Category Archives: Charlotte

Graduate School: Not Only About the School

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As a Organismal Biology major entering her senior year, I am beginning my search for the next step in academic career: graduate school. As many Scripps students  know, there are a number of factors to consider when it comes to deciding on a next-level institution. However, one aspect that few consider is that which is not encapsulated within the school grounds. The surrounding university town or city, that many schools share with local residents, can be an important indicator as to the nature of the institution itself.

The way I approach this dynamic is from my own career interest. As a genetic counselor, one must focus on both the genetic and psychology, or counseling, facets. Often, these two aspects require very different environments and support systems in which students can learn and thrive. Genetic research, like most forms of scientific research, requires the lab and experimental tools to contribute to the worldwide genetic database. That means that research focused institutions don’t need to interact much with the outside world in order to conduct research; students can work in contained or removed spaces without relying on the community. In reality, this translates to more isolated, independent institutions focusing on lab-based genetic research. On the other hand, the counseling feature, by definition, requires real patients and other participants in order to practice. This normally means having an involved, present, and helpful student body or relying on opportunities outside of the school. The institution-town interaction is extremely important, as students that have symbiotic relationships with their surrounding neighbors can both benefit from and assist their communities. This may be a vital criteria for a student or faculty members who is very interested in working with actual patients who need their help. This results in schools whose students are extremely active in the community and who leave their respective institutions with plenty of applicable clinical experience. If it wasn’t already apparent from my previous blog posts, I am searching for the latter type of graduate experience.

Now, as college students, we tend to evaluate a potentially city or town by factors like food variety, living costs, and distance to the closest pharmacy. What if I told you that, because I am interested in working in medicine, it is far more important for me to find a graduate school where there is a large number of hospitals in the surrounding area? When you phrase it like this, it seems to make sense, right? More important that my living conditions per se will be my academic conditions. Though not always a true indicator, many clinically focused schools are based around lots of different hospitals in an attempt to utilize their resources and to give their students practical outlets. Additionally, the specialties of the surrounding hospitals and the services they offer may also influence the school’s curriculum. Keep in mind, this relationship is important for more than just medical institutions. Want to work in economics, finance, or accounting? Search for schools outlined by various financial firms or around large business or companies where your skills may be valued. Want to teach? Many graduate universities have relationships with small tutoring and teaching companies in the area to get you started. In nearly all cases, both the school and the town in which it resides can be symbiotic indicators for each other. The dynamic relationship they share may help you to make that important decision.

Productive Procrastination (aka getting away from my midterms)

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I truly enjoy blogging for Beyond the Elms. This position has allowed me to look back, to examine my career goals and career path, and writing about my experiences has been an extremely cathartic process for me. Though, I must confess, I may have one teeny-tiny ulterior motive for blogging. It in no way changes my relationship or commitment to the blog. Blogging just so happens to give me yet another outlet in which I can “productively procrastinate.”

Colloquially, procrastination is often regarded with disdain. It is a compulsive evil that keeps us from our daily, important business matters. When I actively procrastinate, I feel less motivated  and sluggish, reducing my capabilities to non-productive motions. Procrastination is generally seen as a time-waster, doing menial things that don’t amount to much actual progress and overall being a “lump”, as I call it.

…… LOOK I just did it! I turned away from this blog post for five seconds to check my email and, a half an hour later, I have written nothing…

Probably one of the most infamous, least effective ways of handling procrastination is to lessen the number of commitments you make. As any college student can tell you, this strategy is never a guarantee of productivity; it only makes it harder to close your computer and get to reading that book for class (YES, YOU!). Since you have given yourself fewer, more important responsibilities, you may now focus far more heavily on only those commitments, the stress from which you may need to relieve by procrastinating. This harmful process also messes up your natural motivation by only requiring the completion of purely essential tasks, which you then procrastinate from because of their overwhelming nature…and the self-perpetuating cycle continues.

As many Scripps students probably know, not many of us actively ignore more commitments. Scripps students are interested and concerned about many of the issues surrounding our society today and won’t give up those interests for a facade of productivity. However, the concept of procrastination may be able to help these busy bodies. Sure, the act of procrastinating distracts us from important work or responsibilities, but the desire to procrastinate can also be flipped on its head in beneficial ways.

……. DARN, I DID IT AGAIN!

Anyway, most people who procrastinate (the procrastinator) can usually be motivated to do difficult, timely, and required jobs, as long as these tasks are a way of not doing something that they consider to be more important. Productive procrastination means manipulating the hierarchy of the tasks the procrastinator has to do in a way that utilizes this idea. Tasks that seem most urgent and important are put at the top of the to-do list. But there are also worthwhile assignments and responsibilities to perform lower down on the list. Doing these “lower” tasks becomes a way of not doing the things higher up on the list, setting yourself up with more free time in the future that, in turn, can make you feel less stressed about completing your important tasks.

While this may be a bit self-deceptive at first, in my mind, there is nothing more fulfilling than turning a potentially negative character trait on its head in the name of organizational success.

