YareliChem

{ 11-1-17 } 60/100 days of productivity

Hey there!

I will tell you right now, and I want you to repeat this to yourself every single day: It is not impossible for you, in your current situation, to get into grad school. If grad school is something you really really really want–like with a thirst and a fire and an unquenchable passion–then you will work hard to achieve those dreams. 

That being said, let’s talk about what you can do. In general, I would advise to: talk to your advisor, try to increase your GPA as much as possible this year, and when applying to grad school, highlight your other strengths:

Work as hard as you can to increase your GPA this year. It sounds like something isn’t really clicking in the world of academia, and you may not even know what it is or how to fix it. I would recommend talking to your advisor, or some other mentor (like a favorite professor, or even friend who’s been through something similar), and just… talk. Talk about how you study, how you remember things, etc. They may recommend a new study strategy that works better for you, or give you other options (like taking less classes, or showing you where to get free tutors, etc). There is also an option to take summer or winter classes at nearby community colleges and transfer over the credits. These classes are sometimes easier (and definitely cheaper). I did this for Physics bc math is not my jam, and just transferred my credits to my university. Still counts! And remember: a 2.3 GPA is not a death sentence–you can climb out of that hole. But maybe for you, the way to climb out isn’t the stairs 80% of students are taking–maybe you need a ladder, or a rope, or some other creative solution like slowly shoveling dirt into the pit (link to a cute fable about a donkey that fell into a well). And you will need to find a way to stay academically successful in grad school anyway, as the classes don’t get any easier, and usually a grade of C or below in any class is grounds for a “talk” with your committee/program. 

Some schools may pay more attention to your Science GPA than your overall GPA. Do you have classes that aren’t science related that are bringing your overall GPA down? If so, there are areas in the application to enter both GPAs, and you can talk about this in your personal statement. 

And speaking of, explain the reason for your GPA in your personal statement when applying. Perhaps there were health or family reasons. Perhaps you started off college with a low GPA but since then, you’ve been steadily improving. The personal statement is the area where you can explain this, and write it in such a way to show that your GPA is not who you are, and shouldn’t reflect your potential. 

Earn stellar test scores on the GRE (and/or other required standardized tests). I would recommend taking the Biology (or another science) Subject GRE along with the regular GRE. You can show your prospective schools that you are serious about your education–despite the low GPA–by scoring well on these tests.

Show your strengths through other means, such as research. If you’re not volunteering/working in a research lab (or something equivalent), I would recommend doing so ASAP. Not only is experience usually a requirement for most graduate programs, it gives you options to get your name on published papers, posters, presentations, etc etc. You can also have your research mentor write you a letter of recommendation that speak to your strengths. Even a summer internship is good (and even better, if that internship was competitive). You can also work as a research technician or some other entry-level researcher after you graduate college for a few years to save money and gain experience. That’s what I did, since I was lacking in the latter. Five years of real-life lab experience + a multitude of published papers in your name could speak louder than your GPA. 

Applying to less competitive schools may increase your chances of admission. Take some time online to seek out these programs. Every graduate program at an accredited university will be a good graduate program, and a MS or PhD is a degree no matter which school it comes from. 

Talking your an advisor is really the best option though, as they know you and your academic record (and I don’t), so they can offer the best table of choices. 

I wish you the best of luck! Please let me know if there’s anything else I can do to help you! 

Try applying for a post-baccalaureate research program (PREP). That’s what I’m trying to do now. NIH has a list of them here. This is currently my plan. It’s usually a year long program where you spend 75% working as a lab tech, and other time, the school gives you GRE prep and workshops to help make your grad school application stronger. AND you get a stipend. These are also competitive, but if you have strong letters of recommendation and/or are a underrepresented group, you stand a chance.

If I don’t get in, I’m gonna get a job as a lab tech and study for the GRE Biochemistry subject test, which are my areas of interest.

Spaced repetition. Study short, but often. It is more productive to have regular study sessions with short sleeping breaks in between. 

Find your own style. Find the study style that suits you the best. Some people like to study alone, some snack during class, etc. 

Sleep! This one’s pretty obvious. Lack of sleep decreases your concentration. 

Focus! This one’s pretty obvious too. Keep all distractions away to increase productivity. 

The Pomodoro Technique. Set your timer to 25 minutes where you focus on your studies, take a short break, and repeat the process. [I personally like to use the app ‘Tide’, but there are other apps you can download] 

Do the hard material first. Most people have the strongest willpower in the morning [not me], and when you do the hardest material first, you’ll feel more motivated to get more work done. 

Exercise, meditate, and converse. Regular physical exercise, meditation, and group conversations are proven to grow your brain. 

Go places. You can create deeper memories of a subject if you learn in a richer environment that offers more visual clues. 

Take fun seriously. Find a fun way to study, it’ll make it more enjoyable for you. Positive emotions are important for increasing your potential. 

Space your studies. Repeat the material in spaced intervals. This means reviewing whatever you’ve learnt every few days. 

30% Read, 70% Recite. You can use this when you have to memorise a poem in 1 hour. Spend 20 minutes reading, and 40 minutes reciting, this should lead to the best results. 

