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goals
well, the summer is over.
let's see what i've accomplished!
research
oriented...
Goal |
Result? |
Perform ongoing research and make a presentation
to lab; create both written and oral reports |
My final presentation is
here, and my final paper
will go here. Yep, I did
plenty of research. |
Strive for clarity and conciseness when working
with medical processes (in research cases) |
I learned how important clarity truly is, but I might
have learned that lesson a little late in the summer. I'd
like to think that I got a little better with it. |
Improve writing skills |
I'll continue to improve my paper with Professor
Clarke, so this goal isn't quite complete yet. |
Make a great website! |
Hmm...what do you think? ;) |
looking towards the
future...
Goal |
Result? |
Study for the GRE test; sign up for test |
My roommate, the lovely Kate Laskowski, and I plan to
take the General GRE test on the same day. My plans on
taking the CS GRE Subject test are still up in the air; they're
"highly recommended" for a few schools, so I don't know if I
should take them or not. |
Discuss career plans with Dr. Clarke;
alternatives to Grad School |
Dr. Clarke was really great in talking about grad
school happenings with me. I have a much better idea of
what actions I need to take to apply, the general timelines of
things...and the alternatives seem a little dull. Either
way, I'll be applying to grad schools and jobs in the next few
months. |
Create a timeline for the Applying to Grad
School process |
I created a rough outline for the things I need to do
to apply. Studying for the GRE's, taking the GRE's, asking
for letters of recommendation, writing my personal
statement...those kinds of things...all on my list of Things To
Do. |
Make a list of companies/agencies to apply for
work
|
Got it: NSA, CIA, FBI, DoD...possibly others,
but these are at the top of the list. |
Make a list of graduate schools to apply |
Still working on that list. |
Learn about graduate school as a whole + life as
a graduate student |
Well, I pretended to be a grad student all summer, and
I think I pulled it off pretty well, except that I usually came
in around 9 or 9:30 every day. But I worked on graduate
research with other grad students and didn't really feel TOO
much like an undergraduate...just like a Southerner. |
personally...
Goal |
Result? |
Become adjusted to Massachusetts culture
(because it is different from my own) |
Becoming adjusted to Mass culture was a little bit
difficult. The weather was colder, most people were
concerned with politics or social issues, and I couldn't find
any regular inorganic eggs. It was fine in the beginning
of the summer when the Orioles had a better record than the Red
Sox, but that quickly changed, and I held a grudge against the
entire state from then on. Overall, I'd say the Amherst
area is probably not my city or place of my dreams, but it was
fun and educational just for the summer. |
Stay healthy (by eating right, exercising, being
optimistic) |
I did that! I only ate Taco Bell a couple of
times. And I had a membership at the UMass gym, so I swam
50 laps 2 or 3 times a week. Optimism was key. I got
a little homesick, but I can say I never really had a "bad" day
in Mass. |
Cook dinner for myself at least once a week |
Yep, I was all over that. The Quesadilla Maker
helped, of course. |
Work hard at every task |
I worked hard at my assignments, but I feel like I
could have done a little bit more. I could have read more
papers, or started my final presentation and paper earlier in
the summer. And I could have bought computer parts to
perform surgery on my dying box, but I just let it go, and now
I'm computerless at school. |
Remain motivated towards goals |
My motivation grew stronger towards the
end of the summer as I learned more about the project.
Knowing the importance of the projects and its ramifications for
hospitals and the LASER lab, I really wanted to organize
something people could work with, since I'd only be there for a
few months. And my goal of learning about grad school was
fulfilled. |
Visit Boston |
Well, I didn't get to do this one. Maybe one
day. The main reason was because I didn't want to drive my
car into a big city all by myself with the world's worst
drivers...sorry, I'm a wuss. |
Go to a New England beach |
I went to Newport...does that count? |
Read books, including the end of the Harry
Potter series, Brown's Angels
and Demons, and the Dune
series |
I read the fourth Harry Potter book and it was
AWESOME! I didn't get a chance to read any other books,
although I studied some GRE vocab words. |
Wash the car at least once a week |
I really wanted to do this, but I didn't have the
resources. My house didn't have a house, and there was
always glass in the driveway, so I was pretty scared to walk out
there barefoot to wash my car. So I washed it at my
brother's house instead. |
Call parents every day |
I tried my best to call my parents every day. I
usually had little to report, but I know they just like hearing
that I'm doing okay so far away from home on my own. And
they always tried to send me money! I told them no every
time. |
Visit older brother in Navy and provide
emotional support |
He was about 2 hours away from Amherst, so I visited
him probably half of the weekends out of the summer. So
fun! |
Take younger brother in Army out to lunch
whenever possible |
He didn't have too much time off, but I did get to see
him on a day off when he was at Camp Buckner (see my pictures
here). My dad and I took him
out to lunch in West Point on the way back down to Maryland. |
Rewrite Candidate Education for my sorority |
I wrote some of it on the way to the National
Convention in Kentucky the first weekend of August. |
Play the piano |
Yep! Only brought 2 books with me though. |
Learn how to play a new musical instrument
(drums, guitar, or bass) |
Nope, I didn't get to do this...but I DID take flight
lessons in Northampton! It was the most fun thing I did
all summer, and I plan to take more lessons in the spring after
I've applied to all my grad schools and jobs. I highly
recommend it. |
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