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SNPCracklePop

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  1. If your CV is an academic CV, I HIGHLY recommend checking out this link. Lots of great tips for building and formatting an academic CV: http://theprofessorisin.com/2012/01/12/dr-karens-rules-of-the-academic-cv/
  2. Great question. I would aim for opportunities that could easily translate to leadership roles for your resume during your program. Your dissertation will be an example of you being a project manager. If your lab hosts undergraduates/high school students for rotations, your experiences as them can serve as examples, especially if you publish a paper with them. I would also jump at any internship opportunities that come up as well.
  3. I went from a full-time gig while getting my M.S. part-time to the Ph.D. program. The transition was pretty smooth.
  4. Not at all, I'm in the biomedical sciences. AuldReekie's right; programs and fields definitely differ in terms of advisor selection. In mine, we had to have an advisor locked up by the end of the first year and complete three lab rotations to make connections with faculty. Definitely do your research and look into your potential advisor's funding and publication record (in particular, look at how much their students publish). If you have rotations, take advantage of them and learn how your advisor acts as a manager and leader to his/her students, their personality (e.g. micro-manager, laid back) and presence in the lab (e.g. always in the lab/office, very involved in administrative duties, frequent traveler). The rotations serve a great opportunity to test drive your boss. You know yourself best, so select the best fit for you.
  5. I find that Philosophy majors are fantastic writers. If you have interest in a particular area and enjoy writing, you can certainly have a fulfiling career using your writing, reasoning and abstract thinking skills. My friend from high school was a Philosophy major and writes for various sports websites. Good luck!
  6. After admission, I contacted a professor whose work I was very interested in after inquiring about him through past students of his. I think he was impressed with the initiative, because he offered me a summer position in his lab as a research assistant (even gave me the same pay rate I had at my previous job, which was generous compared to stipends). My program requires three lab rotations, and this counted as one of them. Didn't get a publication from that rotation, but I enhanced my technical skills that would lead to a publication in my following rotation in the Fall. My advice is to go for it. Especially if it's with someone that you are considering as a potential advisor; it will give you a head start to make a connection. Good luck!
  7. Advisor selection would be a great example, if not the most important. That early decision sets in line your advocate, your "boss," your choice of projects or research subfield, your opportunities (publications, funded conference trips, etc.), the professional network you can eventually tap into for your job search, and so much more. I've personally seen great students leave programs because of poor advisors. Choose wisely.
  8. Depends on what you want to do the degree, I suppose. If you're in it for an academic career, institution prestige will play a role in your eventual job search (yay bias). If not, I'd sign up for VCU for the discount.
  9. The overall lack of structure and uncertainty that lies beyond the second year. Experimental setbacks, publication rejections, harsh (at times) criticisms, no clear benchmarks for success, and increasingly looser guidance as you progress. Kind of like walking through fog that thickens before it clears. That said, it certainly toughens you up.
  10. 1) Publish your arse off. Use the protective "bubble" of grad school to your advantage. Yes, you're broke, but you don't have the administrative/funding/service responsibilities that a PI does. Publicize these publications through presentations, a lab website, blog, and social media. Your lab doesn't have a website? Create one. Bonus: publishing more makes writing and defending your dissertation easier. 2) Network to enhance your scientific reputation and gain contacts for your job search, which comes sooner than you think (should begin around 12-18 months before you defend). 3) Program prestige matters. Basically, you'll be marketable to universities/colleges at tiers lower than your Ph.D. university. Your saving grace is your Post-Doc university, so aim high when applying to those. 4) Read "Getting what you came for" by Robert L. Peters before your start. It's a wonderful roadmap for grad students. 5) Apply for and win grants. Winning small grants will help in the pursuit of large grants, as does publishing your arse off. 6) Gain mentoring/teaching experience. Assisting and publishing with undergraduates will provide solid evidence to search committees that you can effectively mentor students. Every job posting for an assistant professor job will ask for a Teaching Philosophy. You should have some actual teaching experience to support this. 7) Grad school is isolating: it's your project, your successes, your failures/setbacks. Be social. Your colleagues and friends will serve as a great support group, as they will struggle too. Don't think you're alone just because everyone's wearing a happy face. 8) Publish your arse off, this bears repeating. It will be much easier to compete for a coveted award/grant/post-doc with a well-padded CV. Good luck and all the best!
  11. This should serve as a great resource as your CV evolves: http://theprofessorisin.com/2012/01/12/dr-karens-rules-of-the-academic-cv/
  12. I would lean towards those with past research/technician experience, the more the better. In your case, from what I understand, I would not too concerned with the SOP. Scientific writing is a skill that can rapidly be improved, especially if the applicant has a firm grasp of the language. If the applicant is being hired to assist you with data collection, it sounds like writing will be in the minority of their duties. If that's the case, a little proofreading and editing by you or your advisor shouldn't be too taxing. The LORs will be useful here, and you should certainly contact references if you need more information. They can give you insight on their personality, work ethic, etc. I would be tempted to do a quick Google search if you are still undecided after narrowing down the candidates. Good luck!
  13. Thank you for the advice. I have recently been attending some professional seminars, including those focused on alternative careers. It has certainly helped! Thanks again!
  14. Congratulations! First, have an adult beverage. Then, reread the letter for any instructions. From my experience, if there aren't any directions, you're now at the "wait until the proof arrives" stage. You and your advisor will then be allowed to review the proof and make any final corrections. My suggestion, reread that proof pdf CAREFULLY (Figure Captions, Author Affiliations, everything) as this is typically your last shot at catching any errors, including editorial/formatting errors. As for thanking the editors, I usually save that for returning the proof with corrections. Congrats!
