Advice for Applying to Graduate School

                  When I first arrived at Gainesville Regional Airport three and a half years ago with nothing but two suitcases and the phone number to a local taxi company, graduation was the furthest thing from my mind. I had four years ahead of me to make the most wonderful best friends, get addicted to caffeine, struggle my way through general chemistry, fall in love with Gator football, and ultimately discover my true passions. Now, here I am nearly four years later faced with the biggest decision of my life since I decided to become a Gator: where to attend graduate school. Of course, the first steps were easy: compile an updated resume, write a personal statement, take the GRE, Google “where should I go to grad school,” waste approximately 45 minutes looking at funny pictures of cats. But after I’d done the easy part, I realized that I now had to narrow my list of basically every graduate school in the country that offered my program down to four or five to which I would actually apply. This is when things got serious.

                  Of course, everyone will have their own criteria when choosing their ideal graduate school. Still, I can offer some advice in making this daunting decision, stemming from personal experience. First, be sure to talk to your faculty advisor. If you haven’t taken the time to get to know them yet, start now. They have worked and taught in the field that you aspire to be a professional in, and they are a perfect resource for you in your quest for a graduate program that will help you achieve the future you want. While you’re at it, talk with your professors, other faculty in your department, or local professionals who have held positions you aspire to hold yourself, achieved things you hope to achieve, or have been places you’ve always dreamed of going. They can tell you what it took for them to get where they are today.  

                  Secondly, don’t be too quick to rule out schools based on location, “rank”, or price. Sure, these are easy criteria to help you easily narrow down your initial list, but try to keep an open mind. Moving away from UF or away from home might seem terrifying and impossible, but living on your own in a new, unfamiliar place can be one of the most enriching and exciting experiences of your life. As for rank, those statistics are definitely important and should be considered for some graduate programs, but it is more important to find a program that really fits your interests at a school that meets your needs and wants. Graduate programs can be very specific and individualized, even within the same major designation, and finding one that is as unique as your career aspirations and learning interests will make you more satisfied with your choice. Lastly, when it comes to price, the bottom line is that college is expensive and it doesn’t look like it’s going to be getting any cheaper. However, before I would rule out any program based on price, I would be sure to check and see if the university offers research or teaching assistantships- something that in my personal experience I have found that colleges often do not openly advertise,. Oftentimes students who are awarded these competitive positions are able to greatly reduce the cost of graduate school, making previously-unaffordable programs affordable.

                  Finally, my last piece of advice is to start early! For programs that begin in fall, many graduate schools see the largest influx of applications in mid-to-late November through the end of January. During this period, it can take much longer for your supporting documents (transcripts, test scores, recommendation letters) to be sent and matched to your file and for your application to actually get reviewed. Applying early ensures that you will have plenty of time to send or resend missing documents and perhaps even receive a decision earlier than the majority of other applicants. Plus, no professor wants to be asked for a recommendation letter in the middle of January when your program’s deadline is February 1^st. Applying early will lessen the stress associated with this big decision as well as make you look more prepared and responsible as a student and future professional.

                  Once you’ve finished all your applications, it’s time to wait! The decisions will pour in one by one, and then you’ll be faced with another big decision: which one should you pick?! I’m not quite at that stage yet, but when I get there I’ll let you know how it goes! In the meantime, good luck on your own graduate school applications and, as always, Go Gators!

- Kendra Harmon

Let's Give Thanks!

As turkey day approaches, we are reminded that it isn’t just about the delectable spread that your mom prepared, it’s about much more. In this season, we should be thankful for our families, friends, our opportunities, everyday victories, and just being able to enjoy life. I am thankful for every detail of my life thus far and I am even more grateful for what the future has to offer. I am most grateful for the experiences and opportunities that I have used to better myself so that I can better help others. Through these experiences, I have learned how to connect my passion, personality, and where I am to what my purpose is. I have also learned what it truly means to serve others when you set your own agenda aside. It isn’t a matter of neglecting your goals, aspirations or desires; it is more so being a part of something that is much bigger than you.

Within the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, I have had the opportunity to serve throughout the state of Florida as a CALS Ambassador. By serving, I have been able to meet some great people who are passionate about agriculture not only in Florida but also in our world. I have a better understanding and a greater level of respect for what others do to preserve and enhance the agricultural industry. I also extend my gratitude to the faculty and staff within the college that are driven by their passion to educate, inspire, and motivate the students to pursue their passion and be good leaders.

This Thanksgiving, I have decided to give back some time to the members of the community who are less fortunate and who may not be able to spend the holiday with their families. Through my serving, I will be able to positively influence someone regardless of what I am doing. I am thankful that I can be a blessing to someone else and I am able to serve others.

The most important thing that I am reminded of is to always be thankful. An attitude of gratitude should be a lifestyle. By doing so, life will be much more enjoyable and your very perspective on life will shift. If I can find at least one thing to be thankful for, then I have understood what it means to be truly grateful no matter what.

Happy Thanksgiving!

-Shornare Brown

Sparking Conversations About Hunger

Hunger is a serious global issue. In fact, one in eight of the world’s inhabitants are malnourished. I was very disturbed when I learned the fact that every 3 seconds, a person dies from hunger. As students of the University of Florida, we live a very privileged life. Even though our food supply sometimes runs low and we are forced to get by on Raman Noodles, none of us really understand what it means to be hungry.