NOW! Back to my midterm papers!

Getting my Foot in the Door

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Dear Charlotte,

We would like to thank you for your interest in the College Volunteer Program at xxxxxxxxxx Hospital.  We receive a large number of application requests, yet we have a limited number of openings for new Volunteers.  This means that we are not able to accommodate all requests. At this time, your request was not selected.  We would however, like to encourage you to make another request in the future.

This is an email that I recently received in response to an application to become a volunteer at a local hospital. Unfortunately, this type of response for this type of position is not abnormal.

* Before I go any further, I feel the need to clarify a few things. Academically and occupationally, I am specifically interested in clinical work and clinical research. During my time at Scripps, I’ve found that commonly available lab bench work, while informative and a useful scientific experience, can be tiresome and not as fulfilling as I hoped it would be. This, however, is just my personal preference. If you are inspired and excited by bench work, please do not get discouraged by this blog post. Scripps College has some amazing opportunities to conduct research and I suggest that you speak with one of the many W.M. Keck Science Department faculty, as they are always open and willing to accept new research students.

As I stated above, I am a more of a clinical buff. I’ve developed my opinions surrounding science during my time at the Claremont Colleges and I have come to the conclusion that, for me, it is vitally important to share your knowledge and experience with those in need. (This is how I developed my career goal of genetic counseling, which, if you are interested in discussing or learning more about, please leave a comment on this post.) Exposure to the clinical world is key in developing a solid foundation for further studies, ie. medical school. However, as an undergraduate, these types of opportunities have been incredibly difficult to obtain. The doctors or practitioners we would normally consult with for these positions site the regulations surrounding patient privacy as one of the biggest obstacles facing a non-certified student. In my experience, doctors also tend to display an misunderstanding as to the depth of research in which undergraduates may be involved. While I may be speaking from a Scripps perspective, it is not necessarily common for undergraduates at large universities to be conducting research alongside professors and mentors. However, even traditional research may not be enough of an active gateway for most undergraduate clinical internships and applications.

In the summer of my sophomore year, I was accepted into the Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute (CHORI) Summer Student Program. I was ecstatic when I was accepted, as, from what I’d read and heard, I thought that this would be the perfect program for me. While I realized during the internship that research was not for me, I was given the unique opportunity to shadow one of the doctors at the Children’s Hospital Oakland, a direct affiliate of the institute. I observed a genetic counselor for one or two days during the CHORI program. I saw her actively working with patients, which really got my blood pumping. In the past, I’d only been able to hypothesis about my love for patient work, but had never had the chance to see these connections actually being made. She became my guiding light, who helped to believe that I would, and could, make my way into  the clinical world.

Nowadays, I am being a bit more selective in my internship and job searches, making sure that I will be participating in meaningful and interesting work. Slowly but surely, I am learning the best, most successful ways of getting involved (as it is still not always easy) and gaining experience by volunteering in the absence of structured internship programs. (Tip for all you clinically-minded science students: volunteering and interning are equally beneficial and valid experiences in the eyes of medical and graduate schools. They both imply a specialized set of acquired skills that are valuable and worth your time). Like always, hindsight is 20-20 and I do wish that I could have learned some of these lessons earlier on. However, I am still thankful for all of the experience I have gained through my internship missteps and I am currently looking forward for what the future can bring me.

Staying Humble, but Confident

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“I am extremely self-motivated and always willing to help others. I am a team player and an extremely empathetic person. [I am] a true leader is a person who can manage their group all the time.”

These are all sentences that I have written on applications in the past in answer to such questions as “How do you embody [insert position]?” or “What are your strengths and weaknesses in [insert work environment]?” As you can probably tell, these are all positive, desirable traits that I have and am hoping to accentuate. However, they are all sentences that, while I truly believe about myself, I am not particularly comfortable saying out loud or touting about. I’d like to consider myself a humble person, someone who doesn’t always think highly of myself and who is not always confident in my capabilities. Therefore, I don’t like going around arguing definitively that I am the best, like no one ever was! *high five for nerdy reference* I much prefer to use terms like “I believe”, “in my opinion”, or “I would possibly be able to” to describe my skills and abilities.

Though, as many of you may already know, excessive humility isn’t exactly a desirable characteristic when it comes to applications or interviews. There is a very thin line between humility and a perceived lack of confidence, which is considered a negative trait. Just because you’re humble doesn’t mean you’re insecure or incompetent. If you are too humble, however, your true capabilities will become eclipsed by your insecurities. In actuality, employers and interviews want to see an exertion of confidence and a personal knowledge and assessment of your skills. More than your potential shortcomings, which they can develop and train, they want to know if you are, at your core, a good fit for a position

Striking the right balance between accentuating your strengths and acknowledging your weaknesses to an employer is key and can be the difference between making a great first impression and failing to display your true talents. If you find yourself in this pickle, here are some tips for staying humble, yet confident in interviews and applications.

