To all those pondering grad school

**Stoysluttie1** · 03-15-2005, 05:26 PM

Well, I would like to say that I am about to hand my thesis in to the Grad school coordinator for its final revisions. 3 years in the making and its almont complete. Whew! I guess I can finally go skiing and really start to wave my dick

In all honesty, I would like to give some recommendations to those pondering grad school, or to those who are currently in grad school. I have noticed that a lot of people tend to let grad school snowball on them, making them to the labs, offices, classrooms, and professors instead of running to the hills. Maybe I can be somewhat of a role model here.

in case you haven't been following my life since I've been on this board, I have been able to accomplish the following while completing my thesis, and am also well on my way towards a second Masters.

Year 1: 80 days on skis
Year 2: 86 days on skis
Year 3: 71 and counting

I've also had many opportunities to go to places all over the west for days on end and take numerous extended weekends to play. I'm not trying to boast, but trying to help realize there are more things to life than sitting at this computer wondering when it will ever end...for me, that time is now and my last page just came through the printer!

For a little celebration, I'm off to southern Utah for some slots and skiing. You will find me at the following address:

mile marker 28.5, Sandthrax campground, UT road 95, south of Hanksville

**intheways** · 03-15-2005, 05:53 PM

No doubt! Grad school's a great way to postpone getting a real job! I've been in school at the U of Montana for 4 years. I've learned to kayak, climb, tele and enjoy the women of a mountain town.

A program that offers a stipend is sweet, because you can spend more money on gear. Finding a good advisor is key. I just got back from a trip to Roger's Pass with my Boss.

Now the problem is how to stay in the mountains.

**Clack** · 03-15-2005, 05:56 PM

Congratulations Stoy.

Clack

**skibe** · 03-15-2005, 05:58 PM

Congrats Stoy. It's to bad you couldn't have a little fun during grad school

.

**alffnot** · 03-15-2005, 06:01 PM

i don't know how you guys do it, i am in grad school and i work on average 80 hours a week. with classwork, TA jobs and research there isn't a whole lot of time. the last 2 weeks because of finals and projects due i have worked about 100 hours each week. just finished the majority of the stuff today so now i think i can take a few days off and not go skiing becuase no where is open

**BigKuba** · 03-15-2005, 06:16 PM

Congrats, dude. I applaud you and I hope to get there too one day, hopefully before I completely forget how to drag my knuckles.

As for the advice part, I would just like to add that none of it applies to chemical engineering grad school.

**basom** · 03-15-2005, 06:43 PM

Originally Posted by BigKuba

As for the advice part, I would just like to add that none of it applies to chemical engineering grad school.

or pretty much any MIT program, from what i understand.

**BigKuba** · 03-15-2005, 07:11 PM

Originally Posted by basom

or pretty much any MIT program, from what i understand.

I heard that Colin's met some MIT people who were outside and doing fun things, but I don't believe it.

**Pedro** · 03-15-2005, 07:14 PM

Originally Posted by basom

or pretty much any MIT program, from what i understand.

Or anything in the Life Sciences, My girlfriend is doing her PhD in Organic Chemistry, She doesn't get out much, but i think she will manage to get about 30 days in this year.

**skiHOG** · 03-15-2005, 07:26 PM

What about me, finishing my bachelors in computer science. In all honesty, the only thing I have learned is that I absolutely DO NOT want to pursue a job in computers. I hate my degree, it is not even close to what my advisors told me it would be like not met my own expectations. So, I am stuck with the fact that I wasted all those years. I have no clue what I want to do in life, except ski. I've heard grad school is a good way to go to postpone the "real" world, but how is that possible if I have no idea what I want to do? I know things like I do and interests that motivate me, but I really don't think any of them could end up being a career. Is grad school for me or am I left to waste my life away?

**shane-o** · 03-15-2005, 07:28 PM

Originally Posted by BigKuba

I heard that Colin's met some MIT people who were outside and doing fun things, but I don't believe it.

Yes, such people do exist. The few I knew seemed to be on the 10 year plan though.

