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

[janetjanejune]

10 hours ago, Effloresce said:

wow it's been a whirlwind.

two stats assignments and an exam in the two weeks we've had stats! then lab rotations start on tuesday, wow wow wow.

@janetjanejune, that's awesome about the trans/gender non-conforming committee! i've kind of realized over the past couple of months that i identify as non-binary but also identify as femme, and while i know nonbinary gender is under the trans umbrella, i always have conflicting feelings. i think i'm going to check out our gq/trans group on campus along with general lgbtq groups on campus. 

still can't believe it's been officially two weeks (and two days!) since i've started this program though!

Reach out when you get the chance. The support will be helpful I'm sure.

[pterosaur]

In addition to the globs of undergrads all over campus,I have another obstacle I didn't expect: tourists. They're all over Harvard yard, in an often creepy way. As in, the people on the first floor of my dorm said they've had tourists trying to take pictures through their windows so they know what Harvard res halls are like. I feel like I expend a non-insignificant effort trying to make clear that I am not a tourist.

[spectastic]

i need to make more time for going out. man nature's calling.

[janetjanejune]

@pterosaur Harvard is a beautiful campus, but that is mega creepy.

P.S. Go thrifting at Oona's. I need to live vicariously through you. God I loved that place when I toured campus.

[sjoh197]

3 hours ago, pterosaur said:

In addition to the globs of undergrads all over campus,I have another obstacle I didn't expect: tourists. They're all over Harvard yard, in an often creepy way. As in, the people on the first floor of my dorm said they've had tourists trying to take pictures through their windows so they know what Harvard res halls are like. I feel like I expend a non-insignificant effort trying to make clear that I am not a tourist.

Not quite the same, but we would always have gobs of helicopter parents roaming the campus. In fact, I had one father walk into my restricted research lab to have the following conversation.

Him: "Where is the office?"

Me: "Which office are you looking for?"

Him: "You know, like the front office?"

Me: (OMG this isn't high school, it doesn't work that way) "We have 3 departments in this building, each with their own office. If you can tell me which office it is, I can tell you where it is."

Him: "Do you sell LSU t-shirts here?"

Me: "In my lab? No."

After a long pause

Me: "But you can go across the street and get one."

[Neist]

Two weeks of grad school complete! Achievement unlocked.

It feels like such a long time ago that we all applied. So much happened since then.

[janetjanejune]

@sjoh197 Imagine working in student affairs. Helicopter parents are the antitheses of our work.

@Neist App season feel soooo long ago. On this day last year, I was putting in my first application for grad school. In a week, I will be moving!

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

2 hours ago, Neist said:

Two weeks of grad school complete! Achievement unlocked.

It feels like such a long time ago that we all applied. So much happened since then.

Seriously! I can't believe that six months ago I wasn't really even sure where I was going.

[hippyscientist]

A year ago I was on my interview visit. Now I'm here and couldn't be more thrilled with the outcome! 

[MarineBluePsy]

A year ago I was begging for LORs, and redoing my SOP for the millionth time after some great advice from a grad school fair.  I also developed a back up plan in case I didn't get in again.  It is still very weird to actually be in a program and all the hassles that have popped up since have been frustrating.

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

Y'all are so dedicated... a year ago I was preparing for the physics GRE but was too lazy to start working on grad school applications until November

 

[MarineBluePsy]

Since it is a holiday weekend for those of us in the US does it count as doing something for the holiday if I went out last night?  I'm trying to force myself to be more social and spending holiday weekends solely in my new home would be counter productive.  And I don't mean I went and got takeout or ran errands lol.  I actually went to a social event in an unfamiliar part of town.

[hippyscientist]

5 hours ago, MarineBluePsy said:

Since it is a holiday weekend for those of us in the US does it count as doing something for the holiday if I went out last night?  I'm trying to force myself to be more social and spending holiday weekends solely in my new home would be counter productive.  And I don't mean I went and got takeout or ran errands lol.  I actually went to a social event in an unfamiliar part of town.

Yep that counts! I went out on Thursday night (TAing 8am Friday morning was painful) so I use that as my long weekend social event. I might do something Monday but there was no point going anywhere today because football. 

[Effloresce]

i think i have a date tomorrow..? commence the freaking out. she's so pretty. .-.

[MarineBluePsy]

5 minutes ago, Effloresce said:

i think i have a date tomorrow..? commence the freaking out. she's so pretty. .-.

You think?  How are you not sure?

[Effloresce]

4 minutes ago, MarineBluePsy said:

You think?  How are you not sure?

the way it was asked, i don't know. i'm also bad at picking up hints. 

[MarineBluePsy]

Hmmm well prepare as if it is that way if you're right you'll be at your best.  If it turns out it isn't a date then perhaps you'll catch someone else's eye while out and will soon have one.

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

I kind of regret getting involved in research so early. All of the other first years are going hiking on Monday, but I'll be stuck in the lab all day

[MarineBluePsy]

9 hours ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

I kind of regret getting involved in research so early. All of the other first years are going hiking on Monday, but I'll be stuck in the lab all day

And when you have job offers well before graduation you'll be glad you got started right away.  You can hike anytime.

[savay]

Ah! It's so great to be reading about all of your experiences starting your programs (and live a little vicariously)! I just got back to the states after language programs and a very brief vacation in Scotland and I am ITCHING to have assignments again and to move into my apartment in Seattle. I don't move until the 15th though, so until that time I mooch on my mom's coffee and try to stay productive (i.e. obsessively refresh canvas to see if any of my courses have been posted/creep on who else is in them). I'm sure by the time it starts, like most of you mention, I will be hit with the holy-crap-so-much-work phase, but for now there is only yearning. 

And yeah, it is super strange to think that this time last year I was a few days past my GRE and polishing SOPs and language recordings. We have all come so far!

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

It does feel nice to get into the groove of things, doesn't it? For instance, there's a certain peace around staying up until 5am doing quantum homework. I guess it's all in what we get used to, but I feel like being an eternal student is just the route for me

[Effloresce]

1 hour ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

It does feel nice to get into the groove of things, doesn't it? For instance, there's a certain peace around staying up until 5am doing quantum homework. I guess it's all in what we get used to, but I feel like being an eternal student is just the route for me

oh wow, 5 am quantum homework. 

i'm sure i'll be up that late soon, especially now that lab work is starting up again. i got my first choice for my first rotation, whoo! super excited to be in a lab again. except i had a major mood shift in the last couple of days, which i'm trying to not get me down. 

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

1 hour ago, Effloresce said:

oh wow, 5 am quantum homework. 

i'm sure i'll be up that late soon, especially now that lab work is starting up again. i got my first choice for my first rotation, whoo! super excited to be in a lab again. except i had a major mood shift in the last couple of days, which i'm trying to not get me down. 

Awesome!! How long are rotations there?

[Neist]

I'm grading my first wave of papers. Oh my...

I've been a grader before, but I still don't consider myself efficient at grading papers. Hopefully I'll improve a bit this semester.

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

30 minutes ago, Neist said:

I'm grading my first wave of papers. Oh my...

I've been a grader before, but I still don't consider myself efficient at grading papers. Hopefully I'll improve a bit this semester.

Eventually your standards for thoroughness will drop. This usually corresponds to your students' grades approaching a Gaussian distribution and your time spent grading dropping significantly