The Jena 6

Today is a day of rally and support for the Jena 6.  These boys were basically involved in a school fight and were looking at attempted murder charges that could have carried up to 80 years in jail if convicted and sentenced with the maximum penalty.  

These boys were in school, where they should be learning and preparing for the best future possible. Now they are sitting in a jail in Louisiana, school being the furthest though from their minds I’m sure.

I am excited that people are rallying around this issue and looking at the injustice that was done in this case.  The rights that our parents ad grandparents fought for must be maintained and in this new age we must learn that we can’t just rest on our laurels but make sure we are actively apart of our society.  Becoming educated a definitely a away to do it but as Rev. Sharpton said this morning, “Education is not enough, you must also have action”.  I’m not saying put down the books and don’t study today, but I am saying find a way to support this cause. Use your education and the knowledge you are gaining to teach others, what is culturally acceptable.

One last plug, tonight watch CNN at 8pm, looks like it will be a good special on this case and the events that have transpired since this all began a year ago. Working in TV, I know if ratings are high, the will continue to do stories on a topic, so show your support

(Red Bull vs. Coffee) + Vitamins

This is a hard one

One thing I have learned since I started school is that sleep will be scarce. I know how I am, and I need sleep to function, I need a lot of sleep or I get very cranky. That being said, with a full time job, there is only so much time in the day, and when you have to read over 500 pages worth of marketing info you have to pull the time from somewhere.

I also recognize that lack of sleep leads to colds, and I HATE being sick even more than I hate losing a few hours of sleep. So I've been thinking of the most efficient way to solve this problem. To keep me up and alert I’m debating between Red Bull and Coffee. They both have their advantages and disadvantages. I know neither is healthy so let me put that out there now, but a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. I’m not saying this will be an everyday thing, but I need to have a plan, I’m thinking maybe rotating between the two every now and again will help. I also plan to couple this with some vitamins. I went to the store and bought some the other day. With the change of seasons and my sleep pattern I need some extra minerals.

I guess this is the life of a working grad student… what have I gotten myself into???

Why Am I in Grad School?

New column alert! So why do we do this to ourselves? Is it the yearning to learn more? The prestige of more degrees? The money? The fame? There is always a reason to go back to school. This column will explore those reasons with grad students in various disciplines. First up, we have Kenneth, a PhD student out on the west coast, also my little brother :) Let's find out why he is in Grad School.

Why are you in grad school?

As an undergrad, I got involved in research and really enjoyed it. As
I am in the biological sciences, it's basically required to get a PhD
in order to not hit the proverbial "glass ceiling." So here I am,
starting year 3 of my PhD program in immunology.


What do you plan to do once you get your degree?

Good question. If I want to continue on the academic track, I'll do a
post-doctoral fellowship (where you go another lab and work on a
high-profile project that you can hopefully spin-off into your own
lab). There's also the possibility of going into industry or trying
to complete a science-policy fellowship.


Why did you select the school you attend?

Stanford has incredible research, and the people here in the program
seemed very supportive of each other in a genuine way. Plus, the
weather here is considerably nicer than in Boston, where I was also
considering going. Additionally, (and non-trivially) as there are
VERY few people of color in the sciences, seeing that there was an
active minority support community & seeing a couple of black students in the program who seemed to have similar life experiences and that were enjoying themselves here made me comfortable in coming all the way out west.

What is the best thing about grad school? The worst?

The best thing is that I (more or less) have complete control of my
time. No one's looking over my shoulder to see that I'm in the lab
from 9-5 or anything like that. The worst thing about grad school is the pay :).

If you could change one thing about your current experience what would it be?

1. More people from more diverse environments around.

2. I would try to change the culture of science where things other
than lab work are valued. While I know that I'm here to gain
scientific training, I know that being skilled in the lab is not
sufficient to sustain me as a person (and I'd venture to say many
others as well). If professors would encourage people to explore
their other interests, I think that it would be to the benefit of
everyone.

