Money makes the world go 'round

I'm an odd human. Sometimes I lounge with my computer and get nothing accomplished. Five hours after dropping my bum on the couch and I still feel stressed about everything I have to do (However, I usually have acquired a wealth of "useless" knowledge, courtesy of Wikipedia). Other times, such as half the time I've been sitting at home over this break, I get an uncommon amount of work done. As the new year dawns on me, one big thing on my mind is money...and isn't that the case for many fellow scientists? At most points in our career, money will be an issue. Scholarships, grants, fellowships, assistantships, some other "ship" word I don't even know about yet. Even the best and most successful researchers need to write grants to run their awesome research.

2012 is bringing with it many financial issues (not necessarily bad ones, just ones that I need to deal with), and for some reason I've been pretty on top of dealing with them. My first financial responsibility is my first conference! I plan on attending a meeting in NC this spring. I'll have the chance to present my research to other students and professional scientists (hopefully as a presentation) and meet new people. With this exciting prospect comes the need for funds - funds for the registration fee, gas money, meals, any socializing, etc. Luckily, there are many options to fund conference trips, especially for students. I recently learned that there are some funds in the grant that supports my assistantship for a conference, which I know I am so lucky to have. There are usually other sources of cash - in my case, I can also apply for grants from the graduate school, the graduate student association, my program's grad student association, and the society itself. Even if you can't get your entire trip covered, grants can take a good chunk out of your expenses, especially if you're giving a talk or presenting a poster.

The other thing I have to prepare for....finding funds to support myself during my last year of grad school. Yes, often good things come to an end (Not always, however. What a stupid quote. Anyways...) and my research assistantship will be up this summer. I have some options. The one I'm working on right now is finding fellowships and scholarships to apply for. This is proving difficult mainly because many fellowships set you up with a project or location. I have a project...I just need money to live :( My other option is going back to a teaching assistantship. I would love this option, but would then be without funding for two months. I went through that this year and let me tell you, not fun at all (I luckily had money set aside but that meant putting off a car purchase...bummerrr).

Anyways, that's my way of being productive without physically being at the lab. Oh! I can't forget updating my poster for the Graduate Poster Session next month. Man, it's gonna be a busy year.

Fact of the Post: One of the many reasons I love the tiny country of Belize: the Wildlife Conservation Society has concluded that fishing closures in Belize has helped increase predatory fish populations such as barracuda and groupers. Herbivorous fishes such as parrotfish, however, have not been as successful. But no worries! The Belizean government has recently placed a nationwide ban on parrotfish fishing. The restoration of such species may help coral reefs recover (herbivorous fishes can take care of the algae that has taken over many reefs).

I'm back baby!

Knowledge all around

My friends and I have a "Wednesday Night Book Club", one night a week that we've set aside to read, chat, and enjoy each other's company. One friend brought up the topic of knowledge and learning. She stated that she loves the fact that one can never stop learning; there will always be something new to discover. I got so excited because that was the first time someone verbalized what I've always felt.

I love to learn. Yes, I'm a nerd. I often watch the Discovery Channel, the History Channel, Animal Planet. I regularly visit museums, aquariums, and science centers. I can spend hours on the computer reading random Wikipedia pages. Sometimes it's overwhelming to think about all the information out there. And it's a good overwhelming. I'll never run out of things to learn, and that's the most amazing thing ever.

I feel that's what drew me into the science field. We'll never reach a point where we know everything. Especially in marine science. We've only started to scratch the surface of what we know about the marine realm. It's a field where you can be the one to make new discoveries every day, and who doesn't grow up wanting to discover? Who doesn't want to say "Yes, the world knows this now because of me."

Fact of the Post: More of an announcement....the National Zoo in DC is now home to a Giant Pacific octopus named Pandora! Excuse me while I run over to meet him!

I'm a curious one!

The Second Time Around

So I finished my first semester as a second year grad student. The overall tone was initially stressful, but in the end it was a great improvement over last year.

