Let the Grad School Begin!

Sarah and I now reside in Muncie, IN.  Following a relaxing summer, we moved on Tuesday, August 10th.  We are living in university housing: Scheidler Apartments.  We have a two-story apartment that feels a little tight occasionally, but I think it is just what we need. 

Sarah will continue her job in Marion, IN at the Growth Council.  It will be about a forty-minute commute, but it is a good job and definitely worth the commute.  She will probably be there for another year or two before looking for another job in the Muncie area. 

For those who are wondering, I will be completing a two-year Master's degree in Biology.  I am planning on simultaneously completing a Biotechnology certificate along with my Master's.  Biotechnology is fun (at least to me) and contains many of my interests.  I have essentially secured a thesis adviser, as long as I perform up to her expectations in her course this semester.

My course load is nine credits: two main three-hour classes and three minor one-hour classes.  You may need to read that again.  Here it is in numerals, in case some of you think mathematically: 2 3-hr classes and 3 1-hr classes = 9 credits total.  My main classes are 1) Intro to Recombinant DNA & RNA Techniques and 2) Human Genetics & the Problems of Humankind.  My three other classes are seminars and discussion clubs.  Classes officially begin Monday.

Yesterday (Wednesday) was the Grad School Orientation for all new grad students.  This included a tour of campus, greetings and advice from the dean of the graduate school, and a time for a panel discussion.  I did learn some helpful tips, but overall I wasn't too fascinated by the events of the day.  What was more exciting was when I ran into Taylor alum after Taylor alum, and by the end of the day I had ran into eight fellow Taylor alumni.  I did not know any of them that well, but I knew them well enough to recognize them and say, "Hey, you went to Taylor," right as they spotted me and thought the same thing.  They are pursuing graduate degrees in disciplines ranging from psychology to music to creative writing.  What a nice surprise it was to run into them.

This morning was the Biology Dept. orientation for all new Biology grad students.  This was much more interesting, probably because I was surrounded by nerds of all ages, of which I am one.  We learned about the department's facilities, met some fellow students and faculty members, and some of us learned about our duties as graduate assistants, of which I am also one.  The orientation concluded with some advice about courses....followed by free pizza!

As I wrote above, I am serving as a graduate teaching assistant.  This means that I help teach a lab section of an undergraduate Biology course.  In exchange, the school waives my tuition and pays me a biweekly stipend.  I still have to pay student fees, but these fees are minimal when compared to tuition charges.  I learned this morning that I will be teaching and grading for the lab section of Bio 111, Principles of Biology 1.  I share a small office with another grad assistant.  I am required to work a total of twenty hours a week, sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less.  Some of those hours will be office hours, some will be time spent teaching in the lab, some will be spent grading, and some will be spent meeting with my superiors.  I think it's going to be a great experience, both in making connections and in gaining experience for the future. 

Upon completion of my two-year MS degree, I intend to begin a Doctorate program also here at Ball State.  That will take an additional three or four years; some of my Master's classes will carry over to that program, abating the number of credits I will need to complete in the Doctoral program.  It therefore looks like Sarah and I will be in Muncie for the next five or six years, most of those years probably spent in our current apartment. But I definitely need a doctorate so that I can be a professor.  Let it begin!

Tomorrow, we're going to run some errands around town as we begin to get into the swing of things as the school year sets in.  There are several orientation activities on campus this weekend.  Most of them are geared toward undergrads, but we may still take advantage of a few of them. 

Either Sarah or I will try to update this regularly, so check back often!

Au revoir,
Ben