With the start date for my surprise field job rapidly approaching, I've realized just how many things I have to take care of before leaving. In addition to the obvious tasks (collecting the appropriate gear, making travel plans, packing, etc.) I also have eight graduate school applications and two fellowship applications to complete. And I'm running out of days!
Not only was the field job I accepted unexpected, it was last-minute fill for the project. The work starts the beginning of November. Understandably, just over a week ago I thought I had more than five weeks left to revise and refine my application for the NSF GRFP, and almost seven weeks before the earliest grad school application deadlines. Now I'm going to be in the field-- and away from computer and internet access-- for the critical weeks leading up to application deadlines, and the deadlines themselves.
Luckily, I made a lot of progress on my proposed research for the NSF GRF after my trip to visit graduate schools at the end of September. But I hadn't written my personal statement or research background for the NSF. Additionally, after critically evaluating my essays from last year's applications, I decided to completely rework my statement of purpose. That, added to the fact that my statement of purpose must be specifically tailored to each school to which I'm applying, means a ridiculous amount of work in a very short amount of time.
I've been trying to schedule tasks out in advance, to try and keep myself on track and ensure that I get everything completed on time, but I'm already starting to get worn down, and I've lost motivation. I'm taking a few hours off this evening to relax and try to re-set my mindset. I'm the type of person who needs to be ahead of the game-- I don't like feeling rushed, and I'm starting to worry that the lack of preparation time might leave my essays a little less polished than I need them to be.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
Opportunity
I held off on moving into an apartment of my own for a long time. My reasoning was simple-- were I offered a field job, I'd have to break the lease of an apartment to accept a position, and breaking a lease is anything but easy. Or cheap.
Once I'd finally made the decision to stick around in My Home Town for another year, and had secured (more or less) a reliable source of income, I made the move. I like the apartment a lot, and I'd forgotten how much I like living on my own. Except I'm not great at feeding myself. I'd forgotten about that, too.
Anyway, not three days after I moved in, I was offered a job on a field crew. Ha! Figures, doesn't it?
I accepted the job right away, though. In fact, I'd say someone would have to be crazy- certifiably insane- to turn this one down. It's what I've been waiting for since last spring. If I held out on applying to any potential organizations, or turned down any offers in the past, or was wary about accepting work for one reason or another, it was all because this job was out there, and I hadn't gotten it yet. If I were an excitable person, I might very well wet myself over this one. It's really that incredible.
Luckily, I will a.) not have to break my lease, as the position is only for 5 weeks, and b.) have enough saved that I should be able to front the expenses of being gone for a month, even without substantial pay.
I will miss the boys a lot... five weeks may be nothing to me, but it's a lot in rat-time. I've found someone to watch them, and hopefully the time apart won't be too traumatic for them. Or me. Ultimately, though, I think just about any sacrifice on my end will be worth it. This fieldwork is going to be incredible, and I'm literally shocked that I was offered a position.
I know I haven't been updating with any regularity lately, but chances are I won't be able to update at all while in the field. So in a few weeks, you might not hear from me again until Christmastime. I'll be too busy doing awesome field research!
Once I'd finally made the decision to stick around in My Home Town for another year, and had secured (more or less) a reliable source of income, I made the move. I like the apartment a lot, and I'd forgotten how much I like living on my own. Except I'm not great at feeding myself. I'd forgotten about that, too.
Anyway, not three days after I moved in, I was offered a job on a field crew. Ha! Figures, doesn't it?
I accepted the job right away, though. In fact, I'd say someone would have to be crazy- certifiably insane- to turn this one down. It's what I've been waiting for since last spring. If I held out on applying to any potential organizations, or turned down any offers in the past, or was wary about accepting work for one reason or another, it was all because this job was out there, and I hadn't gotten it yet. If I were an excitable person, I might very well wet myself over this one. It's really that incredible.
Luckily, I will a.) not have to break my lease, as the position is only for 5 weeks, and b.) have enough saved that I should be able to front the expenses of being gone for a month, even without substantial pay.
