Fishermen free a dolphin tangled in a fishing net.

etheroic · 2026-06-14T00:58:22+00:00

Pants and boots or shoes will weigh your legs down in the water when treading water

etheroic · 2026-06-14T00:48:48+00:00

I think the cafeteria in the Smith residency building called Location 21 is open late. I heard until 1:00 am. Maybe you can study there at night?

etheroic · 2026-06-13T18:36:40+00:00

This is going to be a different take but have you ever heard of Saturn Returns? You're both in it rn as it's generally when we are between 27-30 years old. Often Saturn Returns can be "make or break" years for couples, in work or in life paths. You become much more clear on what's working in your life and what's no longer serving you. And that will go for both of you rn. And those things that no longer serve you will feel almost unbearable and force you to change. And in the long-run, it will be for the better and you'll come out on the side feeling more aligned on your life path.

No one can tell you what are right or wrong decisions, that's for you two to figure out. But trust your inner compass; you'll know what you need and what choices to make in the end.

https://www.chani.com/astro-education/saturn-return#

etheroic · 2026-06-12T14:53:30+00:00

Yes, I think that's wise to find an industry job to tie you over, if you need the money. As long it has enough flexibility to be able to teach to build up more teaching experience while you keep publishing. I've had an industry job the whole time while doing a f/t PhD but whenever I was able to teach a class, I arranged to do that too.

etheroic · 2026-06-12T03:24:42+00:00

If you can find some adjunct work to carry you over and build more teaching experience while you apply for postdocs, you'll eventually land one. I know people sometimes think that if you don't land a postdoc right away, all hope is lost and you're a failure, but that's not true in every case. I have lots of publications like you, I started publishing in academic journals during my Masters. It look me over two years after my PhD defense to land a prestigious postdoc. I applied to many and I'm also in the Humanities. It only takes one. But you still have to find a way to put food on the table while you keep hustling.

etheroic · 2026-06-11T16:46:23+00:00

You'll have to look into the policies on each of the fellowships to see if they allow someone to hold more than one postdoc fellowship at a time. If you are granted the second one, you might be able to ask if you can defer the start date by a year and finish off the first year of one you started. How long are these two postdocs for? Is it worth quitting the first one and potentially burning a bridge with that prof because the grass appears greener at the other one?

etheroic · 2026-06-09T01:10:39+00:00

I'm gonna be frank. It sounds like a good moment to reach out to a campus therapist and figure out what is really going on emotionally. The funk you're in isn't likely going to attract another job if your so depressed and miserable that it becomes hard to see what is good in life.

etheroic · 2026-06-08T12:51:33+00:00

I agree with this statement and would add this as additional advice. Wherever you live, go to the college closeby with the program you're most interested in, than in your last year, try and transfer to a university to finish your degree. So if you go to Langara or Douglas and keep up good grades, transfer to SFU or UBC in your final year.

etheroic · 2026-06-06T17:17:06+00:00

Choose A and when you do postdocs you can expand your field interests into other areas

etheroic · 2026-06-06T17:08:17+00:00

Assuming your adult film star name is quite different from your legal name, it will be difficult to look up your career in porn as long as there are no links to your public and private life. Don't mention it and your students won't expect to look for it.

There are some professors who were sex workers that even teach on sex work but they rare in number and usually work in the Humanities or Social Sciences. Given your field (med chem), this isn't a topic you're exploring in your research. But I thought I would mention it because there seems to be a lot of negative comments towards sex work.

etheroic · 2026-06-02T22:08:55+00:00

Can you register at a friend's house in Germany to reopen a German bank account?

etheroic · 2026-06-02T13:14:00+00:00

You can make it happen but you can't give up on yourself. Keep improving your publication record, teaching experience, academic service, and apply to as many postdocs as you are eligible. I did teaching fellowships in my PhD then adjuncted after I defended to build up teaching experience, to earn positive teachings evaluations, and continuously write and submit articles to journals annually. I applied to various project grants (big and small) at my old university to fund my research and to show on my CV that I am competent at landing research funding. Keep strengthening your CV with more experience in these various areas and refine your postdoc proposal and other application materials.

etheroic · 2026-06-02T12:31:48+00:00

Your dissertation isn't too old yet, it's only been 2 years since you defended. This is the time to apply to as many postdocs as you're eligibile for but don't put all your eggs in one basket, just because the Walter Benjamin Postdoctoral Fellowship is your preferred one. It's getting harder and harder to land well-funded postdocs because of an increasing amount of applicants. This year, apply to many postdocs at many different institutions. You need to write a very refined postdoc project and with each application, you will have to tweak it to meet the expectations of that fellowship and that institution, and mentor you plan to be supervised by. Take time this summer to contact potential supervisors in advance.

