Halek

The guy back where I used to live and I agreed to talk about trying to do a long distance relationship once we'd each gotten settle into the semester. I messaged him about it last night. We've interacted on group chats since I sent it, but he hasn't responded to my text. I'd be fine with a "I'd rather not talk about this right now". Well....I'm not sure if "fine" is the right word. I'd prefer it to silence.

I really need to find something that fills my Wednesday nights. All the friends two states away get together and I can't help but feel like I'm disappearing or something. I did try out a dnd group here. It was a pretty horrible fit. I'm in a rural area and it looks like that might be the only group looking for players here.

I've become "The Antro Person" in my Ecology classes and "The Ecology Person" in my Anthropology classes. It's a little isolating but also fun because I'm bringing things to the discussions that sometimes the professors teaching the class haven't heard of. It'll take some getting used to, but it's also a really fun place to be and lets me teach new people about why I love these two fields!

I'm currently signed up for a group.....but I'm the first one to sign up. So who knows when it'll start. Also, there are rules against making friends in the group. Which makes sense. But I feel like I'm grasping at straws. Everyone keeps saying "just wait it'll happen". But I've lived in so many places where I've been there half a year and still haven't been close to anyone and I'm so scared of that happening again.

I wish that I had a support system here. I'm pretty sure I have social anxiety and having no one at all here to lean on is making it really hard. I'm more worried about being alone here for 6 years than I am about course work or research.

Yeah, for the opening up to people thing, that's usually the approach I try to take too. I don't think it helps that for whatever reason they're really stressing that we need to make friends. The pressure doesn't help, especially if you're prone to social anxiety. As for the impostor syndrome, I've had it bad for a long time. So I guess the way I cope is to try to be open about it? I need to remember that most people probably haven't been dealing with impostor syndrome as a daily part of life for several years. For D&D I actually do have a group that I'm Skyping with from back at my previous job. However, I'm the DM for that group, so I'd really love to play. I think I might have actually found a group. I don't think they're grad students, or at the very least they're not in my department. That might be a good thing. Meet some people outside of science.

I've been moved in a for a few weeks now and I just feel....lonely? I've been trying to meet people but I get so socially exhausted because there is no one here at all that I can fall back on for "real deep emotional talks". I also met my cohort yesterday and I had the same problem I always have with making friends in my field: all anyone wants to talk about is biology and their work. And when they do want to talk about their work they want to pretend they know exactly what they're doing. My dude, we haven't even started the program yet. It's the blind leading the blind out here. I know I need friends here. I know I need to put energy in to make friends. But damn that amount of energy is so high I feel like I'm getting nowhere. Also: it's very hard to find a Dungeons and Dragons group here and that's getting me down.

One of my friends who I've had romantic feelings for for a while just told me that he also has those feelings. Tomorrow I move 7 hours away. I want to scream.

Sunday was the last time that I would see all my friends together, playing dungeons and dragons, before moving 6 hours away in a few weeks to start school. While I'm happy I got into grad school, this group of people and this game has helped me through so many things in the past year (mainly a rough time with a lab technician position) and I'm so sad to leave it. But I guess feeling that bad shows just how much it mattered to me?

It mostly hit me when I got an email inviting me to interview. It still haven't fully sunk in yet though. I feel like it might start to feel real when I'm packing up my things to move in July.

I was in your situation last year, sorry to that you have to go through it I ended up working as a technician for the year and then reapplying for the next year. Which in the long term I think was a good call, I learned a lot through being a technician that I think will help me in grad school. Also, I had more time to apply when I was working a normal job then I did in undergrad and I knew how the whole process worked already, so I knew to start research labs early. Once things have calmed down a little bit, think about what you learned through this cycle and see what you can do better. In my case, I spent a lot more time on my statement of purpose and researching programs. Also, a lot of this is luck. Sometimes the schools you applied for could only take a very small number of people this year. Make sure to take care of yourself mentally because it's tough.

Yeah, even though this is pretty clear cut, I'm working as a technician right now and I had a lot of trouble picking between jobs for that. Maybe write a list comparing the schools you're thinking about? It helped me to have everything I was thinking written down. Also, I got input from people close to me who were basically like "You seem a lot more excited about job A than job B based on how you talk about it". Which was helpful because I hadn't realized that I was talking about the two jobs differently.

