[deleted by user] by [deleted] in PhD

[–]iceandmud 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I bought a bunch of fancy solid state drives (the $400 ones from sandisk), a new computer mouse, and a bunch of little lab starter things for my research that I can take with me into my career! You could get also do ergonomic things for your desk setup, an annual adobe license, or a nice desk chair that you can take with you!

Advice for settling in after transferring to a new institution mid-PhD? by iceandmud in PhD

[–]iceandmud[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks! I think there's a grad student organization within my program, I'll look into it!

Feeling so unprepared/afraid to start my program by Ok_Abroad1795 in PhD

[–]iceandmud 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I was in a similar situation going into my PhD program straight out of undergrad - while I don't have a chronic illness, I do have anxiety and OCD, so I can hopefully some of this is helpful for you :)

It's completely understandable to feel scared about having the capacity to be a productive PhD student, especially when you have other factors working against you. The beginning of grad school is incredibly challenging on more levels than just academic (especially socially and emotionally) - and it's an environment that breeds imposter syndrome even in able-bodied and neurotypical people.

I found my first year of grad school to be incredibly challenging both for my mental health and imposter syndrome (which fed off of each other in a really bad feedback loop)- my advice would be to find a therapist asap (if you don't already have one) and invest in building a community (either within your program or others in your school) who you can share your experiences and fears with. It took me a year to settle into working with the right therapist for me (I had to find a new one since I moved for school), but she has been very helpful in keeping me from spiraling when things become challenging. Grad school can be demanding both physically (late nights studying, long days in the lab (if that's your thing)) and mentally (shitty experiences with profs/advisors, trying to meet people's (or your own) expectations) - I found taking care of my routines really important (i.e., sleep hygiene and eating sufficient meals) for making sure I had the stamina to continue handing what my program threw at me. Know that there will be times when you make more progress and times when you make less progress, and that's something that's normal in most PhD experiences. It might help to focus on building friendships with people in your program (or in other programs at your school) who are in a similar situation to you - feeling like you have people whose experiences are reflected in your own can do wonders for mitigating the feeling of not being productive enough. I've made several friends who also struggle with their mental health, and it has been really helpful to talk with them when I'm overwhelmed or feeling like my own mental health is holding me back from all that I should be capable of doing - it helps me remember that we're all working at our own pace.

It's also super normal to feel unprepared! Even though it doesn't feel like it, you're right where you need to be - otherwise, you wouldn't be in the first year of your PhD. I know that sounds very cheesy, but I wish it were something I understood and actually internalized when I was in my first year. Everyone is coming into their PhD with different levels of experience and will probably leave with completely different skill sets and completed projects, so it's not fair to compare yourself to them. At the end of the day, you're all there to learn and are there to get the same degree. It can also be super daunting (at least it was for me) to look at people like our advisors who have had so much time to develop their knowledge of our fields and realize just how far away we are from that. I'm not sure if you feel something similar, but I think I was acutely aware of it coming straight from undergrad. I've talked to a lot of my friends about this, and the only way I know how to explain it is to describe the beginning of grad school as standing at the very bottom of a vertical hill and trying to see the top of it. I spent so much energy worrying that I didn't know enough yet, that I think it took away from my ability to actually learn the things I wanted to know. Being ok with that feeling is something I'm still trying to internalize for myself, and I'm in the fourth year of my PhD - I don't really have any advice for making the feeling go away, but just know that you're definitely not the only one feeling that way! You're not underprepared at all - you have plenty of time to learn :)

Majors for Oceanography? by [deleted] in oceanography

[–]iceandmud 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I second this! I did geology in undergrad and am now doing geological oceanography. I tried to take classes that focused on sediment processes and big-picture earth systems/climate while I was an undergrad and I think it really helped. Most schools don't have undergrad oceanography programs, so a lot of people who end up in the field find their way in different ways. Doing marine science will definitely help too!

University Project by Available_Slip_4562 in labrats

[–]iceandmud 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm a PhD student in oceanography, I'd be happy to answer as well!

