Academically yours

Well, summer vacation is just about over. Thursday is our first day of classes. The quarter shouldn’t be too rough. I’m taking two classes (statistics (a focus on ANOVA) and stress physiology of plants). Also probably a graduate seminar in statistics, which should be useful and possibly even interesting. ANOVA Statistics will probably be a drag, but the plant ecophys class should be fun. They’re both undergraduate level, so I don’t expect to be daunted at all. In fact, I hope to be a curve-wrecker =D. Not that it matters… Grad students aren’t considered in the curve. ‘Twouldn’t be fair.

And how am I spending my last few precious days of summer? Oh, raptures! I’m writing a proposal!! Or at least, I’m attempting to… Here’s what I have so far:

Understanding the lag period of biological invasions:
A case study of yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis)
Introduction

Pretty spiffy, huh? Oh sure, you say, there’s no content yet… Whatever. I know what I’m going to write about. For the introduction at least. I’ve been planning that out for weeks. It’s gonna be good =). I’m just lazy about writing it, because that will involve dredging up all the papers I want to cite to support my argument. That’s why I’m writing it here in the trailer, where I store all my papers. Frabjous day, there’s 573 of them!

This proposal writing bilge is what’s going to make the quarter a drag. At least two really major, really prestigious fellowships are due in November, the first being NSF. The way I figure, NSF is a sure thing for me this year. I mean, just look at the historical trend: My senior year I applied and was summarily rejected. Last year I was applied and awarded honorable mention (a disappointing, yet still impressive achievement). If this upward climb continues, the only possible outcome this year is unqualified success! But I’m not going to put all my eggs in one basket. I’ll also subject the EPA and NASA to my proposal, and probably a few other institutions as well.

So yeah… Just thought I’d let you guys know what I’m up to, as I always do when confronted with the depressingly empty expanse of a paper (or proposal) to be written.