SNPCracklePop

Thank you all so much for the advice, really means a lot!

Hi everyone. I was wondering how you fine folks find the motivation to push on. Lately, I've been in a slump. In an effort to make this short: finishing my third year, project feels like it's going nowhere, have two children, financial troubles, time constraints, and the lingering thought of "quit, quit, QUIT!" in my head. Thank you so much for your advice in advance!

Google calendar or some kind of calendar software's great for deadlines, conferences, presentations, tests, etc. Spend a bit of time at least once a month to keep that CV of yours up to date (it's easy to forget about bullet points months later, and it's a real pain to catch up if you need an updated one ASAP). For the never-ending pile of reference material, EndNote allows you to type notes for each source you save, providing a quick reference rather than rereading the material many times. Play around with different ideas, you'll learn what works best for you!

Make a move. If you don't, someone else will. Ask him out for a coffee or a beer, keep it casual, and minimize the grad school talk. Good luck!

Did the hour commute thing my first two years, the gas costs alone aren't worth it, not to mention the much more frequent car maintenance (oil changes every semester, etc). Won't recommend it.

Here's a great link to help everyone out: http://theprofessorisin.com/2012/01/12/dr-karens-rules-of-the-academic-cv/

Be persistent, rejection's all too common. My first "first" took 12 submissions and a lot of revisions before finding a home. It'll happen!

It's a great idea to get one started, even if you're at the "entering" status. Keep it as up-to-date as possible as CV-worthy lines pile up quickly (Presentations, Publications, Departmental/Community Service, Grants/Awards, Professional Affiliations, etc.), and it's real easy for something to be forgotten or fall through the cracks.

Hi. Your advisor and committee members will likely be much more supportive and happy for you than you think. There is more to life than graduate school, and if any of them have children, they certainly know. As for you, you will be fine. I started my program with a near 1 year old and my wife had our second child at the end of my first year. There will be sleepless nights, budget constraints, and utter chaos at times, but you'll get through it one day at a time. Let your committee know, they'll be supportive, and you can happily get on with work and preparing for that baby. Congratulations!!!

Good point rising_star, I'll ask around. Thank you!

Thanks Eigen and rising_star, those are all great ideas!

Beer's tempting, but I don't know my members well enough to bring it without risking coming off as unprofessional.

Maybe I'll keep it real light then (bagels and coffee) just to keep them happy. People get real hangry (hungry and angry) when they're not eating around dinner time. Thanks for the help.

Haven't felt this personally (got two kids at home, always busy), but it just sounds like you're managing your time well. If you're still a first-year, don't worry, the work will pick up. In the meantime, enjoy the free time you earned: socialize, write a review for your field or something completely apart from your studies, learn a skill, pick up a hobby. Enjoy that sleep too, you don't want to try to function without it, trust me. Good luck!

My Candidacy Oral Exam is next week in the late afternoon. Which foods would be the best to satisfy and impress my committee members? Thanks everyone!

Hi. I'm thinking about tutoring for the students in the nearby community colleges to make some extra money. Anyone have any experience/tips/success stories as a freelance tutor? Any tips to help get me started would be much appreciated. Thank you so much!

Thanks for the input everyone! I love the departmental "Happy Hour" or maybe just a coffee break idea. Thanks again!

Hi all! I've been thinking about organizing a support group for my department in an effort to boost morale, build camaraderie and vent amongst peers. Has anyone here does this or been a part of one? Did/would this help? Thanks everyone!

Feel comfortable to ask them casually about joining their lab/funding/other issues through face to face conversation or email. Don't be afraid, it's part of their job. They won't know you're interested In joining until you express your interest.

Same stuff every day: - dinner leftovers for lunch (invest in a crockpot, buying lunch everyday adds up) -Timbuk2 messenger bag -Composition notebooks (make for great lab notebooks) -MacBook -Sturdy aluminum coffee tumbler (a good one will keep your coffee or tea hot for a couple of hours)

Chuck Norris had three halls named after him during his prospective students visit. No one passes a Chuck Norris-led course. Pre-Meds don't complain. Chuck Norris shits Nature papers.

My favorite pens are the free ones I can swipe from product shows and other events. I pay for enough, I'll be damned if I have to buy another pen!

Gave my recommenders book store gift cards. Profs have busy lives (research, grading, class organization, conferences, committee meetings, family life), and they deserve something for their time and assistance. If money is tight, a thank you card is fine, but definitely keep them posted on the results and keep in touch. I'm looking forward to sending them my first author paper upon acceptance with a note.

Like the earlier folks have stated, depends on field and subfield. PIs have different expectations too (I can think of one who strictly wants at least two first author papers in high-impact journals and his students leave around the seven-year mark). Personally, I'm expecting 1-2 first author papers, not including reviews.

Illustrator, Photoshop, and GIMP work fine. GIMP is free to download.