This week is the final week at my current job. I had my going-away party yesterday, which was a lot of fun, and this Friday is my final day.
I've been training my replacement, but I know that there will be things she needs help with after I leave. My boss is going on vacation for the month of August, so I've made it clear to my replacement that she's welcome to call or email me with any questions. While I have been training her as best I can, it's really not possible for me to teach her every detail about the job in four weeks.
I guess I'm mostly nervous about leaving the lab, where I've been for two years, and where I've gotten almost all of my training. I don't feel unprepared for graduate school, in terms of academics or lab work. It's more that I feel unprepared for the bureaucracy of it. I'm off to a mediocre start in that regard.
That is, I'm not sure exactly when I'm starting, or what I already should have signed up for. I got my health history forms after my yearly physical, and I'm waiting on my doctor's office to fax the signed forms back. I had a moment where I was significantly annoyed with the requirements; it said that I needed a vaccine that I had already gotten, but wouldn't let me waive it without actual reasons. But then, thankfully, a friend of mine pointed out that the vaccine was only required for students living on campus or in university-owned housing. I'm a grad student, suckers!
I'm also on the fence about purchasing a semester's worth of Charlie Cards from the school. I have another few weeks to decide, and I probably will buy the semester pass. I'm spoiled right now; my monthly pass is 45% off, and it's paid for pre-tax. I will only get 11% off the semester pass, and it's not pre-tax. It's quite disappointing. I would just walk to campus, but I've enjoyed the security of taking the T whenever I feel like it, and it'll be tougher to walk to campus during the first month or so. By the time I won't worry about walking to campus, it might be cold and snowy. I might as well just accept that I'm going to be paying for it, but even so ...
In the meantime, I'm looking forward to this week ending. Not because I hate my job; I'll definitely miss working here! But at this point, it feels like there's very little left for me to do over the next three to four days. Plus I have special rehearsals for an ensemble I play in once a year, on Thursday and Friday nights, on Saturday all day, and a concert on Sunday. Not a restful weekend for someone who's going to have surgery in a week. Since I'm just waiting for my surgery to be over with, it's hard for me to savor the rest of the week.
I won't forget my two years here, although this job hasn't always been easy or fun. Hopefully, the lab I end up in will be just as unique, with equally interesting research, and equally interesting people.
