The Myth of Spring Break

I remember a time when there was such a mythical thing as some time off in the spring. A break. A vacation, even. Such a thing has ceased to exist for me, and may it rest in peace. Someday I may try to revive it, but for the moment, it's long gone. See, this "time off" between quarters has become a mad dash to attempt to finish research before the next slew of conferences, get the rest of my life back in some semblance of order after neglecting it all quarter, and otherwise attempting to regain my sanity. If I can sneak in a day off, all the better. But most of this past week of "break" has been spent at work. And I'm not alone in this. I have had the good company of quite a few grad students roaming the halls, looking slightly less stressed than normal (not me, I have been pulling my hair out), but at work all the same.

So, for today's belated post (I have had this awesome thing I wanted to do all week, but hopefully I'll get to it on Sunday), I want to ask: are you working during spring break this year? Or are you getting away? (No, getting away to a conference doesn't count either. That's still work.) Are you happy about it? Or are you catching parts of the endless spring break coverage on TV and wishing you were somewhere with a bikini and a beer? (Or, at least sitting somewhere quietly, not working.)

I do like hearing from people, so pipe up in the comments!

Take Home Conference Messages

Every time I go to a conference for my field, I come home wondering where some of the people come from. For the most part there are a lot of really great people who put their best foot forward at these meetings and I really enjoy meeting them. Then there are the others. So, on a bit of a lighter note today, what not to do at a conference (all inspired by this past week's meeting):

1. Don't go barefoot. Seriously. I saw not one, but two people wandering around the Hilton without shoes. Um. Yeah.
2. If you're going to present, don't dress like you're headed to the bar for drinks. And then don't wonder why people aren't taking your quite so seriously.
3. Don't go over time when you're already behind schedule, but think that because you're the moderator, you can still do it. Especially when you're reading your talk and it's a majorly dull topic.
4. Don't NOT use statistics. Or don't use them poorly. Nothing will make me want to poke you more (and I'm no expert on the subject, but seriously, if you have data, at least analyze it!).
5. Don't spend your whole talk discussing the stats you used to look at your data. Your talk should say something more than an equation--unless, ya know, you're at a math conference.
6. When meeting someone new, don't spend fifteen minutes bragging about how Berkeley asked you to design a class around your material from last year and now you're lecturing there for the benefit of all. Because I just don't care. Sorry.
7. Don't see your former/current TA and point and whisper with your friends while she can still see you. (This is especially good to note when she still has your paper and final to grade. Not that I would actually let that influence me...but it did piss me off.) TA's are people too.
8. Don't be boring. If you can help it. I mean, I know I'm guilty of this, but the best talks are the ones that are engaging (and maybe even make you laugh a bit). At least act like YOU are interested in your topic.

Okay, that's all I've got. But really, the conference was a good one. I loved the session I was in and found it really interesting. I loved getting to see a few people I haven't had a chance to chat with in a while, and I really enjoyed getting some new information out of them. Lots of good stuff there. I also loved seeing the people wandering around barefoot and finding it highly amusing. Ahhh. Gotta love it!

Conferences

Almost every field of study has a large gathering once or twice a year. Some have more, some less, some are broken down by region or sub-field, but they have a one big thing in common: people in your chosen field are going to get together to share their work. This will usually be done in papers given (little speeches often with power-point), or posters (large sheets of paper with all your data on them). As I am currently totally procrastinating writing my talk for next weekend (ugh!) I thought I'd touch on this topic a bit today.

I have a small confession about conferences: I really don't like them. Now, I know a lot of people do, and find them totally engaging and a great way to meet people. I don't. Just the thought of them kind of makes my stomach curl into a small ball and roll around my abdomen (wow, that was a strange image!). BUT, I still end up going to them, because they are a great thing to add to your CV, and a good way to get some traction for your work. For those of you applying to grad school, they are a great way to see what research is currently being undertaken by researchers of choice, and also a great way to introduce yourself to potential collaborators and advisers. Of course, if you're shy like me, you might also find yourself grumbling at the thought of talking to people you don't know, and quaking at the thought of having to get up and deliver a paper to a room full of people (why this is different from giving a lecture to a few hundred students--which I really don't mind--is totally beyond me).

