Is it common in your academic workplace for people to share hotel rooms at conferences with colleagues?
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posted by aabbbiee
on May 9, 2013 -
60 answers
Can you recommend books, movies, or short stories that involve academics in supernatural peril?
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posted by zoetrope
on Apr 11, 2013 -
34 answers
I wanted to go into academia but I don't have the balls. Now I'm at the cusp of graduation and unsure of what my options are.
I'll be finishing up my undergrad at the end of the month barring any unfortunate surprises. I will graduate with a fairly high GPA (although nothing too special) from McGill with a bachelors in Biology. I've always loved the idea of academia, but for the last year I've been reading articles that practically plead for me to stay away. My past considerations have focused around research, but med school and bio/biotech industry have also crossed my mind. There's also a whole world outside of science that I've never really considered. I've dabbled in graphic design in high school. It was really fun, but I always figured that I would make a better academic. I'd imagine most jobs I'd be interested in would involve reading/learning, information analysis, and stuff like that. I think I'm fairly well versed at communication, both written and spoken, but probably rusty in both in non-academic contexts. Honestly I do care about money. I expect to work hard, and I expect to be paid well for what I do. I'd also like to be paid for my expertise, not just for 'doing things.'
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posted by Strass
on Apr 6, 2013 -
14 answers
I'm a college student who is having some issues really understanding Calculus II, which is a problem as A) I am a Comp Sci major, and B) I need to take Calc III as well, and an advanced math elective as well. I've not heard good things about the school provided tutors, (IE, one is not too skilled at math, and the other is really smug and poor pedagogically) and while I could get a private tutor to help me, I was wondering if there are any good resources for online math tutors, like there are for online language tutoring over Skype. Does a directory of such tutors exist, has anyone had a good experience doing this (maybe even with names?), and how much can I expect to pay?
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posted by mccarty.tim
on Jan 14, 2013 -
11 answers
Academics and anthropologists: What are the most interesting and important anthropological works on race published in (roughly) the past decade?
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posted by a.steele
on Nov 2, 2012 -
7 answers
What goes on an academic CV, especially when one doesn't exactly have a huge academic history to draw from?
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posted by Scientist
on Oct 11, 2012 -
7 answers
Wondering whether I should go for the PhD that I wanted when I went back to school, or whether it's more sensible to stay where I am and do a Master's first.
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posted by Scientist
on Jul 1, 2012 -
18 answers
How do you begin academic research? I'm abroad, trying to build connections, but I'm falling apart—what exactly does 'research' entail and how do I go about starting it? Expanded dumb confusion inside.
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posted by Papagayo
on Mar 25, 2012 -
13 answers
I'm going to college! (fo' realz this time, yo). So, what should I study?
(or,
How do I learn to stop worrying I won't get to do everything and love just one subject?)
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posted by Seiten Taisei
on Feb 9, 2012 -
19 answers
I need to dissect some cadavers in the next few months as a pre-requisite for school, but I may be pregnant. What are my options?
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posted by DaveZ
on Jan 18, 2012 -
8 answers
Biologists, biochemists, and microbiologists: how did you choose your field? I'm coming to the end of my undergraduate research year, and hope to apply for doctoral study for 2013, but am finding it very hard to settle definitively on a field and a lab to target. If you were a bright young thing about to start your research career in earnest, where would you hope to end up?
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posted by nicolas léonard sadi carnot
on Jan 4, 2012 -
8 answers
I'd like to make a programming project I did for a university course available as open source. I finished the course, but not my degree yet. The code could be helpful to people outside of just an assignment problem, and it's actually a well known project from a book, with answers in other languages already available online.
My question is, are there any academic integrity issues with doing this, also considering I am still working on my degree?
posted by nlap
on Dec 5, 2011 -
5 answers
I'm making a list of online apps and resources for academics – anything to help increase productivity, manage information, help with referencing and citation, class management or planning (more for instructors and TAs than students), research tools... maybe even smart phone applications. Any suggestions/recommendations?
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posted by taz
on Dec 3, 2011 -
18 answers
I have a friend who is teaching a freshman college class, and who is looking for a good but relatively simple and clear reading to introduce his students to diversity issues and particularly to the concept of "Other" and "Otherness".
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posted by jb
on Aug 23, 2011 -
13 answers
It's recently come to my attention that I am embarrassed about the school I went to for my undergraduate degree.
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posted by northxnorthwest
on May 10, 2011 -
56 answers
Mid-career Academic Offer/Negotiations filter. Qs about questions to ask, people to see,
other advice from faculty/academics wanted. [more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Apr 22, 2011 -
5 answers
I am considering filing with my university's office of disability services as a disabled student. Should I? But of course, there are complications.
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posted by anonymous
on Mar 22, 2011 -
16 answers
It's finals week. It's an hour before my calculus exam as I'm typing this out right now. I finished up my reviewing, written up my formula sheet (we're allowed to bring handwritten notes on one 8.5x11 piece of paper). Still, I feel like I'm going to fail the class. If I'm lucky enough, I'll pass the class with a C.
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posted by RaDeuX
on Mar 22, 2011 -
12 answers
Can you help me find scientific papers that are basically jokes, or that contain jokes/humour somehow?
