We've wined, we've waited, now it's time to celebrate 2016

[Neist]

3 hours ago, hippyscientist said:

Joining in on the grades debate, as long as I keep my funding I don't care. My masters was the grades focused aspect for me, whereas now research really is my focus. I started writing an abstract today - the submission opens January 11th/15th I can't remember but it's my vacay work. I think as long as you have a good work ethic and don't procrastinate to detrimental ends then grad school classes are doable. What I've noticed is the juggling act to maintain good grades in classes, make progress in research, do TA/GA/job duties, have a semblance of a social life and maintain some level of health & physical activity is what discerns the grad students in my program. Those who are used to juggling many things seem to cope a lot better than those who coasted through undergrad playing video games. It's really interesting - those students who've had to work hard to make things click seem to be the better grad students, in my observations anyway.

1

My experience is completely anecdotal, but my undergraduate years were as hard, if not harder than graduate school is now. To be honest, I think I'm doing well because I've been drowning in work for years. I've gotten pretty used to it. I definitely think my past struggles have certainly helped.  

1 hour ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

I sort of thought that my serious work ethic would be enough to get me through classes unscathed. But then I spent 40 hours a week (and not a lazy 40 hours - a consistent and productive 40 hours) per week on this one class, and failed badly. WHOOPS

 

It probably doesn't help that you're in, what I have to imagine, a very rigorous program. The history of science side of my program is pretty well-regarded in the discipline, but it's not like I'm studying the history of science at the Max Planck Institute, ya know?

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

I think we should all treat ourselves. I learned that Ben & Jerry makes some strawberry cheesecake ice cream

[Neist]

1 hour ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

I think we should all treat ourselves. I learned that Ben & Jerry makes some strawberry cheesecake ice cream

I may or may not have eaten an entire pint of ice cream this evening. :X 

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

5 hours ago, Neist said:

I may or may not have eaten an entire pint of ice cream this evening. :X 

What flavor? This is important!

[hippyscientist]

On 12/13/2016 at 10:07 PM, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

I think we should all treat ourselves. I learned that Ben & Jerry makes some strawberry cheesecake ice cream

Please eat all the ice cream for me guys!! 

[Quickmick]

2 hours ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

What flavor? This is important!

As an ice cream lover I had to chime in. If you like spumoni, this is the closest Ive found on the shelves--and it is dangerously good.

http://cdn.bluebell.com/IceCreamFlavor?fid=135

 

[Neist]

1 hour ago, hippyscientist said:

Oh man I would if I could! I'll treat myself to some coconut milk rice with a banana. Please eat all the ice cream for me guys!! 

Will do! I've actually developed a slight milk protein intolerance, but I popped a couple Benadryl and cast all to the wind.  

3 hours ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

What flavor? This is important!

http://www.talentigelato.com/products/chocolate-peanut-butter-cup

I love me some Talenti!

[MarineBluePsy]

I am a big fan of cashew milk or goat's milk ice cream.  If only they weren't so damn expensive.

[KingNikolai1]

After weeks of procrastination I finally revised my papers and turned them in right on their due dates. I've had way too much sherry over the past few days, enough to give me diabetes.... 

[Neist]

35 minutes ago, MarineBluePsy said:

I am a big fan of cashew milk or goat's milk ice cream.  If only they weren't so damn expensive.

I'm a big fan of So Delicious cashew milk ice cream. It's not too bad. http://sodeliciousdairyfree.com/products/cashew-milk-frozen-desserts

15 minutes ago, KingNikolai1 said:

After weeks of procrastination I finally revised my papers and turned them in right on their due dates. I've had way too much sherry over the past few days, enough to give me diabetes.... 

 

Congrats! And I find that drinking and paper writing actually surprisingly well-mesh.  

[nevermind]

11 hours ago, Neist said:

I may or may not have eaten an entire pint of ice cream this evening. :X 

I went through a pint last week (of Cherry Garcia) during finals...ice cream isn't even my vice! (Peanut butter cups...on the other hand...)

