately for my first semester, I only have one required textbook. It is definitely needed, as the information isn't readily available in other formats (there are no good internet resources that closely match the content of the book - at least none that I've been able to find). A second course has a recommended textbook, so it's not absolutely required, and fortunately I have a previous edition of the text from my undergraduate studies. I definitely find that hard copy textbooks are easier to manipulate. Easier to flip pages, to find what I'm looking for, etc.

I only applied to two graduate schools (I'm limited geographically because of my husband's job - he's an officer in the Canadian Armed Forces) and I was accepted to both. Both had programs that matched my interests. I don't necessarily plan on having a career in academia, however. Actually, my ideal job would be to work as a registered dietitian in community nutrition or public health nutrition, and teach one course per semester as a sessional. If I wanted a career in academia, I'd have to be prepared to move.

I've spent this week tidying up my study and organizing my desk as well. Also made a trip into the city where my university is located (I'll be commuting about an hour each way) to get my student transit pass ID, my student transit pass for September, my student train ID and my "Presto" card that is used in conjunction with my student train ID. I also booked an appointment with the sports medicine clinic on campus so I can hopefully continue with physiotherapy I've been receiving for a couple of injuries. Class starts Tuesday morning at 9am for our special introductory class that runs the first week, then regular classes start the following week. Good luck getting your medication levels sorted. I was pretty lucky when diagnosed with hypothyroidism - it only took a couple of adjustments to get the levels right, but I know other people who have taken considerably longer to get the correct dose of thyroid hormone. I hope your adjustment is easy, like mine was. You should also feel better once you start the thyroid hormones - they made a HUGE difference in my energy level, my ability to regulate my temperature (although I'm still more sensitive to extremes than most people), my skin, my digestion, and I stopped losing so much hair all the time. Best wishes to you.

In Canada we don't have .edu email addresses, but we can still get student discounts and educational pricing on software, computers, etc. We just normally have to go through the university to do so.

I'm not familiar with SOPHAS, since I was only applying to Canadian schools, but doesn't the application itself specify what to submit? Or do the universities not have that information available on their websites? I had both a resume (2 pages), a short CV, and a longer CV. I submitted whichever document the university and program in question asked for.

The prof who supervised my fourth year honours thesis in nutrition/dietetics meets with all his grad students (MSc and PhD) once a week. I know because at the beginning of each semester he would ask us to identify which days and times we were free, so he could book us all in weekly. There were some weeks where he wouldn't meet with certain students (if there was nothing to discuss, no questions to answer, etc.) but I know he liked to keep in contact at least every second week.

Well said (and those national championships are impressive). I'm always educating the ladies in my group fitness classes about the importance of strength training, and that they shouldn't be afraid to go heavy. I use periodization myself for weight training. When I'm not seriously training for a running or triathlon event, I'll go heavy on the weights. As my mileage ramps up when I'm training for a half or full marathon, or a triathlon, I'll go lower on the weights, or even just body weight exercises when I'm at my maximum mileage weeks.

I use a handwritten planner (love my Moleskin planner) combined with a white-board calendar in my office at home that is one-semester long (four months). I put everything in my Moleskin, but only major dates/events on the white-board calendar (ie. major papers, exams, holidays, etc.)

I'm surprised that so many people start in August! Our first day is September 2nd, but the first week is a "special" week that consists of orientation and our Introduction to Public Health course, that includes all of the various public health disciplines. All other classes don't start until September 8th, which for me will be the 9th, since I don't have any classes Mondays.

What a sexist attitude! I've never seen chicks (ie. baby chickens) do those things either. I know plenty of women (including myself) who are perfectly capable of executing proper deadlifts, pull ups (although I still can't do a lot - I'm working on it) and cleans. You obviously hang out at the wrong gyms. Plenty of women like being strong, and enjoy power lifting and doing the lifts correctly. I don't consider myself a power lifter, but I still do plenty of strength training with free weights to complement my running and group fitness activities.

