confidence and science

[Seanna Annis]

I really love this newsgroup !  I thought I was the only person who was 
nervous, insecure and tentative starting my Master's.  I could not 
believe what I had gotten myself into.  I am now completing my PhD, and 
my confidence, ability to speak up, and general disregard on nonsense 
from others have all increased.  I can't believe what a timid soul I 
was.  The confidence of learning new techniques and eventually getting 
them to work has rubbed off on my personality.  I still don't know if 
this happens for all women (or men) as grad students.  I have some 
friends who bailed out after or during Master's.  One friend in particular 
could not learn to take the failure of her experiments as something that 
sometimes just happens, rather than a personal failure.  I think learning 
that ability or discovering it has helped my personality.  I no longer 
feel the necessity to have everyone like me, accomodate people all the 
time, or most of all take the blame for things beyond my control.    
Though it has been a very long haul, I am really glad I went to grad 
school.   
Seanna    sannis at uoguelph.ca