My summer research project has been approved! I feel so scientifically and ethically acceptable!
Granted, my plan was for said research project to have started already, and I won’t have another chance to start it for a month, which sort of makes it… not a “summer research project”, actually.
But this setback does give me another free month, and maybe I can still salvage a way to make it sound passable on my CV. “Completed personal projects, sought out networking opportunities.. managed my ‘personal brand’“.. (Oh man, no, I can’t even type that with a straight face.) (“Personal brand” just refers to making a lot of twitter updates, right? Social-media types talk about it a lot, but “screw around on twitter for hours” is all I get out of it)
(By the way, did you know that Kristin Chenoweth makes a habit of tweeting while on ambien? True facts. That’s the sole reason I’m on twitter myself, and I know I’m not the only one.)
Meanwhile, I’ve been pre-studying Neuro, which is super fun. (Why would I do that? Either because I’m a total gunner or because I’m compensating for being dangerously over-committed this fall. Honestly, it’s the second reason, but I won’t begrudge anyone who thinks it’s the first. I judge me too.)
It’s pretty awesome. I spend 5 hours a day studying (done with the neuroanatomy textbook, moving onto last year’s neuropath notes) and 10 hours screwing around on the internet, avoiding all chores, and playing Medieval Total War 2. It’s a great compromise.
So for all the rising M1s out there wondering what to do with their M1 summer: Step 1) Painstakingly plan a research project in a field you love. Step 2) Watch as the IRB takes forever in approving it. Step 3) Do nothing. Step 4) Continue Step 3 forever.
Action Potential 
I have actually wondered, multiple times, “Why isn’t AP on twitter?” You are! I am not very observant. Good thing I don’t want to be a doctor, huh!
Also, in case you’re wondering at the lightening fast comment to your post, I am “writing” at the moment, and “writing” means hoping something new pops up in my google reader. I know you know how that goes. 😉
By the way, congrats on the research project IRB approval thing. I’m not entirely sure what all that means (and I’m okay with that, really) but I gather it’s something that you wanted, so good job!
Haha, nice! And it pretty much means that a committee voted and found me to be awesome.
(… Okay, they actually voted and decided my boring research wouldn’t kill or maim anyone. Which is, you know, also important – but I prefer to think they actually held a meeting where they were like, “Who thinks AP is awesome?” and they all raised their hands. Science!)
I, uh, spent my M1 summer drinking and hanging out with family and college friends. Really. I didn’t touch a textbook. This likely explains my low class ranking.
OR it explains your high sanity ranking.
(Not that I know you or anything, but hell, anyone who takes the M1 summer off has to be more sane than me.)
I remember being positively owned by MTW2 when it first came out. I stayed off the video games until Christmas break my last year in undergrad when a friend suggested I start playing World of Warcraft. 2 years later, and something like 140 full days played and I was finally able to kick that habit.
Was wondering when you would get a Twitter feed.
I am *so* owned by it. I don’t know why, since I always play as Britain, always go for other countries in the same order, and always get excommunicated within 20 turns.
I keep myself away from MMORPGs by reminding myself that I can dedicate myself to them 24/7 once I’m in a nursing home. (Also how I keep myself from getting depressed by the thought of ever BEING in a nursing home.)
The non-profit I am working at uses Facebook and Twitter a lot…no matter how they spin it, it still feels like screwing around for hours 😛
Congrats on your IRB approval!
Thanks! (BTW, just checked your blog – hell yes, AmeriCorps! I was an NCCC member and most of my friends went on to spend another year on VISTA projects. It’s an amazing organization.)
Yay for IRB approval! Enjoy your videogames and twitter – I am done with my summer classes in two weeks and am very much looking forward to laying on the couch and alt+tabbing between MSWord and Portal. While drinking. Yessssss.
Oooh! NICE.
We should start a “Playing Portal While Drinking” club, because I have so been there. I’m gonna start Portal 2 this week, finally!
OOOH tell me how it is! I just bought Portal. Just regular Portal. I’m a little . . . late to the game. As it were. But no less enthusiastic! Damn straight.
Working through the IRB process now, and I can say that I absolutely detest everything about it. I’ve written grant proposals before and though I would be totally set, but my goodness, this is ridiculous.
So, yay for you getting through it! yay for summer research being kind of a huge snafu everywhere!