- It took longer than I anticipated to complete my thesis proposal due to some conflict within my committee (one person wanted far more detail than what the rest of us felt was needed for a proposal; although this person made excellent points which I plan on addressing by the time I defend)
- I was down to one class (Toxicology - no lab) and a seminar (Speciation/Evolution). I expected to really enjoy my seminar and just get through Tox....ended up completely switched. I loved Tox, and I'm glad that I've chosen a career that I'm genuinely interested in. Seminar became a bit more of a chore, but it was still a very valuable class and I'm glad I took it.
- I have been able to get involved in my program in new ways, mainly sitting in at prospective student lunches. I love getting to know possible future students and sharing my experiences and why I love my program.
- I'm now the one looking at the first years and giggling to myself, knowing that no matter how hard it gets they'll survive just like we all did.
- I presented my first real poster at my program's research colloquium. I received excellent feedback and was able to share my work with others.
- I have completed about 1/3 of my project; I has data!
- Getting through club drama :(

Looking forward to next semester...
- Presenting another poster at the graduate poster session held by the entire graduate school.
- Presenting at a CONFERENCE!!!
- Taking invertebrate zoology
- Figuring out how to finance my last year of grad school (I wouldn't mind teaching again!)
- Becoming a dog sitter with my roommies! I'm already in love with the bulldog we'll be caring for
- Trying to fix mentioned club drama

Last but not least, marvel at my amazingly dorky oceanography stickers, courtesy of my friend/Secret Santa!

Fact of the Post: From WhySharksMatter at Southern Fried Science - 1 out of 6 of the species featured in "Finding Nemo" are threatened with extinction.

Maybe Disney should add that in the bonus features...

In my closet

This subject has come up time and time again. For a wonderful cover on the topic, check out Dr. Bik's blog post in DeepSeaNews. But I thought I'd give my personal perspective on......fashion in the lab.

I grew up in DC, where my idea of a successful adult was largely molded by the suits and lavish two-piece outfits on Capitol Hill. I knew that when I grew up, I too would wear beautiful blouse, tailored pants, cute skirts, and heels....heels for days! However, my love of science began early, and soon my dreams of cute outfits diminished to socially acceptable duds that wouldn't get destroyed in the field or around chemicals in a lab. The more I feel like an adult though, the more I start to wonder why I can't still be the fashionista I envisioned - just the scientist edition.

By all means, if you're most comfortable in jeans and a tee, go for it, especially in my environment. I definitely wouldn't dress up for the field - that's beyond impractical. In that case I'll break out my Keens! But I'm very much a "dress to impress" type of gal. I try to look pulled together for classes and work (OK, so sometimes I get lazy, like on weekends when I'm the only person in the lab or going in for a final). I was taught to dress properly when visiting the house of the Lord, and while I've downgraded to jeans for church, I still feel a need to dress them up so it looks like I put some sort of effort into my appearance. I see a bit of this in my lab, but more often than not it's jeans or shorts and a tee. But I encourage anyone else who likes to put together outfits on a daily basis to go ahead, build up a cute wardrobe and share it with the world! Even if half the time I just end up sharing my growing sense of style with baby clams :/

As a random example, I would love this top:

Old Navy....hey, I'm on a RA salary here.

and a white sweater in case it's chilly, with black trousers or my dark wash trouser jeans.

Old Navy

Maybe finish off the look with some sparkle?

Payless.

Anyways, that's my goal. As I'm now halfway through my program and am starting to think seriously about conferences and jobs, not only will I be armed with awesome interview/first impression attire, but I'll feel comfortable and invincible in them :)

Fact of the Post: A Science article I recently read for my seminar concluded that the beloved Triceratops is actually the juvenile of another dinosaur species.

Goo goo gah gah

Interns anyone?

So I just realized that I never got to writing about the almighty internship...

Internships are important. They expose you to the field and the people in that field. They give you real experience and a chance to see the good, bad, and ugly of your career path. They let you decide if you're making the right move, or if you should tweak your plans. They allow you to meet people who can be very helping late on - besides the coveted recommendation, they can give you advice and serve as a guiding hand. Even one good internship will do a lot for you, both on your resume and for memories that will last a lifetime! (OK I'm done with the cheesiness). So, the good, bad, and ugly of my internships from the college days.