Grades are in. I did fine--no surprises.

Now I can relax for a little bit, recuperate from this bronchitis, and then start researching next week (I gave myself permission to have this week off.)

 

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

I hate being allergic to nuts... all the good ice cream apparently has nuts in it Plus not being able to be near peanuts makes holiday parties a real drag.

Also, I've developed a taste for (cheap, <$10) wine. Anyone who can recommend some? I've tried a few kinds and I think my favorite is a cabernet sauvignon.

[nevermind]

2 hours ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

I hate being allergic to nuts... all the good ice cream apparently has nuts in it Plus not being able to be near peanuts makes holiday parties a real drag.

Also, I've developed a taste for (cheap, <$10) wine. Anyone who can recommend some? I've tried a few kinds and I think my favorite is a cabernet sauvignon.

 

I'm allergic to wheat/gluten, so no fun ice cream with cookies in it for me. :-(

@Pink Fuzzy Bunny, I know there is an Aldi in Ithaca...one of my friends swears by: https://www.aldi.us/en/grocery-home/wine-cellar/red-wines/red-wines-detail/ps/p/winking-owl-cabernet-sauvignon/

[MarineBluePsy]

6 hours ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

I hate being allergic to nuts... all the good ice cream apparently has nuts in it Plus not being able to be near peanuts makes holiday parties a real drag.

Also, I've developed a taste for (cheap, <$10) wine. Anyone who can recommend some? I've tried a few kinds and I think my favorite is a cabernet sauvignon.

I don't know if I agree with that.  Nuts definitely change the flavor and add way more fat so often I'm fine skipping them.  As for cheap wines I enjoy this one: http://www.barefootwine.com/

[Neist]

7 hours ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

I hate being allergic to nuts... all the good ice cream apparently has nuts in it Plus not being able to be near peanuts makes holiday parties a real drag.

Also, I've developed a taste for (cheap, <$10) wine. Anyone who can recommend some? I've tried a few kinds and I think my favorite is a cabernet sauvignon.

 

I have a fairly severe intolerance to sulfites, so I can't help you with the wine.

We're certainly not breaking any sickly academic stereotypes here.  

[hippyscientist]

Ugh today has been so much fun and hell at the same time. I'm up working on a project that's being submitted tomorrow (group project, big deal, it's for a competition) but I also have to be in the office at 7am tomorrow (which will be more like 5.30 with going to the gym) to proctor exams and grade them and get everything else done. My other group project is stalling big time and that's due on friday, which is funnily enough the same day as my last final, the day of a christmas party and the day before I go to Maine. Ugh too much to do not enough hours in the day to do it.

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

8 hours ago, nevermind said:

I'm allergic to wheat/gluten, so no fun ice cream with cookies in it for me. :-(

@Pink Fuzzy Bunny, I know there is an Aldi in Ithaca...one of my friends swears by: https://www.aldi.us/en/grocery-home/wine-cellar/red-wines/red-wines-detail/ps/p/winking-owl-cabernet-sauvignon/

Thanks I will be sure to get that and try it out   Also, bronchitis during the last few days of the semester sounds horrible

 

[Neist]

12 minutes ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

Thanks I will be sure to get that and try it out   Also, bronchitis during the last few days of the semester sounds horrible

 

 

I know nothing about wine, but Aldi's has pretty fantastic products. I've become a fan. I've never been disappointed by their store brands (which is all they carry, usually).

Super cheap, too.

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

I passed!! I mean, barely (prof said he wouldn't fail anyone unless they dipped into the 20s, and I got a 30%) but I PASSED

[Neist]

19 minutes ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

I passed!! I mean, barely (prof said he wouldn't fail anyone unless they dipped into the 20s, and I got a 30%) but I PASSED

Congrats!  

Also, everyone, we made it through a semester! Yay! I feel like I was dreading it worse than it actually was. I'm not sure what I expected at the beginning of the semester, but I feel as if my expectations were worse than reality; I was somewhat terrified of classes the beginning of this semester.

