The boring part.

Okay, I've hit the boring part of trying to get into grad school. The non-learning part, or at least the non-learning-about-what-I-want part.

I have three things I'm trying to get accomplished before I apply:

1) Do well on GRE's. I have a feeling this is important. I don't think it'll be too much of a problem, but I should at least be studying.

2) Get published in peer-reviewed conference proceedings. I've presented at conferences before, but it was never original research, which is what we're trying to do now. It won't be in the realm of AI, but my current job is in a new field, so original research is still pretty easy, and my company is a fairly respected name.

3) Start something on the road to being patented. It won't be an earth-shaking patent. I do insist that it be something new, despite the fact that our current patent system seems to waive that requirement fairly often. I have two things submitted to my company's patent office, so hopefully they'll decide to pursue at least one of them.

Unfortunately, Most of this stuff is not nearly as interesting to me as what I was doing before, namely reading about neural networks and computational neuroscience.

Anyway, I just have to keep reminding myself that it's all going to lead to my being able to do something that I love, day in and day out.