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Asperfemme

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  1. Upvote
    Asperfemme got a reaction from kekology4 in What piece(s) of advice would you give to new TAs?   
    Give students opportunities to provide you with anonymous feedback throughout the semester. I passed around small blank pieces of paper and had students write any questions or provide feedback at the end of each seminar session. This allows you to catch any concerns early on and modify how you run your seminars accordingly. On a general note, be flexible and always willing to adapt to your students' needs and preferences. Depending on your audience, simplify everything you know. I had to explain psychology concepts to a group of non-psychology students and it was quite difficult. If you are in this situation and know someone at the undergrad level who is not as familiar with the subject matter, ask for their advice on how understandable your lesson plan is (if you have that opportunity). I did not have this available to me, but I wish I did. With this, of course, I suggest planning your seminar in advance, not the night before. Within your own focus and tolerance parameters, be as available as you can be. I had my TA email address on my phone and responded almost right away. It can be difficult, but you are there in an assistant/helper role, and students love it when TAs are super responsive. Show up early for your seminars, not just on time. This gives you a chance to connect with the students more. I found it has helped "prime" me for running more engaging and successful seminars. 
  2. Upvote
    Asperfemme reacted to OhSoSolipsistic in What piece(s) of advice would you give to new TAs?   
    Approach in-class lectures differently than student presentations, especially if you usually over-prepare to ease any public speaking anxiety. A good instructor and a high-achieving glossophobic student have different pragmatic goals, even if they cover the same content with identical slides/materials. Limit your focus on delivering a polished presentation which will likely magnify any minor mistakes and increase anxiety about how the audience is judging you. Otherwise, you'll just exhaust yourself with weekly lecture prep to try to improve a set of evaluations that isn’t really the point anymore. Instead, focus more on developing a lecturing style that fits you, your students, and course context. Allow yourself to mess up and learn to recover, explore different angles, etc.  
    Be appropriately relational with your students - brief and informational heads-up and short discussions help avoid disengagement. Learn names when you can. Engage with students who aren’t doing well in class early on while staying firm with policies and expectations. Be aware of attribution biases - try to view a student's poor/mediocre performance as something situational/environmental instead of something lacking in either them or you. Similarly, let students know about your situational/environmental limitations within reason. If your workload is overwhelming during a particular semester, let them know that feedback/grades may be returned a little later than you would like at times. If you’re trying a new activity/assignment, let them know and get feedback.
  3. Upvote
    Asperfemme reacted to rising_star in Fasting in Grad School   
    @Asperfemme, a couple of ideas come to mind (though these might not work depending on where you are). For buying produce for less, I'd recommend joining/shopping at a warehouse club (Costco, Sam's, BJ's, etc.; I shop regularly at Costco) or a discount grocery store (Aldi, Grocery Outlet, etc.). My experience has been that something like a pound of organic spring mix which at my grocery store is $6 is $3.50-$4 at Costco, Sam's, and Aldi. The selection won't be the same but being able to save where you can never hurts. I'd also recommend checking the grocery store circulars each week to see what's on sale ("the loss leaders") so that you can shop those and stock up where possible. 
  4. Upvote
    Asperfemme got a reaction from GreenEyedTrombonist in Fasting in Grad School   
    @GreenEyedTrombonist Thanks! Not sure how much I can do this given how long it already takes me to plan meals for the week and to buy the ingredients, but I will try!
  5. Upvote
    Asperfemme reacted to GreenEyedTrombonist in Fasting in Grad School   
    @Asperfemme I recently did a recipe and found out I didn't have one of the spices it called for. I just did a quick google search for "[ingredient name] substitute" and found out what I could use instead. Obviously, this would probably take some pre-planning, but it should give you options that will not hurt the overall recipe.  
  6. Upvote
    Asperfemme reacted to GreenEyedTrombonist in Fasting in Grad School   
    @AsperfemmeI'm glad you're not offended about the conversation. I know it kind of took over this post for a while. x]
    I'm not sure if this will help, but are you researching in-season foods? Buying only food that's in season (as opposed to food that needs to be shipped in from warmer climates) could potentially reduce your price per week. Again, not really sure if this would work for your location, but it could be worth looking into.  
  7. Upvote
    Asperfemme got a reaction from GreenEyedTrombonist in Fasting in Grad School   
    Re: the discussion that happened here - I am not offended, I think everyone's bodies are different and there does not seem to be any definitive research on what an ideal diet should look like.
