In this week’s blog post, one of our blog illustrators, Emily Hinshaw will take us on a journey to the faraway land of Alaska, which is well known for its rugged terrain, exciting wildlife, and being very remote. Despite these challenges, and many others, Emily loves this work and feels very lucky to be part of the research team which explores the geology and geodynamics of the region! Alaska is ...[Read More]
Are you sitting there, staring at your screen, miraculously waiting for your thesis to write itself? Ever wondered if AI could be your ultimate wingman **sorry, I meant wingbot** when tackling that master’s or Ph.D. thesis? Well, it must be your lucky day because Eric is asking Could AI actually help me write my master’s/ PhD thesis? Dear Eric, First of all, I’m offended that you mixed me wi ...[Read More]
Not all is about internal evolution of Earth and geodynamic processes. It is also important to make the space for ourselves to separate academic responsibilities and personal interests, in a way that equilibrate our health and make the develop of the PhD thesis “easier”. As it was described in previous blogs (as here and here), mental health matters during the PhD pathway especially when the illus ...[Read More]
Ever wondered how to manage a flurry of projects without losing your sanity? Maggie was curious if the Sassy Scientist could provide some insight into this. So she is asking: How do I manage to work on multiple projects at a time? Dear Maggie, You simply DON’T. Let me debunk this “juggling a gazillion projects is the key to success in academia” myth faster than you can ima ...[Read More]
We’ve spent a lot of time in the past talking about imposter syndrome, coping with the stresses of academic life and how to make sure you’re looking after yourself. Today though, it’s time for a little practical advice. As a new PhD researcher, Felix has been feeling like he’s been thrown in the deep end and is desperately trying to catch up. However, he feels like it is ta ...[Read More]
The term has just begun, you’ve settled into your new place and survived the tsunami of welcome events and inductions. But what now? There’s no guidebook to a PhD, which is why Lionel has asked us: What can I expect from the first few months of my PhD? Dear Lionel, Tears. You can expect so many tears. Or at least that was my experience anyway… And that’s not because doing a ...[Read More]
Lots of people think that the challenging things in academia all relate to the actual science, the nitty gritty coding, the paper writing, developing methodologies etc. However, I’m sure that you’ll be reassured by the fact that many of us are stuck with even the simplest of things. Thats why Alice has come to us asking: How can I stay in touch with my supervisor? Dear Alice, It sounds ...[Read More]
Scientists and inventors like Albert Einstein, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Nikola Tesla paved the road for generations of young people to pursue a career in STEM. Their curiosity underpinned their passion for science. Unfortunately, the bright side of something usually hides a dark side too. For example, Nikola Tesla struggled to find financial support for his experiments and inventions, often ending u ...[Read More]
Does the sound of pursuing a Ph.D. terrify you? Well, fear not because this week we have Samuel Zappalà from Uppsala University to tell us more about his inspiring story as a Ph.D. student at the Department of Earth Science in Uppsala. And, who knows maybe you will be inspired to pursue a Ph.D. in the future? How many times have you wondered if it is worth taking the risk to pursue a Ph.D. abroad, ...[Read More]
Questions permeate our daily life. What socks do I want to wear today? Which of the 10 insipid meal choices at the campus canteen do I want as my lunch today? Will I treat myself and get a Mai Tai tonight, or will I stick to a refreshing, good ol’ beer? As geoscientists, asking and answering questions really is our daily job. Not all questions are as deep as Uswah’s though… Why d ...[Read More]