Work from home 101
How to be productive when working in the lab isn’t an option
Being a grad student is hard. Being a grad student during the coronavirus pandemic is even harder. We’re used to running between classes, meetings, and labwork; suddenly, we’re barricaded in our apartments with no access to our labs, coffee shops or libraries, and we’re somehow expected to still be productive. While this situation is less-than-ideal, […]
Reset (or set) your morning routine
Tips for jumpstarting your days when working from home
Coronavirus has caused a work from home (WFH) phenomenon unlike anything seen before. It’s an experimental time for many and, given the circumstances, it can be stressful and isolating. Setting up a good routine can be a great way to create order in chaos. A while ago, I read a book called “Daily Rituals: How […]
Schrödinger’s graduate student
The paths to success in graduate school are as arbitrary as the goal itself
Four years into graduate school, I still struggle with a simple question: what makes a successful graduate student? I don’t mean the end product of a student with a flashy C.V., a long list of publications, or a dream job. Instead, I wonder: what does a successful graduate student look like in their day-to-day life? […]
Controlling chaos
Learning to love my calendar
“Hey, you ready for the call in five?” The what? With who? Did I have to prep for this? When did we decide to schedule a call? What are we even talking about? Maybe I’ve just been getting old, but I never had a problem remembering all my commitments before graduate school. Or maybe I […]
If something feels wrong, speak up
How I used my story to advocate for grad students
This post is part of a special issue: “Mental Health Matters: Asking for Help & Reaching Out”. My first year of grad school at MIT was no piece of cake. I struggled to understand what was going on in lab, classes felt like they were ganging up on me, and everything came to a head […]
