Freedom!…from Quals, at Least

The dreaded word for first and second years—qualifiers. That is, until you're done with them. In my grad program, qualifying exams consist of three area exams over the course two weeks: mathematics plus two areas of your choice spanning multiple undergraduate courses (thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, optics, etc.). I'm not fully out of the …

Here to Learn: Graduate vs. Undergraduate Classes

Graduate level classes are hard, especially when diving into the specifics. Welcome to the understatement of the year. But while classes are difficult and the material takes a lot of energy and effort to even attempt to understand, much less make sufficient heads-or-tails of it for a research setting, they are rewarding. I must admit …

Graduate School at a Top Tier

We are all familiar with the idea that universities fall into tiers. The tiers seem arbitrarily determined in some cases, but the harsh truth is that it is mostly a function of the money that flows through the university. Now, this doesn't mean that a university can't garner a reputation for being the best in …

Diving into the Deep End

One of my friend's dad clings to a strong belief that anyone who goes to grad school, not out of a professional capacity, such as to become a nurse or a doctor or lawyer etc., is a little bit off their rocker. The sad part is I'm inclined to agree even as it pertains to …