First Year Students Fall 2014 How's It Going

[GeographyOSU]

So far, my fall semester is going great! Still getting used to the winter weather in Duluth, but I am originally from the Twin Cities so it isn't too much of a difference..just the Lake Effect causing a constant strong wind and large snowfalls..

 

Academically, I have been doing well..if I keep my current run of performance, I should be able to get a 4.0 this semester, that along with an A in a summer project I did for my grad director would mean two straight 4.0 terms. I also just got hired for a research assistantship for spring semester (with the potential for an extension for the next year) so that's good news!

 

I will admit, the toughest adjustment I have had to make is the social adjustment. UMD is mostly an undergraduate school, and my choices of extracurricular activities (Marching Band and Pep Band) are also full of undergraduates, so it's been a little difficult connecting with people since in some cases, I'm 5-6 years older than them (I'm 24), but I have made friends, many of them undergraduates, as well as some grad students. 

 

All things considered, I'm loving UMD and I am definitely glad I made the choice to come here.

[gellert]

I think I might be depressed.

[music]

A week today I'll be done for the quarter and packing to go home for 5 weeks Had a fairly major panic attack + migraine on Wednesday right before an exam, bc all my final presentations are on consecutive days next week and I feel horribly underprepared (even though in reality they just need a few final touches, and I know my material well). Papers aren't due for another 2 weeks, thankfully. I am *so* excited to see my partner back home.

 

Already a little anxious about missing the first week of next quarter to present at a conference in the UK. Also my courses for the Winter are a lot less inspiring - 1 is to fulfill a curricular requirement but it reputed to be insanely hard, another is a lunchtime class (HATE HATE HATE) outside of my department, lecture-style instead of a seminar, and the prof has a reputation for being kind of dry.

 

I feel like I did well on a couple of counts this quarter: keeping up my powerlifting, doing homework as soon as it's set, and turning in assignments before the due date when possible so I could move on to the next.

[zebura]

Worrying right now as I still struggle with finding a thesis lab.

[starofdawn]

I think I might be depressed.

What's going on, amigo? Share your thoughts - either with us or with someone else.

[EngineerGrad]

Finals start this week I'm gonna die omg help

[Threeboysmom]

I relaxed all week and now it's time to panic. Wishing you all the best during finals.

[tspier2]

I've been holding off on posting on this thread until it got closer to the end of the semester, but now we're here! I've found this to be my most difficult and most rewarding semester in terms of academic and personal circumstances. Coming from a service-based major (viz. education), I feel like my undergraduate institution didn't prepare me nearly enough for the research and essay writing components, which has led to a great deal of stress, but I can't imagine I'm the only one who feels that way. I have three presentations to give this week, one paper to turn in this week, one paper to turn in next week, and three exams next week. Once all that is finished, I'll be heading home for almost a month -- hopefully with a little relaxation! I wish you all the best of luck with the rest of the semester.

[ecm07e]

Had my first final today. I think I did alright :-/ I take the next final next Monday. 

[MosDefMosDef]

I am soooo tired! So stressed out, so unmotivated. I think bottom line is... I just need a break! But gotta power through until break gets here...

[Threeboysmom]

Had my first final today. I think I did alright :-/ I take the next final next Monday. 

Good luck, my first final was yesterday.  I'm not sure how I did considering there was one section that I completely missed and did not study for.  

 

I am soooo tired! So stressed out, so unmotivated. I think bottom line is... I just need a break! But gotta power through until break gets here...

Power through. I am tired as well.  Looking forward to a break for some much needed rest and relaxation and binge watching of Netflix.  

[avflinsch]

So far everything is mostly good, coming up on the end of the semester in 2 weeks.

One class, final project presentation is tomorrow (I was 'volunteered' to do the presentation a week earlier than the rest of the class), should be easy, I was way ahead of the rest of the class to start with.