Education intern at an aquarium
The good: made wonderful friends, got some experience in public education, developed my love of fish, learned a lot, played with dolphins!, discovered I can be a great teacher (pre-TA), worked on my public speaking skills, saw that spark of interest/amazement in children every day, took on a fear head on (I had to hold a giant millipede and stand next to hissing cockroaches for an hour...and I survived!)
The bad: dumb adults (and by dumb I mean disrespectful of the animals and of us) and children that were out of control and required us parenting them....sorry, not my job, I'm not the one who birthed them.
The ugly: unpaid (I also had a real job to get by), the aquarium was an hour away and I didn't have a car at the time...that meant getting up before 6am to make it to work before 9 (it's bad when 8am is sleeping in)

REU Intern (REU = research experience for undergraduates)
The good: got real experience working in the lab, made more wonderful friends, took a step in getting comfortable being away from the family (this was the first summer I spent away from home), eventually got a publication out of my work, made lots of contacts which led to (what I assume were) awesome recs for grad school, got dirty out in the field, GOT PAID WOOOO
The bad: Spending 24/7 in the lab at one point to finish my work (OK, 8am-6pm, but having the lights cut out on you is damn depressing)
The ugly: Again, didn't have a car at this point, so my independence was limited

Yes, sometimes internships suck, but as you can see, in a successful internship the good outweighs the bad. And if it ends up sucking....well, I still consider that a success. You now know you don't want that career and you can change gears without too much loss. Perhaps it means an extra year of school, but that's better than realizing this after working for years and then having to go back to school. So get out there, get some experience, explore, and have fun!

P.S. REUs are amazing, and they're all over the country. Check out this site; most cater to minorities in science (of both race and sex) and/or people without prior research experience. The link I posted is specifically for ocean sciences, but they come in many other flavors: chemistry, engineering, earth science, etc.

Fact of the Post: Notre Dame researchers have determined that the act of walking through a doorway decreases your ability to remember things. Gahhh that's why I forget what I'm doing when I walk into another room!

He's probably thinking "Who the hell is she?!"

Don't underestimate the power...

...of a class that you assume has no relevance to your life.

I've done it. You've done it. We've all done it. You take a class, perhaps because it's a requirement, maybe because it's the lesser of a couple of evils. You set your sights on completion and revel in the fact that once it's over, it's over. It'll never pop up in your life again.

LIEEESSSSS!

Two particular instances come to mind.

1. In undergrad I was required to take Chemical Oceanography. Yes, it's just as painful, if not more painful, than it sounds. Equations that I'll never remember, my first (and only) academic warning, a cruise spent curled up in the fetal position on the deck from a bad case of sea sickness. But I fought through it and celebrated the end of that class and all that came with it.

That summer I attended an REU, and my project required running hemolymph (AKA crab blood) samples through a spectrophotometer. The grad student in my lab explained that I first had to create a standard curve with samples of known concentrations and then run my actual samples. My mouth all but hit the floor. I almost laughed out loud at the irony. Of course I knew how to do this.....it was all I had done in my Chemical Oceanography lab. The student proceeded to watch me run through a standard curve and a sample in a matter of minutes. If nothing else, I was able to impress a grad student with my stellar spec skills.

2. This semester I am taking a seminar on evolution and speciation. During the first class, the teacher asked us to describe our projects and say whether the knowledge of species was important. I didn't think it was important for my project. I mean, I'm studying pesticide toxicity in well known mollusc species, how would that matter?

Fast forward a couple of months. I'm completing my thesis proposal and one of my committee members questions our certainty that we're working with the right species of clam. I stated that I'm using the Northern quahog, Mercenaria mercenaria. But as the hatchery I'm using is in Florida, was there a chance I was actually getting the Southern quahog, Mercenaria campechiensis? We realized that answered that question would require extensive genetic testing that I didn't have time for. I ended up going through my proposal and changing it to say that I am using Mercenaria sp. My teacher would surely laugh in my face if he knew that speciation managed to affect my project.

So lesson learned: everything is useful. Don't say I didn't warn you.


Fact of the Post: A video of an octopus caught walking on land!

Race....and sea piggies

Yes, not what you might expect, yet I've come to a revelation. I'm going to start writing about whatever science I come across - marine biology or not. See, while marine biology is my first passion, I have a curiosity and appreciation for all fields of science (mmmm maybe not organic chemistry). Also, marine biology may be a huge portion of my life, but I think it'll be nice to mix things up once in awhile....and it might help me stay on top of blogging : /

So about a month ago I went home for my fall break and - as I usually do - looked up the Smithsonian Musuem of Natural History to see if there were any new exhibits. Lo and behold, there was! I hopped on over for the temporary exhibit "Race: Are We So Different?" I was drawn in by the website's explanation of the exhibit as a look at race from all angles: biological, social, economical, historical. I thought I'd spend 10 minutes in there, read a good tid bit and move on.