I'm an older, non-traditional student. I'm 42 and married. I have a part-time job outside the university. I still don't expect my department to let me know about required events, etc. ahead of time, nor do I expect them to provide me with the syllabi ahead of time, just because it would be convenient for me. If a university event comes up, that I'm expected to attend, that conflicts with work or family activities, well then I find someone to fill in for me at work, or I make apologies to my family for having to miss their event. Maybe it's because I am a military spouse, so I'm used to missing important events, or being apart on birthdays, anniversaries and other holidays. Yes, my husband is the most important thing in my life, and I have a life outside of grad school, but I also know there are some things I do have to sacrifice or schedule around, because of grad school. Just like he has to sacrifice some things because of his job. If he is deployed overseas, he can't just come home for important events (an exception was when his father passed away while he was deployed - he was allowed home for the funeral). I look at grad school in the same way - if an exam happens to fall on our anniversary, I can't just tell the prof that I can't make it because it's my anniversary. It would be nice to have all the dates, readings, etc. for my program ahead of time, but that's not how things work. They've even warned us not to make holiday plans yet, as we won't know for a while when we will have exams, etc. I don't have any control over the university's scheduling, so I just have to accept that's the way things are and deal with it. If I have to scramble for last minute arrangements (ie. care for our three cats) if I need to be away when my husband is away, oh well, I'll deal with it. Heck, when I was working full time between my degrees, things would often come up at work at the last minute, and I had to rearrange my schedule to meet worn requirements. That sort of thing happens in all aspects of life, not just hard school. You don't always have the materials you would like, or even that you need, when you want them, and people frequently don't give you advance notice of important dates.

I agree with everyone who has told you to relax. I don't have any of my course syllabi yet, and I only have one course outline (that indicated the dates/times of class - it's on an odd schedule - but doesn't list any of the readings). It's pretty standard, at least in my experience, to receive the syllabus on the first day of class, or to have it posted to the CMS the day before, or the day of, the first class. It's definitely not something I would be bugging a professor, or the department, about. You don't want to get a reputation as an annoying, demanding, high-strung student.

In Canada, a master's degree is required for admission to most (not all, but most) PhD programs, and those master's typically involve a thesis. So what would people who end up ABD for their PhD in Canada get? Another master's? If that's in the same field, it seems rather, well, redundant. For example, I can't apply to the PhD program at my undergraduate university in my discipline unless I complete an MSc, with thesis. A "professional" master's degree doesn't count. It has to be a research master's that includes a master's thesis.

I have to take 5 courses during my first semester. That's 3 hours/week for lecture, and some classes have 1 hr/week of lab or tutorial on top of that. However, this is what my program suggests and recommends for full time students. I would follow whatever guidelines your program has recommended.

The current graduate students I've spoken to, both in my program, and the ones I've helped with research over the past three years, have all said that they greatly enjoyed graduate studies and they think I will too! My undergraduate thesis supervisor is strongly encouraging me to return to my undergraduate university to complete a PhD after I finish my master's. Things are typically a little different here in Canada than in the U.S. It is extremely rare to go straight from undergrad to PhD - most PhD programs require students to have a master's degree in order to be eligible for admission to a PhD program (although yes, I know there are some at UofT and York that take strong students straight from undergrad - but those are the exception, not the rule). So a lot of students do a master's degree and stop there. I think starting with a 2 (or sometimes 3) year program makes things a little more "accessible" and a little less intimidating than starting right off with a PhD program. Those who continue on to a PhD after their master's will typically spend about 4 years in the PhD program. I think that committing to two years for graduate school (a master's degree) as a start helps to make the process more enjoyable. Although I hope to continue on and obtain a PhD after my master's, it's nice to know that I can work for a few years after my master's once I have my RD, save up some money, pay off our car, and then go back to do a PhD. I don't have to commit to 6 or 7 years all at once. The master's also gives me time to narrow down my research interests. I have a general idea of what I'd like to research, but a master's will help me to refine those ideas. All of the master's students I know have busy lives outside of school and research. They are involved in athletics, hobbies, have busy personal lives (spending time with fiances/spouses), volunteering, etc. Everyone tells me it's important to continue to participate in activities, hobbies, athletics, etc. outside of grad school, and that it's typically the students who spend their entire lives in the lab or at school who are the most unhappy.

