Getting started
Demystifying (and de-mythifying) grad school – things to know about what it is and isn’t
A PhD pathway – what’s involved?
Advice for people starting out in science
Advice for aspiring scientists – how to stand out and set yourself up for the long haul
Want to be a scientist? Start making (and keeping up to date) a CV (Curriculum Vitae) early!
What’s “independent” research(er) really mean? Not working in isolation!
Advice for experimenters in training – think inside and outside the kit!
PUIs, R1 institutions, etc. – what’s what & what to consider
“Dual enrollment” – you can take community college courses in high school (at least in the US)
Some advice for college graduates (past, present, & future) & thoughts on communicating knowledge
Imposter syndrome
Preparing for grad school & what to expect
Preparing for (and applying to) the emotional rollercoaster of grad school
Grad school research topics and lab rotations
Choosing majors and programs in college and grad school
Getting involved in research as an undergrad
Grad school interviews
Making a strong grad school application – some advice
Tips for writing strong personal statements for science grad school applications
More of your grad school questions answered (deciding whether or not to apply, personal statements, lab choosing, hurdles, post-doc-ing, prof/or-not-ing, etc.)
Grad school interview advice
Who’s who (position-wise) in academic science labs
Scientific conferences: what to expect & how to make the most out of them
Some thoughts on reading while PhD-ing & PhD-ing in general
Grad School Behind the Scenes: Journal club group meetings (& more “random” stuff about papers & Twitter)
Why grad school timeframes vary & what’s involved in “graduating” from a PhD program
Thesis committee meetings – prepare to make the most of them!
Towards the end! Thesis-Related Posts
Thesis-izing: a quick video on writing a thesis, what that means, & what I’ve found useful
1 month to my PhD thesis defense! Here’s why that event means so much for me…
Thesis writing… fun?
How to make your life easier when it comes time to write a thesis
Thesis-submitted!
Why I dedicated my thesis to Grammy, plus a call for senior citizen science outreach
Thesis Thoughts: style, acknowledgments section, & how it feels post-submission (Hint: pretty good!)
Thesis defense talk prepping
Thoughts on the day before my thesis defense
What my thesis defense was like
The PhD hat – hat’s off to my amazing lab mates!
Dr. Bumbling Biochemist, Postgraduate student. What’s that? What happens after your dissertation defense?
Postdoc-ing (some of which is applicable to grad school too)
Postdoc-ing: an intro (for me too 🙂 ) – week 1
Choosing a research topic, choosing a postdoc lab, & thoughts on the grad-to-postdoc transition
Lab group meetings
Take advantage of opportunities to learn from one another, & make sure to pay it forward
Take advantage of opportunities to learn from one another, & make sure to pay it forward
Transitioning to a tenure-track position
The tenure-track position application process
Tips to help along the way
A “Quick Start Guide” for starting off in research with good habits
Some study suggestions for school
Time- and thumb-saving lab tips
Be notable! Lab notes and organization
Experiment-ing: organizedly planning out, preparing for, performing, & writing notes for experiments
Troubleshooting and optimizing lab experiments
Reading science articles – some advice
Reference management (focused on Mendeley) – and finding & managing the correct references!
Practical advice on various things
It’s not you – it’s science – getting through bad days in grad school
Preparing and presenting scientific research talks – some tips and advice
Finding, organizing, reading, & taking notes on scientific papers when starting a new project
Staying up to date in science – setting up alerts & using RSS feeds
Making the most of experimental methods sections
Push past the self-doubt & seek out opportunities – it just might pay off!
Keeping a detailed plasmid inventory
Protein prep inventory-ing: keeping a detailed inventory of cell pellets and purified proteins
My NCBI – an intro to why you should get an account, My Bibliography, SciENcv, & biosketches
It always seems impossible until it’s done! General tips for daunting writing projects
Why trainee bio-related scientists should learn basic programming (esp. command line, Python, & R)
Abstracts: what they are and advice for writing awesome ones
Explaining your research to other scientists (especially as a trainee)
Reading science articles strategically – approach papers with purpose
Slow & steady makes strong science (& scientists), so don’t give in to “lab guilt!”
Tips for giving a research presentation (especially to a more general audience)
Experimental planning spreadsheets
Unintentional error: Avoiding common experimental artifacts (especially batch & positional effects)
Be legendary! Scientific figures & legends, a practical guide
Scientific research posters – what they are & advice for preparing and presenting them
Additional resources
Demystifying the hidden curriculum of academic science
YouTube playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWsCDtjESrH10HorjPfP_AreNCf6S4rL&si=C1QPHJZ2h4Qr8you
