I went for our department's graduate open house today, from noon to dinner. We were given talks by the head of biochemistry and Prof Rini who's the coordinator of graduate programme. Later we went on a 'tour' to see some top notch facilities in medscience building and nearby hospitals. The instruments are really cool, especially the protein 3D simulation programme which's basically a giant computer with thousands processors and a big screen that simulates protein breathing and possible inhibitor/binding interactions through thermodynamic calculations. You have to wear special glasses to view it in 3D though and I stood there wondering how they could derive so much information just from the visual aspect of it. Bonds shown as dotted lines break and rejoin on screen as the molecules vibrate and I forgot to mention the system cost millions of dollars! I felt like a spectator worshipping King Kong, one of the wonders that is.
Wonders aside, I'm really worried about getting into a good graduate programme. I was totally clueless last year. I should've actively searched for lab jobs last summer instead of going home, lazing around and wasting my time!! It's hard to get the first research job without any previous experience. There're so many factors to worry about I don't even have the courage to list them down. The interview I went for two days ago didn't seem promising to me, partly because the Prof I applied to work with is famous and popular and I have an inkling she's looking for straight A students and I'm not. Still I don't think I should just let it go. Her lab is really interesting and I'd really regret it if I can't have the experience. Applying to our own department profs is another matter to consider. I'm more and more unsure as what I want to do for research... Right now it feels like something related to genomics and celluar biology and what the combinations of the two can bring. Wish me luck... in this potential jobless season one should strive... The little piece of paper I got out from the Chinese fortune cookie during dinner says this 'Read in order to survive.' and it sure sounds a warning.
4 comments:
I say you shower the department with apps emails and see how many profs reply. chances of hitting one is much higher. and you won't be wasting time. :) that's what i did. i shot out about 20+ emails of which 5 profs replied. yah. it's hard. but keep trying. it's harder to find a lab you like actually, but you should raise your chance of even meeting the prof... lets say, send 10?
Good luck Zhu!
I'll have to second what Shu said, as it's pretty much what I was going to say. Don't give up on something you want--grow talons, sink in, and be tenacious.
Thannnnk you guys!! (bow!)
Sure that's a quality I have to learn to possess, tenacity I mean...
George in our class sent 50+ mails in 2 hours and he got quite a few replied. don't give up, it's just the matter of whether you want to get it started or not.
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