Comments | exsequar: I'm just the way that the doctor made me

exsequar

I'm just the way that the doctor made me

Jul 03, 2008 23:43

I have been questioning, for some time, my current path on the way to acquiring a PhD in biochemistry or some related field. That has always seemed to be the ultimate goal, and a very easy one to say, as people will nod and smile and think that's perfectly reasonable and logical and impressive. However, it's never something I've particularly ( Read more... )

life, grad school, rl, college, summer 08

Comments 26

parcae July 4 2008, 04:49:14 UTC

... this is possibly not the response you were looking for, but OH MY GOD THAT IS THE MOST AWESOME PROGRAM EVER. *has a very quiet fit*

exsequar July 4 2008, 05:34:15 UTC

I KNOW I KNOW I KNOW RIGHT?!? It's like, UNFUCKINGBELIEVABLE. I want to doooo it!!!

(This reaction is in contrast with my reaction when thinking of places to go to graduate school - I didn't WANT to go to the top places like MIT because I didn't think I could cut it with my science abilities. However, I can WRITE, I KNOW I can, and I want to push myself on that. I think this is probably a good direction for me to pursue!)

parcae July 7 2008, 03:06:27 UTC

YOU REALLY REALLY SHOULD, OKAY, SERIOUSLY.

(Ahaha. Okay, not gonna lie, I could haver written that entire thing. I could say that I know exactly how you feel, but ... I think I have conveyed that! So I will just say that you would be marvelous at this, I know it.)

theaerosolkid July 4 2008, 04:58:33 UTC

ARE YOU SHITTING ME!? You'd be perfect for that!! You didn't even have to explain it. As soon as said writing for science, I was like omg Annie is PERFECT FOR THAT.

I'm really excited for you! Good luck!!

exsequar July 4 2008, 05:32:43 UTC

Aw thank you sweetie!! That really means a lot to me. Now I need to toss this idea out to other folks who know me and see how they react! It feels right to me, in some way, much more than chemistry does. I think that's a good sign!

*hugs*

theaerosolkid July 4 2008, 05:35:17 UTC

Good luck!! I'm here if you ever want to talk -- email me if you want my phone number, I am good at motivational texting. \o/

huggenkiss July 4 2008, 05:00:20 UTC

That is awesome! Count me in to be one of the cheerleaders in the corner encouraging you to go for it! :)

go_gentle July 4 2008, 05:03:39 UTC

Oh man, the grad school question. As the comment shows, I spend a lot of time asking myself this same thing.

So, here's the thing. Everything I have ever heard about grad school says 'don't do it unless you love your subject.' So, if I were basing my advice solely on this entry, I would say you should think less about chem grad school and more about science writing, because you just sound so much more excited about it. On the other hand, if science writing is what you want to do, I have no idea how helpful a degree in that is. But I think if that is what you love, you should at least explore that option further.

If you are interested in MIT in particular, I'd be glad to try to point you in some possibly helpful directions.

exsequar July 4 2008, 05:31:49 UTC

I think that's an excellent point, and a big red flag against me doing a PhD in chemistry. If I'm frustrated and unhappy with some lowkey summer research, I will BURN OUT in PhD research.

On the other hand, I can see myself flourishing in the environment described for that Masters in science writing.

I am VERY interested in the MIT program. Probably not right after college, but it never hurts to put out feelers. Let's talk! :D

go_gentle July 4 2008, 06:09:22 UTC

I know nothing about that specific program, but I can talk about living in Boston and MIT in a more general way. If you don't have questions now, all my contact info is in my profile for whenever you do.

ex_rogerpit July 4 2008, 05:11:07 UTC

My personal opinion? You should definitely consider it. It combines two things you love (science and writing) - that alone makes it worth some consideration.