I am not sure how many of you are familiar with the online community called Benchfly.com, but if you are in the life sciences, this site could be an excellent companion to your studies. Besides entertaining blogs, the site also has video protocols and I have the honor of answering questions posted by graduate students. […]
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Can you have kids in graduate school?
This is a question that many married graduate students contemplate. Is it better to get the kids “over with” while you have a flexible schedule, or is it more strategic to wait until you have a job and a real salary? The decision to have a child at any time, whether you are in grad […]
Supervising Others: You Mean Research is Not Solitary?
That’s right, research is not solitary, at least most of the time. The toughest challenges in research actually involve managing interactions with other people, rather than solving technical difficulties. You don’t even have to be in a supervisory role to relate to these situations. For example, suppose you are in a team of three people […]
Are You Being Bullied by Your Supervisor?
A reader from Benchfly.com sent me a curious question: “Is it possible to get bullied by your advisor?” The answer is, unfortunately, yes. There are advisors who make the lives of their graduate students very difficult, through poor management or harsh words. Although your PI is your boss, it does not mean that you have […]
Elements of a Successful Thesis Proposal
The first time I went to a thesis defense was the summer before my sophomore year, when I worked in a Chemistry lab . Alice (not her real name) defended her thesis after 6 six years in graduate school (average for department), and her defense went so well that no one realized how much hardship […]
Cover Letters That Get the Call
Cover letters are one of the least favorite parts of the job searching process for most applicants. Cookie-cut cover letters will not get a second glance, and writing a specific letter for each position is time-consuming. Yet, cover letters give you the opportunity to set yourself apart from other candidates. A well-written cover letter will […]