Sentimental Moments

I had lunch with my thesis advisor today. It started out as a "Biochemist on the Run wants to know what she can do to get our paper out" meeting, and she clearly wanted to hang out after we were done. So we went to lunch. I realized that she really, really is my lab mom.

We sat outside for at least a good hour or so, just talking and enjoying the weather. I really have been so lucky to have her as a mentor. While she can have her moments of crazy (just like every mentor), in the end, she's a wonderful role model and example of who I want to be. She's incredibly hard-working, and possibly the most humble person I have ever met, despite her ridiculously long list of accomplishments. Even after working in science for many years, she is always optimistic and believes the best of her students. She has encouraged me for the past 2.5 years, and today (for the first time), we discussed my development as a scientist. We discussed her high-school age daughter, we discussed her husband, we discussed my parents.

Man, I'm going to miss her. She'll be my lab mom forever.

Speaking of sentimental moments, it's time to go to my last TAing of ochem lab (potentially ever!) as an undergrad. I'm going to miss my wombats!

How is your relationship with your first lab PI? Do you still keep in touch?

DONE.

All of the drama, all of my tears, and all of my effort has resulted in a 52 page biochem undergrad thesis.

And one that I'm not cringing to look at! :)

Now to finish the rest of the semester...

Soooo close.

Thesis is sooo close to being done. I'm handing it in to get bound on Friday.

New check list:
Poster for thesis
Catch up on TA grading
Much better thesis draft
Quantum chem paper
Final thesis edits
Inorganic homework
Grade lab notebooks

There's a presentation on Friday. But after Friday, other than physically walking my thesis to the people who need it, I'm done. Just need to take finals...wow.

If I make it this far through grad school, how much does anyone want to bet that I'll look back on this and laugh at how much I thought that this process rocked/sucked?

Oy.

Thesis has hit hard.

I'm sick and there's too much to be done on my thesis...and it's due in a little over a week.

Plus, there's plenty of other irritating deadlines/tasks in the next week:
Poster for thesis
Catch up on TA grading
Much better thesis draft
Quantum chem paper
Final thesis edits
Inorganic homework
Grade lab notebooks

I mean, I'm well aware that this isn't an impossible task. It just happens to be irritating stuff to either finish or start.

*grump* And boy is coming down for this weekend, along with two of my close friends who graduated a semester early. Laaaaaaaame.

Picked A Grad School!

I know where I'll be in Fall 2010! (I picked Place 2.)

I'd been leaning towards Place 2 for about a week, but couldn't say that I was going to Place 2 (now known as GradSchoolU). I finally made a decision after emailing a prof at GSU about doing a rotation with her. She responded back in a really positive way, and I'm happy and excited...and scared. Really scared.

I'm going to be challenged more than ever before. There is no guarantee of getting my Ph.D. Leaving all of my friends and profs that I've known for the past four years. I will no longer be the "star" of my lab. I will no longer be commended for putting in many hours each week into my lab work---it will be expected of me. Many of my friends that entered in Fall 2009 had a hellish first quarter/semester, and these are people who I respect as great in their respective fields. And I'll be entering into the "real world." (Sort of? I was scolded by one of my profs for calling it that, since "grad school isn't really the real world.") This will be a new place with new politics, new people to meet and avoid, and new locations of chemicals/equipment/supplies.

Then again, I'm really excited. I've only been able to do one summer where I did the biochem that I love and adore. When coming back to my PUI for my senior year, my senior year has been filled with completing a thesis in my lab here at school---I've been working in this lab since my sophomore year, and while I love my PI here, the biochem never truly caught me. I loved doing research, and when introduced to a subject that I adored as well as doing research---well, it was awesome! Getting to work on research that I find fascinating will be awesome, and being surrounded by other people who aren't all there for their letter of rec to med school will be really, really nice.

I'm excited. I'm scared. I can't wait, but I don't want to leave.

Anyone else out there have the same experience?