and the science begins!

After a long week of finishing up a National Science Foundation grant application and tackling another take home exam on material I don't really understand, it looks like i'm actually going to start doing some research starting next week. I am excited because this is (obviously) what its all about. I really do enjoy taking classes, and I have a huge amount still to learn from classes, but original research is really what matters. The grant application was a valuable experience (even if I don't get the grant) because it forced me to write concisely what I am interested in, and how I intend to investigate it. Since this is a new field for me, and I am not yet familiar with all of the methods and instruments it was a challenging process. In the end I described a project that I am excited about and eager to dive into. I am about to start on two different projects in the lab each working with a different person. This will be great because the idea of figuring out all the methodology on my own is certainly intimidating.