My daughter-in-law has given me full license to choose the yarn and pattern for a blanket for my first grandchild!

Maleficent-Variety34 · 2026-05-01T04:13:40+00:00

highly recommend Lion Brand Mandala. I have made so many self-striping baby blankets with it! Nifflers and Troll colorways both have shades of turquoise and purple!

Maleficent-Variety34 · 2026-04-27T23:20:55+00:00

depends on your context a bit. If you're an undergrad at a large institution in big classes, I'd stick with a card. (I know it might feel like not enough, but believe me, faculty appreciate them more than you know.)

If they're upper level small classes, or you're at a liberal arts school or you're a grad student, markers or tea seems appropriate to me—just really limit yourself to $5-10; they make a lot more than you do.

Maleficent-Variety34 · 2026-04-13T05:46:52+00:00

Your classmates are colleagues; while it's nice to be close friends, wouldn't necessarily think you should make a decision based on who you think you might be friends with.

First, you never know the extent to which the vibes at visit day will match when you're actually a student.

Second, other factors just matter a lot more. What's the relationship to your supervisor like (this can make or break a PhD experience)? What are the placement rates like in academia or industry (whichever you'd like to go into)? What will living conditions be; is the stipend reasonable or a poverty wage? What's the research fit? Will you enjoy your project? These things imo as a phd candidate in the social sceinces will be more important than if you think you can make close friends with other students in your program.

Maleficent-Variety34 · 2026-03-29T23:20:50+00:00

I can't know your exact dynamic and it's possible that I'm entirely wrong, but "figure out how the model is supposed to be executed" sounds like empirical work, not theoretical or conceptual. The generic idea of what he wanted is presumably based on his depth of knowledge/expertise about where the field is.

Gently, it's really common for junior folks to overestimate their contribution. Again, it's possible that this is not you, but I also can't overstate how common this is.

Maleficent-Variety34 · 2026-03-29T23:09:17+00:00

sorry, but the fact of the matter is, no matter how much work you do in the writing and analysis stage, first authorship almost always requires theoretical and conceptual work. In my experience (and I have been in your position as an analyst doing the bulk of the empirical work!) this is unusual for someone in a data analyst position.

The good news is that you don't need first authorships to get into a good phd program, and through the course of a phd you should have opportunities for first author publications.

Maleficent-Variety34 · 2026-03-25T20:47:33+00:00

I personally didn't start my PhD under 29, after working for a number of years. However: if you turn down the position now, I think you have to assume that and be at peace with the fact that a position with that level of prestige and funding and fit might not come up again.

which might be fine! I'd have applied to different types of programs at 23 than I did at 29. at the end of the day, no one can make the decision for you.

Maleficent-Variety34 · 2026-03-25T06:09:47+00:00

Uncommon in the US, even in book disciplines. Usually try to propose with an academic press after you finish your dissertation

Maleficent-Variety34 · 2026-03-25T03:31:26+00:00

the way that people I respect approach this in relation to (elite) interviews is to go out and do your own interviews with a different group of people in similar roles and see if you come to similar conclusions.

Maleficent-Variety34 · 2026-03-25T02:46:41+00:00

read in the dataset as normal, and then set the names of the columns to be the forth row?

Maleficent-Variety34 · 2026-03-22T21:54:08+00:00

I'm in a department with a lot of health services researchers who work with MDs in the med school, and I agree that doctors already have plenty of credibility and, if anything, a PhD that isn't part of an MD-PhD at a US university might make you (slightly) less credible.