So I ended up getting rejected from University of Oregon and Oregon State, waitlisted for Montana State, and accepted into UMBC and Penn State. I ended up going with Penn State. @FishNerd in terms of making a decision, for me it was about program fit. Penn State's ecology program has a really strong emphasis on interdisciplinary work, which works great for what I'm interested in because it lets me work with both the Ecology and Anthropology departments. Also I got along really well with the PI's that I talked to there. But Penn State was also my first choice program going in, so that made deciding easier too. Otherwise I'd probably be super anxious about making the choice.

Hi! I just got accepted into the ecology program and am planning on accepting. I've started reading back through this thread to get ideas on where to look for housing. Does anyone know how reliable Craig's list is in the area? Some places I've lived it has been a great resource to find housing, others it has all been scams. Also, does anyone have experience with busing onto campus? I'll have a car, but I'd rather not drive in bad weather in the winter.

So, my parents live in Corvallis and I took a few classes at OSU as an undergrad when I was home for the summer, so I can't answer all of your questions, but I can at least answer some! 2. Downtown, for the size of the town, has a lot of breweries and pubs and both people who live in town and college students go to them. So it's not just frat parties. There are also some local cider places that have tasting rooms right outside of town if that's your thing. Also, one of my favorite things about Corvallis was how many coffee shops it has. Coffee Culture is my personal favorite. Downtown also has an amazing farmers market along the river during the summer on Saturdays and Wednesdays. A lot of people also take kayaks out of the Willamette in the summer, which runs right next to downtown. 3. A lot of people bike to campus in Corvallis, even in the winter when its rainy. There is a bus system that (at least as of a few years ago) is free that I used to get to and from class. It's a usable bus system, but they honestly need more buses. Some of the bigger routes take close to an hour for the bus to complete, so if they get behind the schedules are basically thrown out the window.

Which areas did I apply, or which areas did I end up working? I applied all over the US, and Ecolog L has job postings all over the US too. I'm working in Michigan now, but I interviewed for jobs in Kansas, Texas, and Massachusetts.

I didn't get in anywhere last year and ended up getting a field technician job over the summer (which lead to my current, more permanent job). I'd suggest looking at Ecolog L. I started around right now last year and the timing is pretty perfect because everyone is looking to hire for the summer.

Undergrad Institution: Large State University Major(s): Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior; and History Overall GPA: 3.5Type of Student: Domestic FemaleGRE Scores:Q: 156 (62%)V: 163 (93%)W: 5.0 (93%)Research Experience: One year in a freshman research lab, two years volunteering in a lab with an independent project at the end. Primary source research from a history keystone course (this is pertinent to my research interests, I promise) One summer volunteering at the EPA Two field technician position at a large state universityAwards/Honors/Recognitions: Presented at poster at my undergraduate institution Presented a poster on field research at a field station poster session and at a small conference on the main campus. Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Tutored students in biology and history for a year Ran a blog relating pop culture to science Two field/lab technician positions (mentioned above) Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: One of the field technician jobs things didn't go...as planned and I ended up running and organizing a large portion of the experiment independently. Applying to Where: I'm interested in how humans (particularly before industrialization) interacted and impacted the environment and how that knowledge can be used to better conservation practices. Penn State: Ecology (interview) Montana State: Earth Sciences Oregon State: Integrative Biology University of Oregon: Biology (unofficial rejection) University of Maryland Baltimore County: Geography and Environmental Systems

I just got an interview in a cold climate too. I'm planning on putting a nice pair of flats in my bag, and then wearing my snow boots outside. If were you are going is going to have snow I would make sure you have a pair of shoes that are waterproof and have really good grip on the bottom, since sidewalks are often slick/icy. This could be a pair of snow boots, although they can be pricey and if were your from doesn't get snow it might not be worth it. I've seen some people just use a pair of hiking boots with warm socks (as many pairs as you need to keep your feet warm) underneath.

So, I moved around a lot as a kid, but not so much in my teens and I recently moved for a technician position halfway across the country. So I definitely understand your concerns. I second meetup, although I've had more success with organizations on campus. Meetup isn't very active in my area. Either way, try to get out and meet people but try not to beat yourself up about not meeting people quickly. These things take time. If the weather is different in the new area you're moving to, really look at what people are wear and try to dress similarly. It'll keep you from getting too cold/hot and help you acclimate. (I moved from Texas to the northern US so it has been an adventure). In terms of dealing with the anxieties, establish with your friends and family how you will keep in contact. If you want to use skype, then make sure everyone involved knows how to work skype ahead of time. I made this mistake. Also look up what fun cool things are in the new area you're moving to so you can get excited about the move, instead of just nervous.

I'm also applying for ecology programs, I'd be happy to swap!

