As I wrap up 2015 and plan for 2016 I wanted to reflect on my year (my post-May year at least). Here are some of the most significant reflections from my first semester as a PhD student:
- Sincere advice is one of the best gifts someone can give you. Take in the advice, reflect on it, and then be critical of it. Everyone has different experiences and every piece of advice does not apply to your current situation. For example, my friend Todd told me to take it easy my first year, enjoy my classes, and learn how to be a grad student before jumping in. It was sound advice from a friend and scientist that I have an insane amount of respect for, but in the end I had to do just the opposite of take it easy, and I’m ok with that. I also asked around for advice and had some of my questions turned into a blog post by my friend Auriel http://aurielfournier.github.io/Advice-to-my-first-year-self/
- Forget what I just said about being critical of advice and always follow this: Work hard to maintain relationships with family and friends, it is key to good mental health in grad school. In 2015 as a whole my friends and family kept me alive, I can never repay them for that.
- I am extremely lucky. Some of it has to do with being lucky in life, but I also don’t want to downplay my own hard work. This past semester I realized the luckiest thing about 2015 was the appearance of a great committee. My advisor is extremely supportive and a wonderful role model, I am so lucky to have her. AND I have committee members who have gone above and beyond for me. How many people can say their committee members volunteered to help with field work, are just a phone call away at a moments notice, and show a sincere interest in your success? I feel like I am one of a few and I am so grateful.
- It’s perfectly ok to admit something is beyond the scope of your abilities. For me it was admitting I don’t know enough to handle the “big data” coming from our UAV and that I needed to be on another project.
- My new motto is “just keep writing, just keep writing…”
- Having 10 credits of graduate coursework is painful (kind of like having your finger slammed in a door where there’s pain, shock, and then numbness). This is particularly painful when you’ve been told “A’s don’t matter in grad school” BUT you still have to maintain a 3.0 and when you apply for things like grants, fellowships, scholarships you are actually competing against people who do have 4.0s, so…