After you’ve finished studying, quickly test yourself. Immediate recall in the form of a test or a short summary can increase retention up to 30%. 

Don’t force it. Unfortunately, you can’t force yourself to be motivated to do work. 

Why do I feel like I’ve typed this out before…

Like or reblog if this helped, and comment what other videos you’d like me to type out :-) 

Mendeley is the greatest program ever

I want to weep with joy every time I use it

Just click a button when you pull up an article and it will automatically save it to your library

And cite it for you

And you can use it on your mobile devices

And it’s free

You can use it to highlight, write notes, mark up, etc. What I do is I highlight all the important jazz, use the comments to write notes on the document, and on the side bar, I write an annotated bib for it for future me. It save everything you write on it forever for you and you can put the articles in folders and organize it.

I’m having next Wednesday my first professional interview (eeeeek) so I decided to share the research I’m doing. I googled all of this and chose the information I found most important, and organized it. I truly hope it’s helpful for someone out there :)

PLAN AND PRACTICE:

always do your homework: learn about the organization, its ideas and story 

don’t necessarily memorize responses, but try to have a planned general strategy for answering common interview questions

practice in front of the mirror

be ready to briefly describe related experience

compare your qualifications to what the organization wants from you

COMMON INTERVIEW QUESTIONS:

“What’s your biggest weakness?” Think of a genuine issue you have as well as ways you have managed to work with/around it.

“What’s your biggest strengths?” Stand out from the crowd and don’t be afraid to speak about your strengths in an authentic and compelling way. See if your strengths align with the company’s needs.

“ Why do you want this job?”/ “Why should we hire you?” Stay focused on why your background makes you an ideal candidate and tell them how you are going to contribute to that department and that company. 

“Tell me about yourself.” Don’t tell them your life story, instead discuss what your interests are relating to the job and why your background makes you a great candidate.

“Why did you leave your last job/position/school?” Do not go into details about your dissatisfaction, tell them that while you valued the experience and education you received, you felt that the time had come to seek outo a new opportunity, expand your skills and knowledge, and to find a company with wich you could grow. Try to put a positive spin on things. Be honest if you were fired but don’t trash your previous boss.

“Where do you see yourself in five years?”  Be honest about what your greater aspirations are.

And much much much more (from your behaviour to work experiences, education, interests and motivation or problems and challeges you’ve faced previously), I would encourage you to try to write down some topics for each questions that work for you. Being prepared is everything.

THE DAY OF THE INTERVIEW:

sleep and eat well so you look rested and healthy on the big day

give yourself time to calm down/meditate/relax

don’t noodle around on your phone or electronic device while waiting - it may communicate boredom and frivolousness, maybe stick your notebook/notes

What to wear: normally it’s best to dress neutral, professionally/formal, not overly fashionable or trendy, and brightly colored clothing is bad. Make sure your clothes are neat and wrinkle free, and make sure your image is very clean and neat.

What to bring: if revelant, extra copies of your resume on quality paper, a notepad or professional binder and pen, information you might need to complete an application.

IMPORTANT TIPS:

make eye contact

show courtesy to everyone during the interview, this means everyone from the reception staff to the interviewer herself

smile

have good posture

avoid fidgeting too much or playing with your hair/touching face

have a good handshake

don’t cross your arms over your chest

walk, act, talk with confidence

be comfortable and relaxed

choose the words you say

don’t place stuff on their desk

manage your reactions - facial and body expressions give clues on how you feel: project a positive image

show interest and enthusiasm

show warmth and personality - being personable is about getting the interviewer’s emotional side to like you and believe in you

don’t lie to make it seem like you know something you don’t. You probably won’t fool your interviewer, and admitting to not know something is much more impressive than lying

be honest

keep things simple and short, talk in 30-90 second chunks. Any less and you’re likely to seem unqualified; any more and your interviewer is likely to lose interest in what you’re saying

THINK OF QUESTIONS TO ASK: participating actively during the interview gives a good impression of your level of interest in the job. Most of times it is more adequeate to ask in the end of the interview.  But I feel like you really need to make sure your questions are adequate. Examples:

“What types of training opportunities do you offer?”

“What are the chances for professional growth in this job opportunity?”

“Is there anything else I can provide you with that would be helpful?”

ALWAYS ask the “ When can I expect to hear back from you about the position?” question if  the interviewer does not tell you. 

Good questions are open-ended, and thus cannot be answered with a “yes” or “no.” Better questions are behavioral: they ask how things are done or have happened in the past, because current and past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior.

AFTER THE INTERVIEW:

shake hands with the interviewer - try to invest some feeling into the handshake and pleasantries, even if you think you bombed the interview

hold your head high and keep your cool

your emotions are probably teetering at the highest of highs or the lowest of lows, but try to stay measured

project a cool confidence, not cockiness, and walk out of the interview with your head held high

SOMETHING TO ALWAYS KEEP IN MIND:

when you know in your heart and your gut that you bring to the table something just as valuable as a paycheck and maybe much more – your tremendous experience, intellect and instinct – you’ll carry yourself differently. You won’t trip over your words in an effort to please His Majesty or Her Highness, because you’ll see yourself and the interviewer as equals on a level playing field.