[MarineBluePsy]

Yes this is a good point, we survived the semester.  For me the reality was so much worse than my expectations and I really can't say it has been worth it.  That's not a good mindset to have going into next semester so perhaps some of that will dissipate over the break.

[Need Coffee in an IV]

I got two grades back. Both As! In my dreaded class, the TAs gave me a 75....well below what other people got. That dropped my grade down from a 92 to an 89.09. But my professor rounded me back up to an 90. So I didn't get screwed over but got close ha. I'm still waiting on one more grade. I like icecream in my coffee but its not my favorite dessert. I like pies and cakes better! I've eaten those mini pies you get at Walmart all the time ha.

@MarineBluePsy Maybe grad school isn't what you want to do? Or is this grad school so bad that its turn you off completely? Don't feel pressured into continuing if you realized how much you dislike it. My bf decided grad school wasn't for him. I'm sorry its been awful!

[MarineBluePsy]

21 minutes ago, Need Coffee in an IV said:

@MarineBluePsy Maybe grad school isn't what you want to do? Or is this grad school so bad that its turn you off completely? Don't feel pressured into continuing if you realized how much you dislike it. My bf decided grad school wasn't for him. I'm sorry its been awful!

No I'm certain grad school is the right move for me since it is the only way to access the career I want and I am certain of my career choice.  I also tested the waters in a Master's program to make sure I really wanted to do all the work and wasn't feeling like I had to.  I was on a solid career path with just my Master's, but I knew I wasn't going to be happy just with that.  Now in a doctoral program the work itself isn't the problem, it is all of the stuff behind the scenes that wasn't revealed until I got here.  I understand that no matter what program (or job, relationship, etc) you pick there will always be stuff behind the scenes because everyone is putting on the best show to lure you in.  We just have to hope that we can handle whatever lurks behind the curtains and that doing so makes the end result worth it.  So sure I'll have my degree and access to the career I want in the end, but if the behind the scenes remains this awful I'm not sure it will have been worth it. 

[hippyscientist]

Congrats @Pink Fuzzy Bunny and @Need Coffee in an IV on your grades, that's awesome! I have one class back and did okay (A) so I'm pleased. Still got a final and a group project to go tomorrow. This group project is doing my head in! Two group members haven't pulled their weight at all and have done close to nothing (all one has contributed is "I think we should add a picture here. Can someone find one?"). 

Also, @MarineBluePsy can I ask what you mean by "behind the scenes" stuff? 

Overall, I'm so pleased with my grad school decision. For the most part my department is a lot of fun - we've been entering a competition together which has meant a lot of arts and crafts and brainstorming and it's worked out as a great way to bond. I also think I lucked out on TAing - today we graded the undergrads final for the class I TA and our instructor in charge bought us all lunch (including a special one for me) to thank us.

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

3 hours ago, hippyscientist said:

Congrats @Pink Fuzzy Bunny and @Need Coffee in an IV on your grades, that's awesome! I have one class back and did okay (A) so I'm pleased. Still got a final and a group project to go tomorrow. This group project is doing my head in! Two group members haven't pulled their weight at all and have done close to nothing (all one has contributed is "I think we should add a picture here. Can someone find one?"). 

This is a dumb question and the answer is likely "no", but is it something you could bring up to the prof? A lot of profs (especially in grad school hopefully!) would be very understanding of this. Or maybe it's a presentation style, where you could show off your knowledge while everyone else doesn't know the material?

 

5 hours ago, MarineBluePsy said:

Yes this is a good point, we survived the semester.  For me the reality was so much worse than my expectations and I really can't say it has been worth it.  That's not a good mindset to have going into next semester so perhaps some of that will dissipate over the break.

 

I'm going to agree with this. Had I known, I might not have chosen to go to grad school. That being said, now that my first semester is over, I'm realizing that despite everything I'd still rather be in grad school than working a job. Maybe the same will be true for you once you take a well-deserved break!

Kind of bummed out right now, our research requires cardiac cells that we can only get once every few months... we got a new batch yesterday, and by the time we were ready to use them, they were all dead