Recent work

Before Graduation

1. Proposal
2. Jobs
3. Research

It is a new day

Yesterday I talked to my friend about job searching. I am very surprised that he already went to 4 on-site interviews and there is another one next week.

It is already December and I think I have to do more for the job searching and research.

Happy Thanksgiving

In the US, Thanksgiving is a very special holiday. I like it and it is the reason for me to enjoy the winter in New England.

I am going to buy some stuff on the Black Friday. In the past 4 years, I never got up early to buy the special deal. Last year, I almost decided to do it, but finally gave up.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Exercise

Recently I found out that I have back pains. I am not sure when that started, but it should be due to the long hours I sitted in front of the computer.

I read some articles about back pains on line. The suggestion is that I should not sit all the time and I have to adjust my sitting gesture. It is easier say than done. When you are busy at work, it is hard to think of taking a rest.

Anyway, it would be better for me to exercise more and be healthy.

Two things

I decide to do my work more efficiently. Doing experiment usualy will take me more time than finding jobs. However, I spent too much time on the internet than doing what I should do. Therefore, I have made my mind that before 6 pm everyday I will concentrate on my experiments. After 6pm, I will do the job seraching stuff.

Recently I am very interested in research philophology. I tried to read some articles from the same person. After doing that, I would get the ideas about how they direct their PHD thesis. Right now it seems good for me.

Doing research

Yesterday there is a professor from JHU talking about his research. I like his research style very much. "Understanding and thinking" is very important when you do a project. If you understand the mechanism for your system, you can go a long way.

Today I talked to another Professor in our department. I respect him a lot because of his research style and the way he mentors students. He is a really good role model for me. I gain a lot of confidence after talking to him.

1. Be the best whatever you do.

2. Be pround of something once your name is on it.

2. Once you understand the mechanism, your project can go a long way.

I think doing research is a long term process. Sometimes it is slow when you try to understand something, but once you get it you will extend it for very long.

It is time

It is November now. I don't have too much time until I graduate.

The strategy I use is not efficient and very likely will fail.

I need help.

Future

After a honest talk, I have almost made up my minde.

Just go for it.

Friday Night

There was a lecture by a famous professor talking about how to get his tenure.

His friend: What is the secrect to get the tenure.
Professor: Come to my office at Friday night 10pm, I will tell you.

It is a very good way about working hard.

Yes, I am in my office now and the time is 11pm at Friday night. But I don't think I am working.

I read some posts on PTT. Even I am in the US, I am always interested in knowing news in Taiwan. I was impressed and moved by some of the people talking about their works in Taiwan. The economy seems not good nowadays, but most people still work hard.

I should appreciate what I have now.

Group meeting yestederday

I presented yesterday in our group meeting and got some feedback. It was very helpful for me. Recently I tried different project but did not really go into very deep in those projects.

I worried before presenting that my boss would say that I just do some unimportant things and give up easily. But it seems that he was satisfied with some of my results.

It is Friday again and I have to make some new plans for doing experiments.

New Plan

I always have new plans. Some plans works, some plans don't. But it is always good to have a new start.

I have to present my research this afternoon. I am not sure if I will get any constructive opions or not. After the meeting, I will have my new plan.

Postdoctoral

Last night I went back home feeling bad about my throat. Therefore most of the time today I stayed at home. I was kind of nervous that someone will call me today about something happen in the lab.

In the afternoon, I read some articles on MITbbs. I usually like to stay on the boards like Faculty, Postdoc, Chemistry and Polymer. Biology is a board that I rarely go, but today spent sometime on it. People there recently discuss about retreat from the area of biology and change their major to others like finance. The conlcusion is that there are so many postdoc and very few opening there.

After coming to the library, I read the Nature articles. What a coincidence! There is also another article talking about a similar topic. But it mainly discuss the situation in Japan. At 1995, the Japan governorment start a new plan to increase the number of postdoctoral researchers. At 2000, there 15000 postdoctorals, whcih is exceed their goals of 10000.

They got a big problem now. There is not enough positions in academia for those postdoctorl researchers.

I think it is a very common situation and it makes me think more about my future.

Big Apple

I like New York.

I think I will stay in the lobby near Trump Tower tomorow. Hope that I can take a rest there.

I learn something new from a TV show interviewing Doanld Trump the day before yesterday. Some person asked him to answer about "lucky". I have the same quesiton, partly because I think that Donald is just lucky enough to be born in a very rich family.

Donald answered and gave a very interesting example about some golf player. I did not remember about too much of the detail. But the last sentense is very interesting for me "The harder you work, the luckier you get". I got something deep in my mind.

Writing is hard

There are several steps involved in writing. In order to be a good scientist, I have to excel in writing. I thought I got the ideas and had a formula how to do a step-by-step writing. But until now, I think I still got a lot of trouble in writing.

Maybe it is just a culture thing. We asian students are always in reading and taking exames. But for writing and speaking, it is tougher for everyone. I realized that I am writing my master thesis. One of my friend told me that the best way is to write a thesis that sucks. The important thing is you have to get the first draft out and modify it is easier.

I got a lot of trouble writing my first year reports in my first year. I am always not confident about whay I write. If something is shown on the internet, I think it should be better than my sentense.

This situation always happen. But I am going to conquer it. I mean it.

Finally I know the truth

Finally I get the ideas about my problem in recent days. I think it is pretty hard to think what is right or what is wrong. But I am now veyr confident about that.

Anyway, I am not sure if I want to attend the "Grant writing" workshop this afternoon or not. Hmm, I think I should go.

One month ago I attend a "Grant writing" workshop from our "A PHD is not enough" event in our school. I should say that is is very useful and I learned a lot. But the problem is that I got more ideas about getting funding is a tough job. That discouraged me a little bit.

Doing research in difficult

Sometimes I rather stay in the office than go to the lab. The reason is not really clear. But I found out later that it is normal for every graduate student. Of course you will see some examples that people always get nice results and seems have no troubles doing experiments.

But I think the truth is : Nothing is easy. You will always face difficulty doing something. The important thing is that you should be strong in your mind. The past does not equal to the future.

Wrong vocation

I bought my dinner in Mom's house and ate inside my car while listening to Hill's audio book. He was talking about the 34(not sure) comman causes for failure. One of them is choosing the wrong vocation. It is just what I want to here recently. Another one is also important: Intentional dishonesty. For pursuing a carrer in Science, I should bear that in my mide.

Today's interview

The interview today is my third interview. Yesterday I attended the company's informaiton section. I got some ideas about what are the main products of this company. But working in such a company is quite boring.

I think that I would prefer a more challenging job. I like doing research and I also like doing business. Anyway, I will figure out what I want soon.

New week

Sitting in my office, I start my new day of a week. Recently I am very busy because there are so many things to do. In order to do a better time management, I have to understand which thing is more important. Usually more important things are more difficult to do. That's is why I always do a lot of things except the tough one.

Tony Robbins

I am kind of tired after dinner. So I watced the vedio about the biography of Tony Robbins. It is interesting about the life path he went through. But I really appreciate about what his life mission is -to help people.

I hope that I can have similar life mission. I remember that I have several times experience helping people. I hope that I can do something like Tony in the future.