Pink Fuzzy Bunny

My preliminary exam is in a month, and I'm already stressing out the wazoo. Ugh! I think i'm going to make some shitty shelving (the best kind of shelving!) to go in my pantry. Should've done it sooner!

Care to share details? I never have any luck making boozy hot chocolate - always just tastes like nasty booze.

Merry Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa, all

@MarineBluePsy UGH. I'm sure he will make that exam as much of a pain in the ass as possible just to spite your advisor. You're right, all this nonsense that you don't have input on, but you'll be the one getting the short end of the stick.

@hippyscientist I too frequent the /r/gradschool "tell us something good that happened this week!" posts. I find them extremely helpful, and it's good to reflect back on the week and find something good about it.

Yayyy!!! My cats have kept me sane this semester. I'm very happy for you You will have to share pics.

@Need Coffee in an IV summer internship? Semester internship? That sounds awesome though either way!

I TOTALLY FORGOT ABOUT THAT!!! I agree, it would've been a great scene! Also, thanks past me for buying the Sims 3 and then forgetting about it

You make a good point... I have grown a lot since I left them. I used to cry (literally) to them after a bad exam, but yesterday when they asked why I wasn't horribly depressed I just told them that if I fail out, I fail out, and I can still be happy even if that happens. They don't really understand - they think that being in academia is what every student should strive for, and they looked a little disappointed when I said that I don't think that's what I want. I have, in fact, grown to be my own person in the last few months, which I didn't realize until you pointed it out

I dropped by my undergrad university today to bring my old advisors some cookies. I didn't realize how much I missed them until I saw them

Wait, half a point away and they won't give it to you? That's NONSENSE!!!

Here's a dumb question, what's STS stand for? Also, those sound quite different, not a pedantic point I agree... grad school was stressful, but not nearly as much as waiting for admissions decisions or going to interviews. Or trying to decide where to go, or trying to get funding, or or or... So glad it's over!

I'm super slow, but I just realized that @nevermind is studying the same thing as @Neist?? What is it about HOS students that make them gravitate towards gradcafe? Also... someone yesterday mentioned obsessively checking the gradcafe results. FLASHBACKS.

Sorry to make you a nervous wreck but our grades aren't due until JANUARY 9TH SERIOUSLY WHAT THE HELL. Also @Neist for some reason I screwed up and accidentally started on the third season. Episode two is amazzzziiiiiiinnnnnnnnggggggggggg.

Anyone else watch Black Mirror? I've only seen two episodes but I'm in love!

Drive safe!! 13 hours for me on Monday. Just keep thinking of all the relaxation that will happen once you get there (assuming you're going home for Christmas)

Congrats on your A's, guys! And for we B-teamers... we made it

I'm so excited to just go home and plop my fat ass (seriously, I gained 15 pounds this semester ) in front of my parents' fireplace for a week. Hope you all are planning things equally as relaxing!

I mean, he isn't wrong!

Had to pay a pet deposit and pet rent for my current place. Pet deposit is one month's rent ($1100) and pet rent is $50 per pet.

My department doesn't even have a masters program. But I'm pretty confident that I'd like to stick it out. A lot of the problems that @MarineBluePsy is facing are things that I haven't really noticed around here which is great. As far as interpersonal relationships in this department go, of course there are people that rub me the wrong way (way too many people who act like they know everything... even though they sometimes do, and a lot of pretentious buttholes) but unlike undergrad, there are no really lazy people who complain about everything, limited drama/gossip and whatnot. I really appreciate it. Plus, you just can't beat the flexibility of being a grad student

This is a dumb question and the answer is likely "no", but is it something you could bring up to the prof? A lot of profs (especially in grad school hopefully!) would be very understanding of this. Or maybe it's a presentation style, where you could show off your knowledge while everyone else doesn't know the material? I'm going to agree with this. Had I known, I might not have chosen to go to grad school. That being said, now that my first semester is over, I'm realizing that despite everything I'd still rather be in grad school than working a job. Maybe the same will be true for you once you take a well-deserved break! Kind of bummed out right now, our research requires cardiac cells that we can only get once every few months... we got a new batch yesterday, and by the time we were ready to use them, they were all dead

I passed!! I mean, barely (prof said he wouldn't fail anyone unless they dipped into the 20s, and I got a 30%) but I PASSED

They can only kick you out if you're violating your lease, but I've never heard of anyone getting evicted for any reason other than not paying rent for >1 month. I'm technically violating my lease right now - I'm paying for one cat ($50/mo) but I have two. In a previous apartment, I got fined for lease violations (stupid things that would only be in leases for student housing - air-drying dishes is what I got fined for). Tenant rights are pretty lax unfortunately depending on where you live, but if you are kicked out for a reason other than lease violation, you can likely report it to some federal agency somewhere or something.

Also, it might be worth noting that it's quite common for animals to be traumatized by extended travel like that. Changing environments for a cat can be an extremely delicate process, but throw in quarantine time and time spent in a box on a plane... I really, really wouldn't recommend it. I know two people who have moved to other countries with cats - both cats were probably in the age range of 3-5 and very well behaved. One (if I recall correctly) had to be quarantined and it all ended up fine. The other one was not quarantined, but after moving to the new place would urinate everywhere and became quite hostile. Two data points is not statistically significant of course, but you should know that there is a risk to travelling with cats.