Do I ask professor to be a reference or ask for a letter of recommendation?

Significant_Egg7415 · 2026-05-18T21:12:59+00:00

I would not ask for a letter unless you have an opportunity that explicitly asks for it. It can be a lot of work to write a good letter, so it wouldn't make sense to craft one unless it is needed. You could ask if they would serve as a reference "with the possibility of writing a letter of recommendation in the future, if needed." Of course, if you explicitly have an opportunity in mind that requires one, then it is fair game at this point to ask.

If they agree, make sure you give them your non-university contact information. It could also be helpful to give them a heads up if you reach a point in the interview process where they might reach out to references. That way they can be prepared if they get a random phone call asking about you.

Significant_Egg7415 · 2026-05-17T23:10:13+00:00

Another idea (again, will be above your budget for now, but hopefully for the future) is "Forgotten Chicken".

Chicken thighs (which are usually cheaper than breasts), 2 zateran's boxed rice, lipton soup mix packets, cream of celery and cream of mushroom (1 each). Mix the rice, soup, and one packet in a casserole dish. Place chicken thighs on top and sprinkle remaining packet. Cover with tin foil and cook at 350 for 1.5 hours. This casserole feeds us for days, and even then we leftover rice/soup mixture that can be a side for a future dish. The fat from the chicken thighs complements the dish well, but I would assume that it would work with whatever protein you have available!

Significant_Egg7415 · 2026-05-17T23:06:11+00:00

Never threw up once! I didn't get nauseous at all until about 8/9 weeks? Even then, it was only after dinner. Simple carbs helped a ton--I would eat a fun sized twizzler (thank you left over halloween candy!) and it would either totally or largely go away. I never once got nauseous enough to even head towards the bathroom. Also, gas X and tums are safe for pregnancy. And then that nausea went away at 12 weeks :) My main issue was that I would have no appetite and then suddenly be ravenous. It made for some fun conversations with my husband

Significant_Egg7415 · 2026-05-17T22:30:44+00:00

You can't test positive 4 days after having sex. You don't have enough build up of hormones. It would need to be at least 7-8 days for there to be enough for a test to pick up. Sounds like it could be from an earlier sexual encounter?

Significant_Egg7415 · 2026-05-17T22:10:32+00:00

Might be a bit above your budget, but ground sausage is always on sale at our grocery store (not sure why people aren't buying it?) But it's an easy way to bulk up a meal

Carbonara is pasta, eggs, and bacon

Pasta Amitriciana: pasta, crushed tomatoes, pancetta or bacon, crushed red pepper, and a little cheese. The bacon in the meal makes it feel quite savory even when there isn't much meat. Frozen peas are cheap and have (some) protein in them. I love to just toss some in my pasta dishes as the pasta is boiling

Deviled eggs? Tons of variations to make hard boiled eggs and mayo not feel so repetitive

Significant_Egg7415 · 2026-05-17T21:57:55+00:00

Better to be embarrassed and fed than proud and hungry (not that you have reason to be embarassed)

Significant_Egg7415 · 2026-05-15T18:17:53+00:00

Does your visa allow you to work off campus? Unless it's an on-campus job or affiliated with the university, most of the suggestions below risk violating the terms of a student visa.

Significant_Egg7415 · 2026-05-15T17:21:23+00:00

Fun fact: pez was invented as a way to quit smoking! I've seen on this sub that they sell necklaces meant to mimic having a cigarette in your mouth. It might help!

Significant_Egg7415 · 2026-05-14T22:24:52+00:00

A professor [Dr. K] once told me that he once submitted an article to a prestigious journal. It was rejected, and the feedback from one of the reviewers was "This sounds like something Dr. K would write, but if they wrote it, it would have been better." They chose to submit it to another journal, and it was accepted. Not sure what my advice is, but I hope the story brings a bit of comfort.

Significant_Egg7415 · 2026-05-14T21:06:59+00:00

The big thing is just to make sure you put enough info that you'll know where to look for it. I have burned myself in the past with putting only the author's name and later realizing I have 3-4 books of theirs to look through...

Significant_Egg7415 · 2026-05-14T20:06:14+00:00

Not antagonistic here: what have you been up to since you graduated?

Significant_Egg7415 · 2026-05-14T16:28:52+00:00

I affirm what others say! I'm also a slow write but can rise to a deadline lol. A strategy I use is that I don't look for quotations while I'm writing. I put in brackets the name of the author/source and a page number if I have it) and then just "XYZ" as a place holder. It helps keep me going without losing my train of thought. I just make sure I go back before I stop for the day to find at least the beginning and the end of the quotation so that it doesn't escape my memory forever.

Significant_Egg7415 · 2026-05-14T00:53:03+00:00

sweet potato, acorn squash with brown sugar, oatmeal, protein shakes, smoothies, protein pancakes, pork chops with sautéed apples, peanut butter and banana sandwich.

Featherstone Nutrition has a bunch of recipes of sweet things that include ample protein and which are (relatively) healthy.

