It feels like I defended my PhD yesterday, but I just celebrated three months at my current job! There has been much transition in the past few months (even in the past week as I change teams at work) and I feel like I'm finally emerging from the seas of change and processing some of it. This blog post is going to be an attempt to consolidate thoughts that have been swirling around in my head around finishing my PhD, starting a new job, and working through what [.....]
As the year draws to a close, I enter a predictably pensive mood brought on by ever-waning daylight and chilly evenings forcing me inside with a cup of tea and prompting reflection on my growth as a person this year. In 2020, we have all come face-to-face with frustration, sadness, worry, anxiety, and discomfort. For me, this has been a year of discomfort and learning how to sit, embrace, and become friends with it .
For me, this has been a year of discomfort and learning how to [.....]
I have been forced to admit my limits. Recently, I found myself convicted by both how much I rely on myself and how hard I push back on accepting others’ encouragement and help. This conviction stemmed from the realization that I am quick to help others in their times of need but reluctant to accept the help of others or even admit to others when I am struggling.
A few weeks ago, I laid on an operating table while surgeons prepped to remove my appendix. A [.....]
She walks out of lab thinking "wow, I'm not here on the weekends - does this mean I'm not a good scientist?"
In the meeting with his advisor he hears about the progress of other grad students and wonders "will I ever make progress like them?"
After attending her friend's fantastic seminar, she feels dejected because her project is not that interesting, and lacks a coherent story.
Self-doubt and the trap of comparisons is rampant in grad school. In grad school, the temptation is strong to compare your [.....]
Taylor Swift's most recent album Folklore debuted a few weeks ago and I have throughly enjoyed the more folksy direction she has taken. In one song, cardigan, Taylor croons 'when you are young they assume you know nothing.' I heard this line and my heart skipped a beat. My mind flashed with visions of people informing me in my past that I was 'too young to go to college', 'too young to have this job' or 'too young for me to trust you'.
My mind flashed with visions of people telling me [.....]
Ever since high school I remember people telling me "I'm surprised you like *this thing or that thing*, I would never have expected that of you!" As the years pass this has become such a common occurrence that I don't bat an eye. However, as I begin to think through these phenomena I am intrigued at what is going on in others's minds behind the scenes.
As human beings we like to put other human beings into boxes. "She's a preppy girl, he's a jock, he's an athlete..." and [.....]
Everyone's worlds have been turned upside down in the past few months which has led to a huge shift in people's productivity. Bosses' and employees are adapting their work to be solely online, days filled with Zoom meetings are not uncommon, and everything seems to be moving slower than normal. With this new normal the message of 'not expecting a lot of yourself', 'give yourself grace', and 'just survive' have been spreading faster than COVID-19. For those of us who have had the ability to work [.....]
Graduate school has changed my life, however, very few people realize what graduate school is and what it actually encompasses. In this ...