I will miss the boys a lot... five weeks may be nothing to me, but it's a lot in rat-time. I've found someone to watch them, and hopefully the time apart won't be too traumatic for them. Or me. Ultimately, though, I think just about any sacrifice on my end will be worth it. This fieldwork is going to be incredible, and I'm literally shocked that I was offered a position.
I know I haven't been updating with any regularity lately, but chances are I won't be able to update at all while in the field. So in a few weeks, you might not hear from me again until Christmastime. I'll be too busy doing awesome field research!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Transient Theory
Sometime later on, in my not-so-distant future life, there's a good chance I'll be traveling a great deal-- visiting far-flung regions of the globe doing research, meeting with colleagues stationed across the U.S., flying to meetings and conferences and planning sessions and hearings. There isn't a good way for me to prepare for this. I don't have the money to make a habit of vacations to the next state over, let alone elsewhere in the U.S., my job doesn't require much travel beyond the next county, and the trip I took to visit graduate schools last month may very well be the last trip I'll make anywhere for a long while yet.
So how do I get ready for all that moving around? Simple, I suppose, though convoluted. I move around.
I assure you, my frequent moves are far from intentional. I don't enjoy moving at all, and if I could avoid it I certainly wouldn't do it more than once a year. I don't mind being in a new location, getting used to new places and people-- that's all exciting and new and adventurous, in a way. It's all the crap that comes with me that's bothersome, and the mere thought of dragging boxes of stuff and furniture up staircases and maneuvering through doorways and tight corners just weighs on me.
I wish I could be the kind of person that didn't need anything materialistic. But I'm not. I really like sleeping in a bed, and damned if I don't enjoy a couch and a good movie once in a while. And a microwave.
This weekend, I will make my fifth move in less than a year. This will be a new record for me. Previously, the record was three. With my job somewhat secure, I decided that if I was going to stick around town for a while, it would be nice to do it in the comfort and solitude of my own place. I received a great deal of encouragement when I advanced this proposition, so I did some house hunting and chose something reasonable that, though not without flaws, seemed least likely to evoke feelings of terror and/or disgust in those that chance by for a visit.
I'm really looking forward to living on my own again, and when all's said and done I'm sure the packing, lugging, loading, unloading, lugging, and unpacking will all be worth it. It seems like a quiet neighborhood with quiet neighbors, and if I'm really lucky, it will be the last place I live before I move to go to graduate school.
So how do I get ready for all that moving around? Simple, I suppose, though convoluted. I move around.
I assure you, my frequent moves are far from intentional. I don't enjoy moving at all, and if I could avoid it I certainly wouldn't do it more than once a year. I don't mind being in a new location, getting used to new places and people-- that's all exciting and new and adventurous, in a way. It's all the crap that comes with me that's bothersome, and the mere thought of dragging boxes of stuff and furniture up staircases and maneuvering through doorways and tight corners just weighs on me.
I wish I could be the kind of person that didn't need anything materialistic. But I'm not. I really like sleeping in a bed, and damned if I don't enjoy a couch and a good movie once in a while. And a microwave.
This weekend, I will make my fifth move in less than a year. This will be a new record for me. Previously, the record was three. With my job somewhat secure, I decided that if I was going to stick around town for a while, it would be nice to do it in the comfort and solitude of my own place. I received a great deal of encouragement when I advanced this proposition, so I did some house hunting and chose something reasonable that, though not without flaws, seemed least likely to evoke feelings of terror and/or disgust in those that chance by for a visit.
I'm really looking forward to living on my own again, and when all's said and done I'm sure the packing, lugging, loading, unloading, lugging, and unpacking will all be worth it. It seems like a quiet neighborhood with quiet neighbors, and if I'm really lucky, it will be the last place I live before I move to go to graduate school.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
The Campaign Trail
Sorry it's been so long since I've updated. I was gone all of last week and jumped straight back in to work this week while simultaneously trying to ride a wave of motivation towards writing application essays-- somewhat successfully. When I returned to work on Monday, Joe, my BBF (best barn friend) asked if I'd been accepted anywhere (being both wonderfully supportive and woefully uninformed about the whole process). I told him that, no, my visits didn't guarantee acceptance, I was just going to schmooze a little and make myself known. "So you were campaigning, then?"
Yeah. That sounds about right.