I was in there for about an hour.

The different angles were so interesting. The biological background of why people's skin look different and how that has been influenced by our evolutionary history. The history of the word "race" and how it's meaning has changed. Statistics on racial differences in income, education, and health - and how they don't always match our assumptions (Did you know that Mediterranean people also have a high occurance of the sickle cell allele?! I didn't! There was a story about a man of Italian descent who took years to realize and then convince doctors he has sickle cell because people assume it only occurs in people of African descent). There were movies and photos of people of all races, of all mixed ethnicities, sharing their stories. It was really one of the more insightful exhibits I've seen in a long time.

So take a minute to check out the site, and please go to the exhibit if you happen to be in DC before January.

Fact of the Post....comes from the Natural History Museum! The museum's Species of the Day is the sea pig, Scotoplanes globosa. Read about it here!



Oink oink!



On the Water

My new home has opened my eyes to many new possibilities - one of which seems to be water sports. Everyone at the beach is surfing, Boogie boarding, and the like. Well, this weekend I took a wack at a water sport - wakeboarding.



This is how I spent a good portion of the afternoon.

 I was surprised to find out that the hardest part wasn't getting on my feet, it was holding on. Turns out it's not quite as easy to hold on to a moving boat. Still, it was so relaxing to spend an afternoon in the water. We ended the day withshrimping and made shrimp and grits for dinner. No better way for a bunch of marine scientists to end a day in the South.

Fact of the Post: A group of researchers, including two students from my awesome alma mater, are studying acoustic communication in mantis shrimp.

I'm excellent at serenading.

What to do when I Grow Up...

Today I participated in a prospective student lunch. It was so much fun, talking about our grad school experience in a low-key environment. The student was very easy-going and interactive, which was awesome. One of the questions she asked us was what we planned on doing once we were done here. It forced me to admit out loud that I have no idea what I'm doing. Half of the time I want a research position, half of the time I want to teach, and a slim number of times I play with the idea of a PhD program.

See, I'm the type of gal that's always had a plan. Always knew what the next step would be. And for the first time in my life, I don't have a plan. Some people many find that thrilling - I find it terrifying. I suppose that's a testament to the manny routes that marine science can lead you. For now, I'll focus on finishing my proposal.

Fact of the Post: A researcher at Georgetown has indicated that a dolphin's ability to quickly heal from shark bites may provide insight to the care of injures in humans.

I Suck at Updates

So unfortunately the whole month of July has gone by without an update. Since my last post, I have been caring for my larvae, running some tests, and writing my project proposal. Now comes something else to add into the mix of lab work and writing - classes begin in less than two weeks. I'm very excited to be a second year...less classes, no longer the one learning the system. I'm also just excited to meet a new class. This week is orientation for new students, so we'll be meeting the first years on Thursday at the latest. Which reminds me - that means I've been here for a whole year!

In addition to my own work, I've been able to help with other projects going on at my campus. More specifically, I went sharking! I ended up being more nervous than I thought I'd be, but it was still fun, and I hope to go out again.

Love me some rays

Fact of the Post: The smell of dead lampreys seem to scare the crap out of live ones.



PLLEEEAASSEEE NOOOOOOO



These Critters are Growing on me...

My second day in the lab. Friday wasn't terribly exciting - just looking at larval clams and oysters and practicing moving individuals around (actually not as hard as it sounds when you consider that you can barely see them with the naked eye). Today I actually ran a trial of my actual experiment and helped with another project in the lab. I must say though, these larvae are kinda cute when they're just floating around...

They're winning me over...

In other news, I have office space in my lab! I feel so official :) And I just signed the lease on a lovely house that I get to move into with my two best friends in August. I'm so excited!

Fact of the Post: Not marine science-related, but still cool - researchers at Washington University in St. Louis found that negative emotions can actually enhance memory. I won't include a picture...I'll let you come up with your own scary image...

Conflicting Loves

I'm back from a week in the mean streets of DC. The streets are comforting and familiar though. They're home.

DC is not, however, a popular gathering ground for marine scientists.

I wouldn't try this in the Potomac river.

