kogia.breviceps

Um, steer clear from department drama. From what I've seen from others mistakes: don't sleep around with other students in your department. It gets messy. I swear, there has been more drama in my department this first year then all of my undergrad years.

Make friends with the secretaries- be NICE. They're usually the ones that make sure you get into the necessary classes, research materials, and departmental paperwork done on time. (Also, never refer to them as "secretaries"- you should know their names anyway). Also, it doesn't hurt to be friendly with the janitors too.

Also, figure out which faculty are the big kahunas and always mind your P's and Q's around them.

Um, steer clear from department drama. From what I've seen from others mistakes: don't sleep around with other students in your department. It gets messy. I swear, there has been more drama in my department this first year then all of my undergrad years.

Make friends with the secretaries- be NICE. They're usually the ones that make sure you get into the necessary classes, research materials, and departmental paperwork done on time. (Also, never refer to them as "secretaries"- you should know their names anyway). Also, it doesn't hurt to be friendly with the janitors too.

Also, figure out which faculty are the big kahunas and always mind your P's and Q's around them.

Um, steer clear from department drama. From what I've seen from others mistakes: don't sleep around with other students in your department. It gets messy. I swear, there has been more drama in my department this first year then all of my undergrad years.

Make friends with the secretaries- be NICE. They're usually the ones that make sure you get into the necessary classes, research materials, and departmental paperwork done on time. (Also, never refer to them as "secretaries"- you should know their names anyway). Also, it doesn't hurt to be friendly with the janitors too.

Also, figure out which faculty are the big kahunas and always mind your P's and Q's around them.

I think one student in my dept heard back from a K1. Not sure though.

I'm also waiting to hear back on my K1 too.

Um, steer clear from department drama. From what I've seen from others mistakes: don't sleep around with other students in your department. It gets messy. I swear, there has been more drama in my department this first year then all of my undergrad years.

Make friends with the secretaries- be NICE. They're usually the ones that make sure you get into the necessary classes, research materials, and departmental paperwork done on time. (Also, never refer to them as "secretaries"- you should know their names anyway). Also, it doesn't hurt to be friendly with the janitors too.

Also, figure out which faculty are the big kahunas and always mind your P's and Q's around them.

Um, steer clear from department drama. From what I've seen from others mistakes: don't sleep around with other students in your department. It gets messy. I swear, there has been more drama in my department this first year then all of my undergrad years.

Make friends with the secretaries- be NICE. They're usually the ones that make sure you get into the necessary classes, research materials, and departmental paperwork done on time. (Also, never refer to them as "secretaries"- you should know their names anyway). Also, it doesn't hurt to be friendly with the janitors too.

Also, figure out which faculty are the big kahunas and always mind your P's and Q's around them.

If memory serves, you cannot juggle the NSF GRFP and the EPA STAR. Additionally, the NSF GRFP went under a series of policy changes this year that makes it more stringent at what outside sources of funding (light TAing) are acceptable. Consult your fellowship coordinator at whatever grad school you are currently at or entering into before accepting multiple federal awards.

I'm fairly certain most of us don't have stipends of $30k+ (I have less then half that, which is actually high for my department and university). Seems rather pretentious to complain about being unable to double dip.

Besides, if you're going into science (read: non-industry), clearly, your paycheck shouldn't be your #1 incentive (IMHO).

The purpose of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) is to help ensure the vitality and diversity of the scientific and engineering workforce in the United States. (from the program announcement)

1. The GRFP is a prestigious fellowship. The benefit of winning it is not just getting a big stipend.

2. Having a fellowship allows you to focus just on producing outstanding research without having to worry about TA/RA duties.

3. Having students on fellowship allows a PI to stretch their grant dollars (or a department to stretch its university dollars) and take more students, eventually increasing the science workforce in the states.

4. 30k is well above any stipend you would see in some fields, outside of schools in NY/LA. Also, for many schools (ones not on the coasts), 30k is above the max stipend levels for any field.

5. Most people don't become scientists for the money... or go to grad school for the money...

I'm fairly certain most of us don't have stipends of $30k+ (I have less then half that, which is actually high for my department and university). Seems rather pretentious to complain about being unable to double dip.

Besides, if you're going into science (read: non-industry), clearly, your paycheck shouldn't be your #1 incentive (IMHO).

I'm fairly certain most of us don't have stipends of $30k+ (I have less then half that, which is actually high for my department and university). Seems rather pretentious to complain about being unable to double dip.

Besides, if you're going into science (read: non-industry), clearly, your paycheck shouldn't be your #1 incentive (IMHO).

I'm fairly certain most of us don't have stipends of $30k+ (I have less then half that, which is actually high for my department and university). Seems rather pretentious to complain about being unable to double dip.

Besides, if you're going into science (read: non-industry), clearly, your paycheck shouldn't be your #1 incentive (IMHO).