Written by Hamsi Radhakrishnan
One of the most shocking things about grad school is that you are actually expected to do things. Your head is always on eight tabs simultaneously, there’s that buzzing noise in your ear from all that caffeine you’ve been downing, and you have two hours to submit this grant but you can’t remember where you read that one result that justifies just about everything you are proposing to do. You need to Mary Kondo your brain, and you need to do it fast. Here are a few tips to keep those nerves calm, and your hair looking less like that of a mad scientist (unless that’s what you’re going for, you do you.)
Document EVERYTHING
I cannot stress enough on how important this is. The whole of my last year was just me telling myself “oh, of course I will remember that super important but oddly specific detail seven months from now” and then losing my mind when I discovered that my hippocampus didn’t have superpowers. In the context of research, try taking detailed and comprehensive lab notes. Explain to yourself why you put that extra milligram of glycine even though it wasn’t mentioned in the protocol. You’ll thank yourself later. Trust me.
If your lab doesn’t require you to maintain a physical copy of a lab notebook (and unless you’re in a super hardcore experimental biology lab, this is usually the case), I recommend Microsoft OneNote as an effective way to stay organized in lab and in classes. You can sync multiple devices to the same account, and even invite guests (like your PI and other lab members) to view and edit your notebook.
OneNote comes free with Office365 and most STEM departments in UCI hook you up with a free account.
Leave a Paper Trace
Grad school requires a lot of reading. While there’s no way to escape the ocean of literature review that’s in store for you for the next five years or so, you don’t have to drown in it! Keep track of all the papers you’re reading/have read before/would like to read/are terrified of having to read with Mendeley. It also makes citing so much easier when it’s time to write a paper of your own. I usually tend to work on multiple projects at a time, so I like making separate folders for each of them. You can also further make subfolders based on specific techniques, results, etc. One of my favorite things about this resource is that it suggests additional reading based on the papers you’ve been saving, and I always find some very cool and/or helpful articles through this feature.
If it’s Not on Your Calendar, It’s Not Happening
A typical grad student gets to stay one for about five years (oh, goodie!), and that’s very rarely “enough”. You might have been just fine writing appointments on your palms in college, but that’s not going to cut it here. Avoid being late or completely missing important meetings by using a calendar app. Google Calendar is free, easy to use and let you sync multiple devices. You can also categorize and color code your calendar based on different themes like research, coursework, chores, social, etc. Try putting in everything you must do on your calendar. I usually like spending about half an hour every Sunday afternoon, making sure my week is adequately planned. Apart from just making sure you’re punctual and responsible, this practice will help you keep track of how much time you’re spending doing various activities, and might even give you something to look forward to. It’ll also make sure you know the dates of important conferences/symposium/deadlines and keep you on your toes about these things. If you’re feeling real wild and want to go on a scheduling adventure, consider bullet journaling.
Declutter
Keep your workspaces clean! Now, before you go all “geez, thanks, mom” on me, remember that I have the wisdom of a thousand years (fine, two, whatever.) There’s nothing more annoying than having to search for tiny pieces of paper with important pieces of information (but you don’t have tiny pieces of paper with important pieces of information because you’ve been putting everything on your OneNote anyway, right?) Most grad students get a desk space, and if you’re lucky you might even get to share an office! This helpful article gives more information on how to keep those cubicles looking nice and clean.
Everything is on the Record
This took me quite a while to learn, but you’re not going to remember most things people say in meetings. Even if you are the type to obsessively take notes, it’s extremely hard to both participate in the discussion and write things down at the same time. This is especially true if you’re the one leading a presentation, or even if you’re just having a one-on-one meeting with your advisor. An easy solution to make sure you don’t miss anything is to record all your meetings (I’m sure you didn’t see that coming.) This way you can focus all your attention on the feedback you’re getting instead of worrying about whether you’re going to remember any of these obscure details. If you’re super neurotic, you can also later listen to your recordings and write down important points in your lab notebook. I also like recording all the lectures I attend and most of the talks I go to (but you should check your school’s/speaker’s policy on this before proceeding.)
ORGANIZE YOUR EMAIL
I have very strong feelings about this, in case you didn’t catch that. DO NOT HAVE 6492 UNREAD EMAILS IN YOUR INBOX. That’s ridiculous. If you’re not opening their emails, you should not be getting their emails: unsubscribe from newsletters you don’t care about, mark things as spam generously, block your ex-boyfriend’s aunt who forgot you guys broke up and keeps inviting you on family vacations, the usual. Delete email that you’re never going to read again. Keep a spam account if you need to give your email ID out to sites that you know will bombard you with lots of promotions. Check your email regularly so that you can tame your paranoia at night. Most importantly, categorize! Gmail lets you put things in folders, so make separate folders for different facets. This will make finding things so much easier, even when you’re not entirely sure what you’re looking for.
Stock Up!
I am still in the process of understanding this, but your lab does not revolve around you. If you’re working in a wet lab, and you need a lot of materials to do your experiments, make sure these materials are available way ahead of time. Most labs usually have a lab manager or technician who’s in charge of these things. Understand how ordering for resources works in your lab as early as possible. Planning for a long elaborate experiment and realizing on the day of that your lab mate used up all the ingredients you needed will not only drive you insane, it will also contribute to a strained relationship with your colleague, and hell hath no fury like a biologist scorned.
Don’t Forget to Relax.
This is a slight bit of a digression here, but it is important. Being a grad student can be very overwhelming. Sometimes you need to put on a little Chet Baker, make yourself some pasta and down a glass of wine to feel like a real person again- and that’s okay. Remember that your mental health is of utmost importance, and make sure you keep a constant tab on your energy levels throughout the week. If you find yourself feeling constantly frustrated or don’t seem to have the motivation to organize yourself, it might be time to talk to a friend or a counsellor. Make sure you give yourself time to do other things that you enjoy and hang out with the people you love. Grad school is going to be challenging, and you’re probably here because you enjoy being challenged, but it should never be difficult.
The internet is a magical place. Check out Inside Higher Ed for more resources on staying, surviving and thriving in grad school. Check out PhD Comics because they’re a delight.