First Year Students Fall 2014 How's It Going

[sqxz]

I unofficially committed to joining a particular lab at the end of the semester! I'm only in the second week of my third (and final) rotation, but I feel very confident in my decision. I've been thinking about this for weeks, and I read (skimmed) a ton of advice this past weekend to verify the logic behind my decision-making process. In the end, I felt like I was just looking for reasons not to go with this PI, and I couldn't find any.

 

For the past year or so, money has been very tight in the lab I'm joining because a funding agency dropped the ball on a huge grant they had formally agreed to fund, so I was concerned about having to TA next semester (or more often than I would like). Remarkably, my new PI told me today that he has saved enough money to fund one or two new grad students for at least the next several years, so I guess I never had anything to worry about. Additionally, in past years, my new PI had received only ~50-80% of the supercomputing allocations the group had applied for from various sources. This year, all applications yielded 100% of the allocations requested, including one particularly huge one from a major national supercomputing facility. Needless to say, this is quite exciting, as these allocations will allow us to do some really remarkable and exciting science in the next year.

 

To top it all off, my new PI wants me to submit a late abstract for the Biophysical Society Meeting based on the work I did during my rotation with him earlier this semester. Really, the only way things could get better this year is if I win one of the fellowships I am applying to. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a Hertz interview invitation some time this week or next!

[Munashi]

Really feeling the end of the semester approaching and it's crazy!  I cannot believe how quickly things are going.  Let's hope everything that needs to get done gets magically handled somehow...  Hope you're all well.

[when]

I am taking the hardest psychopathology course known to man. We've had to memorize diagnostic criteria for 24 DSM-5 disorders, the changes from DSM-IV for each, the reasons for the changes, the reasons for the non-changes, and theories underlying the disorders. And this is just one of the many equally burdensome and anxiety-inducing parts of the course. All the other courses are fine, however, and the good thing is that all upper year students say that things can only get better from now on. Sigh.

Edited November 14, 2014 by DeltaSkelta

[educdoc]

Really feeling the end of the semester approaching and it's crazy!  I cannot believe how quickly things are going.  Let's hope everything that needs to get done gets magically handled somehow...  Hope you're all well.

I would need some of that magic too! I feel so exhausted, and we still have 4 weeks ro go...

[Threeboysmom]

I am taking the hardest psychopathology course known to man. We've had to memorize diagnostic criteria for 24 DSM-5 disorders, the changes from DSM-IV for each, the reasons for the changes, the reasons for the non-changes, and theories underlying the disorders. And this is just one of the many equally burdensome and anxiety-inducing parts of the course. All the other courses are fine, however, and the good thing is that all upper year students say that things can only get better from now on. Sigh.

Sounds interesting, hang in there.

[Threeboysmom]

I would need some of that magic too! I feel so exhausted, and we still have 4 weeks ro go...

Yes, I can relate. I originally signed up for a winter minimester but dropped the class so I can relax and get mentally prepared for spring.

[educdoc]

We have a quarter system, so everything happens very fast and concentrated, in only 10 weeks. Killer, IMO.

[perpetuavix]

We have a quarter system, so everything happens very fast and concentrated, in only 10 weeks. Killer, IMO.

Yeah, I'm really not enjoying the quarter system. I have way too many papers to write in the next three weeks, and I feel like the quarter just started...

[educdoc]

Yeah, I'm really not enjoying the quarter system. I have way too many papers to write in the next three weeks, and I feel like the quarter just started...

Same here. And the day still has only 24 hours.......

[music]

Yeah, I'm really not enjoying the quarter system. I have way too many papers to write in the next three weeks, and I feel like the quarter just started...

Yeah. This. Still getting weekly homework and reading plus all the final papers and presentations are due in 10th/11th week. Eep.

[Threeboysmom]

I can see the light and the end of the tunnel.  Dec  8th the final day of classes for me will be here very soon.  The most I have a few things outstanding for each class and then I can rest and get ready for spring. 

[maelia8]

Oh man I am getting a bit scared about the number of books I need to acquire and skim for my research bibliography due at the end of the semester, which is designed to function as a mini orals list ... At least I have my list of books as well as the thematic categories already set in stone.

[Threeboysmom]

Oh man I am getting a bit scared about the number of books I need to acquire and skim for my research bibliography due at the end of the semester, which is designed to function as a mini orals list ... At least I have my list of books as well as the thematic categories already set in stone.

Good luck!

[ERR_Alpha]

I finally did well on an exam!!! (I've been barely in the range of a B recently) I feel like a much more competent grad school human now

[Threeboysmom]

I finally did well on an exam!!! (I've been barely in the range of a B recently) I feel like a much more competent grad school human now

Congratulations !

[katiegud]

I'm 1000 words behind where I was hoping to be today, and I'm incredibly unmotivated. I don't want to write, I don't want to read, I just want to go back to bed. 

[Threeboysmom]

I'm 1000 words behind where I was hoping to be today, and I'm incredibly unmotivated. I don't want to write, I don't want to read, I just want to go back to bed.

Perhaps you should rest a few hours and then try again later. Give yourself permission to rest

[Monochrome Spring]

Bombed a stats test because I was dealing with personal issues during pre-test prep time. Oh well. You win some and you lose some. That just means I have to work harder for the final.

[Munashi]

Bombed a stats test because I was dealing with personal issues during pre-test prep time. Oh well. You win some and you lose some. That just means I have to work harder for the final.

 

That really sucks dude, I'm sorry that happened.  Wishing you good luck for the final!

[yearley]

Miserable, depressed, lonely, unmotivated. 8 hours away from my friends and my family. Behind on readings. Behind on assignments.

 

Yay.

 

 

I'm 1000 words behind where I was hoping to be today, and I'm incredibly unmotivated. I don't want to write, I don't want to read, I just want to go back to bed. 

 

I hear that.

Edited November 24, 2014 by yearley

[maelia8]

Feeling incredible crushing guilt about going home for Thanksgiving instead of spending those four days working constantly on my end-of-term paper/bibliography project. Am starting to think it might be less stressful if I didn't go home at all, but I really want to see my family

[Threeboysmom]

Go for two days and work two days.  Not ideal but you can have time to make some progress on your paper and see family even if only for a brief moment. 

[maelia8]

I am leaving Sunday morning (the drive takes most of the day) so I'm really only going to be there for three days. It's really not worth it to go up for less than that because of the cost of gas and the time spent in the car. I'm planning on working as much as I can while I'm home, so we'll see how that goes.

[geographyrocks]

I have grants and papers to write, but all I can think about is how there is only one week of school left after this week.  1 week.  ONE WEEK!

At which point, of course, all of things that I'm procrastinating on are due.  ONE WEEK!

[Crucial BBQ]

Feeling incredible crushing guilt about going home for Thanksgiving instead of spending those four days working constantly on my end-of-term paper/bibliography project. Am starting to think it might be less stressful if I didn't go home at all, but I really want to see my family

Don't do this to yourself.  The work will always be there-there will always be more work to do, more work that *could've* been done, and so on; the time to spend with family and friends will not be.  Take it from me, I've been there (albeit not with grad school).  The less morbid version:  ten years from now you will hate yourself for putting the paper before family; take the time to visit family and ten years from now you would have forgotten about that paper.  You think you feel guilt now?  That is nothing compared to the guilt you will feel if you didn't go.