iowaguy

Any updates on EPA Star 2014? Thanks, Iowa Guy

Hi guys & gals, I'm selling the 8-book Manhattan Revised GRE prep set that I used last fall to prep for the GRE. Also included are Kaplan, Princeton Review, and official ETS GRE books. Here's the ebay link if you're interested: http://www.ebay.com/itm/231001603775?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649#ht_208wt_970 Thanks, Iowa Guy

Hi guys & gals, I'm selling all of the GRE vocabulary materials that I used in prepping for my GRE last year. Flash cards, audio CD's, vocab picture books, computer vocab activity, etc. Now that I've been accepted into a PhD program, I don't need them anymore. Here's the ebay link if you're interested: http://www.ebay.com/itm/231001601046?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649#ht_171wt_970 Thanks, Iowa Guy

Aren't scientific journal articles read/reviewed by the peer reviewers "blind"? i.e. they don't know who wrote the article when they decide whether to publish it or not?

IMHO, definitely good news. Remember, the POI doesn't always have a lot of influence in who gets admitted to the program, especially if the POI doesn't sit on the adcom. She might have lobbied on your behalf for admission, but was outvoted by other (more influential) faculty. If she is encouraging you to visit campus, re-apply, etc I would do so...

Ecology programs sometimes have very specific strengths, as Monocrome mentions. Don't worry so much about applying to the top schools, apply to the top programs that best fit your research interest. For example, I applied to 4 programs after looking at the top 20 or so. These were the programs where I had the best fit, and I got into 3 of them. You ultimately want to attend a program that's a great fit, with ideally multiple profs doing research in the area you're interested in. That's where your interests/passions will come through and you'll thrive. Definitely contact professors ahead of time, if you want to maximize your chances of being accepted. Go meet them face-to-face if at all possible, it worked well for me... Best of luck!

If a professor publishes an article in the PLOS ONE online, open-access journal www.plosone.org does that basically mean that the article wasn't accepted for submission in the higher-prestige journals? Thoughts?

Hi, just curious as to your preferred strategy for reading scientific journal articles in your field. I'm preparing to digest some major background reading in my field (incoming PhD student) and am looking for ideas how to be the most efficient/effective with my literature reviews. Do you read a journal article once through quickly to get a rough idea of the content, then re-read with highlighter in hand for the nitty-gritty? Only read a journal article once, very thoroughly, because you've already screened it hard from reading the abstract? Immediately sit down after a thorough read and enter notes in Zotero? Do you subscribe to any of the scientific journals in your field, do you just read the latest copy at the library, do you only read articles that you find via online searches, etc? Any thoughts welcomed... Thanks in advance!

Hi, I'm enrolling for fall PhD classes, and can choose between two nearly-identical intermediate-level statistics classes. One uses/teaches STATA, and the other uses/teaches R. Which would you recommend (STATA vs R)? I have a basic knowledge (and license) of SPSS already... Thanks in advance!

In a "normal" year, when would the EPA announce the STAR 2014 grant and start accepting applications?

OK, seeing as how the 2013 STAR applicants still haven't heard back, who is starting to prepare for 2014? I'm an incoming PhD student, and my prof is expecting me to apply, but I'm really not sure if the EPA is going to have any funds available? I was hoping to start work on my application this summer before classes start this fall... Thoughts?

Try to find the school that YOU will be happiest at, and one which will set you up to maximize your long-term happiness...

What do you see yourself doing once you obtain your MS?

I'm an incoming PhD student in natural sciences/engineering. I recently published a 4,000 word article (not related to my PhD research) in a reputable outdoor magazine, which I was paid for. For example, a typical article that you might read in Field & Stream, Backpacker, Outside, etc. Is this something that I could/should include on my CV (which is a little light at this stage of my career) as an example of my writing abilities? Thanks in advance for any advice!

My first thoughts upon reading this post: If someone: 1) wants a job 2) wants autonomy 4) wants low failure then they should get their CDL license and drive OTR trucks for a living. Not much 3) intellectual fulfillment in OTR trucking (IMHO), but there are many other paths with higher liklihood for job prospects than PhD's, that's for sure...