resolutions revisited

I finished my first rotation, I'm about to start my second, holy-crap-grad-school-is-everything-i-ever-imagined-and-a-million-times-better-and-a-million-times-harder, and it's only day two.

The least I can do is go back to see how I did on those resolutions. (At least the ones that are applicable.)


So here we go:
_Keep a paper notebook, but transcribe everything electronically at the end of each day.

Fail. I did not do this. I kept a paper notebook, but I didn't transcribe anything, and this predictably bit me in the ass about 500 times. New resolution: keep an electronic lab notebook. I am never underestimating the ability to ctrl+F anything ever again. I've been flirting with google sites right now, trying to figure out the best interface. Basically this also fuels my procrastination but hey, productive procrastination is my middle name.

_Apply for NSF GFRP my first year (and second, if applicable.)
_Apply for travel awards for conferences
_Write the methods as I do the experiment
_Outline the paper I 'want' to write, and do the experiments simultaneously
_Attend the Physiology course (or any other MBL course!) at Woods Hole
_Attend any course, really

N/A

_NO GCHAT 9-5 (ok 10-4)

Fail, but baby steps. It's hard to break habits. Still working on this one, and this is definitely carrying over. New resolution: Still no gchat.

_One (1) blog post a month on a paper I've read. (resurrecting journal club!)

Fail, and this one is getting dropped. Between class, studying for class, reading papers on random things, reading papers in my rotation, something has to give. This would be nice? But I'm not kidding myself. I would like to tend this blog more though. New resolution: One blog post a month, period. 

_Go to as many relevant/semi-relevant seminars as I can and no iphone! notes only!

I tried to do this over the summer, and I sort of did ok. This will be easy this year because two of my classes are seminars. Same resolution: NO IPHONE.

_No shit talking. about anyone or anything. No exceptions.

I'll give myself a C on this. Same resolution: Everything has a positive aspect that we can discuss with our peers! Except maybe over beers. Hey that rhymed!

_Be writing my thesis by the time I'm 30.
_Polite, prompt and short emails from now on. (Following the rule that if it can't be answered/explained in 3 sentences, pick up the damn phone.)

I'm not sure I did this, but this is a good one to keep.

_Work hard in rotations, so at least two labs want me to join.

Duh.

_ASK QUESTIONS IN SEMINARS.

WIN I did this one! and then felt absolutely terrible afterwards. So that was really fun. Same resolution: be a rockstar.


_And for gosh's sake rachael, PLEASE STUDY FOR EXAMS.

Yeah, I need to be doing homework on tetrad analysis. See you later, blog.

**

Hindsight is always 20/20, and I have this problem where I tend to have really lofty goals and then shitty follow through. I was thinking this morning how I really want to be a role model, for like, women in science or something similarly vague. And then I was thinking, jeez, self, you haven't even done anything yet.

New, final resolution: work really really hard, and be awesome. 

That should be easy to quantify.