Hunger U is an initiative of the Farm Journal Foundation designed to educate college students about the significance of modern agriculture and how it affects the world’s food crisis. This past week Hunger U visited our campus here at the University of Florida. In addition to the mobile unit at the Plaza of the Americas, there was also a Solutions Seminar where both local and global hunger issues were discussed. The event was headed by several panelists, including Dean Balser and Dr. Wendy Dahl. The objective of the seminar was not only to spark conversations about how today’s farmers are helping feed a hungry world, but also to educate students about the critical role that modern agriculture plays in putting food on our tables. Even after this tour has left our campus, these conversations continue.

The turnout was incredible and the room was quickly filled with students eager to learn more about this pressing issue. The speakers explained how serious the issue of hunger is, both on a local and international scale. Interestingly, hunger and malnutrition are the greatest health risk worldwide, even more so than AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined. In an effort to combat this problem, farmers here are working hard to develop techniques to increase efficiency and production of our agricultural output.

Solving the issue of hunger is an undertaking that would benefit everyone. When we work to fight hunger and invest in good nutrition, we increase productivity and create economic opportunities. Studies show that countries’ economic outputs are significantly reduced as a result of childhood malnutrition. From a moral standpoint, it is hard to lay idle and do nothing while knowing that children across the world are dying from hunger. I strongly believe that no child should go hungry, and those who are working to fight childhood malnutrition are real heroes.

I was greatly impacted by what I had seen and heard. I never realized how serious this issue was because hunger has never been an issue in my life. This seminar really made me appreciate the hard work and dedication put forth by our nation’s farmers and agricultural experts. Additionally, the seminar made me appreciate IFAS, an organization that finances and facilitates research in the latest agricultural innovations. It is through IFAS that our state is able to make advancements in the field of agriculture, which in turn contributes to the fight against hunger in our area and abroad.

- DJ Staub

Sharing Your Passion

I am an Environmental Science major, which is housed in the School of Natural Resources and Environment within the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. As awesome as my major is, there are not a lot of students in it. I did not meet another student majoring in Environmental Science until Spring semester of my third year of college. It always baffled me because I enjoy my major and I am surprised it is so small. There are only around 60 students majoring in Environmental Science compared to the hundreds that major in Psychology, Biology, or Food Science and Human Nutrition. It was somewhat isolating to go the majority of my college career without meeting anyone who shared my passions or understood my environmental focus. However, when I was recently lamenting this fact, I realized that the isolation I felt was partly my fault. I did not get involved in the opportunities within CALS and SNRE to meet and spend time with other people in my major or who shared my passion for environmental issues . There are several organizations or events I could have joined or attended that focused on such issues but I never did.

So I encourage you to get involved! It is impressed upon you from day one of college to get involved on campus and in the community. In my opinion, it is vitally important to be involved, not just for resume building or leadership experience, but for fellowship with other people. If you are passionate about a cause, sport, or idea, it is an amazing feeling to find others who share your passion. Communicating with like-minded people  can lead to ideas and opportunities to further your shared passion. If your major is a smaller one, it enhances your educational experience to share ideas,study tips, and even complaints with others who are having or had similar experiences. I recently met someone in one of my classes who is my major, also applying to law school this semester, and shares my goal of becoming an environmental lawyer. Finding someone who understands those experiences and motivations made my day and semester. Don't underestimate the value of sharing your passions with others. It is rare to be the only one passionate about an issue and sharing it with others can lead to something great, not the least of which is friendship.

If you have any questions about Environmental Science as a major or applying to law school, feel free to email me at jetegator@ufl.edu

Candace Spencer
CALS Ambassador 2013-2014

留學生 (Study Abroad): Just Do It!

           你好！Have you ever wondered what it would be like to spend a summer or even an entire semester studying abroad in some exotic, exciting location overseas? If so, did you ever think that you wouldn’t have the time or the finances to make this dream a reality? If these thoughts have ever crossed your mind, I’m here to tell you that the University of Florida and the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences can help you in any of your study abroad aspirations! Not only does studying abroad look amazing on a professional resume, but the amount that you learn about yourself on a personal basis is astounding as well.

            This past summer, I had the opportunity of a lifetime to spend a full two and a half months studying abroad in Chengdu, China. In this particular program, sponsored directly by the University of Florida, I had the chance to study the Chinese language and culture in China. I traveled with around twenty other UF undergraduate students to China, where we stayed and took classes at a local Chinese university in Chengdu. While studying Chinese was the primary reason for our trip abroad, we were also able to do extensive traveling all throughout Sichuan Province in central China. We visited the original home and habitat of the Chinese Giant Pandas, climbed a four thousand foot mountain where the ancient Chinese religion of Taoism was founded, white water rafted through the Chinese countryside, and explored the city of Chengdu and its extensive night life. The experiences that I had on this trip are invaluable, and are ones that I will never forget in my lifetime.

            By spending a summer studying abroad, I learned so much about myself that I never knew before! First of all, this was the furthest away from home that I had ever been by myself for an extended period of time. I was able to independently live on my own in a country whose culture was completely different from that of my own. Also, I was forced to communicate everyday with the locals in a foreign tongue, so my personal communicational skills have skyrocketed as a result. Every day, I would need to use Chinese in order to eat at local restaurants, navigate public transportation, and shop at the local markets. Also, I learned that the world is a huge place worth exploring, and there are so many truly amazing people out there to meet! Due to studying abroad, I have met and made friends with other college students from China, Chile, Italy, England, and Nigeria, so I feel that my global social network has been largely expanded as a result.

            All in all, studying abroad has been the greatest experience that I have had in my college career at the University of Florida. It is something that I feel that every college student should take advantage of while they are still young and somewhat carefree.

If you have any questions about studying abroad, please feel free to contact me at amidgett@ufl.edu.

祝好,

Adam K. Midgett （米艾登）

動物科學專業