tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post7463381265163786879..comments2024-03-25T02:33:41.590-05:00Comments on FemaleScienceProfessor: Location Location LocationFemale Science Professorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15288567883197987690noreply@blogger.comBlogger74125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-66962806963711804752012-10-20T11:45:38.677-05:002012-10-20T11:45:38.677-05:00I did account for the location, and although it is...I did account for the location, and although it is unrelated to the research itself, I think it is very much related to my performance.<br /><br />First, I don't know any other ways how to relieve stress and relax than several particular outdoor activities. It does not matter how tight my schedule is, I get all fidgety and restless when I spend time indoors, I cannot sit, hence I cannot read, I cannot work on computer... not good. During my studies, I figured out that eliminating outdoor sports (instead of limiting them) during exams is even worse, than cutting on sleeping time.<br /><br />The second problem is lack of daylight - I did not apply for a particular university in northern Scandinavia for this reason. Again, it was not question of pleasure or something like that; I thought that I would "less than 100%" for significant part of the year.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-23648205943174854452012-04-08T20:04:25.749-05:002012-04-08T20:04:25.749-05:00I know this is a very late response, but as someon...I know this is a very late response, but as someone starting to look at grad schools, location is very important. I have an SO that needs to be able to work (so sadly my most desired place isn't possible as it's in the middle of nowhere with the closest real city being 4 hours away), and I cannot live very far down south due to the fact that I get heat stroke/exhaustion really, really easily. (even growing up in lower Michigan was a problem sometimes - I don't want to even think about someplace like Arizona!)<br /><br />So my requirements are north of the mason-dixon (preferably very far north) and near a reasonably large city that would have computer programming jobs.Kessnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-63365246281988959332011-03-28T00:55:13.907-05:002011-03-28T00:55:13.907-05:00I chose a grad school without regards to geography...I chose a grad school without regards to geography (and, at the time, probably would have looked down on people for whom geography mattered!), and while I came out of there with a good education, I think I probably would have done better in a place that I did not hate hate hate so much. Most of the people I went to grad school with were deeply miserable in this place, but blossomed when they moved away. Grad school is really hard regardless of where you are, and living in a place you hate makes it harder.<br /><br />That said, grad school is ~5 years of your life, and there are a lot of things other than geography that have the possibility of making your life hell as a grad student. Geography becomes more important when you are thinking about permanent jobs. My husband and I are trying to figure out a long-term solution to our two-body problem, and so geography is on our minds all the time.Annikahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04596859875393013584noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-28432391200618766902011-03-26T19:04:57.717-05:002011-03-26T19:04:57.717-05:00Location mattered for two reasons: (1) the ability...Location mattered for two reasons: (1) the ability to get grants in the jurisdictions I was applying in; (2) whether I could be reasonably expected to enjoy a fair legal process if my research stepped on people's toes. Beyond these considerations I was only wanted to avoid living in a place with tons of snow that remained on the ground for extended periods of time.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-53095263042173604142011-03-26T10:08:24.807-05:002011-03-26T10:08:24.807-05:00Growing up on the west coast, I though grad school...Growing up on the west coast, I though grad school would be a good (i.e., limited duration and relatively sheltered) opportunity to experience the northeast or midwest. I visited two departments in the Boston area and two further west before applying to any grad schools; eliminated the Boston schools from consideration based on my visceral reaction to those departments; and applied to another midwestern department sight-unseen. <br /><br />Ultimately my decision was based on a combination of NRC ranking, reputation in subfield, geography, and overall "feel" of my visits. 18 years later, I still believe I chose well.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-72954669146245668802011-03-25T22:18:27.767-05:002011-03-25T22:18:27.767-05:00Location was very important to me - I wanted somep...Location was very important to me - I wanted someplace interesting, someplace where I hadn't been before, someplace where I could have adventures. I also wasn't that enthused about grad school for its own sake - I loved school and didn't know what else to do with my life, but I had no idea what grad school or an academic career would be like.<br /><br />But I still finished with a PhD from a top school in 4 years, so it's possible to go to grad school for all the wrong reasons and still have it work out all right (even for my advisor).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-24312851017698254952011-03-25T16:07:09.197-05:002011-03-25T16:07:09.197-05:00I thought my decision would come down to strength ...I thought my decision would come down to strength of the department, research opportunities and advisor (I already knew exactly what I wanted to work on). I wasn't even on planning to visit the cities before making my decision. But once I had it narrowed down to two schools with equally enthusiastic and normal-seeming advisors whose work I admired, I opted for the city that seemed less bleak and which had a lower crime rate. I really had no idea it would come down to that, but in the end, it did.6thyrgradStudentnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-8354666333520379302011-03-25T13:36:36.315-05:002011-03-25T13:36:36.315-05:00I have very complex home-life, and despite being s...I have very complex home-life, and despite being single I actually have a family to support, parents and siblings. So, wherever I go for grad school I will need to have enough stipend leftover. Even though I wanted to leave home, I'm still here and thankfully my supervisors and programs are fantastic. Though, it sometimes make me seem like I'm bipolar.