For the last few months I've been sending out letters introducing myself and declaring my intentions. I've talked with people on the phone and had lengthy email sessions with several individuals. I've traversed across the country to meet with influential people face-to-face, to shake hands and show my winning smile and share my ideas for the future, all in the hope of garnering enough support to get my name on the ballot and collecting enough votes to win that elusive, illustrious position.
At least I don't have to worry about smear campaigns (er...recommendation writers, am I right?) or making those bloody TV adverts defacing my competitors with ridiculously out-of-context quotes and statistics gleaned from obscure sources.
I left early in the morning two weeks ago and began my journey to visit graduates schools. It's not the first time I've traveled alone, but it was the lengthiest trip I've ever made solo, and certainly included the largest number of destinations.
I started at a school I was a little unsure about, meeting with a professor whose research interests aren't quite in line with my own. Why did I even bother, you ask? Another professor at the school interests me a great deal, but was in the field when I visited. I figured if I made a good impression on the less interesting prof, he might pass the word along to the other when he returns. And besides, it won't hurt to tell the interesting individual that I was keen enough on the school to make a trip out to visit before applying.
I was surprised, however, at how much I liked the community. The campus wasn't anything special-- it was more or less like every other university campus out there. But the town itself was really neat, and had quite a few perks I'd never see in My Home Town. Most of the people I met were really friendly and genuinely seemed to love living there, and that was invaluable information, because the school is in a location I might not have been keen on considering before I visited.
The second campus I visited was that of my dream school, the school I'd most likely choose to attend if accepted several places. I've heard and read nothing but good things about the adviser and his students, and of the schools I feel I have a decent shot at, his research interests me the most. I was very nervous to meet this individual, but my interactions with him went very smoothly and for the most part I feel like I made a solid impression. If it's possible, I'm even more infatuated now with his lab and the program than I was before.
There were just two things about my visit that were disappointing. One, I really disliked the town. I was surprised, because most people I talked to raved about it, so perhaps there was something I wasn't seeing, or maybe it takes some getting used to. But it didn't feel right to me. Maybe it was the size of the city, or the people, or the noise, but I didn't immediately feel comfortable there. I loved the campus, however, and I suppose most of my time would likely be spent there anyway. It's just something I'll have to consider if I'm lucky enough to get in.
That's the second thing-- acceptance rates for this particular program are extremely low, and each professor usually takes only a single student each year. Throughout the course of my meeting with the adviser, I could tell he was being as circumspect as possible with regards to my questions about the selection process. I know he receives upwards of fifty applications a year, and many people visit his lab before applying. He also told me that the criteria he uses to select individuals for his lab change every year based on a number of indeterminable factors-- the progress of his current students, the mesh of research ideas in his lab, current lab dynamics, and his own shifting research interests-- none of which are things I can account for in my application. I suppose I'll just have to give it a shot and hope for the best.
I visited the third school opportunistically. Originally, it wasn't a school I'd strongly considered, but I received email responses from two professors in the department just before finalizing my travel plans, and figured out that, with its relative proximity to school no. 2, I wouldn't have much trouble working in a visit. I wrote both professors back and told them I'd be in the area, and was lucky enough to schedule a meeting with one of the two... only to visit the campus and find the professor absent.
This was the largest setback of my entire trip, but one I understand. I showed up at the adviser's office in time for our meeting, only to find the door locked. Assuming he was running late, I waited around a while and tried again. When he still hadn't arrived, I wandered down the hall of the building until I found someone working in their office with the door open, and asked where I might find the professor. "Oh, he's not here right now. We received an email from him late last night. He had a family emergency and had to fly home unexpectedly. Did you have a meeting with him? I'm sorry." Ah well.
I thanked the person and left, disappointed but sympathetic. I sent the professor an email that afternoon telling him how I'd been to campus for our meeting and found him absent, learning that he'd be called away by an emergency. I told him I hoped it wasn't anything too serious, and reiterated my interest in the program and his lab. I haven't heard back from him, but if my message goes unanswered I'll send him another letter in a few weeks. He likely forgot entirely that he was ever supposed to have met me in the first place, but hopefully at some point he realizes it and is still willing to consider my application.