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posted by jonesor
on Dec 9, 2010 -
64 answers
I'm not an academic, not trained in the art of research, and I could use some guidance. I need advice on how to identify and track down sources for a multi-year exploration of a topic.
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posted by croutonsupafreak
on Dec 7, 2010 -
23 answers
What are your tips and tricks for sustaining momentum and focus during longer-term research and writing projects?
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posted by oinopaponton
on Nov 13, 2010 -
6 answers
Please suggest classics publications that might accept an article by a non-scholar.
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posted by msalt
on Oct 26, 2010 -
7 answers
What should I be doing to position myself for grad school? I'm a freshman biology undergrad and my long-term goal is to earn a doctorate and start a career in research, either private or academic. What should I be doing now and over the next few years to open doors and set myself up for success?
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posted by Scientist
on Sep 15, 2010 -
18 answers
Something strange happened during an exam last night when the teaching assistant/proctor and I were alone that has left me feeling weirdly guilty.
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posted by anonymous
on Aug 17, 2010 -
24 answers
I'm currently finishing my last English Literature Honors paper and aim to continue academic study. My dilemma is that I am unsure of whether to apply for an English Literature MA or a Creative Writing MA.
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posted by New England Cultist
on Aug 12, 2010 -
18 answers
What's the likelihood that, upon withdrawing from a PhD program at one institution, you would be admitted later into a similar program elsewhere? Is there a reason to believe one would be effectively blacklisted or disregarded for failing to succeed on his/her first attempt?
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posted by afabulousbeing
on May 27, 2010 -
17 answers
I became unemployed in February of this year, and I am currently receiving the maximum weekly unemployment benefits from the state of West Virginia.
I think I can attend university full-time while drawing unemployment, but I need your help finding specific laws, policies, etc. about this. All I can find is very vague information.
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posted by teatime
on May 17, 2010 -
5 answers
I'm going to be graduating from a small 'top 25 private university in the West', not the best, not terrible, with a 4.0. I'm interested in pursuing History as a career and want to get into a great Ph.d program. (Interests include American, Post-Modern, historiography, historical memory.) Recently, I've considered transferring to a top private university with more prestige: will this benefit me in the application process or will my glowing recommendations, independent research and grades equally impress from my middle tier school? At this point, it seems like a gamble either way.
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posted by robox
on May 16, 2010 -
16 answers
Does depression affect mental dexterity? What can be done to work with this impression of intellectual stagnation?
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posted by Aleatoire
on Apr 9, 2010 -
23 answers
Help me find guidance in finishing my master's degree - I screwed it up big time two years ago, and I need a little help getting back on track. Much more inside!
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posted by anonymous
on Feb 23, 2010 -
7 answers
I've achieved the passion and motivation to go to college that I never had when I was actually attending, so now, at 24, I want to go back. But my post-high school academic career is just miserable. What's the best route for me to return to a good college without breaking the bank?
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posted by schroedinger
on Jan 8, 2010 -
2 answers
What is the best hardware/software system for keeping track of a) hundreds of academic papers in PDF form and b) my handwritten notes on these hundreds of papers? Bonus if the answer integrates with some sort of citation management software.
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posted by col_pogo
on Nov 24, 2009 -
10 answers
How realistic is it to expect a pretty good grad (first class honours in undergrad, ~6ish GPA, a few prizes, good recommendations, industry experience) from an Australian university to gain a fully-funded postgrad spot at a strong, technically focused American research university? In the field of bioengineering, to be specific: so I'm thinking somewhere like UCSD/Berkeley or Johns Hopkins.
posted by nicolas léonard sadi carnot
on Nov 4, 2009 -
17 answers
Academics, Researchers, and Writers: What software do you use for creating the graphics that accompany your journal (or mainstream) article submissions? I know this will be different depending on the topic, field, and journal. I'm trying to get a feel for the full range of choices.
posted by NotMyselfRightNow
on Oct 15, 2009 -
34 answers
Are there any sites or blogs dedicated to pointing out great courses and lectures not to be missed on iTunes U?
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posted by Ndwright
on Sep 27, 2009 -
1 answer
What do you love about popular books on society, history, and human sciences? What do you hate about them?
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posted by carmen
on Jul 23, 2009 -
19 answers
What are my realistic chances of getting a non-academic job with a PhD in International Relations?
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posted by Spurious
on Jul 8, 2009 -
10 answers
Can I ask my professor to recommend me to a university that she tried to sue (without destroying my chances at acceptance)?
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posted by oinopaponton
on Jun 30, 2009 -
13 answers
Do you have good memories the department that hosted your college degree? I'm looking for specific suggestions for forming a strong community of undergrad students within one major.
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posted by about_time
on Jun 1, 2009 -
24 answers
Academia must have discovered the Internets by now... right? I'm interested in finding some academic, long-form journalism, or just generally "high-thought" articles about "low" Internet culture, from memes to 4chan to Anonymous to Second Life. Halp?!
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posted by Keter
on May 6, 2009 -
16 answers
I'm thinking of returning to school for an LLM in taxation, and am looking for advice, experience, pros, cons, etc.
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posted by bunnycup
on May 6, 2009 -
6 answers
Are there any academics who specialize in criticizing/studying academia? What are their names?
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posted by Dr. Send
on Feb 25, 2009 -
27 answers
