Search

Fall semester was rough. Not always because the demands of those five classes got me down--but mostly because my social life SUCKS.

With all of the personalities and projects out there, the quest for a perfect fit is much like a search for the perfect pair of jeans.

"Integrity and honesty are the foundations upon which scientific inquiry and discovery are built. Trust allows us to believe what others have done and to use the results of others to drive our own research."

"At first, I didn’t tell anyone. I faked the funk. I didn’t want their pity. I didn’t want them saying, 'well I’m so sorry,' while thinking, 'glad it wasn’t me.'"

"I don’t have time for hostile relationships, especially with my adviser."

"Now, a year later, it’s amazing how little those events have affected my daily life. I often feel removed from everything going on around me."

"I'm learning to live gracefully with the frustrations of research: being grateful for when something works and not taking it personally when it doesn't."

"I haven't given up, although I've thought about it."

"This is probably why I won't be going into hardcore academia; I value my time, my family, and my friends far too much to be ruled by my job."

Sometimes an adviser can be a little
too attentive.

What a difference some data make.

The change from the dull delirium and insane drama that characterized my first year and half of graduate school has been welcome.

You learn to eat the elephant one bite at a time and not try swallowing it whole.

There
is a body of research out there that would make me want to get up in the morning, thrilled to be alive. I'm just not working on it.

I decided I wanted to work on something else and, all of a sudden, [my adviser's] interest in me dried up, as did funding for a research assistantship; I've been TA-ing ever since.

Unfortunately many of us get tripped up in the hurdles, because we lack preparation, confidence, test-taking ability, motivation ... not necessarily because we don't have potential as scientists.

Have aliens taken over my advisor's body and released him from emotional oblivion?

Recognize that your students are there to get a degree, first and foremost, but realize that they can contribute to your community.

If I'm a competitive student, with a very good record and lots of promise, my decision on what grad school to attend will probably depend on pay, faculty, and facilities. In that order.

If I'm a competitive student, with a very good record and lots of promise, my decision on what grad school to attend will probably depend on pay, faculty, and facilities. In that order.