I've been feeling so much more conflict lately about how I was raised and where my career is leading me. For better or worse, I'm a city girl. I love the lights, the energy, the wealth of things to do. But I also love nature. It's calm, it's pure. I don't think one is more beautiful than the other - they're just different. I feel like many in my field would disagree, but that's my opinion. Hopefully one day I'll be able to experience both.

Fact of the Post: Andrew Huxley won the Nobel Prize in the 1960s for using the giant axon of a squid to describe action potential in neurons.



Say WAAA!?



Networking?!?

I am definitely not one who is comfortable speaking with strangers. I'm much better at striking up conversation with the average person my age, but as I dive into the professional world and come face to face with experts in the field, my shyness has once again come to bite me in the bum. I think it's primarily due to my perceived lack of knowledge. Yes, I have a basic understanding of marine science, but so does everyone in the room. It's even worse if I don't have a good grasp of the subject. I can follow a physiology presentation well enough, but genetics? If it's more complicated than Drosophila than I just get lost.

My program holds weekly seminars that first years are required to attend and older students are expected to attend. They have been wonderful for learning new things. But then there's the "TGIF" reception after where we're expected to chit chat with the presenter. I must admit that I've only accomplished this twice all year, and I've never been the instigator. My lack of networking skills is so bad that it's been blatently pointed out by a professor : / But hopefully as I'm more comfortable with myself and with my field, I'll start conuddling (?) with the best of them (Warning - I've been known to create words, thus the question mark). If anyone has tips, please send them my way!

Fact of the Post: A study out of VIMS showed that jelly blooms are altering food webs and decreasing the amount of carbon available to these systems.



Yet another reason for me to despise jellies.



Adult Life and Business Cards

First of all - I PASSED MY ORAL EXAM! I am officially a M.S. candidate, woooo!

I'm also glad to announce that I also have a nice large batch of business cards! I felt a little funny ordering them, mostly because until now I've still been feeling like a little kid. Now that I'm moving more into the lab and more from the classroom, it's finally dawning on me that I'm being a professional scientist. I know my introductory letter said this transition would happen, but until this week it felt like a far away event. Suddenly I found myself in a meeting with my committee discussing my project, and my thoughts and opinions mattered. Suddenly, I was a scientist. And suddenly, my business cards don't feel so silly. And I can't wait to start passing them out :)

I'm currently home for a week, but I have a month to put together a literature review for my committee. I'll also be getting into the lab and learning the techniques/manipulations that I'll be using. I'm also starting to look at attending CERF's biannual meeting in Daytona beach this fall. That'll involve registering to become a member, seeing if anyone else will go with me, and trying to get some funding from the school to lessen costs. It seems a bit daunting now, but a couple of my friends are going to a conference next month so I'll be looking to them to help me out. Also, I'm just too excited to start meeting people in the field and practice my apparently lacking networking skills lol. I'll get into that another time.

Fact of the post: Studies are showing that ocean acidification may be impacting the ability of tropical fish to smell or hear. Sad :/



Bahhhh I can't hear!



Geostrophy Rules!

A million things on my mind to share:

1. I've been wanting to put together a list of possible conferences to attend, but I'm now realizing that there isn't a quick list to look up all the possible societies in marine science. I've found a couple, but I'm wondering if there's more out there. If anyone has a list or knows of any groups relevent to estuarine/shellfish/toxicology work, send it my way please!

2. My program has a mentor program where incoming students are paired with current students to help transition into the program. I have an incoming first year who also went to school in FL. I'm honestly really excited for a new batch of students. I'm looking forward to being the person who will watch them frantically study and can assure them that they will survive :)

3. Currently studying for orals. I'm starting to bounce back and forth between confident and "about to snap". I'm aiming to hold mock orals with older students next week, so we'll see how that goes :/

4. In addition to my friends and studying, I have a new relationship :D It's been almost a month, and I'm hoping it'll last a long while.

5. I'm officially done with my TAship! No more undergrads for me, I'm moving into the lab!
 P.S. Obviously passed this past semester :)

I believe that's all for now. I really need to do a better job of keeping up with this blog. Until next time, here's a tree of the major animal phyla. Yes, this is something I'm supposed to know.

Bahhhh Jellies!

