LIFE UPDATES
#LifeInPH #LifeInSyracuseNY #RoadToPhD #FulbrightPH
October 5, 2020
Today marks my first month here in the US! October 3, 2020 Finally cleared now to access campus facilities after testing negative for the virus. Testing was through the public health surveillance saliva test conducted by Syracuse University and ESF. September 19, 2020 Finished my 14-day quarantine! No symptoms at all and I feel fine. Finally got to see the neighborhood and the downtown area with my relatives from Yorktown, Westchester County, New York. September 5, 2020 I finally got here in Syracuse, New York after almost 30 hours of travel from the Philippines and quick goodbyes. I'll be in a 14-day quarantine before I am able to visit the campus. September 1, 2020 We had our final briefing with our program officer and the executive director of Fulbright Philippines (Philippine-American Educational Foundation). Flying to US soon! August 24, 2020 I had my J-1 visa interview this morning and it got approved. Also, today is officially my first day as a PhD Environmental Science student at the State University of New York-College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF). I am taking 12 units this semester:
I have been "out of touch" with Statistics; I barely used it in my Master's that is why I decided it will be best to take it this semester in preparation for all the statistics that I will be encountering in my future courses. As for GIS, it's also about time to take a formal education on the subject. I only had an introductory training to QGIS way back 2015 and had little practice since then. These two tools will definitely be essential to research projects in my field. FOR 798 is a research problem course with my academic advisor, Dr. Philippe G. Vidon. I'm grateful that the Graduate School is giving me the opportunity to work with him as he is the leader of water and wetland resource studies of the Division of Environmental Science. I'm taking the classes online for now. The twelve-hour time difference between Philippines and New York means that my classes will be from 9:30 to 11:30 p.m. |