I swear this is what every room I've given a talk in looks like!

Okay, moving on. You're thinking about attending a conference. If you're not presenting or enrolled in a grad program (or living nearby) I don't recommend attending one of the big meetings if it entails traveling and lodging and a lot of $$ spent to get there--it's probably not going to be in your best interest. Of course, this depends somewhat, but do keep that in mind. Otherwise, I do recommend attending to present your research. Remember that signing up to present can take place almost a year ahead of time (WHY they do this makes me nuts!), so get those abstracts in early. If you're shy, you might want to have a friend in your field go with you. Prepare and practise what you'll say ahead of time. A lot. Dress professionally. You know, the usual stuff. I don't have too many pointers for the presentations itself--I still don't have this down. I probably never will. Honestly, I find myself looking forward to a day when I can send someone else to give my talks for me :)

If you are looking to speak with certain people while at the conference, making an appointment ahead of time is a good thing to do--a quick email of introduction and reason for why you'd like to take a few minutes of their time is fair warning. Then you should attend their talk and actively listen--maybe come up with some questions. If you know someone who is a mutual friend with the person, have them introduce you (this works best, imho, as I think it helps cement who you are and can make things easier to start a conversation). Also, be brief. Conferences are hectic with stuff going on all the time. If you're meeting afterwards for dinner/drinks (of which there are always a lot), that's a different story, but waylaying a person in the hallway to chat is probably not the best thing to do, at least for very long. Also, if the person doesn't look eager to talk, don't take it personally: they are probably trying to hustle to their next meeting. It happens. Sending an email later, with some detailed (but not trip-them-up) questions can also be good to do.

Dang, that last paragraph has a lot of random stuff in it. Overall, remember conferences can be great resources. But they're also chock full of presentations, meetings, and oftentimes beer. You can gain a lot if you're willing to put yourself out there and speak with people, along with listening to all the talks. If you're shy, as I said before, bring a friend. It makes things a whole lot better, and you don't have to look like a total dork wandering around for days by yourself (*ahem* like I have for the past several years *ahem*).

Okay, now I swear I'm going to go work on that talk. Really. Honestly. Right after breakfast.

How to Pick an Academic Area of Study

One of the questions posed in this past week's discussion with undergraduates has had me thinking for the past few days and I think it makes an interesting topic for a post. This question was framed along the lines of "I'm interested in everything, how do I pick one thing to study?"

My gut reaction to this was along the lines of "are you kidding me?" I mean, I know full well there are major parts of my field that I have absolutely no interest in. But, I got to thinking about it, and within the general framework of my subfield there is a LOT I'm interested in. Actually, almost all of it I find interesting. Of course, that doesn't help when trying to come up with a solid research plan when applying for grad school, where a neat and tidy plan is necessary to demonstrate that you're capable of coming up with one, and of course setting up where and with whom you want to study. It can be a make-it or break-it part of your application. So how do you pick one thing you are wanting to study in school?

Well, there is a big caveats to this. Mainly, what you say you're going to study in grad school in your application more often then not isn't what you end up writing your dissertation on. You're going to need to be flexible (which makes liking a lot of different things very helpful). Your application will more often than not be a kind of guideline than an actual research plan, as funding/resources/samples/etc. will play a huge roll in how you plan your studies. Being flexible is a big part of research, so keep that in mind :)

That doesn't help though when it comes to actually finding something to study. Or at least say you want to study. Or even pick a general area of interest. Say you plan on going into archaeology, with some kind of crazy dream of being the next Indiana Jones (though he was really an art historian, and don't even get me started on this subject...), what part of the world are you going to want to focus your attention? The Maya? The Anasazi? The ancient Egyptians? You aren't going to be able to study them all, and with the way all science is going these days, everything is becoming more and more specialized. I look at my own research and have to laugh--I'm into such a minuscule area that it's almost funny (if it weren't so painful at times). Anyhow, you'll need to pick an area and narrow it down. And then pick a particular topic within that area and narrow that even further. But starting off with the bigger picture, how does someone go about narrowing things down?