    I personally find that the more carbs I eat, the more fat I gain and it tends to make me hungrier, so I try to only reserve complex carb meals for post-workout. I find I am less likely to overeat if I eat high fat, high protein and low carb. I am attaching a picture of what I will be eating this week. This is at least $140 worth of food. I eat minimal carbs (some crackers, cooked lentils, chickpeas, popcorn, very high quality bread which you can notice in the picture). I would have the carbs in addition to all this and vary my diet; for instance, last week, I had quinoa and black bean recipes. This week, I will have hummus, the bread, and fruits (e.g., banana, not in picture but I do have some). There should be two avocados in there, too (might not be visible). I don't crave carbs when I don't eat them, but I do crave protein and fat a lot, hence also why I do my diet this way.
    I crave greens, too, and eat a lot of them, but am not sure how to cut down on the spendings or the eating time. I literally eat all this during the week, with an empty fridge at the end. Any advice on making this more student-friendly would be helpful, as I used to be able to afford this lifestyle but it's getting trickier now that I am not working and focusing more on school this semester. Yes, I am vegan and also gluten-free. I do not eat anything refined, not even oils. I know when I am stress eating when I go for the crunchy stuff, whether it be nuts, quinoa chips, or crackers.

  8. Upvote
    Asperfemme reacted to MarineBluePsy in Fasting in Grad School   
    I have done several juice fasts while in grad school and the trick is preparation.  I always aim for a 3 day weekend and juice no more than 2 days.  Anything more I think is excessive and I find 1-2 days is more than enough to curb sugar and carb cravings.
  9. Upvote
    Asperfemme reacted to GreenEyedTrombonist in Fasting in Grad School   
    I would personally advise against doing that during the semester. If you're able to clear time during spring break or the summer you could possibly do it then, but as someone who had major issues in undergrad for not eating enough one semester, I definitely caution against doing anything that could cause issues. Instead, if you drive to campus, park further away. If you eat out a lot, be more mindful of portions and what you order.
    I also have problems with over-eating (though mine is a lifelong issue, not just from grad school) and I've been working on being better lately. I got a fitbit a while back and my parking pass has me park further away from campus than I used to so I'm walking more. I try to eat out with friends if I need to eat out because the friends I eat with are mindful of healthy eating so I know we'll go to a better place than fast food. If my school let me, I'd enroll in a PE for the semester so I'd be forced to exercise. Since they won't let me, I'm looking for non-academic fitness classes held at the school that work with my schedule. 
    Basically, there are other ways than doing a juice cleanse to get healthy and I would definitely try those before doing something that could potentially harm you and your academic progress.
  10. Upvote
    Asperfemme reacted to Charlsa in Fasting in Grad School   
    I have a snacking problem, especially while studying. Have you tried getting low carb, high protein snacks? Less fatty nuts, hummus (with cucumbers, carrots and celery rather than pita), and fruit have helped me. Also tea. Tea was a lifesaver when caffeine was starting to wreck my whole system in ways that legitimately interfered with my work, plus it was a much healthier addiction than ginger ale/sugar-loaded lattes/juice/hard cider.
    My primary concern with a juice fast would be its impact on stress and energy levels, which could make it more difficult to think critically, articulate ideas, complete tasks, or not snap at colleagues. Don't make school any more miserable than it has to be with extreme dieting.
  11. Upvote
    Asperfemme reacted to Charlsa in Fasting in Grad School   
    Have you tried creating daily portions of snacks in individual containers? I had a friend that raved about chain-eating celery for your exactly reason. I can't imagine ever eating celery straight, but there may be another low-calorie vegetable that you could eat as much as you want. Or you could try replacing the standard three large meals per day with more nutritious snacks.
    If you have issues with eating out of the fridge at home, you could also try spending more time studying/working in public places, although I understand that there's a fine line between "the library is my second home" and "the library is a silent hell built only for me." Also at my old school, the library installed a treadmill with a desk, which was useful for staying awake as well as in shape.
    I don't know, man. My home life and experience probably differs from yours and I don't have all the details, but at least you're not alone. I think diets and exercise in grad school are fairly common problems. Have you tried talking to fellow students in your program about their solutions, or organizing a work-out group to help motivate each other?
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