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 […]
A matcha latte a day…
This student’s secret weapon
It’s no secret that students everywhere love their coffee, so when I tell people that I almost never consume the magical beverage, I usually receive an incredulous response. Something along the lines of: “So, you just… wake up in the morning and live?” Most of the time, that’s exactly right. I all but swore off […]
Practice imagination in MIT Hogwarts
Where empathy and compassion are the real magic
In J.K. Rowling’s commencement speech at Harvard, she talked about the importance of imagination. I was really struck by her definition of imagination – how she described it as people “thinking themselves into other people’s worlds”. It made me appreciate my own capacity for empathy and compassion and how that’s been strengthened by the challenges […]
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? […]