One final down, one (take home) to go. I was discussing this with a friend yesterday, but I wish my particular institution had a more...formal way of celebrating the end of the year. At my undergrad institution, there was a midnight breakfast and a dance party in the library among other things. Anyways...

My orals have been officially scheduled for June 6. I haven't thought about it yet due to the previously mentioned take home final, but I'm feeling confident that I'll be well-prepared. It was comforting to go over possible topics with my advisor and realize that I've learned everything at one point - it's just a matter of refreshing my memory.

For some fun marine science, Look what's been washing up on the beach! Cannonball jellies!

Now, I openly admit that I'm not a fan of jellies. I hate the idea of something causing so much pain without the awareness to think "Hey, there's something in my way; I'll move away". Although I can't lie, I really wanted to pick one up.

At the end...

Welp, here we go. Somehow within the tests and assignments, late night outs, and Spring Break, I've failed to realize until this week that my semester ends this month :/ That's exciting, yet scary at the same time. Luckily, I've gotten a lot of things out of the way, so all I have to focus on until finals are presentations for both of my classes. But then there's finals....and then orals....and then starting my thesis project....I want to complete my orals next month, but the thought is terrifying me. I mean honestly, would you want to stand in front of your committee being grilled on marine biology for over an hour? But that's what I signed up for. Everyone that I've personally seen go through the process has passed with flying colors (who came up with that phrase anyways? Flying colors?) so I have to convince myself that I'll succeed too!

My thesis presentation went well. Not to brag, but I'm usually pretty good with presentations. I practice, I know not to sit there and read my PowerPoint, I keep my slides simple, I look people in the eye and speak clearly. Not this time. I had other things going on in the same week, so I was severely unprepared and it showed. But people still said I did well, and it's over, so I can't complain too much.

I'm still in the process of completing my official committee form and will then set up orals. Let the fun begin!



Speaking of fun...Oceanography lab cruise!



Milestones Galore!

Oh boy, once again it's been too long since I've written here. I have reached another milestone in my career - I officially have a thesis committee! In addition to my advisor, I have three other committee members who will help me out. I have two toxicologists, an ecologist, and a physiologist on my committee. This gives me an opprotunity to discuss how one should choose committee members:

Sometimes it's just logical for someone to be on your committee, either for technicality or other reasons. The ecologist is on my committee because he is on the grant proposal and will be helping with preliminary data collections. Another is on my committee because he is in the same lab group as my advisor and helped me come up wih thesis ideas. Other times it's about comfort and knowing someone. My last committee member is my former internship mentor. I know him very well and I know how he works. Additionally, my four members together make a well-rounded group with different but relevent areas of knowledge. I have heard suggestions of putting people on your committee with experience in the field and/or in your program. This could be especially helpful if your advisor doesn't have much experience or is new to the program.

I hope everyone had/is having/will have a great Spring Break! My breaks will be limited after this year, so a couple of friends and I went all out and took a cruise! I enjoyed visiting new countries like Honduras and Belize. I also got in plenty of snorkeling and we completed a SNUBA excursion. SNUBA is like SCUBA, except your tank is on a float at the surface and you are attached to it with a long hose. Therefore, no certification needed!

Next things on my list - present my thesis project in seminar and (gasp!) schedule my orals.

Confessions of an Oyster Lover?

So the past week has been busy as far as meeting with people and trying to finalize my thesis project. Yes, that's right ladies and gentlemen, I officially have a thesis project and advisor! The upsides? I've accepted a research assistantship that includes summer funding (which I had been pulling my hair over for the past two weeks) and I'm working on tying physiological and/or behavioral components into my project. The one downside? I'm working on clams and oysters. Yes, no fishies for me :( I decided that something had to give, and given all the good that comes with the project, I figured I could be lenient with the test organism. So far I know that I'll be completing a toxicology study; more details to come!

I have mixed feelings about giving up my TAship. On the one hand, I'm relieved to be rid of spending hours looking at lessons and dealing with many of my students. I'm tired of planning entire days around traveling to teach. On the other hand, I've had some amazing students and they're pretty entertaining. Oh well, now the TAship can go to someone who needs it.

Lately I've been finding a niche that's not related to my program. It's the Graduate Open Alliance, a new organization for LGBT grad students. It's been a bit difficult getting things off the ground, but I'm so excited about what we have planned for this semester. I'm the secretary this year, and it's the first time I've had such a huge role in an organization. On Friday we had a social trip to the gay club for a drag show, which is always so much fun! I love my marine biology friends, but it's nice to also have people who understand another side of me.