So glad to hear that your supervisor is supportive and is taking this seriously. It is wonderful that you are getting plenty of support. Be sure to take care of yourself.

I have one of the older Livescribe pens, that records all of the audio on the pen. So there was no connection to any iOS device. At the end of each day of class, I would sync my pen with my computer. The Livescribe pen came with special software that downloads the files for the pen onto the computer - both the audio and the audio synced to the text. There is also an option in the software to export the files as different file types, including MP3 and a variety of other standard audio formats. This is with the older pens that record the audio on the pen's memory. I have no experience with the new pens that work in conjunction with a phone or tablet. This is the pen I have: http://www.livescribe.com/en-ca/smartpen/echo/ You can read how it works on that site.

Definitely contact campus police or campus security. They may have a file on this guy already, and if they get a second, or third, or whatever complaint about him, they may be able to do something. His behaviour is definitely not normal, and you should take steps to protect yourself, which includes contacting campus police/security. I would also suggest speaking with whomever is responsible for enforcing the student code of conduct at your university. Finally, the counselling centre could also be a very useful resource.

I used a Livescribe pen throughout my second undergraduate degree and it was great! I definitely prefer to take notes by hand (I retain the information better that way) and so the Livescribe pen was great. The only downside was in courses where the professors had blanks on their slides and they would fill in the blank as they lectured. For those classes, it would have been much easier to just annotate the slides, as opposed to taking notes in the Livescribe notebooks with the Livescribe pen. I guess that's also a downside - you need to use their special paper/notebooks if you want your notes to sync up with the audio. Otherwise, great pens, great system. I really made good use of it throughout my second degree. If it makes sense to continue taking notes this way (as opposed to annotating slides), I will continue to use it during grad school.

That sort of thing doesn't work for my husband and I, so it just goes to show that every couple is different. We have a large, common, calendar in the house, and we each put important dates for the other individual in our individual paper planners. My husband is an army officer, so there are many times when he is out in the field, with no computer, blackberry or other electronic device on him. So an electronic calendar is totally useless to him. So we both do paper planners. My husband also has a paper copy of my class schedule, along with other regular commitments (i.e. the group fitness classes I regularly teach). If something unusual comes up, I let him know, and he puts it in his paper planner (i.e. if I'm subbing a class for someone else, if a special event is occurring at the university, etc.) He does the same for me. I have his regular schedule with the regiment, I know which days he works later because of meetings like his weekly O-group, and he lets me know of any changes to his schedule, due to having to be in the field, being away on course, having a special event, etc., and I put those in my paper planner. Vet appointments, etc., go on our common calendar at home and our individual planners. It works for us, but I realize it wouldn't work for other couples. We just both prefer the ease of dealing with hard copy calendars, instead of having to pull out an electronic device and try to type on small screens with large fingers.