Well, this is what I might recommend to those with this issue: make a list. I'm a big fan of lists. What have you studied that you just can't seem to get enough of? Make a list of these and take a long hard look at them. If you can't imagine spending the Rest of Your Life (and yes, that does need caps) studying this topic, move on to the next. Then, start digging. Read some papers. Read some more. If after five or six recent academic articles on a topic (and you'll probably have to go back and find some foundational research to build these on) you're still totally intrigued, keep going a bit. More often than not, you will find that either this is something you really love, or you'll find that the field has moved into an area you're totally not into. I'd use this method to cull through your list and narrow it down to as few items as possible.

From there, well, look at jobs. Let's face it, you're going to have to find employment studying this at some point, so finding out if there are more jobs in a particular sector will be very important. Studying underwater basket weaving probably won't help you much in terms of finding a paycheck. But there are regularly jobs for people in certain areas, so finding out this information at the first can really help. Plus, the chances of getting done and not finding a job (which is quite frankly the absolutely most frustrating thing I've ever experienced) will hopefully be minimized.

Anyhow, from here, narrowing your search will be based on schools an advisers. Finding a good fit for a school you like, an adviser you'll be comfortable working with, and a topic of interest will severely limit your list. If you're still having a hard time at this point, you're going to need to just spend some time thinking about it and what you want out of your life. I know that sounds rather vague and all, but that's something that I think is incredibly important.

Does anyone have any other suggestions?

Meeting with the Undergrads

Wow, I'm thinking today's title would make for a great sci-fi movie :) Okay, clearly I'm sleep deprived....

This evening in one of those rare "give back" (or in my case "warn away") moments, I attended one of the Anthropology Club meetings run for the undergraduates in my department. They were hosting a few of us grad students for a Q&A session about grad school (hence the "warn away" on my part--not really, but I am not one to generally sugar-coat anything!). It was a well-attended event and I had a really good time. Of course, that's probably because I got to pontificate a little, but hey, I gotta get my kicks somehow.

The assortment of students were asking all sorts of questions about things I've covered here, mainly about the whole process of grad school. How do you go about figuring out what you want to do? How do you approach people? All kinds of good stuff for future blog posts, as well as ones I've already hit on. I was impressed by their level of questioning. It is always heart-warming to see a bunch of college students really thinking about the next steps in the lives, particularly continuing their education (this must have a lot to do with TA'ing underclassmen for years on end, and seriously fearing for the future of our country when they can't write a simple sentence to save their lives--but I digress). Anyhow, other than my mild foreboding at the thought of so many people seriously considering going on for a degree in a field that is already so saturated, it was fun. Kudos to those of you out there planning on grad school! May you make wise choices that you later don't wonder why you didn't get a lobotomy instead :)

*please insert Debbie-Downer noise from SNL here*

Holiday!

Okay, it's President's Day. Yay! Right? Um, yeah, because I'm in grad school, this basically means I get the day to catch up on my insane to-do list. And maybe even a little sleep, if I'm lucky. This lovely little fact brought to you today by your local disgruntled grad student (who just spend several lovely hours grading, instead of being in Frisco looking at Olmec heads, which may still be work related, but would be much more interesting that eternally attempting to write out the difference between 'q' and 'q^2'.) Holidays, are in fact, for wusses. Or the gainfully employed. Either way, I look forward to the day when a school closure doesn't mean I just have to use extra keys to get into my building.

I so wish I were sitting near this umbrella today. Actually, I wish I were here every day!