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-11165804848677283622011-03-24T14:02:17.751-05:002011-03-24T14:02:17.751-05:00I worked in industry for several years before grad...I worked in industry for several years before grad school, mostly living in areas I wasn't that interested in staying in. I had two location-related criteria for grad school. First, it had to be in a location where I actually was interested in living. Second, it couldn't be within reasonable driving distance of my in-laws. All of the things like top programs & people I was interested in working with were very important as well, but I didn't apply to programs that didn't meet my geographic criteria.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-89280552435395061652011-03-24T10:28:49.540-05:002011-03-24T10:28:49.540-05:00As an international student who had never been to ...As an international student who had never been to the States before graduate school, the only geography-related factor in my decision was climate. I chose a program in DC because its climate profile was close to that of my favorite city. Luckily, the program also turned out to be the most prestigious in my field, but I had no way of knowing that before I came to the States, since my field is too small for official rankings.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-83471321321773780222011-03-24T08:42:59.535-05:002011-03-24T08:42:59.535-05:00I voted geography very important, because I only a...I voted geography very important, because I only applied to a single PhD program my home city state university, same place I did my undergrad. Reasons-- I was married, my husband was already in grad school there, we had recently bought a house, with a garden, which we liked, we liked the mountains, the hiking, we did not wish to relocate or find new homes for our 7 cats... It also turned out to have been a good decision a couple years later when my husband's mother was dying of cancer; it would have been even harder to deal with, and be of help to her, if we'd not still been living close by.<br /><br />We moved together later on for postdocs and faculty appts, when our career timing was more in sync. Geography also proved important to us in choosing postdocs, less so faculty jobs-- I'd never have anticipated we'd end up where we did.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-52146371637569849552011-03-24T02:59:44.992-05:002011-03-24T02:59:44.992-05:00Adding: I was talking about faculty position. Grad...Adding: I was talking about faculty position. Grad school, weather was icing on the cake as I chose the lab I wanted to be and it was in Southern CA.Acenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-59663390121860651312011-03-24T02:58:33.744-05:002011-03-24T02:58:33.744-05:00I have a condition that prevents me from wearing b...I have a condition that prevents me from wearing boots and covered shoes without severe pain so while short term visits are doable, living someplace with a winter is not an option. I was in Southern CA for grad school when this came on. I was of course terrified of what this would do to my career prospects! It was a tough situation to be in, looking for jobs in highly desirable places for most people (warm weather), but feeling like I had a really unsurmountable reason to want to get a job in warm weather... I got lucky but it was stressful. And it's not something you can really explain in a job application... So yes, location is at the top of my list actually.Acenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-90902060653961327432011-03-24T01:06:52.223-05:002011-03-24T01:06:52.223-05:00Location was not a factor for me because I was alr...Location was not a factor for me because I was already married and my husband refused to move anywhere that I wanted to apply to so I had no choice but to go to the university in the city we were currently in. That said, it happens to be one of the most renown places for natural beauty and outdoor recreation (which is partly why my husband refused to move). And the university was nationally ranked and had several Nobel Prize winners (not in my department though). So I can't say it was a bad decision. I have long ago finished my PhD and several years of postdoctoral work. However, I have never got over the fact that I didn't actively choose grad schools or programs that I would have preferred, the choice was made for me indirectly (by my husband's rigid refusal to move anywhere).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-4662147963927678332011-03-23T23:01:10.723-05:002011-03-23T23:01:10.723-05:00Yes. I only applied to one program. I was 20 and n...Yes. I only applied to one program. I was 20 and not sure I should do it. So of the top programs, I chose the one in the place I liked best, and applied to it, on the theory that I could move after the M.A. if necessary / appropriate. A good plan.<br /><br />But it was drilled into me that you shouldn't care about location for faculty jobs. That is *very* simplistic of people to say. The "it shouldn't matter because you should only be working" line doesn't wash, either ... to work, you need to have access to the things you need for work and for your soul.<br /><br />To the NY prof, who noticed Americans want their house and yard ... yes, it is very striking. I had no idea how important this was to people until I became faculty. They want the house / yard more than anything, it seems.