**gincognito** · 03-15-2005, 07:36 PM

Originally Posted by jtq_99

What about me, finishing my bachelors in computer science. In all honesty, the only thing I have learned is that I absolutely DO NOT want to pursue a job in computers. I hate my degree, it is not even close to what my advisors told me it would be like not met my own expectations. So, I am stuck with the fact that I wasted all those years. I have no clue what I want to do in life, except ski. I've heard grad school is a good way to go to postpone the "real" world, but how is that possible if I have no idea what I want to do? I know things like I do and interests that motivate me, but I really don't think any of them could end up being a career. Is grad school for me or am I left to waste my life away?

Not sure I'd suggest grad school for your case. I'd suggest time away from school and from thoughts of career. Get out there and do something you love. Finance it with a menial job if need be. Clear the head for awhile.

I came away from University with a math degree and no interest in the subject. The whole experience left me sour on higher education - I had treated it as a factory, as a means to an end, and therefore did not get out of it what I should have. Partially (if not wholly) it was my own fault, but, regardless, I came out in a similar situation to you: at loose ends with no clear path.

For no strong reason I decided a bike tour was in order. I'd never done such a thing, but once the decision was made, I worked a crappy job in a machine shop until I'd purchased a bike, some saddle-bags, a tent and a sleeping bag and off I went.

Things often have a way of falling into place if you take the time to let them.

Sick and ashamed and happy (and, yeah, that's somewhat flaky advice),
d.

**Viva** · 03-15-2005, 07:38 PM

Rubbish! Once you figure out what you need to do, you'll have plenty of time to pursue your favorite endeavors. Hell, I was running 3000 miles a year, traveling to races, and cycling during grad school. Meanwhile, a friend in the bioengineering dept. got his real estate license just for shits & giggles and several other friends had kids. Everyone got out within a reasonable amount of time.

If someone's in for more than seven years, then the PI's not doing his/her job- neither is the dept. office nor the Chair- more, anyone in that long who hasn't initiated an escape plan doesn't deserve a degree. Not even a terminal masters.

But this is just my opinion.

**Mach Looney** · 03-15-2005, 08:22 PM

Originally Posted by Stoysluttie1

Whew! I guess I can finally go skiing and really start to wave my dick

I'm finishing grad school this week, too. Congratulations to us. Heading straight to Utah for skiing and Moab, then on to Vegas. Dick-waving will abound!

**truth** · 03-15-2005, 08:46 PM

I think I'm going to apply to pre-school this fall. Seems way more fun than grad school.

**Trackhead** · 03-15-2005, 08:47 PM

Wave on brutha!

Let's head to the desert for some climbing. Screw this dick waving skiing shit.

**telechuck** · 03-15-2005, 08:55 PM

I am fininshing up my second year of an MBA program. I managed to get out quite a bit. 50 days last year and that many so far this year. It meant quitting a good job, being poor and not sleeping much. But it was totally worth it.

I am afraid the real world coming my way in May might curtail this, but I think I can manage to get in lots of days and have a paycheck to boot.

So, for those who want more schooling and to pursue a career change (as I did) go for it. With good planning, time management and snwofall, you will still ski.

**Buzzworthy** · 03-15-2005, 09:24 PM

Get it!! Right on bro!

Now kill it!!!

(east coast microbrews talkin!)

Regardless, congrats bro you go get em!

**bakers_dozen** · 03-15-2005, 09:30 PM

I've been accepted to Grad school in Calgary, starting this fall on my Masters... it should be a good time I'm hoping to do a lot of skiing... I was gonna go to U of Montana but it didn't really appeal academically for what I'm interested in. Calgary is a good trade off

Thanks for the advice though!

**bagtagley** · 03-15-2005, 09:37 PM

Masters was like undergrad, only funner and less tests. Oh, and the classes were way more interesting.

Seriously though, I wouldn't recommend a masters for everyone, but for me it was worth it. It allowed me to change directions, while still building on my past education and experience.

Having said that, if I was gonna do it over again, I would do a slightly different program, and would avoid my major professor/advisor like the fucking plague. If it were up to him I would be here for 7 years. He did give me my assistantship, but I'm still bitter.

