Ahhh, spring is in the air. Full of burgeoning plant matter and n00b prospective grad students. So you've gotten into Yes We Rock and You Can Suck it Uber U and they are flying you in, plying you with free booze and alcohol, and trying to convince you they are Teh Coolest Uni Evah. Kind of like fraternity rush*. How do you handle this wondrous and mind-shattering event? Here are some D-List Monktress tips on interviewing on campus visit weekends. You can also check post on the same general topic over at the old digs.
Bring a fanny pack
Ok, you don’t have to have a literal fanny pack (even though they’re teh awesomesauce). But bring some small shoulder bag, purse, whatever, that you can cram water, a campus map, and a few snacks into. On one of my interview extravaganzas I had to navigate at least 4 different buildings on a campus I’m pretty sure was the size of Greece. When I wasn’t thirsty, I was scanning my map for my next location and when I wasn’t bushwacking through undergrads I was hungry, rinse and repeat. Even if your interviews are all in one building, you will still be subjected to campus tours, city sights, etc.
And if you’re a smoker for FSM’s sakes don’t think you can gut it out a day without gum or patches or some shit. There is just something incredibly grotesque about watching someone get the smoker shakes/sweats and pretending they are Totally Ok It Doesn’t Matter My Sweat Smells Like Dead Elk Carcass.
Have an elevator speech
Be ready to give a 30s to 1 min spiel on who you are, what you’ve done, and why you’ll make an epic graduate student in someone’s lab. These are always hard to do, whether you think you’ve done too much for only 1 minute or too little. But it is very important that you be able to explain coherently what you will bring to your Favorite PI’s lab. It should be delivered in a calm and conversational manner; there should be no improvisational teleprompters to get you through this.