Dealing with the Stress

Alrighty people, I'm taking a break from the pile of midterms staring at my on my desk to write about something I've been rather intimately aware of lately: STRESS. Honestly, as my to-do list reaches insane proportions, I have been struggling with the concept of dealing with it all. I think this has a lot to do with a graduate student's life, and grad school in general lends itself to a little of this:



(This is me WAY too much of the time!)

Stress levels may ebb and flow a bit throughout your graduate career, but it's probably going to be a pretty large presence in your life. Not only that, but women tend to deal with stress differently. Some of us thrive on it even (not that that's me. Uh-nuh. Nope.), or become addicted to it even (never!). So finding ways to deal with it that work for YOU is going to be important. Because being stressed out all the time can lead to:



WTH? Seriously, don't eat your computer! Try donuts. They taste better!

Just as a recap, stress in your life can lead to: loss of hair (with or without you ripping it out), ulcers, blood pressure problems, and lowered fertility. So even if you finally get to a point in life where you can have a family, it can become a problem. Basically, all of these are bad things, and there are a bunch of other health symptoms that stress can cause or affect. Don't let grad school do this to you! I mean, I'm sooo the best example for this right? Totally. Because I swear, this is me:

I regularly find myself wandering the halls of my building, totally lost in a stressed-out daze, and then I wonder why people ask me what's wrong.... :) 

Anyhow, there are a lot of ways that I try to mitigate being an ulcer-queen (wow, that sounds dirty). Here are a few that might be things to think about, and please, chime in with a comment for any others that you've used yourself, or seen others using:

• Exercise. I never thought I'd become a gym person. I mean, it's kinda not me, like, at all. But I swear, if I don't go now, I find myself climbing the walls. Plus, added bonus, burning some extra calories. This is especially good for those times when you absolutely must have chocolate (or insert goodie of choice, so long as it's high in calories) or the afternoon will not go on. I mean, we've all been there, right? Good tip for getting to the gym: find a buddy to go with! What I would do without mine would involve a lot more of my couch.
• Find a hobby. You are all reading mine :) But seriously, finding something to do outside of school that allows you to think about something else for a while is a bonus. Tactile things are really good. Doesn't have to be fancy, but find something. I know a lot of people who cook/bake/make awesomely yummy things to eat. They earn lots of bonus points for bringing said yummy things in to share, too...
• Give yourself a day. Once a week. It may sound impossible at times (and I'll admit, this is a hard one for me to manage), but knowing you'll have one day a week to not think about school stuff really helps the rest of the week be more productive. So, go outside. Do your laundry. Read a book for pleasure. Treat yourself with a day off. Your to-do list will thank you.
• Find someone to talk to. Some days are just so bad. So insane. It can really help to have someone, not necessarily to dump on, but to commiserate with. This is especially true for females--we need this kind of social connection. So, take your office-mate to get something to drink. Talk. Share. Take a load off.
• Be organized. This is a total no-brainer. But still, it's worth mentioning. Because nothing stresses me out more than forgetting stuff or realizing I have missed out on something because I never wrote it down. Find a notebook, a planner, google-calendars. Something. It helps!
• Don't beat yourself up about things you've missed. It doesn't help.
• Do a google image search for "stress." WOW. I laughed my butt off. Sometimes, really, it's the simple things that can really make a difference though. Find out what works for you and keep at it.

Some days, I swear, the only thing that keeps me going is knowing I'm almost done with school. There is light at the end of the tunnel. (I mean, not that I have even had a spare minute to look at the rest of my dissertation I'm supposed to be currently writing, but that's okay. Really. Sorta.) Still, it's been a slog of a few years, and a lot of it is lost to a stress-induced haze. Don't let this happen to you!

So, do tell, what is your best means of dealing with stress? Please share!

Also, if you have an idea for something you'd like to share as a post as one of our awesome guest-posts, please contact me!