I'm not sure about the GRE scores. I'm applying for an Ecology PhD and I'm mentioning tutoring experience, but many of the schools I'm applying to ask specifically about teaching experience/outreach.

So I'm applying to Ecology (and a few earth science) programs for 2018. I'm currently working as a field tech, and will be getting a letter from my boss, who is a faculty member at a university. For the second letter I will most likely ask a professor I volunteered with right out of undergrad, between graduating and finding my current job. I'm in somewhat of a pickle for the last one. I am trying to decide if I should reach back to connections I made during undergrad (I graduated in 2016) or if I should as for a letter of recommendation from a supervisor at the field station I work at, who I work with pretty constantly and has first hand experience on how I approach solving problems in field work. But he doesn't have a faculty position, so the letter might not look as "good". Adding to the confusion, I will be starting a new technician job in a few weeks with a new boss, and while he might be able to provide a good letter in the future, I'm not sure if that will be the case by the time applications are due. TLDR: I have two letters sorted out, and am trying to figure out the last one.

Undergrad Institution: University of Texas at AustinMajor(s): Biology (specification in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior) and HistoryMinor(s):GPA in Major: around a 3.6 (will update when I calculate it exactly)Overall GPA: 3.5Position in Class: averageType of Student: Domestic white womanGRE Scores (revised/old version):Q: 153 (51st Percentile)V: 160 (85th Percentile)W: 5.0 (93rd Percentile)B: Nope I am planning to retake the GRE in September to raise my quantitative score. Research Experience: Freshman Research lab: 1 year in a genomics lab. I mostly learned sterile working technique, how to grow and culture yeast, how to do DNA and RNA extractions, how to do PCR, and how to runs gels. I also had a small project looking at how mutations changed how yeast handled heat stress, but for the most part this lab was about gaining skills. EPA Internship: 1 month. I did DNA extractions on algae samples and qPCR. The project was looking how how algae used for biofuels interacted with algae to the Pacific Northwest. Pollinator Research lab: 2.5 years. I worked on a project using DNA to trace the movement of pollinators. I did a lot of DNA extractions and helped trouble shoot the process of doing extractions on seeds in the lab. During the last year I worked on my own project looking at how distance between trees affected their fruiting phenology, which I presented as a poster at my university's research forum. Ecology Lab: 1 semester. This was actually a class, but the set up was a mini research project every week with a big project that lasted a month for the final. My project was on pollinators found on native and invasive species of Lantana in Texas. I also was given an acre for the semester and learned to: tag trees, identify trees, draw maps, and do various types of plant surveys. Field Technician: 5 months (will be 7 months when I finish the job). I'm currently working on a project looking at how warming temperatures will impact grasses in Michigan. The experiment is set up with ambient warming chambers at two sites within the state. My job is to go between the two sites and maintain the chambers, collect flowering phenology data, do monthly percent cover, do insect herbivory surveys, collect data from temperature probes and light probes, and collect samples for nutrient analysis. A decent amount of this job has also been improving the experiment in the form of making modifications to the warming chamber to make them easier to work in. I presented a poster in August on how the warming chambers impact flowering phenology.Awards/Honors/Recognitions: I got on the Deans list a few times 2 poster presentationsPertinent Activities or Jobs: Tutor for one year in the University of Texas Athletics Department, for both Biology and History courses. I am also currently working in the Herbarium for University of Michigan.Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: Probably the opposite of an accomplishment, but I applied last year and didn't get in. So I've learned (I think) from my previous mistakes and am going at it again!Special Bonus Points: I have worked directly with a lot of people at Michigan State, where I plan on applying. Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter: I think I need to put some context, since I'm sure looking at the information above, my information seems somewhat all over the place. I am interested in how humans have used the environment in the past and how that information can be used to inform conservation practices. This actually was heavily influenced by my history major, so even though it doesn't show up under my research experience, the history degree is important. Applying to Where (will be adding more as I get responses from professors emails):Penn State - Anthropology and Ecology - Human Environmental DynamicsMontana State University - Earth Sciences - PaleoecologyMichigan State University - Plant Biology - Landscape Resoration Schools with labs I am waiting for responses from: University of Montana University of Oregon University of Michigan

Thanks for the response! I only applied to 4 schools last time around, so I'm definitely applying to more this time. The reason I've listed both is because I'm interested in human land use and how this impacts conservation. Some schools put this type of research in Ecology, but others put it in Anthropology or even Geography. I've been mainly making the choice on a school-by-school basis.