For those of my Dear Readers that have been following this blog for the past few months, you are already fully aware that I have learned some pretty big life lessons in my first semester of graduate school.
But there is so much to graduate school than all of that heavy stuff.
For example…
1. Free Food is the answer to anything
Boring talk? Strange required event? Reslife?
Who cares? It’s...
2. It is in fact weird to have a close bond with your advisor and...his wife.
While I knew that most PI’s are fairly hands off, I had no clue just how unique my situation was. I mean, I still haven’t told my advisor about my results from the past month and a half, and not because I don’t have any, but because he asks me about my baking adventures and my social life instead. It may be because every time we talk science I end up with a completely new project. I’m fairly certain that my advisor is trying to contain his excitement that I have taken an interest in Dynein.
And while Dr. Mrs. Vaughan is my mentor, I am pretty sure we have more inside jokes than most people typically have with their advisor’s spouse.
I really look forward to the day that I can do the same things for my graduate students. I never saw myself as a PI until I started working for the Vaughans.
3. Do NOT talk about your field all the time.
That person was me for the first month of school...
4. You have to believe in something other than your project.
If there is anything I have learned as a biologist, it is that your project is not something you want to have faith in. It takes a whole lot of Jesus for me to keep trying to make my new mutant construct do…well…anything.
But really, there are so many other important things in life than your research.
Fitness, friends, family, politics…really as long as you find something that gets you out of the lab and in to the world…then you take the constant failure of lab work with a little more grace.
5. Being a TA is an interesting experience to say the least
Actually no... TA babies were awesome.
Some just were more put together than others...
6. Family is what keeps you grounded
Anyone here knows that I talk about my family all the time. I tried to tone it down, so not to brag, but honestly I felt so much worse without bringing them up. My mommy is my best friend. My dad essentially saved my project in its early stages. My siblings always are there to send a snap, make a joke, or drop all of the wisdom I’ll ever need.
Seriously, in a single text my little brother makes everything better.
Every. Single. Time.
7. Coffee is life
Coffee Consumed in Grad School = Undergrad Consumption x at least 2
8. Required seminars are painful.
Sometimes there is a topic you can latch on to. Most of the time it is on a topic you don’t understand at all, but you know it would be cool if you were in the field…maybe. Other times there is a strange old man touching himself throughout his the entire talk.
Really the only thing you can do to survive is sit next to someone awesome and make as many jokes as possible.
9. Unless you make an effort, you won’t hear about anything from the outside world
10. Most importantly…you gotta make legit friends.
Yes, I have certainly spoken against squads when they act exclusive, but my Bio Girls squad have made life so much better than I ever would imagine. My roommate has saved my sanity through countless rom coms and froyo runs and prayers to Saint Fructus.
Oh, and my department is amazing.
I love Notre Dame, and I love graduate school even more than I thought I would! I have learned so many other things, but I think I will cap it at 10 because no one wants to read more than they absolutely have to.
I'm so thankful that God brought me and all of these amazing people together.
On to the next semester!
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