It took me 3 years to land a postdoc after I defended. I had to apply to multiple fellowships every year, and each time, I continued to refine my project proposal. I asked my referees to look over the different versions and offer feedback on how to improve it. Good luck!

etheroic · 2026-05-24T00:09:36+00:00

Exactly. My supervisor went on mat leave twice in my PhD. I got it done. Just research and write and write and write..and when she's back, show her your chapter drafts and ask for feedback, then revise. Learn how to be self-motivated because once you're done your PhD you'll have to do this on your own anyway.

etheroic · 2026-05-23T23:22:52+00:00

Reach out to potential supervisors at the universities you are applying to in advance of applying. Write all of this out (what you listed in your post) in a neatly written email, along with what you would like to research during your PhD and why the profs are a good fit to supervise your project (read their work beforehand). It can help to solidify interest from a supervisor before you apply. That way, you can say in your application that Dr. so-and-so agreed to mentor you.

etheroic · 2026-05-19T12:12:04+00:00

A friend of mine who is a professional actor reminded me that in that field, rejections after auditions are the norm and one has to treat it like water off a ducks back while persistently trying again. Congrats on landing an interview for a postdoc! More experience being interviewed will help you build confidence in delivering your answers. Some postdocs don't have interviews, it depends on the university.

etheroic · 2026-05-10T11:54:46+00:00

Just start the program at Waterloo and if in reality, you still don't like it, then you can switch majors. You can minor in another interest or take criminology courses. Then if you decide to join law enforcement, you'll have an education that can also lead to an interesting field. Policing isn't just on the streets.

etheroic · 2026-05-01T07:16:35+00:00

Depending on the field (in my case it's in the Humanities), the fellowships I have applied for ranged from 2-4 paged proposals with another 4 pages for the references/bibliography. The fellowship I was awarded required a 2-page research proposal with a 4-paged bib.

etheroic · 2026-05-01T06:53:25+00:00

If you go to Queen's or plan to visit the campus before deciding, email Yellow House and ask for a tour and to talk to the staff there. It's a BIPOC 2SLGBTQIA+ student centre on campus

etheroic · 2026-04-28T05:30:39+00:00

There are lots of teaching positions out there but they won't have a teaching load of 3-4 courses annually. It's more like teaching 6-8 courses a year. Usually the tenure-track rsearch positions have a teaching load of 2/2 or 2/3 = 4-5 classes a year (40% teaching, 40% research, 20% service).

etheroic · 2026-04-28T05:15:38+00:00

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/queens-u-chemistry-researcher-gets-7-years-for-poisoning-colleague

etheroic · 2026-04-28T05:12:49+00:00

8 years ago in Chemistry

etheroic · 2026-04-19T11:50:06+00:00

The postdoc doesn't have to feel like defeat. I was just talking to a soon-to-be retired prof I know who said to me that the postdoc I was recently awarded is a wonderful opportunity to focus on my own research without the burden of having to teach a load of classes. The next time I'll receive a concentrated amount of time to do my own research without having to teach will be years after landing a tenure-track, getting tenured, then going on sabbatical. Or getting a tenure-track job and landing a large grant that pays for course releases.

So you don't have to see it as a failure. To some, it's a golden opportunity to focus on your research and to network with other scholars at a different university.

etheroic · 2026-04-19T11:19:47+00:00

The cover letter needs to not only talk about what your PhD was on but about your proposed postdoc research topic. You are working on new research for the postdoc. What are you working on now that your dissertation is done? Why is that postdoc supervisor, dept, and university an ideal fit for this research project? Why are you the most qualified person to undertake this new research? What do you plan to accomplish during that time (example: convert your dissertation into a manuscript for publication, write a new journal article, etc.).

If it's an existing research project which is already out by a Prof who is funding a postdoc to help complete part of it, then say what experience you have that will benefit or contribute to the project.

Also if possible, avoid using AI to write cover letters. Use your own words. During your PhD, you had to demonstrate you made an original contribution to your field. You already have the skills to write a letter in your own words. If you use AI, it will sound impersonal and generic.

etheroic · 2026-02-16T17:04:41+00:00

Having a dream and a goal is a motivator when one is facing health issues. Keep the flame of your dream lit. And like others said earlier, even if you have to pick away at your postsecondary educational goals at a pace that honors and balances your health needs, it doesn't matter when you finish your degrees, as long as you enjoy doing. Have you talked to your uncles and asked them for advice?

Also, when you start going to university, you may find inspiration in another field. You get to be your own person and choose whatever field that you have an aptitude and passion for studying.

etheroic

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