Grad Student - Tumblr Posts

idk what im doing with my life i feel so lost :( I know that it just been a month since I graduated from Uni but :( im tired

Listening: Love Me Again by V

Hey guys! It's been a bit since I last uploaded something about myself and not something I just reblogged. So here goes a bit of a life update (bear with me).

First off, I got into an online master's program at UNC!! This being said, I start on Monday (T-3 days)! I only have access to two classes thus far, so I've been trying to get ahead on the textbook readings. I might be a tad insane since I'll be a full-time student (16 credits - *cue the jaw drops*) AND working full-time. I will try my hardest to keep working my 40 hours at my job as a clinical research coordinator, but I'm not sure it will be possible. Thankfully my manager is super nice (she wrote one of my LORs for school) and will try her best to be flexible with me, but there's only so much she can do.

I am putting MCAT studying on the back burner slightly for now. But do plan to retake it (for the third time). I also plan to apply in the next cycle (2024-2025) and really really hope that I get in.

Oh! I almost forgot! I am also working on this super cool project with a premed/med student TikToker and can't wait to see the final product. I can't say much right now, but maybe later on I can.

Anyways, I wish everyone starting school the best of luck and those that are trying to get into medical school, YOU GOT THIS!!!! I'm always rooting for all of you!

🎧: The Tide is High by Atomic Kitten

I love how I planned to sleep in a little since I stayed up a bit late working on my Personal Assessment assignment, but I guess my body is used to waking up early and waking me up at 5:30 a.m.

Anyway, since I have so much to do today, I decided to use the extra time to get up today and then started on some chores (washed my dishes and cleaned my shower/toilet/sink). Afterward, since I wasn't hungry, I started reviewing my cell physiology notes. I have a review Zoom session with one of my classmates in about an hour to go over this past week's cell physiology lectures and get ready for our first quiz tomorrow.

After my cell physiology review/study session, I plan to have my late breakfast/lunch and then hop into studying/reviewing for my immunology quiz next Wednesday. If I have some time left over today, I'm hoping to get some reviewing in for my other classes, but I also don't want to overstress myself already.

I know I probably shouldn't start a countdown, but my timer study app has the option, so I did it. I set it to countdown to the end of my master's program in May. So, D-251 until I'm done and can graduate with my master's!

Okay, time to get back to work! Good luck everyone!!

Tried out new pens for my Moleskin journal. There's a little bit of bleeding through the pages but so much better than other gel pens. Can't wait to get into journaling again 😊

🎧: Me Llamo Raquel (in my hype Mexican music Saturday mood)

Hey do you have any advice on being premed? I just finished my first semester with 3 Bs and it feels so discouraging when I focus on my GPA and I doubt myself in whether I will be able to do this but I don’t want to study anything else.

Hey Anonymous,

Don't feel too discouraged about your grades! I know it's easier said than done, but focus on learning as much as you can. (Develop those study/learning skills!) Since it's your fist year and you're still trying to get settled into the groove of undergrad it's okay to not have straight A's. As long as you know you want to be a physician and are willing to put in the work, you will become one one day, so don't stress yourself out. P.S. Remember that mental health (as well as self care in general) is HIGHLY important. Please don't forsake your happiness/body for a grade or class, if things are hard or you need an extra day or two talk with your professors and get that extension (as long as you explain your situation most times than not they are understanding).

You got this. YOU WILL BE A DOCTOR! Just don't give up and on the days that you do pull up motivating books/movies/quotes/etc. and talk it out with someone who will be encouraging. Personally, I have my mom, sister, and friend Isa who all motivate me in different ways. I call my mom when I just need comfort since she doesn't understand the process, but just wants me to do something that will make me happy. I call my sister when I need the hard, realistic truth, since she knows this journey SUCKS and is hard but has seen me go through every hurdle that has come my way and I've somehow made it through. Then I call Isa when I feel super shitty about how I did on an exam or have ZERO confidence, since she's my hype woman. Just find your people and go with it. Don't let yourself bring yourself down because at the end of the day your worst and harshest critic will be yourself.

With all my love and best wishes for your journey,

DJ

Study session while it snows (ft. My mango green tea).

🎧: Serendipity (Full Length Edition) by BTS

So there is a power outage where I live since yesterday (Jan 12th) at 5pm and it now currently Jan 13th 11am. Since I have no power or wifi (just external batteries for my phone) I'm just filling the time studying and reading (Iron Flame). I sure hope the electricity comes back on soon because it's currently 60°F in the middle of winter in Wisconsin.

Currently watching my physiology lecture that I should have watched yesterday. I'm also trying out a new tea one of my coworkers gave to me today so I'm looking forward to trying it, just have to let it cool down first.