The last campus I visited was a toss-up. Before visiting, I liked the professor and the location, but wasn't sure about the program or the school. Post-visit, those things remain true. The program is split between social science and ecology. It requires a large number of prerequisites that many people coming from science backgrounds won't have, like economics, sociology, and political science. Deficiencies in these areas have to be remedied in the first two years, which would result in a lot of additional coursework for me. The school itself has mixed reputations, some programs outstanding, others terrible. The campus is unique, and the town is in a great location with a lot of opportunities for outdoor recreation.
What I really liked about the last school I visited, though, were the people. I met with two of the professor's three current graduate students, sat in on a paper discussion with most of the people in the department present, and had a fairly casual, lengthy conversation with the adviser. His grad students were welcoming, friendly, and extremely helpful, and had mostly positive feelings about the lab. The adviser was laid-back and seemed genuinely interested in my ideas for potential PhD theses. When I left campus I felt good about having been there-- of the four schools I visited I think meeting the people at the last school was probably the most helpful, and I'm cautiously optimistic now about my chances for admission there. If I were accepted to more than one school, I'd have to think hard about the program requirements before accepting, but I certainly wouldn't have trouble attending if it was my only choice.
I returned home late last Sunday and didn't even have time to unpack before returning to work Monday. Going back to work was hard-- I'd just spent time tantalizingly close to the environment in which I want to be (where I would be right now, were it not for last year's failures), only return to the tedious, more or less menial barn work I'll be faced with for at least another three months, and knowing full well that I won't get out of it until next August at the earliest, and that's only if this round of applications have a significantly better outcome than the last.
Nonetheless, I found my brief interaction with the grad school world to be a strong motivator, and set out this week to work on my research proposal for the NSF GRFP. I was finally able to assimilate my ideas and complete a rough draft of my proposal. I'm hoping to send it off to several people for critique, including a couple potential advisers. I'm going to try and wring out every last drop of motivation that I can, and work on admissions essays next week. If I can manage it, I'd like to have all my applications submitted by the end of the first week in November, if not earlier. It's a lofty goal, but one I hope I can achieve.
Yeah. That sounds about right.
For the last few months I've been sending out letters introducing myself and declaring my intentions. I've talked with people on the phone and had lengthy email sessions with several individuals. I've traversed across the country to meet with influential people face-to-face, to shake hands and show my winning smile and share my ideas for the future, all in the hope of garnering enough support to get my name on the ballot and collecting enough votes to win that elusive, illustrious position.
At least I don't have to worry about smear campaigns (er...recommendation writers, am I right?) or making those bloody TV adverts defacing my competitors with ridiculously out-of-context quotes and statistics gleaned from obscure sources.
I left early in the morning two weeks ago and began my journey to visit graduates schools. It's not the first time I've traveled alone, but it was the lengthiest trip I've ever made solo, and certainly included the largest number of destinations.
I started at a school I was a little unsure about, meeting with a professor whose research interests aren't quite in line with my own. Why did I even bother, you ask? Another professor at the school interests me a great deal, but was in the field when I visited. I figured if I made a good impression on the less interesting prof, he might pass the word along to the other when he returns. And besides, it won't hurt to tell the interesting individual that I was keen enough on the school to make a trip out to visit before applying.
I was surprised, however, at how much I liked the community. The campus wasn't anything special-- it was more or less like every other university campus out there. But the town itself was really neat, and had quite a few perks I'd never see in My Home Town. Most of the people I met were really friendly and genuinely seemed to love living there, and that was invaluable information, because the school is in a location I might not have been keen on considering before I visited.
The second campus I visited was that of my dream school, the school I'd most likely choose to attend if accepted several places. I've heard and read nothing but good things about the adviser and his students, and of the schools I feel I have a decent shot at, his research interests me the most. I was very nervous to meet this individual, but my interactions with him went very smoothly and for the most part I feel like I made a solid impression. If it's possible, I'm even more infatuated now with his lab and the program than I was before.
There were just two things about my visit that were disappointing. One, I really disliked the town. I was surprised, because most people I talked to raved about it, so perhaps there was something I wasn't seeing, or maybe it takes some getting used to. But it didn't feel right to me. Maybe it was the size of the city, or the people, or the noise, but I didn't immediately feel comfortable there. I loved the campus, however, and I suppose most of my time would likely be spent there anyway. It's just something I'll have to consider if I'm lucky enough to get in.
