My Advisor

It occurs to me that the "How Research Works" posts may appear a little harsh out of context.  Behind the cut is something I wrote for my teaching class about my relationship with my advisor.  I have a lot of problems with the way graduate school works, but I'm really grateful for the relationship I have with my advisor (even through she drives me crazy about 50% of the time).

How Research Works: VIII

A VERY LARGE LECTURE HALL: 12:45PM

STUDENT
I have a question about this exam.

INCREASINGLY BITTER TEACHING ASSISTANT
Yeah?  How can I help you?

STUDENT
Some of the choices in this multiple question don't make sense to me.

INCREASINGLY BITTER TEACHING ASSISTANT

How so?

STUDENT
They aren't correct.

STUDENT
So how am I supposed to answer the question...?

INCREASINGLY BITTER TEACHING ASSISTANT

...If you think three of the four choices are incorrect?

STUDENT
Right.  I think there must be a typo or something.

INCREASINGLY BITTER TEACHING ASSISTANT

There is no typo.  I suggest thinking about what strategy you normally use to answer these types of questions.

STUDENT

I don't understand.  I'll just ask the professor.

Captain America

This... doesn't look so bad actually.



This looks like it might not be terrible.  I'm honestly surprised.  The continuity creep in these movies (Hey look kids Iron Man's Dad helped make Captain America!) is really annoying though.  I could also do without the Zack Snyder-esque slow motion.  Hopefully there won't be too much of it in the actual movie.  Anyway, this might just be worth seeing.

How Research Works: VII

THE LAB: 5PM

ADVISOR
When you all have lunch with the perspective student tomorrow, do try to reign in the graduate student bitterness.

SENIOR GRAD STUDENT
As in, don't talk about how crazy the department is, and how terrible Long Island can be?

ADVISOR
Exactly.

JUNIOR GRAD STUDENT
I like the department and Long Island has nice sandwiches.

SENIOR GRAD STUDENT
...

ADVISOR
Also don't mention the impending doom that is the hundred million dollar budget cuts, the increasing class sizes, the incredibly low moral, or the schedule I make you all keep.

How Research Works: VI

THE LAB: 11AM

ADVISOR
This exam question is incorrectly graded.  The question is asking which statement is incorrect, correct?

STUDENT
Right

ADVISOR
So the correct answers are incorrect?

STUDENT
Yes

ADVISOR
So three answers are correct?  I'm confused.  Why aren't they incorrect?

STUDENT
The three correct answers are incorrect because they are correct.  The question is asking the student to choose the statement that is incorrect amongst the correct ones.

ADVISOR
Are there cookies anywhere?  I need cookies.

Pirates

If the last 2.5 movies in this franchise were any indication, this is going to be significantly (p<0.05) less than great.



Ian McShane as a pirate though? That is something I can get behind.

Drone

...and now for the polar opposite of last week's mix.  This mix is a bit longer than usual, which is due the length of many of the songs and the eight song minimum.

I got into both Mogwai and Explosions in the Sky in college, when I listened to music mostly while working in the lab or hanging out in my dorm room.   Though there is some new stuff on this playlist, this is basically a list of things I listened to while a senior in college.  Things haven't changed much, though my iTunes library is now significantly more eclectic I have a real apartment.

We've been covering the sensory systems in Biopsych lately.  The title of the playlist is a reference to that. As usual, the title and the contents of the list are unrelated.