First Year Students Fall 2014 How's It Going

[Threeboysmom]

Did a lot better on my second assessment exam.  Whew that first exam frightened me a bit.  

[Threeboysmom]

Just checking on everyone.  My family and I just got back from Disney World and now I have a stress fracture.  However I am hanging in there with my studies.  Swimming in books.  

[maelia8]

Passed my foreign language translation exam, and I'm working on a big research paper, the first draft of which is due at the beginning of next week. Feeling okay about life, but I definitely have a lot more work to do than last semester.

[Munashi]

Thought I'd check back in since it's been a while.  Last week was a little rough - rejected from NDSEG, receive honorable mention (but no funding) for the NSF GRFP.

 

...But life goes on!  I feel like I'm back in the groove, and now I'm just dealing with all the upcoming end-of-semester business (papers, exams, etc).  How are you all?  Soon we're going to be second years.  We'll have to make a new thread, lol.

[starofdawn]

Comp exams are coming up at the end of this academic year and I'm started to feel nervous! A friend took them last year, he said he studied 8 hours every day for 2 weeks. Combine that with juggling 3 projects and 2 classes, I'm starting to wonder how it's all going to fit together. 

[Threeboysmom]

Comp exams are coming up at the end of this academic year and I'm started to feel nervous! A friend took them last year, he said he studied 8 hours every day for 2 weeks. Combine that with juggling 3 projects and 2 classes, I'm starting to wonder how it's all going to fit together. 

I have to prepare for first year comp exam as well.  Its nerve wrecking. Focusing on my current classes and knowing I have this other exam I have to pass that I have not prepared for.  Best of luck to you!

[sqxz]

I also have this in the form of my qualifying exam...next Friday. It's scary stuff!

 

 

I have to prepare for first year comp exam as well.  Its nerve wrecking. Focusing on my current classes and knowing I have this other exam I have to pass that I have not prepared for.  Best of luck to you!

[Taeyers]

Add me to the list of people dreading qualifying exams... I don't know if I've ever been less excited for anything. It's 2 days in a row, 8 hours each day, and completely handwritten. I've told my PI and lab members not to expect to see me for a couple weeks in May, just to cover any mental breakdowns before/after the test.

[gellert]

I can't imagine having to do comps my first year.... Luckily in my program we do them after year 2.  Good luck, guys.

[music]

Spring break is not long enough on the quarter system! Instead of feeling like the end of week 2, it feels more like week 14   I finally don't feel like such an imposter, although my self-confidence is still quite low and my anxiety high, in terms of long-term likely performance (especially comps, which for us are a huge ordeal at the start of 3rd year - all older students make them out to be this mystical, impossible week of pain and certain death, preceded by an entire summer spent living in the library, memorising everything ever written in Ethnomusicology).

[ERR_Alpha]

Things are insane until the semester ends... Lots of grading, wrapping up two courses, and I'm presenting at a conference in May (yay!) but that means I need to rush to get data (boo!) and my advisor is in one of his extremely involved phases and is texting me nonstop. (Which I appreciate him thinking about my project... But at 10pm I would rather not)

[Threeboysmom]

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  I have one test and one paper to finish, then a comp exam and I'm done until the summer.  Dori's song 'Just keep swimming' is on repeat in my head.  

[geographyrocks]

I think I've hit some sort of 1st year slump.  All I need to do is write one tiny little paper and finish creating a lab for an intro course.  It's really not THAT much work (considering I've already completed a 17 page paper).  I just can't seem to get motivated!  Is anyone else struggling with this? 

[Threeboysmom]

I think I've hit some sort of 1st year slump.  All I need to do is write one tiny little paper and finish creating a lab for an intro course.  It's really not THAT much work (considering I've already completed a 17 page paper).  I just can't seem to get motivated!  Is anyone else struggling with this?

I can relate. I've got a 12 page paper due on Tuesday and my get up and go, gir up

[Threeboysmom]

Oh smartphones! My get up and go, got up and went. Small steps to the goal. Best wishes.

[ERR_Alpha]

We had our first year wrap up meaning today, which means I've almost survived my first academic year! Just a summer stands between us and calling ourselves second years! (And candidacy... Yikes)

[Threeboysmom]

Is it me or was the second semester of graduate school slightly tougher than the first.  Anyway my comp exam got pushed back by the university so one more exam and I'm done with my first year of graduate school.  

[GeoMex]

I need to learn how to deal with low-grade confrontation. For example: I share an office with one other person. There are two chairs. When I came in to the office, my chair was being used so my officemate could discuss whatever she was looking at on her computer. It wouldn't have been a big deal except there was no acknowledgement of my presence. I sat down my stuff and stood there for a couple of minutes before I left. (I'm still irritated by it!). I have trouble deciphering what to do in these types of situations. Help? I don't want to be a jerk, but I'm fairly certain this is not the way to handle it. My initial reaction is to yell: get out if my chair! But I know that's not the proper response either.

