October Goals

I know it is probably very boring for you to read my list of monthly goals. But it is a great help to me! I always have lots of lists taped to my office walls or on a post-it notes in my planner that I gleefully cross-off as I accomplish goals.

But those little notes to myself do not hold me accountable. Posting my work goals on the Internet makes me feel a bit more pressure. Which I definitely need if I am going to graduate in May!

So, thank you all (4 of you) for putting up with my "goal posts" (haha ... sorry).

Here they are for October (let's see if I can be more successful than September!):

• Collect & analyze ALL data from Experiment 1b
• Write significant draft for Experiment 1 paper
• Start collecting data for Experiment 2
• Finish getting replicates for Experiment 2
• Finish & submit pesky Thesis paper
• Write significant draft of CR field paper and get it out to co-authors
• Get together some lectures for a bunch of classes I agreed to teach the first week of November (hmmm... not even sure what these are about really...)
• Finish applying for jobs (until post doc season starts)

Oh ... and everything else that I need to do on a daily basis!
Hmmm ... too ambitious?

So long sweet summer ...

The "crazy" summer is now over, so I hope to get back into blogging!

Life is going OK here!

With the start of the new semester, I was granted a fellowship, which means I don't have to teach or be my boss's bitch. I get to focus on my own research!! My contract/letter even says that because this fellowship is a gift "no work is required". So cool! If I can get A LOT of stuff done this semester, I will actually get to graduate in May! So here's hoping the fellowship is a big help and I actually do get to focus on my own research!

Of course, with the "fellowship freedom", I was already asked by 2 different professors to lecture for them while they're out of town. This week I took over Evolution and in November I am doing a week of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology. In truth, I don't mind much. I like to give lectures and I like the topics I have been asked to cover. But it just makes me laugh that I have managed to be roped in to teaching when I am not getting paid to do so!

So, this semester, I hope to keep you up to date on my progress towards graduation! I hope to finish my dissertation, submit lots of papers (and make my Big 10) and find a job!

Wish me luck!!