Finding Help

Perhaps this is too personal, but my grandfather passed away this week. It reminded me that we all go through tough times, and you aren't alone if something similar happens to you. What do you do when there is a family emergency?

1. Tell your professors, especially if there are looming deadlines.  Some are nicer than others. Be sure to talk to (or email) them.  See if you can work out an arrangement for turning work in/ exams. Some will allow generous deadlines, others will require you to abide by the syllabus.
2. If a professor is not budging, go to the college. However, this needs  extreme circumstances, and I've heard requirements of death certificates and such. Hopefully a doctor's note will work.
3. On- campus counseling is available and FREE! Don't be ashamed. I've had to go to counseling myself.  For non-urgent matters, go to CAPS's website.  To request an emergency appointment, go here. There is also a number to call for after-hours.

This is often something that people don't discuss, and therefore, don't know how to deal with. Use the resources the university has to offer; your school fees cover the cost.

Grad School Applications (In Progress)

It's that time of year again, Graduate School Applications! It has been very stressful, and while looking over which programs to apply for, I keep thinking, "What did I really want out of grad school?"

I even asked a couple friends, "Should I even apply to grad school? I don't even know what I want yet!'  Many have replied, "I think you should." And I agree with them. However, the uncertainty makes me uneasy and afraid my application won't be strong enough for my lack of direction. (It goes along the lines of never telling an interviewer that you don't know what you want to do).  I've thought about graduate school for 3 years, and in a year, I'm gunna say the same thing. Heck, I've already taken the GRE.  

But I've narrowed down my list of fields like this:

• Nanotechnology
• Materials
• Energy/ Combustion
• Controls...maybe...
• Biotechnology...I've read too many medical ethics books...
• Aerospace

Okay, I could see myself continuing to learn about combustion/ energy. The field is growing pretty quickly, and maybe I could throw some controls in there. 

As my Lil Sis (Nassim) has attempted to remind me, "You have the right to change your mind!", I try to keep this lingering in my frontal cortex before my hypothalamus takes over with my fear response.

So I've been spending my Saturday afternoons/nights working on applications. You'll be so proud of me! Gathering information, writing up my profile, narrowing down schools, narrowing down who should give me a letter of recommendation (which is such a hard decision!), thinking of backups, and finally contacting those people.  Yesterday, I contacted them, and that's another big hurdle that we're all nervous of (What if they say no! You ask someone else, haha). Mission Part I complete.

I was also nervous about who to ask for feedback on my Personal Statement. My mom is a terrible person for this; she'll read it and say, "Yes, that's nice honey." 

BUT I NEED YOU TO GIVE ME FEEDBACK! So....in other words, my mom is ruled out.  Then, I learned that the Student Academic Success Center is willing to read your Personal Statement and give feedback! Thank goodness! Mission Part II complete.

Graduate school applications is such a long process...good thing I know generally what I'm doing...

-Serena

Current Status

It's my last quarter at UC Davis for my undergraduate degree.  About 2 months ago, I was excited to start school again.  Two weeks ago it hit me; it's my time to leave.  I've had a great 4 years.

Do you regret anything?

I tell everyone the same answer. Think back to yourself in that past moment. Would you have made a different decision knowing what you knew then? For me, that answer is, "No." Therefore, I don't regret  myself in the moment. 

Where are you headed? 

Honestly, I haven't worked very hard to "figure out" my future. You could call it depression, or maybe even laziness. I've spent 4 years worrying about things that worked out. Right now, I call it going with the flow.

The real answer: I'm applying for both jobs and master's degree programs. Which one shall I chose? That will be answered when it comes time to answer it. :-)

What are you going to miss?

I'm already sad that I won't be able to do "Science Fridays" with the local elementary school. My passion is outreach (hence, this blog!), and I'm trying to see how to incorporate it into my new life after school.

Will you continue the blog?

Of course! You can still submit questions. Just because I'm graduating doesn't mean I've lost all of my knowledge of the university, haha.

