Category Archives: students

In which we fall

Posted on 6 November 2022 by Jennifer Rohn

Fireworks crackle in the darkness: yesterday’s Bonfire Night stretching to fill the entire weekend. The torrential rains have given way to an almost full moon, glowing cold-silver in the eastern sky. November is always a positive month, with the cosiness … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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In which summers shrink

Posted on 27 June 2021 by Jennifer Rohn

Academics talk nostalgically about rosy-tinted times of yore when summers meant a lull in lecturing duties. The months would unfold before you, a vast landscape of research possibilities. It was a time to write papers, craft grants, catch up with … Continue reading →

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Examining Season

Posted on 7 June 2019 by Athene Donald

Students, you may want to look away now as I’m going to give away some of the secrets of exam marking, as I’ve discovered them over more years than I care to remember. Firstly, it is extremely boring. If you … Continue reading →

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In which I assess

Posted on 21 May 2019 by Jennifer Rohn

There’s plenty more where that came from It’s that time of year – piles of booklets appearing on my desk faster than I can clear them out. Baffling handwriting, detailed rubrics, Excel spreadsheets, moderation sessions, similarity scores, pens of many … Continue reading →

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How far should students go in striving for professionalism?

Posted on 23 April 2019 by Steve Caplan

What is the beginning of eternity and the end of time? Sometimes the simplest answer is actually the right one: in this case, the letter “e.” Having served as chair of my departmental graduate and admissions committee, professionalism is an … Continue reading →

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In which we find out how

Posted on 9 April 2019 by Jennifer Rohn

Science in your pyjamas: bliss What’s the youngest a person can be exposed to science in a meaningful way? Loyal readers will know that I’ve pondered this question before, especially since becoming a mother. The other day a colleague told … Continue reading →

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The Lure of Procrastination

Posted on 11 November 2018 by Athene Donald

Why do you procrastinate? Since most people are guilty of this failing at least some of the time, few readers are likely to say ‘what me, I never do!’ I believe the reasons are many and various but I must … Continue reading →

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In which a new Doctor is born

Posted on 18 May 2018 by Jennifer Rohn

No, not that Doctor. (Besides, I’m not sure any graduate student would care to regenerate and repeat the experience for all eternity!) My first PhD candidate, Harry Horsley, recently had his viva. Here he is, about an hour before the … Continue reading →

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In which age is no impediment to scientific discourse

Posted on 13 March 2018 by Jennifer Rohn

Joshua has had quite a few vaccinations in his four-and-a-half years – the usual routine inoculations for standard childhood illnesses and a couple (chicken pox and meningitis B) that are not on the NHS menu. The last time I took … Continue reading →

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Thinking about Compassion

Posted on 20 October 2017 by Athene Donald

Compassion. That seems to be a word that is much in the air around me recently. I alluded to it in a recent post in the context of the need for self-control, but have discussed it more extensively in the … Continue reading →

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