Signed

Socially awkward(and not the cute kind)

 

 

Eh, I'd just be like "can I have my chair back?" but I've been out of school and worked in the real world long enough to have my soul crushed by sh*tty people so I don't have the patience for passive-aggressive behavior. Too blunt? Fine.

 

 

This seems like the best way to go.

Obviously being as nice as possible, you could say something like "Hey XXXXX, I need to work on some things, could you please give me back my chair?"

Working with older and same age people at my job has given me the vision that not because someone is older/different gender I need to sit back and don't ask for things. The only times when I might sit back is when a boss is the one in the way.

[geographyrocks]

This seems like the best way to go.

Obviously being as nice as possible, you could say something like "Hey XXXXX, I need to work on some things, could you please give me back my chair?"

Working with older and same age people at my job has given me the vision that not because someone is older/different gender I need to sit back and don't ask for things. The only times when I might sit back is when a boss is the one in the way.

I'm not a youngin, I just don't like confrontation. I especially don't like confrontation with someone who I know to be very passive-aggressive ex: sends emails to the entire department when she has an office complaint. She's been moved to several different offices because she's difficult to live with. Anyway, I was overreacting to the situation.

In other news, I think I survived the first semester! I know I have one A. The other class is a mystery as we didn't recieve any grades all semester. And it was outsde my comfort zone so we'll see.

How is everyone else feeling now that the end of the first year has arrived?

[Gingersnaps]

I have two summer courses starting next week before I can enjoy 2 months off from grad school. Still waiting for grades in one class; we'll see what I got in that one. But since I have been registered for my summer classes I assume I did ok.

Is it just me or does anyone else feel like their brain is permanently turned into grad mode? I use to love reading but I can't stand the sight of books or articles right now .

My classmates are all graduating this summer and doing coops so it'll be strange in September when I'll start with a whole new cohort. I'm also applying to jobs in my field so I feel exhausted some days.

[Threeboysmom]

Add me to the list of people dreading qualifying exams... I don't know if I've ever been less excited for anything. It's 2 days in a row, 8 hours each day, and completely handwritten. I've told my PI and lab members not to expect to see me for a couple weeks in May, just to cover any mental breakdowns before/after the test.

 

How are things going?  I understand about the mental breakdowns before/after test. I'm hoping a few days away with some spa treatments will suffice we start the next semester.  

[qeta]

I am done all the coursework for my Master's! Still waiting on the grades from the last class, but elated that I can move onto working on my MA thesis primarily now. I am starting a methods workshop at the end of this month, pushing out some pubs at various stages of the journal process, and organizing a conference. I am excited for all of these things! It will be a good summer.

[Taeyers]

How are things going?  I understand about the mental breakdowns before/after test. I'm hoping a few days away with some spa treatments will suffice we start the next semester.  

Thanks for asking! We have about 2.5 weeks to go and I personally haven't hit mental breakdown phase yet, and hope to avoid it entirely. I'm feeling stronger than expected going in because I think I have a solid grasp of the material from the Spring semester that will be on the exam. That leaves me to review the Fall semester, which was extremely difficult, but is thankfully only half of the comp exam. The goal is to buckle down starting tomorrow and avoid the influence of the one member of my cohort who does seem to be approaching mental breakdown territory in spite of our best attempts to talk her down. 

When do you get to take your exam and finally put it behind you? 

[Threeboysmom]

I am done all the coursework for my Master's! Still waiting on the grades from the last class, but elated that I can move onto working on my MA thesis primarily now. I am starting a methods workshop at the end of this month, pushing out some pubs at various stages of the journal process, and organizing a conference. I am excited for all of these things! It will be a good summer.

Great, good luck with your thesis, publications and conference.

[Threeboysmom]

Thanks for asking! We have about 2.5 weeks to go and I personally haven't hit mental breakdown phase yet, and hope to avoid it entirely. I'm feeling stronger than expected going in because I think I have a solid grasp of the material from the Spring semester that will be on the exam. That leaves me to review the Fall semester, which was extremely difficult, but is thankfully only half of the comp exam. The goal is to buckle down starting tomorrow and avoid the influence of the one member of my cohort who does seem to be approaching mental breakdown territory in spite of our best attempts to talk her down. 

When do you get to take your exam and finally put it behind you? 

Yes, stay away from the person that is allowing herself to spiral downward.  I'm sure you can understand this persons stress but its good to recognize triggers that may throw you off.  I'm happy to hear that you have a solid grasp of the material on the exam, that is a good feeling.  My exam has been pushed back until the week of June 8th.  I am currently in one of the classes that covers content on the exam and two other classes I took last semester I need to pull out my notes and review.  I have to finish this one exam then I need a few days to rest and do nothing then I will begin studying for comp exams.  Best of luck, keep us posted on your results!