‘Did you know in the 5th Grade, that you would be a scientist when you grow up?’ This was one of the questions I got from a 5th Grade class I was matched with under the Skype a Scientist program. I smiled to myself as I answered ‘No, I hadn’t[…]
Read moreAuthor: Divya
Researcher Collaborations – Reflections on Growth
Change happens whether you realize it or not, whether you want it or not. Most people go through life not realizing what their everyday situations are doing to them, how they interact with their environment and with themselves day after day. Some other people, however, are a lot more in control of their direction of change. These are the kind of people who can reflect best on their growth process. This post is an interview with one such person, my dear friend and (until recently) colleague Gayatri Salunkhe.
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Researcher Collabs : Is your well running dry?
Have you had a fight with a loved one that left you feeling like you’ve run a mental marathon? Have you had days where you’ve needed to solve a relatively simple problem, but found yourself incapable of doing so? Have you worked long hours without regular breaks, only to give up and overeat at the end of the day? All of these are cases of ego depletion where our mental resources are almost running dry.
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Researcher Ramblings: When will you get done?
This post is about managing questions better. Over time, I’ve learnt that not everyone asking you ‘are you done yet’ actually cares about the process of your work. Therefore, I have come up with three possible answers that PhD candidates can give people for the 3-5 (or 6, 7, 8…n) years they are doing their PhDs for.
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Researcher Ramblings – Mental Health and the PhD
When I joined my department, my colleagues, who eventually would form the core of my PhD support, were coming to the end of their first year. They had had their experiences and were openly annoyed at how happy I was. ‘Talk to us in a year’ they said. Sure enough, a year later I was seriously questioning my life, and trying very hard to not cry in front of my supervisor while telling him how something in the lab had collapsed, yet again.
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Researcher Life: The Soapbox Science Experience
A presentation for Soapbox Science, just like any other presentation, goes through its phases of preparation. My journey started slowly with an application in February, a confirmation in March, and then quickly escalated with a Skype training in April. In this post, I’ll try and retrospect about how I prepared for my Soapbox Science talk.
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Researcher Life – ‘My’ 100 blocks a day
“Most people sleep about seven or eight hours a night. That leaves 16 or 17 hours awake each day. Or about 1,000 minutes. Let’s think about those 1,000 minutes as 100 10-minute blocks. That’s what you wake up with every day….It’s always good to step back and think about how we’re using those 100 blocks we get each day. How many of them are put towards making your future better, and how many of them are just there to be enjoyed? How many of them are spent with other people, and how many are for time by yourself? How many are used to create something, and how many are used to consume something? How many of the blocks are focused on your body, how many on your mind, and how many on neither one in particular? Which are your favorite blocks of the day, and which are your least favorite?”
Read moreResearcher Life : Is the Blotchy Area Clearing Up?
Continuing in the spirit of The Metaphor, here is another post. This one is about the Blotchy Area on your map, and how to figure out if you are making any real progress. As I explained in my metaphor, when ‘you enter this area, your compass starts acting up …[…]
Read moreResearcher Life: Managing A Stormy Journey
If you read the blog on The Metaphor, you know that sailing the PhD boat can be difficult for a number of reasons. You may notice a hole in your boat that needs fixing (or else you will drown). There may be a storm you did not foresee. You may[…]
Read moreResearcher Ramblings : The Metaphor
A PhD Candidate is like an explorer at sea…in the 1500s! You may have a passion for adventure, but you are pretty much stuck with a compass and the stars for guidance! For those of you outside academia, let me paint a picture of what our journey on the turbulent[…]
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