  15. Hello. I'm in the beginning of my fifth year in my Ph.D. program, and I am just not into research anymore. I feel like my project is going nowhere, and I find myself reading more about alternative biomed careers than my research topic. A postdoc position doesn't interest me in the slightest, and too much uncertainty and too few TT jobs in the academic track for my liking. However, I still want to finish my program, because I feel so much has been sacrificed to get to this point. I'm curious, when your interest or passion fades, how do you find the inspiration to push forward? Thank you for your help!
  16. There's a pretty good growing list on this site:
  17. My advice is if you get the opportunity to work with him/her first (e.g. through a lab rotation), take full advantage. There are very few chances where you get to 'test drive' your boss, so learn what kind of advisor they are and decide if they're a good fit. How do they run their lab (micro-manage, let students sink or swim on their own, etc.)? Are they available enough for you, or do administrative duties or traveling get in the way? What's their funding situation? Do they teach you key techniques, or do they leave that up to you to figure out? Do they communicate well with the senior students, or is there frustration? You know yourself, so find the best fit for YOU. Selecting your advisor is probably the most important decision you'll make in the program, put a lot of thought into it.
  18. Hi everyone. After a lot of thought and struggle these last four years in grad school, I've decided to seek counseling. Is this something I should share with my advisor or others in the department, or am I better off keeping this from them? Anyone have personal experience with this either way? Thanks for listening.
  19. Funny how much this sounds like my own department. With the first year courses, at least through my experience, they do not offer much, but merely serve as refresher courses that bring everyone up to speed. With interdisciplinary courses, everyone coming in has a different background, educational/work experience, interests, etc and these "try" to level the playing ground. Unfortunately, yes, they can be sophomoric. With the advisor situation, if you're not interested in who is available, transferring might be a great option. If you're currently doing rotations, really take a moment and dive into what kinds of work are relevant to their expertise first, you may find some surprising options for projects. If you do decide to transfer, get a solid idea of future prospective advisors' funding, publication activity, and availability earlier on so you don't walk into the same problem again. Best of luck to you!
  20. I know how you feel a little all too well, and kudos to you for seeking counseling. Let's start by putting the stats class in perspective. Based on your tagline, I'm guessing this is your second semester into your first year. Unless you're planning on applying to additional education after this (e.g. med school, law school), or your department has very strict policies, just focus on getting the B and moving on. When you are further along in the program, those classes will be a blurred memory, and that they're really only there for credit requirements. This experience is about the research and dissertation, not a letter grade for a first-year class. If this is your first year, I would strongly suggest switching advisors while you're still fresh in the program. Clearly she's not a good fit for you, and this program is about YOU, and it is preparation for YOUR career. If you're feeling like this now, it is hard to believe that nothing will improve over the next few years. You're not the first person to switch advisors/departments/universities (I personally know plenty!), and do not overworry about politics. We're mere grad students, we are not worthy of academic political horror yet You should feel comfortable, appropriately guided and supported while you go through this occasionally very discouraging process. Take some me time to really think about what you want from all of this, here and your career afterwards. There is nothing wrong with leaving if that's what is best for you. Take care of yourself, and I wish you the best.
  21. Depending on the details of your fellowship/funding, you will likely have to pay for this semester. This is just based on the details from my own funding. Wish you the best, good luck!
  22. Hello everyone! Quick background: I'm currently in my fourth year in a STEM field Ph.D. program, currently in my last semester of "Dissertation Research" credits and ABD. On one hand, it has been a very productive three and a half years. My advisor is ESL, so I've been actively involved in many grant applications and have 14 total publications in print with others at different stages in the preparation/publishing process. In addition, I also spend a considerable amount of time proofreading correspondence and updating my advisor's website that I developed and launched. That said, none of these efforts directly apply to my dissertation, which I would say is barely off the ground. One manuscript that I am currently working on would serve as the first experimental paper for the dissertation (of most likely 3 total to graduate, in addition to a lit review that is not written yet). Unfortunately, these side projects frequently take top priority over my own, which has become increasingly frustrating. In addition, I have little confidence in my abilities in terms of the techniques used in the lab, due to little or no prior guidance/demonstrations, and this I feel is also hindering my own progress. With no end to this extra work in sight, I have been feeling very discouraged, lost, and a bit taken advantage of. My advisor and I are not the best at communicating, and I have not felt comfortable bringing this up with him. I have been considering leaving the program altogether when I consider how much time I have left. I'm curious. Is this supplementary work [grant application prep (beyond student fellowships, e.g. NIH R01/R21), manuscript prep (figure preparation, significant writing contributions, etc.)] typical? Where's the line between being a helpful assistant, adding lines to the CV along the way, and becoming your advisor's b*tch? If this is normal and expected of me, please let me know as I was unaware and I'm sorry for whining and moaning. Thank you for your help, folks!
  23. I'm currently in my fourth year. I came into my program with a kid, and my wife and I had our second at the end of my first year. If you two have the baby, you'll be fine. Your life will change wildly, but that's what happens when you have a baby. Your free time will fade, your wallet remains empty, your sleep will... <--- OK, that part's a little rough. You will have motivation that your peers won't. Your mind/goals/outlook may change, and minor failures/disappointments in your program that come along the way may not hit you as hard as they would have before... and that's a beautiful thing. Seek out a mother or father grad student in the program, we're not hard to miss. We can be identified by the bags under our eyes, a coffee mug glued to our hands, and our clothes are usually decorated with some kind of mystery stain(s). Best to gain all the insight you can. Let your advisor know if you have the baby as soon as you can, and start planning. That little one comes faster than you think. Best of luck to you.
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