When you're an undergrad or even a master's student, your primary focus is on taking classes and learning from your professors. While you'll still likely have some required courses as a PhD candidate, the focus is placed on you developing your own research. You're producing the content instead of merely consuming it. If you're not sure exactly what you want to research as a PhD candidate, it can make sense to take a break after your undergraduate or master's program. Of course, you don't want to wait too long, but you can take a year to figure out the direction you want to go in. Take the time to gain some experience. Apply for lab positions so you can get a feel for what it's like to do research in a lab full time. If you're still in undergrad, try taking classes in topics that interest you or in topics you haven't explored yet. When you come across things that you find interesting, dive deeper. Read more outside of class to see if that could become your PhD focus. Often, your "original" research may just be something you work on under the direction of a professor. That is, you may be assigned your research work and perform the research with guidance from the professor. Choosing a school with professors whose research you enjoy is a great way to focus your work. As your work gets more individual, you want to work with professors who have similar interests. Check out the requirements for each program on the school's website. Every department has different requirements for who they admit to their program. The earlier you understand what they will be looking for in different schools, the higher your chances will be to prepare a great application. Often, you'll need to have a certain level of knowledge in the fields of mechanics, electromagnetism, atomic and nuclear physics, quantum mechanics, and advanced calculus. Submit all the appropriate paperwork for your application, including your transcripts, academic references, and your basic application. In many cases, you'll need to write a personal statement or research proposal, as well.
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One-sentence summary -- Make the mental switch to research. Take a break if you need to. Do some research into topics you love. Learn about professors in PhD programs. Apply to a PhD program.

Q: Whole grain cereals, fruit and low-fat dairy are all good choices for a healthy breakfast. Alternatively, you can ask the waiter or waitress not to bring the bread course at all. Avoid mayonnaise-drenched pasta salads at a salad bar and build a healthful salad with plenty of greens, colorful vegetables, lean protein and low-fat dressing. Choose low-CD alternatives like seafood, grilled vegetables or melon with prosciutto. Find out if a dish can be grilled or broiled or served with sauce on the side. Order veggie pizza and ask for less cheese. Add salsa to baked potatoes instead of butter or sour cream. Have brown rice instead of white rice.
A: Choose a healthful breakfast. Ask for whole-grain rolls with the bread basket. Build smart salads. Avoid fried appetizers. Ask for changes to your main course. Ask for side dishes prepared without added fat.

Article: You won't see the result immediately, but keeping a dryer garden is the best method for long-term slug control. Here are some tactics for making your garden less friendly to the damp-loving pests: Water plants in the early to mid morning, so the soil dries before nightfall. Install drip irrigation to minimize water use. Keep the yard free of debris, and mow the lawn regularly. Avoid organic mulches, such as straw or grass clippings. Space plants far enough apart to allow air flow between them. The following plant preparations all deter slugs to some extent, if you can find them in your local gardening store: Oak leaf mulch or tobacco stem meal, spread as a barrier around plants Wormwood tea, made from steeping artemisia cuttings in warm water for 24 hours. Strain and combine with soapy water, then spray onto soil or slugs. Purchase strips of copper foil wide enough that the slugs can't bridge it with their bodies. Use them to form a barricade around your plants or planting beds. Young children may cut themselves on the strips. Spread salt on the surface where the slugs are crawling around to kill them by drawing out moisture. Be aware that salt can easily kill plants and ruin soil. Use this around the base of potted plants on a porch, or place a barrier on the soil prior to spreading the salt in order to protect the integrity of the soil. Avoid using salt in situations where it can come into the contact with water (like when rainy weather is likely or a sprinkler is running). Water can dissolve salt and wash it off of "safe" surfaces and into the soil, harming soil quality. Frustrated gardeners have thrown just about any substance in their garden to try to keep slugs away. The following are the best of these homemade solutions, but are unlikely to deter 100% of slugs: Coffee grounds may have mild effects on the health of your garden. Sharp, coarse sand scrapes against slugs, but may not deter them completely. Seaweed is not as effective as plain salt, but perhaps a little safer for your soil. Calcified seaweed meal is better, if you can find it. Certain plants keep slugs away because of their taste, texture, or toxins. Plant these in a barrier around the entirety of your garden, or keep one near each other plant. These are not 100% immune, but they will deter many slugs for no effort besides the initial planting. Try the following species: Herbs: ginger, garlic, chives, mint, and chicory. Vegetables: bitter greens are generally less appealing to slugs than sweet greens. Try planting kale, spring cabbage, or sprouting broccoli. Hosta varieties with blue leaves are more resistant. Flowers for full shade: Astilbe, Dicentra, Digitalis (foxglove), Lobelia, Viola (some pansies and violets). Also Ranunculus (buttercups) and Vinca, but these spread rapidly. Flowers for partial shade: Phlox, Campanula, Hemerocallis. Also Mentha, but this spreads rapidly. There are several materials that can kill slugs on contact. These can be used to make effective barriers to prevent slug movement, but they must be used carefully and kept dry. Improper use can hurt your garden (and even the people or animals who use it). Be sure to apply these materials to non-soil surfaces except where noted: Safety warnings: Do not inhale any of these substances or handle with bare hands. These may not be suitable in gardens where children or pets play. Diatomaceous earth: May harm beneficial insects. Wood ash: Raises soil pH, which can affect plants. Hydrated lime: Raises soil pH greatly. Can make soil uninhabitable for many plants. 1% Caffeine spray: Applied directly to the plants you want to protect; kills slugs when they feed. Can negatively affect many plants in unpredictable ways.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Keep your garden dry. Create mulch or tea from certain plants. Make a copper strip barrier. Sprinkle salt on non-soil surfaces. Build folk remedy barriers. Grow plants that deter slugs. Consider using more powerful (but more hazardous) barriers.

Article: Start by boiling 3 cups (710ml) of water in a kettle or in a pot over the stove. Bring the water to boiling temperature (212 degrees Fahrenheit, 100 degrees Celsius). If your pipes are PVC or plastic, 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celcius) is the hottest temperature water you can pour down the drain to prevent damage. Do a final flush of the drain with 3 cups (710ml) of boiling hot water. This should remove any remaining grime or debris in the drain. You can flush the drain with hot water on a weekly basis to keep it clean.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Boil the water. Flush the drain with hot water again.