• Date Started: Aug 8, 2006
• Entries: 113
• Comments: 483
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A year later

March 22nd, 2008 at 09:54 am

So, it's been over a year since I've last posted here.

Oh, what a difference a year can make.

I guess I should re-

Text is introduce and Link is http://amberfocus.savingadvice.com/2006/08/12/a-little-bit-about-myself_12702/

introduce myself. I'm Mimi, I'm 23. I graduated from a SLAC (small liberal arts college) in 2006 with a degree in biology.

The original

Text is genesis and Link is http://amberfocus.savingadvice.com/2006/08/07/i-have-health-insurance_12466/

genesis of this blog coincided with my getting hired at my first job as a research assistant at a major academic research institution (key financial word being "academic"). I was just starting to get mired in the big, scary world of personal finance, and this blog was where I worked everything out.

This return marks a new chapter in my life, because it coincides with my getting hired at my second job.

That's right, I ditched my academic job, and sold out to industry.

This new development wasn't terribly off from my

Text is original and Link is http://amberfocus.savingadvice.com/2006/09/03/i-think-im-kind-of-screwed_13835/

original

Text is plans and Link is http://amberfocus.savingadvice.com/2006/09/10/retirement-projection-spreadsheet_14154/

plans. I was going to work for two years as a tech at a university, and build my CV; then, I would switch over to industry, and ramp up retirement savings on the increased salary for two more years; and then I would go to grad school with the peace of mind of knowing that although I would live in drudgery for six years, I am set for retirement even if academia chews me up and spits me out.

So I'm not too far off -- I left academia after 1.5 years rather than 2, but I landed the industry job I was counting on. But life has a way of being unpredictable, and throwing curve balls your way.

That's why I'm back. It's good to be back.

Posted in A Day in the Life | 4 Comments »

4 Responses to “A year later”

1. med12 Says:
   March 22nd, 2008 at 11:37 am 1206185843
   1206185843
   Congratulations on the new job! Hope it all works out for you.

2. Managinglife Says:
   March 22nd, 2008 at 02:29 pm 1206196163
   1206196163
   Congratulations! Working in the research industry pays more than the academic research field. Good Luck!

3. baselle Says:
   March 23rd, 2008 at 01:27 am 1206235660
   1206235660
   Welcome back - if you know, let us know what happened to everyone else in your world - what happened to the nutball postdoc, for example!

4. amberfocus Says:
   March 23rd, 2008 at 04:37 pm 1206290240
   1206290240
   med12 - Thank you!
   
   Managinglife - Industry sure does pay more! My pay shot up 70%. I still can hardly believe it.
   
   baselle - Ah, yes, the nutball postdoc. Well, he was a bit of a slacker, so my PI wasn't going to extend his visa to stay on, and understandably so. His mother came to visit him for three months, during which she realized the state that he was in -- e.g. he didn't even have enough money to buy plane tickets to fly home. She made him sell his fancy car and stop spending, and she cooked for him every day, and I presume he got enough money together for the plane tickets and his credit card balances. But the moment she left, he started spending again. I never really heard from him after he left the country last summer, but he packed an incredible amount of stuff to ship back, and he still lives with his parents, as far as I know. I guess when you're living with mommy and getting fed by her every day, you never really learn to grow up. o.O
   
   best,
   ~amber

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