Other class, the group presentation went well, final paper due in 2 weeks. I am a bit behind in writing it -- family/house/work issues, but they finally got straightened out this past weekend.

I am only stressing about one thing - my daughter is applying to grad schools now & I think I am more concerned than she is.
 

[music]

Today is the final day of the quarter for me. Three final presentations in three days has sucked, but it turns out I did a better job than I needed to. Now it's just a matter of writing up my final papers and tackling some holiday reading. Suffice to say my case for the flight home is about half full of library books. My review session was very positive as well. I'm actually amazed and really pleased with myself that I made it through the first quarter of a PhD program, in an area which I've never studied before. Next quarter, hopefully I can avoid developing a nervous tremor approaching the final week of classes.

 

I feel like checking in occasionally on this thread has been a useful way to stand back and evaluate more objectively how things are going.

[Munashi]

I've got take-home final left to contend with, and some work for my RAship that still needs to be taken care of.  Seeing the light at the end..!

[Gingersnaps]

Handed in my last assignment for the semester on Tuesday. Waiting for grades. Nerve wracking. My brain feels drained and I'm looking forward to reading non academic stuff this winter break.

On the bright side: I survived the first semester. Working full time and grad school at night tested the limits of my sanity and health.

[katiegud]

I turned in a long piece of writing on Monday and all I've heard so far is "got it" from my supervisors. I have a meeting with them next week, so I'm sure they'll tell me what they think then, but right now I'm just freaking out that they'll hate it, or think I misrepresented someone's ideas (lit review), and that I'll have to rewrite the whole thing. How do you deal with the waiting for feedback stress? 

[avflinsch]

3 classes -

 

One course grade so far - numeric grade of 1 (fortunately it was a binary score for this class).

 

Presented final project for one course last night - it went very well (except for a laptop crash at the start of my presentation).

 

Final paper due for last course on the 12th, I have it mostly written & should be able to finish it up over the weekend.

[maelia8]

I survived!!! Papers and oral language final exam were both on Friday, and now all I have is my written language final exam (with 12 whole days to study for it!! Now I finally have the time to catch up on reading I wanted to look at more closely and do all of the laundry and shopping that I'd been waiting on while I was in crunch mode.

[Threeboysmom]

My first semester is done!!!! Yay, I'm so glad.  I made it.  I am looking forward to resting and preparing for spring semester.   I made an A in one class and now I need to find out what my final grade is in my second class.  Wishing you guys all the best during finals.  

[Munashi]

I'm done with the semester too!  Here's hoping I'll survive the other ones too.    Congrats everyone, and good luck to those still working.

[educdoc]

I've had 2 presentations this week plus a lab to submit. For next week: one final (stats) and 2 papers, out of which one is difficult... and big... and I hope I'll survive all these....... A fourth course I've taken was done since last week, to give us more time for the other 3.

 

Congrats to all of you that finished this first quarter!

[EngineerGrad]

I survived my first semester in grad school!

Got As in all my classes, published a paper in a peer-reviewed journal and attended a conference.

 

I need a break though... =P

[turbidite]

Another first semester survivor here! Made an A in one class, waiting on two more. 

I know it's kind of an irrational thought, but has anyone felt guilty for not working during the break so far? My brain has been programmed to feel bad if I'm not doing something productive, and I'm trying to break that habit right now.

[starofdawn]

Another first semester survivor here! Made an A in one class, waiting on two more. 

I know it's kind of an irrational thought, but has anyone felt guilty for not working during the break so far? My brain has been programmed to feel bad if I'm not doing something productive, and I'm trying to break that habit right now.

 

Other that doing some research (which I don't expect will take up 8 hours in a day), I plan on improving other skill sets, like learning MATLAB and LabVIEW.

[Horb]

I'm still in finals. One paper left, two turned in. No grades, but I'm feeling good so far. We shall see! I'm currently doing fellowship research, which is silly since I still need to pass my MA exam at the end of year one before I plan for future years. But I like dreaming