Well, off to bed soon for my Oceanography test!

Decisions decisions

Now that my classes are less intense, I can focus on another highly important aspect of graduate life - choosing an advisor and a project. I started talking to people last semester but finals and projects got in the way. My program is decently unique in that you have a year to find a project. In most other programs (including the other three that I applied to), you must find an advisor before you are accepted into the program, or even before you can apply. Personally, I like being able to walk over to labs and meet with people after class; it doesn't involved a huge trip on top of senior year of college. I did know that there were many faculty members who I'd be interested in working with, so at least I started school knowing I'd be happy in someone's lab.

Of course, the big thing right now is money and funding. This is where you must find a balance and decide what is more important for you - a funded project or a project you love. If you're super lucky, your project will fit both categories. I have seen a few projects that were funded, but did not interest me. As I will be working on this project for the next two years, I was not too keen on that idea.

My program has also been great in that it has allowed and pushed me to explore options that I wouldn't have considered before. Part of my required curriculum includes a seminar introducing first years to the program and the grad school process. Last semester, this seminar mostly involved bringing in people with projects and/or funding for students. The class exposed me to faculty members I would never have seen otherwise. Equally important, it made me realize that some projects were not as exciting to me as I imagined. I slowly started to open up my mind and consider new avenues. I entered the program focued on fish physiology, but now I have talked to people about parasitology and toxicology. I can still work with fish for either projects, but I would never have considered these topics before. The amount of knowledge that is still out there in this field is mind-blowing, and I'm so excited to be a part of it!

Like a Smack in the Face

As I prepare to return to school this weekend, I feel like it's an appropriate time to look back on my first semester of grad-level academics. I had to take physiology, ecology, and a seminar. Overall, I learned many things

1. I like physiology much more than ecology...sorry, it's the truth. My mind is just better at working through equations. However, I do love field and lab work, which made both classes worth it.
2. Yea, you know how as you move up each level of education you're told that no one will hold your hand, but they really do? Yea...that actually ends at this level. There will always be people ready and willing to help, but not unless you reach out to them. No one will try to stay on top of your reading or problem sets - it's up to you to decide what's worth doing, especially if you have another job (teaching, lab work, etc). After failing both of my first tests, I definitely started studying for exams earlier and more often with my classmates. Which gets into my next point...
3. An F really isn't the end of the world....OK, an F in an entire class is, but one test or assignment does not define you unless you let it. If you continue to produce F work, then yea you're done. If you say "OK, I effed up, time to straighten up" then you'll be fine.
4. I became one of those people who studies for hours on end for finals...try 12 hours straight, with two breaks for food :/ And I came very close, but somehow managed to not pull an all-nighter....still all-nighter free! (OK, so I actually did try and gave up at 3am...whatever)
5. It really helps to develop a thick skin, so that when professors put you down you can brush it off and fix whatever is wrong and move on with life (or at least hold off on the tears until you're alone).
6. It helps to have someone/thing outside of your school life, otherwise you'll go nuts. For many of my fellow cohorts, it's dancing or working out or playing a sport...I'm working on making working out one of those releases. This past semester, it's been my amazing roommate who has absolutely nothing to do with my grad school life. We vent about our school/work lives and then bond over life stories and Jersey Shore. It's a beautiful friendship.
7. Despite all the crying, hair-pulling, and curses at various objects and people, it's all worth it if you truly love what you do. I mean seriously, I've spent classes at the beach and on boats, how awesome is that?! It has even led me to my new mantra/saying - "I play in the water like it's my job" :D

Benthic sampling in Ecology lab.

New Year, New Goals

Happy New Year to y'all! Hoping that everyone had a good 2010 and is looking forward to all that 2011 can offer!

My first semester was definitely a learning experience - learning to be more independent, learning to be less of a student and more of a scientist. So here are my science-related goals for 2011:
- Find a thesis project that will make me happy and fulfilled (OK that one is more of a requirement but whatever)
- Take my classes a bit more seriously so I'm not stressing out over grades come May
- Join a society so I can get myself out into the scientific community

Oh, and while I'm here, some good news - my internship paper was published!
Read all about it!