🎧: Love Wins All by IU (watch the MV because that is a whole drama in itself 🤌🏼)

i feel so called out

Going to grad school, I see

dec 9th, 2023

this is basically a brief recap of how i spent my first (official) month as a phd candidate. too many walks at the beach, too many hours spent researching for my first paper and... my first proposal for a seminar! i'm kinda nervous because public speaking isn't sth i'm yet used to but we'll get there. as frightening as presenting a small piece of what my thesis will tackle is (what if i'm completely wrong and my research is meaningless? what if everything i've written is nonsense?), i really wanna enjoy this opportunity as much as possible.

(this is the silly little attempt of a 23-year-old phd candidate to document her scary? exciting? journey while crafting a thesis in bosnian-american literature. we'll see how long this blog lasts for)

Lmao🤣

Graduation and Graduate School Update

Hello again friends! I am not the best at posting original content regularly, but I am extremely excited to tell you about my recent graduation and upcoming plans for graduate school!

Graduation: I graduated with my Bachelor of the Arts last month from Georgian Court University. The last two months have been a whirlwind of events ceremonies, and I feel like I’ve made my mark on the University in these past two years. I was blessed to receive the Peer Mentor Award of Excellence, an academic honorable mention for Psychology, and one of ten nominations among the Senior Class for Kappa Gamma Pi. I ended up graduating Summa Cum Laude and I am ready to move on to Grad School.

Grad School: I will officially be attending Montclair State University in the Fall! I am going for my M.A. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology with a culminating thesis. On top of this, I also will be starting a Graduate Assistantship at the Center for Writing Excellence. I absolutely love academic, creative, and professional writing; the fact that I got this assistantship is an absolute dream come true. 

I plan on posting and giving study tips as I utilize them in the future, and I hope to be more active on this studyblr soon!

[05.09.2018] First day of grad school.

Spent the day highlighting readings for my first class. The amount of required reading is intimidating, but I figured it wouldn't feel as overwhelming if I got an early start! I also checked out the campus gym: I miss my track workouts from undergrad. Overall, the first day was productive!

They are having a stargazing night tomorrow. I hope that I get to go...

[24.9.18]

Found a nice corner of the library to hide in while I studied different antecedents of perceived organizational support. I'm exhausted, but I understand the material a whole lot better now.

[10.2.19]

Just found out that the research paper I wrote with my professor was accepted for publication! I'm so happy to have my name in a reputable journal! I can't stop now though; my next goal is to be first author on a publication.

In other news, I really love using ipsy bags to hold the arsenal of pens I carry around. They're so cute~

Week 69, Day 677.

I have decided this week to dedicate a post to lessons I learned during my first year as a PhD student, and how I cope with the stress of a PhD now that I’m in my second year. I hope you find them useful. 

10 lessons I learned from my 1st year as a PhD student:

Go to as many seminars/workshops/conferences as you can - Even if you think they might not be 100% for you, still go. PhD’s are very slow to take off, which means that you will rarely have much to show for it at the end of the year. By attending events that are not directly linked to your PhD will ensure that you have a safety net to fall back on when asked “Well, what did you do for a year then?”, on top of gaining some valuable, and often unexpected knowledge. 

Network -  Now, I’m far from an extrovert and can therefore completely sympathise that talking to strangers can be difficult. However, I am regularly described as ‘bubbly’, ‘outgoing’, and ‘sociable’. This is because, whether you like it or not, networking is crucial for future contacts, friends, and opportunities, and is a great way to make your project known. So, put on your social brave face, get out of your comfort zone, and go talk to people. You can have a glass of wine or two at home with your cat, and a good book at any time. 

Build a relationship with your supervisor/s - Absolute top priority this. Learn what they are like, find common ground, and don’t be afraid to have a professional friendship with them. Your supervisor is there to help carry you through the tough phases, make sure they like you. 

Make every effort to come into the office rather than working from home - Separate your work from your home life. Coming into the office is less distracting, and for me also more motivating. Moreover, a PhD can be a very lonely time in your life, by coming into work you inevitably start building friendships, and therefore support systems for when the going gets rough. I sit across from my supervisor, whom I get on with very well, meaning that I also have a bottomless knowledge bank right in front of me.

Look after your well-being - I cannot stress this enough; you NEED your health to be able to do this. So eat well, sleep plenty, and take time off when you need it. Trust me, nothing bad will happen. 

Allow yourself to be vulnerable in order to learn - Don’t be afraid to ask for help, admit your weaknesses, be exposed to questions, and feel stupid from time to time. Here’s a brilliant paper on the importance of stupidity in science: http://jcs.biologists.org/content/121/11/1771

Self-management is key - If you’re not good at this, learn to be good at this. I have covered time management in some detail in this post: https://streamacademe.tumblr.com/post/170769747296/week-21-day-140.