Nice. Good luck little brother. Thanks for sharing :)

Wow

Umm so yeah, I have been in school for four days. I have officially been a student for four days... unreal. In that time I have had one class and have not had a chance to make a single post. So I guess that is the typical life of a grad student. No time, never enough time. I have to say though; it does feel good to be learning something in a classroom setting again. I have Economics on Mondays and Marketing on Saturdays. We all need to pray on Econ. I took it twice in undergrad, Econ 100 and 101. Let's just say I left much to be desired. So, this time around I am taking it more seriously and I’m learning something. I just completed my first homework assignment, which is a good thing. I have to meet with my group Saturday after class to discuss it. So whether I answered the questions correctly is another story, but at least I finished them and did all the required reading. Not bad for someone who hasn't been in school for a while huh?

I guess the lesson of this first week is time management. In the first week that I start school, my job also decided to become a little hectic. But hey I will make it work; I don't really have a choice do I? The key is going to be time management. I studied during lunch today and I see that being a regular thing for me. I can’t wait until the evening to do everything. I will drive myself crazy. With time management being the theme I posted some tips below (these were taken from my own experiences in the last week):


1.) Realize that there are only 24 hours in a day. I know we all want more, but 24 is all you get.

2.) Figure out when and where you're wasting time. Then save it by doing something productive.

3.) Set specific goals. You can’t be successful if you don’t know what you’re trying to achieve.

4.) Prioritize, Prioritize, and Prioritize. I think that is self-explanatory.

5.) Take a break when you need one. A short break, because if not you won’t be productive at what you do.

6.) Make a schedule. You can do one daily or weekly, whatever works for you.

7.) Do your part and delegate. If you are assigned a task, do it, and let others do their part. I know there are a lot of type-A personalities out there. But it is ok if you don’t do everything.

8.) ORGANIZATION if key. Use a day planner, blackberry, treo or electronic device of your choice to help you stay organized. If you need to have post-it notes all around you, whatever works, just make sure you know what needs to be done.

9.) Sleep, you can’t be productive if you don’t get any rest.

10.) Make sure you have a supporting cast. Whether it is friends, family member, co-workers, whomever… Make sure you have support around and you ask them for help. None of us can make it in this world alone.

Well, it is late so I guess I should take my own advice. Good night

The marathon has begun...

So after two days of orientation the one thing I know for sure is that this will be a long process. I’m excited though. I have met a great group of people and I think this will be a wonderful experience. I’m taking two classes this semester and the group that I have, it seems like we will work well together. Before orientation we had to complete a Birkman assessment and it is used to place us in group, teach us about our strengths and weaknesses and how to deal with the behaviors that drive them. I think this will play a big role in my professional and academic careers. I recommend taking one.

The first day of orientation was pretty standard, group and individual photos, meet and greet sessions, talking to financial aid, getting a first look at classes with our professors. It was a long day and was tired when it was over, but it was usual. The second day however, was a surprise. I do not like being in “nature” and we had to be at the school at 7am to go to the north Georgia mountains to do a ropes course. I have to admit it was awesome. We had a really good time and worked well as a team to accomplish some of the tasks. I guess that is kinda how this whole process will be, me stepping outside my comfort zone and doing things I’m not used to.

The "big day" is finally here

I'm exhausted, I went out last night and it was a blast. It will probably be the last time I got out for a while, but it was worth it! That being said, it has been a year in the making but I will finally be starting school tomorrow. I guess what they say is true, you sometimes forget the pain once it has left you. I don't even remember all of the work that went into the test, interviews, applications, etc. I'm just happy to have that part of the gschool process behind me and ready to start, ready for another set of challenges. This is what I have been waiting for. Wish me luck at orientation tomorrow and check back as I'm sure I will have lots to say about my first day :)

The Test: The LSAT

To all of my future lawyers, some changes have taken place at the test centers where you will be taking your beloved entrance exam. The changes were implemented this past June. Below are the highlights (as printed on the official LSAT website):

• Items permitted in the test room. Tests takers may bring into the room only a clear plastic ziplock bag, maximum size one gallon (3.79 liter), which must be stored under the chair and may be accessed only during the break. The ziplock bag may contain only the following items: LSAT Admission Ticket stub; valid ID; wallet; keys; hygiene products; #2 or HB pencils, highlighter, erasers, pencil sharpener (no mechanical pencils); tissues; beverage in plastic container or juice box (20 oz./591 ml maximum size) and snack for break only.

