On the menu for this weekend:

• Design survey questionnaire for factor analysis (I’m doing a research study to determine why so few math students are using online tutoring at my institution)
• Get approval from Institutional Research department to deploy my survey
• Diddle around with Tableau (I want to build a faculty-facing data dashboard breaking down tutoring utilization at my institution)

Y’all, I think I’m doing it! I think I’m growing into a baby data scientist!

I think that, for me, part of the appeal of data analytics / data science is the aspect of seeking structure in chaos. My executive functioning skills have been especially suffering during work-from-home times, but my graduate studies are helping me build the skills to take the chaos and disorder and translate it into an organized format that can then be analyzed, optimized, and used to better-understand the big picture.

Since I’m still floating around in survive-then-thrive mode, I don’t yet have the time to put together any helpful tips for others to consider; however, doing so is ultimately my major goal for this blog. Some topics I’ve already been learning and hope to address soon via new content are:

• Identifying reliable research via 6 key characteristics
• Building a strong hypothesis for a research study
• Designing effective research methods
• Understanding key concepts in beginner database management and design

Skills I haven’t learned yet but eventually want to share:

• Programming in R
• Programming in SQL
• …and likely SO much more

Goals for January 13th

Professional

• Attend Writing Center Director’s Day Out (Completed at 12:00 pm)
• Send out draft schedule (Completed at 2:00 pm)
• Finalize first week tutor reflection questions

Academic

• Set up financial aid direct deposit
• Spend 1hr learning SQL for data science
• Review web campus requirements to ensure I’m on-track to start

Personal

• Relax and enjoy Stardew Valley for 1hr (but no longer) (Completed at 7:30 pm)
• Spend 1hr reading for leisure / book club
• Spend 1hr on a walk without using social media (Completed at 1:30 pm)

Since I found out my grad program DOESN’T start today (they misprinted an updatedstart date — it actually begins the 25th), I unexpectedly have a little more time to enjoy myself before dipping into the full grad-grind!

I have been spending some of my leisure time tending to numerous plants, including my new (and growing) propagation station, as featured above! Currently, I’m trying to establish 3 buddies. From left to right are mint (already planted), ??? (Truly, I’ve no idea what the buddy living in the syrup bottle is), Zamioculcas zamiifolia (“ZZ”), and… a green onion!

Delightfully, the green onion is already growing new roots. The ZZ I’m less sure of. In general, I don’t know how well ZZs take to water propagation, but so far it’s leaves are still supple. As for the ??? plant, it has been hanging in water for weeks without rooting! Even so, it also remains pretty supple. So I guess we’ll just see how it goes, huh?

Unfortunately, most of the extra time will be devoted to the work-grind instead. The following are on this week’s menu of To-Dos:

• Finalize and publish the Spring tutoring schedule
• Co-write the conclusion/analysis for a small research paper (So excited!!)
• Finish developing “Welcome Back!” assignments

As much as I’m enjoying a break, COVID has me stir-crazy and I’m really looking forward to getting started on the next steps of my future career! As such, I cannot wait until I can get started with my program. By then, I should have more relevant and interesting content to share.

Goals for January 6th

• Cope, because sometimes we do just need to focus inwards before we can focus outwards

That’s it. There are not any other goals for today, and that’s perfectly okay.

Just sharing some can’t-focus, self-care, embracing-my-adhd vibes…

Working from home means spending all day working on a thesis right? I cannot wait to be back in the lab.

I finally finished the corset! Pictures to follow when I buy the lacings.

quantum-friend-theory:

⚛What questions do you have about particle physics,QFT,orgravity?⚛

I’m in the mood to do some writing & illustrating, and would love some inspiration! (Signal boosts welcome!)

The response to this open call for questions has been FANTASTIC! I adore the questions submitted so far. Thank you all so much!! (and please do keep them coming!)

⚛What questions do you have about particle physics,QFT,orgravity?⚛

I’m in the mood to do some writing & illustrating, and would love some inspiration! (Signal boosts welcome!)

I keep meaning to make a longer post and forgetting about it soooooo:

Some of my papers got cited by Big Name Physicists and Y'ALL that euphoria is going to carry me through the rest of 2019.

henryclervals:

henryclervals:

my fave thing about howell ‘howl’ jenkins (of moving castle fame) in the book is how he’s just a phd student. sure he built a portal to another world, regularly chats to the fireplace and won’t stop dyeing his hair but that’s what phd students are like.

howl’s thesis supervisor: mr jenkins when can i expect this lit review?!

howl, one foot in ingary: uhh….. soon

things i need to do this week, off the top of my head:

• send E. the details re. our abstract for the conference on Monday
• meeting with supervisors on Tuesday at 10am, so prepare how to present your data.
• public engagement training 8.30-15.30 on Wednesday
• xray at L. building at 10.45 and VACCINATION at 12.14 on Thursday
• SEND EMAIL TO TESOL GROUP FOR HOSTING MEETING & SET UP MEETING
• send the abstract to the conference on endangered languages by Friday
• attend talk: tlang by chinese/english bilinguals in diverse contexts on Friday, 14.30-16.00
• SEND L.E. DOCUMENTS OFF on Friday
• APPLY TO HELD SUMMER SCHOOL!! DEADLINE JUNE 1ST

further notes:

• a&a will send me previous PhD students’ theses as examples
• meet A. in June in Glasgow?
• end of June: deadline for first draft
• look into Lippi-Green and ask A for those two sources
• post on Plansız Şeyler to advertise TESOL multiling edu chat
• email A. again for a few other backup conferences for the findings chapter, the ones you found last night. try to also look for ones that will publish proceedings!

ideally:

• write 750 words for the findings 1 chapter after supervisory meeting by Sunday. this might be affected by the sheer amount of things you need to do + vaccination side effects, so don’t stress too much!
• translate 500 words for the project
• PROOFREADING DUE BY END OF MONTH
• STOP APPLYING TO JOBS

Taking a nap, the grad student becomes more productive.

Making remarkable progress on his research, the grad student wonders what disastrous mistake will eventually blow up in his face.

Wrapping up another year, the grad student reflects on how much and how little has changed at the exact same time.

Having nothing new to show his advisor, the grad student takes evasive action.

Noticing another gray hair on his head, the grad student increasingly stops caring.

Accomplishing next to nothing, the grad student is still exhausted.

Receiving his vaccination, the grad student shudders at the thought of having flimsier excuses to avoid social interaction.

Scrolling through colleagues’ social media posts regarding their new working papers and publications, the grad student wants to unfollow himself.

Kicking off spring break, the grad student watches videos of places he wishes he could visit.