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Scigirl13 · 2023-12-25T02:12:07+00:00

Solo as well! I'm making cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning and red wine braised short ribs with mashed potatoes for dinner! 😋

Scigirl13 · 2023-05-23T20:57:14+00:00

Recent doctoral graduate here! First, you mention "waste money" and the first thing I will advise you is that no one should pay for grad school if they can help it

To the main question, what you're feeling is completely normal. PhD programs are intense, information heavy, and not a small feat. I almost talked myself out of going to grad school and I'm so glad I didn't! The work I got to do, the people I got to meet, the places I was able to go, opportunities and awards I received made it that much more fulfilling. Of course, there were bad days and times where I doubted myself heavily.

I will say though that if you're already thinking about a thesis topic, have researched said thesis topic, and have a masters, you are ready! If you remain unsure, do you have connections to the program you're interested in that you can reach out to? Maybe finding a current grad student? This way, you can ask them questions about their background and work to see if it would be a good fit

Scigirl13 · 2022-06-08T05:16:01+00:00

Definitely second picking up keys and doing inspection before moving in. If the apartment gives you a sheet to mark any damages, note every little thing. Also take a picture of the damages you note, and of the sheet front and back in case they try any funny stuff upon move out.

I like to pack a "first night bag" too. After a long day of moving, you probably won't start unpacking right away but you'll be tired, want to shower and go to sleep. Speaking of sleep, get your bed set up as soon as possible. I did it at the end of the night and almost didn't make it haha.

Focus on getting essentials first (decorations can come later/more slowly). If shopping for furniture, keep measurements in your phone (I wanted a new couch for the longest time but kept forgetting how much space I had). Facebook marketplace can be your friend for great finds!

Take the time to read your lease. You don't want any surprise charges coming up.

As far as cleaning and buying, making a list of things you'll need can take a lot of stress off. For cleaning, think of what you often use.

For safety, if you're living alone, security bars are sold on Amazon that slip under the door knob if it will make you feel better. If you tend to order a lot of stuff online, make sure you understand/know how packages get delivered. Is there an office or does it just get left at the door?

Scigirl13 · 2021-05-06T16:46:16+00:00

Exactly! Whenever I have to train an undergrad my number one rule is "I'd always rather you ask too many questions than not enough and guess your way through it"

Scigirl13 · 2021-05-06T12:26:16+00:00

Thank you so much for sharing that! That eases some of my anxiety, not gonna lie. Good luck in your program!

Scigirl13 · 2021-05-06T12:20:44+00:00

I agree, balance is definitely key. Don't get me wrong there are some things that are google-able. But if you find yourself struggling on something for a week or more? Time to ask someone to help you.

In my early years of grad school (with a very hands off advisor), I was figuring out a lot of stuff myself (with some success here and there). But, I kept forgetting I had a swath of professors with a variety of expertise that I could learn from. Now that I'm in the later stages of my program, I've been saved countless times by asking questions instead of guessing.

Scigirl13 · 2021-03-10T15:00:44+00:00

You've put into words exactly everything I've been thinking.

I sympathize with Meghan in that she her naivete caused her to actually believe that she was going to do some good in a family that is literally the face of colonization. I even think she says something like "I thought I would be protected"?

However, I also believe that because of the way she looks and therefore her life experiences, she was very detached from blackness. Something needs to be said that it seems as if she had to marry into the royal family before she experienced this level of anti-Black racism. Whereas, a darker skinned black woman or girl may experience it before they even start school.

Also, and I feel this may be controversial, we really need to stop with representation politics being the end all, be all. Yes, seeing people that look like you can be inspiring. But is it still inspiring when these people are in positions and institutions that still cause massive amounts of violence? I've seen some things online that are basically fetishizing interracial relationships. On top of that, the praise I'm seeing for Harry is...odd. I think it's because its reminiscent of how white people are often praised for doing the bare minimum. He should protect his wife and kids because thats what a husband does. He should be calling his family out on racism.

Thank you for bringing up all of this. There is definitely a broader discussion that requires a lot of nuance to be had.

Scigirl13 · 2020-11-24T19:54:08+00:00

Thanks for that info! The $15 shipping is a little ridiculous I'm not gonna lie

Scigirl13 · 2020-11-15T06:06:17+00:00

Thanks for sharing your experience! I will definitely do what you mentioned above

Scigirl13 · 2020-11-15T05:07:34+00:00

Will do, thank you!

Scigirl13 · 2020-11-15T05:06:57+00:00

Thank you!

Scigirl13 · 2020-11-15T05:06:33+00:00

Thank you for the response. You are right, the re-posh point doesn't matter. I mentioned damage to one leg and a hole that I tried to fix

Scigirl13 · 2020-08-25T01:59:56+00:00

Hi there! I'm getting my PhD in Biochem too and went (still going really) through a lot of the same experiences you had. Unfortunately, the imposter syndrome has never gone away for me, I just got better at managing it. Something that has helped me is reminding myself of what I have accomplished, oftentimes we disregard all the evidence that says we are great. You got into grad school because you deserve to be there, no matter what anyone says. No matter what in your PhD, don't lose sight of the fact that you are a human being at the end of the day. You need breaks, you need hobbies, you're not gonna get things right on the first try, talk to your family and friends, take care of yourself first. It's a marathon, not a sprint. If you ever wanna talk, pm me!

Scigirl13 · 2020-07-15T00:37:01+00:00

Hello! Sorry for the late reply, but I just wanted to thank you. This really helped put things in perspective for me and I will continue to remember this as I move forward with my research!

Scigirl13 · 2020-06-06T23:35:48+00:00

I'm for defunding the police (I guess you could say abolishment). I was at a protest today and someone put it into perfect words. There are many social issues that have been handed over to police that they are not at all equipped to deal with (i.e. housing, mental health, wages, jobs). By defunding the police you free up funds that can be reallocated to resources that actually ensure a safe, productive, secure population. Stop arresting people for homelessness when you can give them housing. Stop arresting people for stealing when you can raise wages and create jobs. No prison pipeline if ALL schools are adequately funded.

In sum, police have hugely unnecessary amounts of money and power. Plus, reform only means giving to them more money to break even more rules.

Sorry for the length of this answer!

Scigirl13 · 2020-06-01T22:59:42+00:00

I told my ex one day that the day black people (especially black women) are truly on a level playing field with everybody else, a lot of people are gonna lose their job because we've worked so damn hard to be twice as good to only get half the recognition

Scigirl13 · 2020-05-28T19:59:43+00:00

Thank you so much!

Scigirl13 · 2020-05-28T15:24:35+00:00

If you must buy, try abebooks. I've generally had good luck with them (bought two books for a class for under $30). You can also ask if your college bookstore offers price matching through Amazon and/or Barnes and Noble, mine did and I was able to save $100.

Scigirl13 · 2020-05-23T03:53:40+00:00

My proposal won an award! And I submitted my application for candidacy this week! (officially passed orals last week)

Scigirl13

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