• Items permitted on the desktop. Test takers may only have tissues, ID, pencils, erasers, pencil sharpener, highlighter, and analog (nondigital) wristwatch. No electronic timing devices are permitted. This is a change from previous testing years.

• Prohibited items. Candidates are not permitted to bring into the test center the following items: weapons or firearms, ear plugs, books, backpacks, handbags, papers of any kind, calculators, rulers, timers, listening devices, cellular phones, recording or photographic devices, pagers, beepers, headsets, and/or other electronic devices. Bringing prohibited items into the test room may result in the confiscation of such items by the test supervisor, a warning, dismissal from the test center, and/or cancellation of a test score by LSAC. Prohibited items may not be used during the break. LSAC and LSAT testing staff are not responsible for test takers’ belongings.

The complete list of test center changes can be found here. In addition to the test center changes, which are important to note, because we don’t want you kicked out for rules violations, some changes have also occurred to the reading comprehension and writing sections of the test. It’s a long test, but make sure you are familiar with all the changes, rules and regulations for the LSAT. I want you all to do well! So check out the site and make sure you are in the know. :)

Two more days...

The case study is complete! Tonight is the last night of partying for a while... so let the fun times begin. I have to admit now that school starts for me in a mere two days, I’m nervous. I can’t believe I have actually signed myself up for school and plan to obtain this degree while working. I guess millions do it everyday and its not like I have kids to care for, but the reality that I will now have to study again is scaring me. But I know it will be done and two years from now when I get this degree I won’t even remember this night. For now, I’ll admit the nervousness has set in, but this semester is paid for the books are purchased and I’m ready, at this point I don’t really have a choice.

The Case Study

Today's post will be short. I'm tired and I still have this case study I need to complete. Luckily this case study is really short. I know they won't all be this way, but I want to thank the professors for just giving me a taste of what is to come.

I want to give a shout out to all my friends that started that march toward the next degree today!

Later :)

Party like a rockstar!!!

My friends are sending me off into the world of grad school in style! We have decided that we will go out every night this week, through Wednesday, I have to be fresh for orientation on Friday morning. Not that I won’t be able to go out when I’m in school, but I’m supposed to be focused, so I am trying to get the partying worked out of my system now. Last night was awesome… got home at about 4:45am, so you can imagine I slept most of the morning. In addition to the vacation I suggest you do everything else you want to do before school so you can be fully focused!

But I do have a case study that I have to prepare for orientation so before I got anywhere tonight I will complete that… the reality is starting to set-in. Life will be different very soon :).

I'm back and I'm ready :)

So as you know I was on vacation with my family in Mexico last week. I just got back yesterday and I have to say it was the best vacation I have ever had. It was the perfect way to end the summer and get my mind right for school, which starts this week. Check out some of the highlights in the slideshow below:



When I got back I realized that we are given breaks and vacations for a reason. I recommend to everyone before you go back to school, while you are there, or if you are a professional, USE THE VACTION TIME YOU ARE GIVEN!!! That doesn’t mean you have to travel the world or spend all hard earned money; if you’re in school I know you are strapped for cash so I’m definitely not proposing you escalate your debt.

What I am saying is when you have fall break, Christmas break, vacation days, etc. use them and take the time to really relax. Turn off the phone, computer, blackberry, electronic device of your choice, and just RELAX. The more days you do it the better. Go to the spa, walk in the park, sleep, or plan a trip to Italy, whatever floats your boat, but make sure you take the time for yourself and enjoy some personal time :).