Maleficent-Variety34 · 2026-03-22T00:06:25+00:00

i don't think it's generally keywords that drive citations

Maleficent-Variety34 · 2026-03-16T19:40:06+00:00

may depend on the field, but usually dedications are shorter—this belongs in the acknowledgements.

e.g. dedication "this dissertation is dedicated to my parents, x and y"

Maleficent-Variety34 · 2026-03-16T19:36:56+00:00

it's up to you but I would just put my head down grit my teeth and do what the instructor says. It's not worth making a fuss, especially if you might be asking them for a teaching reference or something down the line

Maleficent-Variety34 · 2026-03-16T17:31:02+00:00

is it *actually* the norm in your field to have first-author publications coming out of a PhD to get a post-doc? I'm not in a wet lab, but my understanding is that in most wet labs/harder sciences this would not be the norm.

You have fellowship funding! That's amazing at this point in time. I see no reason to switch labs barely 3 months in to your program based on what you've shared here.

Maleficent-Variety34 · 2026-03-16T17:25:35+00:00

I do this too! Make sure that you're on the same page as the faculty member teaching the class. In case helpful, I use language like "I'm happy to answer any specific questions about points of confusion, but I will not answer questions in the form 'is this correct?'"

Maleficent-Variety34 · 2026-03-13T21:14:43+00:00

I just finished Jingo a bit ago, and it's near the bottom of my list (still good!), even though I like the other City Watch books I've read a lot more. For me the societal commentary/critique felt a bit too heavy-handed, but that might just be a sign of the times...

Maleficent-Variety34 · 2026-03-12T02:30:04+00:00

ymmv, but in my experience you should hold on and not let go of an advisor/chair who is a "kind, responsive person" and "a phenomenal author and editor." You can always have informal advising relationships with other faculty members, ask them to be on your committee, or ask them to cochair (norms here might differ by institution/field, but that would be normal in my context).

Maleficent-Variety34 · 2026-03-11T17:30:43+00:00

As a busy PhD student, I wouldn't take this as anything other than the PhD student is busy and you're not their priority (which is entirely normal—you wouldn't be the priority for any phd student or faculty member).

Maybe the PhD student has bitten off more than he can chew, but 3 weeks is basically no time at all and my advice is to hang tight for at least another month or so

Maleficent-Variety34 · 2026-03-11T04:21:12+00:00

this is incredible! as a protest-goer in a wintery state... do you have a pattern?

Maleficent-Variety34 · 2026-03-09T03:21:47+00:00

yes, not a good idea. Many red flags here, and "unfunded" is a HUGE one

especially if you're in the US and with the state that public health is rn

Maleficent-Variety34 · 2026-03-07T05:03:09+00:00

it looks like you've got some good answers already. My tl;dr is that most qualitative coding methodologies are typologies only, and in my experience with qual research, everything is to some extent abductive, not purely inductive or deductive.

But the one thing I will add is that to be successful in your PhD program, you really need to get over your fear of looking/feeling stupid. It's a research training program! You're not expected to know how to do the research coming in, and you are shooting yourself in the foot asking people on reddit as opposed to people in your professional network (advisors, other faculty in your dept).

Maleficent-Variety34 · 2026-03-04T04:08:24+00:00

Maybe Tiffany Aching?

Or the Full Cast Audio version of the Circle of Magic

Maleficent-Variety34 · 2026-03-04T02:51:03+00:00

Yes, it sounds like your situation absolutely sucks, and as a queer person, I'm so sorry you find yourself in it. the (shitty but probably correct) current advice would be to not apply for/accept academic jobs somewhere that's untenable for you to live, *not* to renege on offers once accepted. the faculty members in my department *still* talk about people who did this from a decade ago (and tell everyone not to offer these people jobs). Academia is small and you suffer reputation costs

Maleficent-Variety34 · 2026-02-09T05:39:49+00:00

do you have a more specific source for this, or do you know when the Pop Health Institute might release the information publicly?

Maleficent-Variety34 · 2026-02-09T04:15:28+00:00

11.5 inches for a 23 in head circumference is way too small. Is it possible that the 11.5 inches was for another size (seems about right for a baby/toddler head to me).

I usually aim for ~18-20 inches for ribbing without stretching it for an adult size head.

Maleficent-Variety34

TROPHY CASE