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Allow me to introduce myself, I go by 40 Hands, and have been added to the list of fine folk who contribute to this site. Missoula is my home, but only for the next five days, come next week I’m headed to Fort Collins to get a masters. I’m not quite sure what I have to offer as a contributor to the site, but I do plan to do plenty of racing and riding throughout the Montana/Idaho/Colorado/Oregon area this summer, so there will be racing/riding reports. Come fall I might start rambling on about the life of a grad student who is trying to avoid the real world, and will be dealing with the daily debate of school versus bikes.
In the short term I’m headed out to the fine town of Rapelje, MT for Montana’s first, only, and best 24 Hour race. Jonny was kind enough to post my report from last years event, which was cancelled after 8 hours when a storm of biblical proportions swept through town. All are hoping the rains don’t come this weekend, and the recent tornado that touched down in Billings, was a freak one-time incident. My plan is to race in the solo SS category, and enjoy my final weekend with a bunch of great friends. And yes, there will be beer.
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hey 40 – im beginning to think i also should have gone with a pseudoname – like dirty grrl or something. a bit late tho. anyways, good to have ya on board. DB says your a stand up guy, good to see ya here.
As in “Edward 40 Hands”?
Ha 40 hands…. I remember when you challenged Big Pun to a drinking contest. I think they put you in a cab at 11 pm and Big Pun just proceded to get warmed up and then crush me in the wake of it all. Anyway welcome to the family.
Day-yam, I miss riding in Idaho…
Masters of what? with an undergrad in what? With a plan to do what? When?
Judi – nicknames are good, i’ll call you dirty grrl from now on
nyhc00 – yeah, I like malt liquor, me and Big Jonny wager a case of Olde English on a Giants-Eagles football game once a year
Snake- That drinking contest may have been the worst decision of my life
Patrick- Masters will be in geophysics, I have no idea what I will do with it, I’m going to focus on getting it first
Welcome to the fray, be glad you’re in school and not looking for a job right now! Ride, learn, and be merry.
I don’t know how your program is set up, but two of the best classes a MS student can take are statistics and GIS. Learn them, love them, put them in your toolbox. With a knowledge of stats and GIS (probably ArcGIS, although more and more people are using open-source programs to avoid giving thousands to ESRI…) you can sell yourself for a wide variety of positions, and do jobs that you might not get considered for if people just look at your degree and major.
As for getting through school, dive into the literature, read everything you can. Have fun, but expect to work non-stop for the first year (and the last semester), and approach a freak out somewhere in there, because you don’t know where your project is heading. Be involved with the department and the local graduate student organization. Go to as many of the departmental seminars as you can. You are move likely to get (or even know about…) scholarships and grants if you are involved. All the professors that sit on the scholarship committees will notice that. It can be a whole lot of fun, because it is very different than undergraduate. Remember that you are not the smartest person in the room, especially at your defence. A 1-2 hour defence will turn into a 3-4 hour slugfest if you piss off your committee. “I don’t know” is an acceptable answer after a while, just don’t give up on their questions too easily.
Also, don’t take more than 3 years to get a MS.
“The world is full of bastards, the number increasing rapidly the further one gets from Missoula, Montana.”
from A River Runs Through It – Norman Maclean
Colorado is ok. I like mountains.
Whatever you do, stay away from Boston, where I’m from. It’s swarming with bastards. We call them MASSHOLES.
Hey Edward 40 Hands. Missoula to Ft. Collins? Wow, man. You’re livin’ a sweet life. Welcome. Make us proud.
Fort Collins rules, that’s why I live here!
some of my finest car v. bike memories are from the mean streets of ‘collins. one particular NAPA auto parts truck went back to his store without any sideview mirrors after a 5 minute duel. and i can’t even count the number of windshields that got smashed with full waterbottles as they passed less than a meter from me going the opposite direction, wow, i’m gettin’ all nostalgic.
Hey 40 Hands,
Welcome to the Fort. There’s plenty of biking, beer, and school to be done here (not necessarily in that order). I’m sure you’ll be enjoying yourself. Look us up when you arrive. I’d be happy to introduce you to some of the better drinkers/riders here in town.