Sorry!

Hey guys,

If you haven't noticed we've been slacking a bit on the blogging front recently. We're both heading into hell week so things have been crazy (like up til 4 am to finish work crazy).

Just wanted to let you guys know we're still here! If you guys have any requests for the blog just remember to email Serena or myself. I'll try to do several blog posts this weekend and just spread them out over the next few weeks that I'll be busy.

Cheers,

N. Riazi

Tech Tuesday! : Wizard of Oz GPS Shoes

So what do I do when i'm extremely bored and my credit card is calling my name? I order shoes. Not them high heeled back breakers, these would be nice nike high tops with .....i'm getting off topic. Well, on my search this week I came across these shoes by Dominic Wilcox:

Not only are these shoes classically stylish, but they're the perfect shoe for direction challenged folk like myself. Inspired by Dorothy's heels in the wizard of Oz, one click of these heels and they'll guide you home; all you have to do is upload your destination and you're off. No more wandering down streets attempting to look more lost than you are, miming looking in different directions hopelessly in hopes some poor local will take pity on  you. 

These are currently on display at the London 2012 Design Festival. You can check out his project HERE.

Cheers,

N. Riazi

Resume

It's that time of year again....updating your resume! All of the large companies (especially oil companies) start their recruitment in early October, and September is a great time to add your summer experience and get someone to critique your current style.

Danielle has already done a previous post, but here are some links that I like to look at:

Career Resource Manual, UC Davis Internship and Career Center
This is a GREAT resource! If you need to format your resume or cover letter, or if you need a list of verbs to look from, be sure to look at this. This is usually where I refer people first.

Ask A Manager
One of my favorite blogs. People submit questions (many including, "Is this legal?"), and she answers them. The first time I found it, I was absorbed for a couple of hours.

        Good thing to note: she always advocates the use of a cover letter...even if it's not required. If I don't have an option, I'll usually upload a resume with the cover letter in the same document....that way, they won't miss it. The only exception: when the application says, "No cover letters, please." I've seen it once.

Look out for resume workshops. Potential places to have your resume looked at:

• Career Center
• Academic Advisor
• Recruiting companies that hold "resume workshops"- I had Chevron look at my resume a few years back. My main tactic: let them meet me and see my qualifications before I apply, hehehe.
• Friends

       Good thing to note: Please, Please, Please, Please, try your best at a resume before you have someone look at it. It's really annoying to see an un-formatted list of jobs without descriptions, dates, and formatting. The reviewer is reviewing your resume, not creating it from scratch.

Good luck with the job search!

Serena

Looking Ahead

As many of you know, I spent a quarter/semester in Washington DC last Fall. I worked for NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

I had a friend who wanted to know a good timeline for officially applying for everything. So here's my timeline of events for large "life" events:

Fall 2010: Decision to take a quarter off in Fall 2011 decided (Washington DC or Co-op elsewhere)
Late Fall 2010/ Early Winter 2011: applied for Washington Program
Late Winter 2011: Acceptance into the Washington Program
Spring through Summer 2011: Applying for jobs/internships in the DC area
Fall 2011: Worked in Washington DC

So, you should plan for about a year in advanced. However, there are other programs and events that take longer. If you are interested in a specific program, it doesn't hurt to look ahead of time.

Also, I know many of you are rushing to graduate.  But just a reminder: it isn't a good idea to graduate if you don't have any job experience. If you can, I would recommend two engineering internships before you graduate. If you can't, one engineering internship is good, but two is better. And if you absolutely cannot land an engineering internship, make sure to have a job. I've seen people who don't have any experience whatsoever (no volunteer, no McDonalds, nothing).

In addition, I would be wary of Summer school. Working and attending school is often a good setup, but not always feasible. Use the summer to build your skills, even if it is flipping burgers. You'll be able to market your skills for punctuality, teamwork, handling money (trust), dealing with customers professionally and politely. It's way more than school will ever give you.