That's the second thing-- acceptance rates for this particular program are extremely low, and each professor usually takes only a single student each year. Throughout the course of my meeting with the adviser, I could tell he was being as circumspect as possible with regards to my questions about the selection process. I know he receives upwards of fifty applications a year, and many people visit his lab before applying. He also told me that the criteria he uses to select individuals for his lab change every year based on a number of indeterminable factors-- the progress of his current students, the mesh of research ideas in his lab, current lab dynamics, and his own shifting research interests-- none of which are things I can account for in my application. I suppose I'll just have to give it a shot and hope for the best.
I visited the third school opportunistically. Originally, it wasn't a school I'd strongly considered, but I received email responses from two professors in the department just before finalizing my travel plans, and figured out that, with its relative proximity to school no. 2, I wouldn't have much trouble working in a visit. I wrote both professors back and told them I'd be in the area, and was lucky enough to schedule a meeting with one of the two... only to visit the campus and find the professor absent.
This was the largest setback of my entire trip, but one I understand. I showed up at the adviser's office in time for our meeting, only to find the door locked. Assuming he was running late, I waited around a while and tried again. When he still hadn't arrived, I wandered down the hall of the building until I found someone working in their office with the door open, and asked where I might find the professor. "Oh, he's not here right now. We received an email from him late last night. He had a family emergency and had to fly home unexpectedly. Did you have a meeting with him? I'm sorry." Ah well.
I thanked the person and left, disappointed but sympathetic. I sent the professor an email that afternoon telling him how I'd been to campus for our meeting and found him absent, learning that he'd be called away by an emergency. I told him I hoped it wasn't anything too serious, and reiterated my interest in the program and his lab. I haven't heard back from him, but if my message goes unanswered I'll send him another letter in a few weeks. He likely forgot entirely that he was ever supposed to have met me in the first place, but hopefully at some point he realizes it and is still willing to consider my application.
The last campus I visited was a toss-up. Before visiting, I liked the professor and the location, but wasn't sure about the program or the school. Post-visit, those things remain true. The program is split between social science and ecology. It requires a large number of prerequisites that many people coming from science backgrounds won't have, like economics, sociology, and political science. Deficiencies in these areas have to be remedied in the first two years, which would result in a lot of additional coursework for me. The school itself has mixed reputations, some programs outstanding, others terrible. The campus is unique, and the town is in a great location with a lot of opportunities for outdoor recreation.
What I really liked about the last school I visited, though, were the people. I met with two of the professor's three current graduate students, sat in on a paper discussion with most of the people in the department present, and had a fairly casual, lengthy conversation with the adviser. His grad students were welcoming, friendly, and extremely helpful, and had mostly positive feelings about the lab. The adviser was laid-back and seemed genuinely interested in my ideas for potential PhD theses. When I left campus I felt good about having been there-- of the four schools I visited I think meeting the people at the last school was probably the most helpful, and I'm cautiously optimistic now about my chances for admission there. If I were accepted to more than one school, I'd have to think hard about the program requirements before accepting, but I certainly wouldn't have trouble attending if it was my only choice.
I returned home late last Sunday and didn't even have time to unpack before returning to work Monday. Going back to work was hard-- I'd just spent time tantalizingly close to the environment in which I want to be (where I would be right now, were it not for last year's failures), only return to the tedious, more or less menial barn work I'll be faced with for at least another three months, and knowing full well that I won't get out of it until next August at the earliest, and that's only if this round of applications have a significantly better outcome than the last.
Nonetheless, I found my brief interaction with the grad school world to be a strong motivator, and set out this week to work on my research proposal for the NSF GRFP. I was finally able to assimilate my ideas and complete a rough draft of my proposal. I'm hoping to send it off to several people for critique, including a couple potential advisers. I'm going to try and wring out every last drop of motivation that I can, and work on admissions essays next week. If I can manage it, I'd like to have all my applications submitted by the end of the first week in November, if not earlier. It's a lofty goal, but one I hope I can achieve.
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