**Lane Meyer** · 03-15-2005, 09:45 PM

Congrats, man, I can think back to few better feelings of accomplishment than getting in my beater truck and leaving Snorevallis a few days after defending my thesis in October `03. Way to go, and way to pull it off in style.

I agree with you about it not being THAt bad...I TAed, then RAed my way through school for 2.5 years, and through all that managed to write what I'm told was a decent thesis, and still esacpe pod to Squaw to ski at least three to six weeks each year, along with some trips to Meadows, Flatchelor, and Willamette Pass here and there. It wasn't a cakewalk, but it wasn;t hard either.

It can be done, but it helps to have advisors who were ski bums at Loveland in the 70s, as well as to focus when you need to and provide them with progress here and there so they at least think you are "progressing" even though you might be pulling an all-nighter to get that proposal in the night before it's due (and has been for 8 months!).

What's more, I'm about to embark on grad school #2 in the hopes that I can pull it off again. This time around, I have full funding, have to take no classes, have backing from the NZ and US governments, and have what I hope is a solid project in the field I've always wanted to be in. Not to mention being on the ocean, and 1.5 hours from killer skiing in some of the most beautiful terrane on earth. Perpetual winter remains to be achieved, as does finding out the amount of free time I'll have, but I have high hopes. People in NZ like to have fun, at least they have every time I've met them or been there. So hopefully this experience will trump that of my last debacle in Boregon (sorry if you're from there and like it, no offesne, it just wasn't for me).

Again, way to go, and let that be a lesson to the rest of you - study hard, but play harder, or you'll go insane.

**Theodore Huxtable** · 03-15-2005, 09:59 PM

Originally Posted by jtq_99

What about me, finishing my bachelors in computer science. In all honesty, the only thing I have learned is that I absolutely DO NOT want to pursue a job in computers. I hate my degree, it is not even close to what my advisors told me it would be like not met my own expectations. So, I am stuck with the fact that I wasted all those years. I have no clue what I want to do in life, except ski. I've heard grad school is a good way to go to postpone the "real" world, but how is that possible if I have no idea what I want to do? I know things like I do and interests that motivate me, but I really don't think any of them could end up being a career. Is grad school for me or am I left to waste my life away?

Just because you have a computer science degree doesn't mean you are going to be stuck being a programmer stairing at code for the rest of your like. There are lots of cool jobs in software that you could use that for...how bout Sales, Project Management, etc. You've got the knowledge, you just need to be able to deal with clients. And, without a doubt, I would never recommend jumping into grad school without getting a taste for the real world first. Then you might end up hating the stuff you concentrated on in both your undergrad and grad studies. Get out there, see what's for you, and go from there...you've got to start somewhere. Lots of cool software going on these days, you're bound to find some technology that interests you.

Skiing is a good back up plan, though!

**bagtagley** · 03-15-2005, 10:03 PM

Theo speaketh the truth. My short stint in CS as an undergrad taught me that the majority of my peers, though amazing coders, were lacking seriously in the social skills and personal interaction departments. If you have even the slightest ability to form complete sentences, and talk about things other than computers and programming, you're off to a good start.

**skiHOG** · 03-15-2005, 11:24 PM

Originally Posted by Theodore Huxtable

Just because you have a computer science degree doesn't mean you are going to be stuck being a programmer stairing at code for the rest of your like. There are lots of cool jobs in software that you could use that for...how bout Sales, Project Management, etc. You've got the knowledge, you just need to be able to deal with clients. And, without a doubt, I would never recommend jumping into grad school without getting a taste for the real world first. Then you might end up hating the stuff you concentrated on in both your undergrad and grad studies. Get out there, see what's for you, and go from there...you've got to start somewhere. Lots of cool software going on these days, you're bound to find some technology that interests you.

Skiing is a good back up plan, though!

What people haven't about me is that I do like technology/computers, but only for my personal interest, not professionally. I want to be able to understand it and keep up to date on how things work so I can keep doing them. That's it. I'm not a good programmer, hated my software engineering course; it's just not me.