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-64061118018554515952011-03-23T22:41:04.168-05:002011-03-23T22:41:04.168-05:00Hmmm.... I just reread the post and don't see ...Hmmm.... I just reread the post and don't see "judgment" or "disbelief" that geography plays a role in decisions about grad school. <br /><br />And I don't get the relevance of the mention of her "following" her spouse to a faculty job. <br /><br />?????Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-46672171306732125852011-03-23T21:58:51.132-05:002011-03-23T21:58:51.132-05:00I sense some judgment in your disbelief that geogr...I sense some judgment in your disbelief that geography may play a role in the selection of grad school for some students, which seems paradoxical given that you followed your spouse to your current job. I certainly took geography into account when applying, in several ways. I crossed out several states with minuscule populations of my religion tradition, then chose schools based on mentor-fit. After I had generated a list of school, I checked to see if there was a medical center nearby with specialization in a rare condition that I have, and crossed one school off my list. At the end of the process, I felt that School A was a better fit than School B, but was somewhat hesitant - and then realized that School A was a two-hour direct flight from my spouse and School B was a three-stop 12-hour plane trip. That sealed the deal for School A, but if I'd felt that School B was a better choice, I wouldn't have made my final decision based on distance.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-23365359623990095822011-03-23T20:52:33.417-05:002011-03-23T20:52:33.417-05:00If I had gotten into Stanford I might have, but Be...If I had gotten into Stanford I might have, but Berkeley couldn't offer me enough money to make it worthwhile over the better schools I got into. So, no.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-21575624303177909592011-03-23T20:07:19.310-05:002011-03-23T20:07:19.310-05:00I was not a strong candidate and I was applying to...I was not a strong candidate and I was applying to a variety of fairly low-ranked schools, so I used geography (proximity to friends/family, and/or good weather) to choose which of the abundance of such schools I would apply to.Tamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18079829842465164437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-51883781260985671422011-03-23T18:56:19.122-05:002011-03-23T18:56:19.122-05:00When I was applying, I did a rough cut based on lo...When I was applying, I did a rough cut based on location, mostly picking warm, sunny locations, but figuring I'd be happy at any of the schools if I got in. Out of the schools I got into, though, the program with the best research and equipment turned out to be in DreamVacationCity. It's far from home, but I don't think I'll lack for visitors!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-29951183329893258202011-03-23T15:17:50.658-05:002011-03-23T15:17:50.658-05:00In my current quest for a graduate school I have a...In my current quest for a graduate school I have already singled out schools by if they've got the research I'm interested in, and am now looking at if there is a skating rink nearby. Not that I plan to figure skate more than I plan to do research, but I need to know that there is a place for me to unwind and exercise. Keeping my head and body in shape will ultimately help me do better science (and take out my frustration on something other than people or lab equipment)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-30489331609891033592011-03-23T15:00:26.123-05:002011-03-23T15:00:26.123-05:00When my husband started applying to schools (and I...When my husband started applying to schools (and I was employed in the non-academic world), he created a list of ~30 programs that would fit his interests and handed it to me. He said, "cross off any place where you would refuse to live." We got down to about 20 schools that way and he winnowed those down to 5 based on fit with programs and advisors. He got into 4, and the best two offers were from Minnesota and California. I crossed my fingers for California, but he chose Minnesota. And in the end I'm so glad he did; I ended up loving the Twin Cities (and he did too).<br /><br />(I just applied to the U of Minnesota, so you could say my *only* criteria was geographic.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-85654072524292798032011-03-23T13:24:43.146-05:002011-03-23T13:24:43.146-05:00I have learned from long experience that I need HO...I have learned from long experience that I need HORIZON to maintain my sanity. I can get this in a city with not-too-tall-buildings or in the country; I don't care either way. My husband persuaded me not to apply to places in NYC and I am glad I listened to him. Had I lived in NYC I would have been depressed, depressed, depressed and wouldn't have done too well in grad school.<br /><br />I applied to a wide variety of places (west coast, mountains, midwest) of which only one was in a fairly large city, and would have been happy in all of those places. My final decision had nothing to do with the location of MyU--I would have preferred being closer to family, and this place was farther than any of the other schools that accepted me.<br /><br />Still, I'm glad I chose this place as I get LOTS of horizon! It's hard not to get a place with a stunning view in this town.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-83314840457638069632011-03-23T12:21:06.016-05:002011-03-23T12:21:06.016-05:00I didn't factor location per se into my decisi...I didn't factor location per se into my decision, but issues related to that, like crime rates in the area around campus and where I would be living, cost of living in the areas where I would be living, and how far north it was (seasonal affective disorder).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-78743794670942825762011-03-23T12:11:43.648-05:002011-03-23T12:11:43.648-05:00Going to school in Boston would have been twice as...Going to school in Boston would have been twice as expensive. And I would have had to live a 1-2 hour multi-step commute from campus whereas I can walk to work here. So it was definitely a factor.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com