  • Answer Honestly: Capitalize on your humble character traits by answering interview questions honestly. Interviewers can usually tell when a candidate is overstating qualifications, fabricating work skills or concealing relevant information. Listen attentively to the interviewer’s questions and answer the question directly. If you avoid a question or purposefully change the direction of a question, the interviewer might wonder whether you’re hiding something. Use your humility to answer questions with truthful answers, always remembering to shed the best light on any situation.
  • Equal Numbers: Your interviewer may ask for an exact number of strengths and weaknesses, but if she does not, state an equal number of each. This will make you appear balanced in your understanding of your abilities.
  • Weaknesses That Are Really Strengths: In your list of weaknesses, try to include at least one “problem” that really indicates dedication to your work, such as, “I’m too critical of myself,” or “I can be a workaholic.” These positively-spun weaknesses can not only be molded by a specific boss or employer, they also show an attainable level of flexibility and change. Speaking of which…
  • Self-Improvement: Be sure to also discuss the ways in which you’re working to improve on your problem areas. Subtly mention the ways in which you like to have coworkers and bosses help you with this issue. This will get your interviewers imagining you in the position and the ways in which they can aid you while you are aiding them.
  • Recognizing Others: One of the best characteristics of being humble is the ability to look beyond personal self-interests to those of others. Honor your previous employer and co-workers by telling the interviewer how much you appreciate your previous work experience. Offer sincere praise and state specific details so you don’t appear to gush false sentiment or offer insincere flattery.

If you are still having trouble, please feel free to set up an appointment with one of the fabulous CP&R counselors to discuss application and interview tactics!

 

My Scripps Story

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“I really don’t think I’ll be going to a women’s college,” I sighed, sitting in front of my open computer. “But, you should apply to at least ONE women’s college. You eliminate at least half of your competition that way,” my mother argued. We talked about this possibility for quite a while until I finally decided to apply to Scripps College, because 1) their supplementary application materials were minimal, 2) because it was one of only three or four schools I wanted to apply to in my home state of California, and 3) I HAD to apply to at least one women’s college. Little did I know the wonders and whimsy I would experience upon arriving.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. I had known the kind of college I wanted to attend since probably the middle of my high school career. Being the introvert that I am, I really appreciated a small, integrated school environment with a strong foundation in the liberal arts eduction. I applied to an many of these schools as possible, increasing my odds and potential yield (as any good college-obsessed high school senior will advise you). So when I didn’t get into many of the schools I was originally excited and enthusiastic about, I was obviously disheartened.

One of the few schools who responded well to my application was, wouldn’t you know it, Scripps College. I even remember getting a hand-written note from Dean Marcus-Newhall on my acceptance letter specifically mentioning my supplemental essay. I was pleased and interested, but still not convinced that a women’s college could win me over. It wasn’t that I had any particular prejudice against all-girls’ schools as a whole. I think I felt as if I somehow didn’t appreciate the women’s college experience as much as others. By attending a women’s college, I felt like I had to somehow embody a “women’s college” girl, which I both didn’t feel comfortable doing and felt like others could do better.

Nonetheless, I was accepted there, so, because of its close proximity, we decided to visit Scripps for its Admitted Students Weekend. As we approached the college, I sighed. I had spent the last two weeks traveling to two of the other colleges that had accepted me. I was incredibly excited about both of the institutions, but had been sadly disheartened about what I had found. I didn’t feel connected to either of the colleges and neither seemed like a place I could see myself going. Both my mom and I agreed about the two previous schools and were not exactly enthusiastic about visiting another, potentially disappointing college. Needless to say, the mood was lack luster.

The first thing I remember seeing on Scripps campus was the huge tower of green and white balloons meant to flag down prospective students and families. I was immediately taken aback by the welcoming atmosphere and smiling faces of the admission staff. It felt almost surreal as I was whisked away into Balch Auditorium with dozens of other women whispering in excitement. I don’t think my affect really changed until I met my temporary host, Maddie, who I see all the time around school today! She was really the first one who opened my eyes to the wonders of Scripps. She took me, nested within a bigger group of prospective students, to the Margaret Folwer garden. She picked some oranges for us as we walked up the quad. She brought us to her residence hall and introduced us to at least five or six of her friends who just happened to be walking by. And this is when I got the first inklings of why I truly love attending Scripps. Every person I met, be them current or prospective students, truly felt like a friend. I found myself itching for more, to be able to talk with everyone for even just a minute longer. The way I describe it today is that everyone at Scripps is a version of me, someone with whom I can relate. And while none of them seemed to be the head-to-toe “Scripps woman” I’d envisioned, everyone seemed to posses certain qualities of respectable, kind, gentle, and caring young women. It was only when pulled together that they embodied the true Scripps community.

I remember speaking to two of my new awesome friends (shout out to Emily and Moriah!) after the weekend was drawing to a close. One of them boasted that she had turned in her acceptance forms as soon as she’d arrived on Sunday. The other claimed that she was off to the Office of Admission right then to turn in her papers. Today, I constantly express the same enthusiasm that we all felt after experiencing Scripps for the first time. I try everyday to expose others to this fantastic community, only attainable through the contributions of everyone.