Good Advice for Visit Weekends

[UBackwardsChemistry]

I found this blog post really informed how I approached visit weekends during my application cycle:

http://notthelab.blogspot.com/2013/01/tips-for-grad-school-recruiting-weekends.html

You can make of it as you will but, by and large, I think that it has some very useful suggestions.

Edited January 10, 2014 by UBackwardsChemistry

[MarcusPhcerius]

Thanks for the post! I thought it would be a bit more back and forth between prof and student, but it's good to know that they are basically trying to woo you. Also I hadn't considered the importance of interaction with other prospectives, just with students already there.

[YaBoyAR]

Great post. Thanks!

[Eigen]

This depends a lot on how the school structures them.

We may have a couple of prospectives on at once, but interaction between them is minimal.

[Quantum Buckyball]

The link was very informative. Make sure to talk to the current students, especially the senior-level students. You'll get a better/accurate information from them than from professors and first years.

[Queen of Kale]

Don't get drunk!  At least, don't get drunker than the graduate students hosting you and only on your last night. (This is what I would tell my friends, maybe not the most professional advice, but realistic)

[clickclick]

Don't get drunk!  At least, don't get drunker than the graduate students hosting you and only on your last night. (This is what I would tell my friends, maybe not the most professional advice, but realistic)

But I'm awesome when I'm drunk.

[Quantum Buckyball]

Don't get drunk!  At least, don't get drunker than the graduate students hosting you and only on your last night. (This is what I would tell my friends, maybe not the most professional advice, but realistic)

 

Someone were put on the unofficial blacklist after the Visitation Weekend two years ago.

[Cookie]

Don't get drunk!  At least, don't get drunker than the graduate students hosting you and only on your last night. (This is what I would tell my friends, maybe not the most professional advice, but realistic)

 

I second this. My visit weekend roommate actually got so drunk that she missed her flight back home -__- Don't get drunk, kids!

[synorg]

the chemistry community is much smaller than you may realize. getting drunk won't ruin your career but if drunken you thinks it'd be really cool to stand up on the bar and scream whatever top-40 bullshit is playing, you may want to proceed with caution. you'd be surprised how much people remember about "those visiting students"

 

...because honestly, if you're working 70-ish hours/week in lab, there won't be many opportunities to see people act like fools in social settings and so your blunder will leave a lasting impression.

 

tl;dr - drink responsibly

[cruz083]

Thank you for the post!