As a fitness professional, I truly believe that there is some sort of physical activity that a person can enjoy, they just need to find out what it is. Some people enjoy classes - they like having direction from an instructor, they feed off the energy of the class, and they enjoy the music. Others prefer exercising alone - whether it is going for a walk, a run, a swim, a bike ride, etc. Other people enjoy team sports - intramural teams are often welcoming and open to everyone, regardless of their ability. Some people like to dance. Some enjoy Pilates or yoga. There are enough options out there that I truly believe that there is something for everyone. Our bodies are designed to move, after all! I was that chubby kid who was always picked last for teams in gym as a child. I have lousy hand-eye coordination, so I was bad at most of the sports/activities we did in gym class. When we had to do our required laps around the gym, I was always the last one to finish. Yet I've now run 3 full marathons, over a dozen half marathons, and I teach group fitness classes. I like to say that if I can be active, then anyone who is physically able to move can also be active. If the kid who was always picked last during gym class, and who always finished last in any sort of sporting endeavour can be active and teach fitness classes, then just about anyone can be active. It's all a matter of finding something that you enjoy, and not worrying about how you look or where you place. I know my gym teachers would be amazed that I'm a fitness professional, and they likely wouldn't recognize me at all (I'm a healthy weight and fit). I try to motivate people in my classes by reminding them how good it feels to be active, and how it can improve so many aspects of your life: mental and physical health, sleep quality, ability to concentrate, etc. It is also great stress relief. I don't like to encourage people to compare themselves to others, to celebrities, or to how they "want to look" as that has been shown to be fairly ineffective. Especially since so many of those celebrity photos are heavily photoshopped - the celebrities don't look like that themselves! So it is practically impossible for anyone to look like the celebrities do in those photos - they aren't realistic. I'm a firm believer in Health and Activity at Every Size, and that fitness should be pursued for health and enjoyment, and not for weight loss. Some examples of how celebrity photos are altered: http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/movie-guide/health/6431423/story.html?tab=PHOT http://www.windsorstar.com/life/photos+stars+before+after+photoshop/6630599/story.html http://collegecandy.com/2012/04/21/54-photoshopped-celebrity-before-and-after-photos/ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/12/celebrity-photoshop-photos_n_3428033.html#slide=594057

I use a Moleskin planner. I don't bring a laptop with me to class, as I prefer to take notes by hand. I also hate typing on the small screen of my iPhone, so I don't like using an electronic calendar on that device. My Moleskin planner goes everywhere with me. Personally, I find it much easier to got down dates, notes, etc. on paper than electronically, but that's just me. Unlike Monochrome Spring, I find it quicker and easier to change dates and track the amount of time I'm spending on various activities in a paper planner. I tried one semester to use an electronic calendar, and to sync it between my iPhone, iPad and Macbook. I found I was always forgetting to put activities and dates into the electronic calendar (probably because I never brought my laptop to class, and, as I said, I don't like typing on the small screens of my iPhone or even my iPad). With a paper planner, I also like that I can stick the appointment reminders for my doctor's visits, physiotherapy visits, etc., right in my planner. My doctor and my physiotherapist both issue appointment reminders that are stickers, so it's nice to stick them right in my planner at the correct day and time. In addition to my Moleskin planner, I have a four-month calendar on the wall next to my desk. It's one of those white-board type calendars so you reuse it every semester. I've had mine for years. I put all my major due dates and important events on that wall calendar. So what kind of planner you use really depends on what you, as an individual, prefer. Some people do great with electronic calendars. Some prefer paper and pen.

I'm a certified group fitness instructor, so I teach fitness classes - everything from group cycle (spin) to Zumba to step to aquafit to stability ball, etc. I teach about 5-6 classes per week. I also run - I've completed 3 full marathons, over a dozen half marathons, and numerous shorter races. I've also started participating in triathlons, and I've done two sprint triathlons so far. Obviously, fitness is an important part of my life! There are also many registered dietitians who are also group fitness instructors or personal trainers. Fitness and nutrition nicely complement each other. My husband and I go for our runs together, so it is "us" time - one of the things that we do together as a couple. I also find that when I exercise regularly, I'm much more productive, and I retain material a LOT better. I figure that for every hour I spend working out, I gain at least that much time in improved productivity, enhanced ability to concentrate, and improved memory retention. So I plan on continuing my fitness activities grad school. Basically, I only have class three days a week, on most weeks, and four days a week about once a month. I;m commuting, so I'll arrive on campus around 0730, but I don't have my first class until 0900. That gives me plenty of time to go to the gym and either teach a class, take a class, lift weights, or go for a run. Maintaining a fitness routine is important for my physical and mental health, and my overall sense of well-being. It's part of who I am, and I can't imagine not being physically active.