Critical Decision

During this past week, I finally made my "critical decision", the decision on what I am going to do with my future (more specifically, life after I graduate USP this year).

And I decided that I am going to graduate school at Texas A&M University. Making up my mind on this took me a while, but I'm happy with the choice I made. My choice mainly boiled down to two main points:

1. Could I see myself doing research there?
This question is not as simple as it seems. While I could see myself doing research there, I didn't want to limit my options after it by doing super specialized research (ie. Organic synthesis vs. specific applications of polymers).

2. Am I settling for Texas A&M?

But at the end of my thought process, I determined the answer to both of these questions. For the first, what I do in graduate school does not wholly define the scientist I will become. It will shape my thought process and what types of research I will have more knowledge on, but it doesn't what I specifically have to be.

The second question was a bit more murky. I didn't visit any other graduate schools, so I was unable to make a comparison between any two programs (making a good, informed choice would mean I can compare and contrast similar things, not comparing working or going to get a PhD). Another important thing is that A&M wasn't my top ranked program. But the one thing that reassured me is that when I did visit College Station, I liked it there. I liked the atmosphere, the area, and, most importantly, the program.

So in closing, I guess I have only one thing to say: Go Aggies!