Ph Do What!?

Hello all, If you are unfamiliar with the mathematical convention, "N" in this case is some arbitrary positive whole number (i.e. not a fraction, not a decimal, not a negative number) 1 that represents the maximum number of posts of this type.  What it means in this context is that "Grad School is overwhelming" will be a recurring theme in this blog and many posts will probably have that as their title as I go on writing: there will be N posts titled "Grad School is Overwhelming." The first month of grad can best be summed up by the metaphor " drinking from a fire-hose ."  It's a pretty common analogy.  I am far from the first to use it, and I certainly won't be the last.  There's a lot of information, presented at a rapid pace, without time to properly assimilate that information. I have done more online trainings this month than I have in the preceding decade (and I spent most of that decade working wither with or for the Bqy S...

Ph Do What!? A  First Hand Prospective Case Study (n=1) of the Process of Obtaining a PhD Good day everyone, and welcome to Ph Do What!?, a blog detailing my experience going through a PhD program of study at a top United States research university.  Although I will be talking about the details of the science I'm working on, the main focus of the blog is the real personal experience, the challenges, the triumphs, and the much much more numerous failures. Who is this blog for?  I'm glad you asked.  This blog NOT aimed at my fellow scientists, at least not in the context of a professional, peer reviewed and academically rigorous depiction of experiments and data and results.  This blog is aimed at anyone who is undertaking a PhD, who is considering doing so, or who knows and loves anyone currently pursuing a PhD.  To those who are not academics, and have never been to graduate school but have children or siblings or lovers who are, I hope this...