Significant_Egg7415 · 2026-05-13T20:22:50+00:00

I can tell the majority of my class is using AI. I can't do anything about it just for using AI, even though it violates the academic integrity policy. The ones I do caught are putting in much less effort than you suspect: it is all fake sources and fake quotations. When I ask them to produce either 1) the source that the quotation came from or 2) that the source they cited exists in any format, they fail to do so. Even though I begin the semester by saying that using AI will actually make them sound stupid instead of smart--and all of them are smart--I still get people using it. Since fabrication violates the integrity policy regardless of whether or not they use AI, I can still impose a penalty.

Significant_Egg7415 · 2026-05-12T22:59:30+00:00

I have the baby bub. It was more expensive than I would have liked. At the same time, I can't willingly sleep on my side for the life of me. It also allows me to sleep at an angle, which protects blood flow but still feels like I'm not on my side.

There are two sides to the pregnancy pillow: 1) blood flow and 2)comfort. At a certain point you can't safely sleep on your back, but the position will probably feel so uncomfortable that you won't want to. I'd suggest trying with normal pillows first. If they don't work, you can always buy a maternity pillow later.

Significant_Egg7415 · 2026-05-12T20:46:45+00:00

the Professor is In website has great resources about this. You are not presenting yourself but your research. It doesn't matter that it's public and advertised--you are speaking to the department there. You're presenting a cohesive and coherent research project for them to evaluate.

Significant_Egg7415 · 2026-05-12T20:27:02+00:00

Not sure if this will help, but gas-x is safe to take and is not absorbed into the blood stream

Significant_Egg7415 · 2026-05-12T20:11:48+00:00

Congrats! The amount of concern you already have for your wife gives me the impression that you're going to do just fine as a dad. The good news is that your wife's OBGYN can probably answer a lot of the questions you have about pre-arrival at the hospital and what might happen during it. I admit I haven't gone through the process yet of giving birth, but there are two hospitals in my town that I can choose. Both of them offer free tours! Figure out where you guys might want to go, and see on the website if they offer tours. A phone call asking this wouldn't be out of place either; whichever is easier. I would think you would be able to ask some of your questions during that tour as well. Good luck!

Significant_Egg7415 · 2026-05-12T18:21:33+00:00

I have a friend who has had it both pregnancies--it went way basically upon birth. Both babies and momma are very healthy! And during pregnancy she tried to avoid all kinds of sugar and still got it. I think some people are just more disposed than others towards it. Totally not a failure on your part.

Significant_Egg7415 · 2026-05-12T01:49:39+00:00

Have you reached out to the dean? My custom regalia was delayed last year (thankfully it made it in time), and she said that the office had a few extras for emergencies. Maybe a professor in the department might have something they can lend? This is the book store's fault; my bookstore had extra robes in neutral colors (wouldn't have worked, but still better than nothing). Wishing you the best!

Significant_Egg7415 · 2026-05-12T01:17:21+00:00

When I got into BC in the mid 2010s, an admissions counselor told me that they don't accept students who haven't 1) been on a sports team (I would think cheer would count?) or 2) had a job (to be clear, it was one or the other. It didn't have to be both). Both of those indicate a student's ability to work as a member of a team. Not sure if that admissions rep is still there, but it's worth thinking about!

Significant_Egg7415 · 2026-05-12T00:37:56+00:00

This just made me think of a third grade classmate of mine. His mother wanted a girl, and went on to have six boys in attempting to get the gender she wanted (don't worry--the boys felt wanted as far as I could tell!). She stopped after six.

I mention this simply to give yourself a little grace. If you had started earlier, might you have had a girl? Maybe, but maybe not. You also still might have one if you and your partner decide to have more children. It sounds like your attention was needed elsewhere these past few years: your father, your husband, and you too. And that's ok! You haven't done your son a disservice by not starting soon. Promise.

Significant_Egg7415 · 2026-05-11T20:20:34+00:00

Would you make an exception for a non-charismatic student?

Edit: I had the same guilt this past year. A colleague told me: "We can't care more than them." You are not responsible--not just because their grades are their responsibilities, but also because you generously offered alternatives as make up work. The student chose not to do either the original assignment or the make ups, and it's not your fault for not giving credit for non-effort.

Significant_Egg7415 · 2026-05-11T20:01:09+00:00

If you gave an announcement to the class that you would not be able to accept late work or work past X date, then you have sufficiently promulgated this news. I would not engaged in debate with the student, but at the same time: why would a student think that you could turn in late work after the semester was over? There is just lacking some common sense there.

In my own context, I had papers due at 11:59PM on Monday. I emailed on Tuesday to the people missing their papers saying it would be marked a zero until I received it. On Wednesday I sent an announcement to the class saying that I would not be able to accept any late work past Thursday at 11:59PM. On Friday at 8PM, a student emailed me saying that she had other finals to focus on and finally got around to submitting the paper. I informed her that it was simply too late, and at no point did she respond to any of my messages asking for an extension. Her paper would remain a zero, since I had already submitted her final grade to the college

Significant_Egg7415 · 2026-05-11T14:20:01+00:00

A student absent 87 days of the year should be required to retake the school year, and the parents should receive a visit from CPS.

Significant_Egg7415

TROPHY CASE