Friday, February 05, 2010

Some things I learned as a PhD Candidate - 1st Semester

So beginning my second semester as a PhD candidate has caused me to think back on some of the more unusual aspects of things I may have learned over the semester. Also some added tidbits here and there.

1. SLC is hazardous to your health
2. PhD comics are very funny and eerily accurate
3. There are advisers that care what you want to do
4. People will complain about anything
5. Reading 8-10 articles a week is a lot
6. Mexico in November can be really freaking cold
7. When someone tells you you should probably not drive on that dune road, you should listen to them.
8. When deflating a tire to 10 psi to get out of said dune, 0 is technically closer to 10 than 30 is, but that doesn't make anyone feel better when you now have a flat tire
9. Arizona can also have snow in November
10. 3 1-credit classes does not equal 1 3-credit class
11. Nobody really understands what a 1 credit class should be
12. Taking 5 classes does not leave time for personal research
13. When people ask you what you are doing all follow-up questions are unanswerable since you haven't actually started anything
14. When you make something up to an undergrad they believe you
15. When you make something up to your advisor you usually have the beginnings of a debate
16. Free time is a luxury
17. If you read a graph with a random scattering of points on it (article, presentation, whatever) someone will undoubtedly put a line to these random points and then try to interpret them
18. Personal reading time becomes rather scarce

TV Shows of choice for the semester
1. Battlestar Gallactic
2. Beast Wars

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