Know your audience - This mainly applies for those who work with industry and academia. Before any email, meeting, presentation, ask yourself “What am I trying to achieve here?”, and do your research into who you’re dealing with to get the most out of your efforts.

Don’t lose love for your project - I know waaaaayyy too many second years who “hate” their project or their supervisors and are miserable all the time. Personally, I didn’t see myself going from being a tropical ecologist, working with nature in places like Borneo, Canada, and Costa Rica to a civil and structural engineer working with concrete storage tanks. But it’s amazing what you end up being passionate about if you know it’s good for you, and when it is your life. So, if you are struggling, find ways around it, but don’t wallow in self-pity; you are so damn lucky to be where you are, and I’m sure you worked your butt off to be here, so find what makes the going easier and get on with it. 

Don’t forget to live - Doing a PhD is great and all, but life is still happening around it, so don’t forget to live it.

How I cope with the stress of a PhD:

Mornings - Mornings have become my favourite time of day. I make sure I get up at least 3 hours before I need to leave for the office, because I love taking time to watch the world wake up with a strong cup of tea and a good book, and take time to ease myself into the day. It’s done me wonders.

Routine - Something that is hard for me with the type of PhD I do and the long distance relationship but making sure I try my best to stick to a routine makes me feel calm and prepared for what’s ahead. It also means that when it comes to taking rest days, I can take full use of them.

Minimalism - Decluttering my life makes me feel lighter and takes some of the load of my shoulders from how busy my life can be.

Exercise - I do intensive exercise on average 6 hours a week, which includes cycling, running, and swimming. It’s not a chore for me, but a fun hobby, releasing endorphins and helping me reconnect with myself.

Being outdoors - It is very easy to get caught up in the world of technology, social media, and concrete walls. It makes me desperate to get away from it all, so I do my best to spend as much time reconnecting with nature and getting out of the house. I’d rather spend £100 on new waterproof hiking trousers (which I did, they’re brilliant), that a pair of heels.

Communication - I am probably one of the bluntest and brutally honest people out there, but this means that there is no confusion in my relationship with people and we understand each other more. I never understood why people PG the truth. I also take criticism with a pinch of salt and learn from it.

Wine and chocolate - Need I say more?

This was a very open and honest post for me, so I do hope it brings some benefit to you. The point of this blog is to share my experiences throughout this PhD in the hope that I reach out to some of you out there, and mainly so I understand myself better.

Have a wonderful week, and take some of these lessons further,

Photo: A beautiful 5.30 am morning in Brunei with my trusty cup of tea; it takes me back to a place of such happiness, I love looking back at it. Source: Me, obviously.

Hey y’all. It’s me, your token stressed studyblr.

There are 26 days between now and the end of my first year of grad school. There is also a boatload of assignments due in these 26 days. These assignments make up over 50% of my grade in all three classes (no pressure, right?).

My distance run-loving self thought it would be funny to treat these last 26 days like a marathon- A schoolwork marathon. I will post my productivity and other adventures on here for your amusement. Plus, I hope it will be a motivator for you if you’re struggling to reach the finish line!

You can follow the tag #cosmicmarathon if you want to join in or watch me angrily post about psychometric validity and performance management systems for the next three and a half weeks.

Let the race to the end of the semester begin!!

~CosmicStudyblr

I'm working on my 30pg paper pretty much all night, so feel free to ask!!

stationery-themed asks!!

gel pen: when are you most comfortable? ballpoint pen: tell me about the day you’ve just had fineliner: what’s your greatest achievement? highlighter: what are your best qualities? greylead: what is something you want to try for the first time? felt-tip: describe your aesthetic crayon: your earliest childhood memory scrapbook: something from your childhood that makes you smile sketching pad: describe yourself from a stranger’s point of view notebook: what’s your favourite quote? paper: what kind of book would you write? stapler: out of all the people you know, who do you think you are closest to? glue stick: what do you look for in a lasting relationship/friendship? tape: tell me about your longest friendship ruler: what line will you never cross? eraser: what do you consider to be your biggest mistake? scissors: ever had a bad break-up? calculator: list fifteen things that make you happy protractor: an unpopular opinion/angle you have on an issue sticky note: something about yourself you’d like to change stamp: a date that’s special for you and why bookmark: a book that means a lot to you and why folder: describe your family whiteboard: tell me your plans for tomorrow blackboard: tell me about a memory that has affected who you are today pinboard: what are you focusing on in your life right now? tablet: tell me your plans for the future stencil: who are your role models? envelope: tell me a secret

The graduate student life is lived in split screen...

Got an early morning head start on my performance management system (due tomorrow), and I hope I'll be able to finish in time to get a respectable amount of sleep tonight!