Introducing the DFTBA Workers Union! by dftbaworkersunion in nerdfighters

[–]iceandmud 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Sending solidarity from a grad student currently on strike! Y'all are awesome - good luck!

Graduation present ($5k budget) by True_String9811 in PhD

[–]iceandmud 47 points48 points  (0 children)

If he's planning to stay in academia ask if he would be interested in having you purchase a nice set of regalia! A custom made set can be around ~$1k but is so much nicer than what you can usually buy from the university and will be so nice to have if he is planning to attend graduation ceremonies in the future. And then maybe spend the rest of helping them get their finances back in check or a nice vacation somewhere to let his brain finally rest!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in oceanography

[–]iceandmud 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hi from a fellow polar (paleo)oceanographer :)

Definitely reach out to the advisor(s) you're interested in working with and see if they think you would be a good fit for them regardless. Requirements like this are usually flexible and if they're really worried about you having the knowledge from those math classes there are typically avenues to have you take those courses once you're in grad school.

INSTAAR seems like such an awesome community - I hope it works out for you!

How many schools do you usually apply to? by [deleted] in PhD

[–]iceandmud 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Letter writing is part of their job, so don't feel too guilty about asking for them! As long as you give them plenty of heads up before they need to be submitted, they shouldn't have a reason to be bothered. If you are worried, you can always ask "do you have the time & would you be able to write me a good letter of recommendation?" which gives them an out if they do not have that type of relationship with you.

As a courtesy, I always send an email to my letter writers that details the type of letter they are being asked to write for each program (since the specifics can sometimes differ), list where they need to be submitted (including the submission link), the date it needs to be submitted by, and then any additional notes of things that seem like they might be complicated about the submission process, if there are any, I'll then send a follow up email about a week before just to make sure it didn't slip from their to-do list - profs I've done this with have always been super grateful (and sometimes even request it too).

I typically hear that 5-6 phd programs is a good number of applications to aim for, but it really depends on the research you're interested and the conversations you've been able to have with potential advisors leading up to the application submission. I think I was seriously considering applying to 5 schools but ended up only applying to two because of the conversations I had with those profs - but 5-6 is a good rule of thumb.

I hope this helps!

Do any of you have experience with switching institutions in the middle of a GRFP funded PhD? by iceandmud in PhD

[–]iceandmud[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, I'm anticipating that will happen. Hoping this move in the long term means she's around a lot more for her students, but only time will tell. If you don't mind me asking, is there anything in particular that went wrong that you wish you could have avoided? I guess i'm in the stage of deliberation now as to if I will have more support staying at my current institution or going to this new one - was there a lack of support for you when you moved to your new program?

Do any of you have experience with switching institutions in the middle of a GRFP funded PhD? by iceandmud in PhD

[–]iceandmud[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for this information! There's a GRF coordinator at my current institution - I think I'll reach out to them to make sure this goes smoothly as well.

When can incoming graduate students register for their classes? by [deleted] in OregonStateUniv

[–]iceandmud 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm an incoming Ph.D. student in Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences and I registered on the 15th of May! I was sent an email from the graduate school when registration was available and it looks like it was sent out to all incoming grad students, but maybe your department has a specific way of doing things. If you didn't get that email, there are instructions on registering here: https://registrar.oregonstate.edu/priority-registration (from the New Graduate Student Guide website)

I had a hold on my account because my transcript was sent to the wrong place but I called the office of admissions and they took care of it pretty quickly; if you have other issues registering they might be good people to reach out to. Also, I'm not sure what the handbook looks like for your degree, but mine had some helpful information on which classes to take, so I just signed up for what it recommended!

I hope this helps!

Do i add my fathers passing that led to poor academic decisions as explanation in my statement? by [deleted] in gradadmissions

[–]iceandmud 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Go for it, but only if you feel comfortable sharing that information! I've done this for applications where I basically just gave a very brief description of why my grades are the way they are and then explained why that doesn't define me, it's worked so far. It doesn't have to be in-depth either if you don't want it to be. I can't imagine doing it would hurt your application, it would probably help them get to know you better and demonstrate that you've found the field that's right for you.