Category Archives: career

Weight, watt?

Posted on November 16, 2011 by Cath@VWXYNot?

From an automatic pre-send spell check of an email I sent today, asking a PI for guidance on some subfield-specific terminology: Very helpful. In other news, I learned today that my online life is benefiting my career: years of experience … Continue reading →

Posted in career, English language, grant wrangling, idiocy, meta, publishing, science, screenshots, silliness, technology | 20 Comments

“I always know everything”

Posted on November 7, 2011 by Cath@VWXYNot?

^^quote by my youngest nephew, then four years old (he’s now ten, still knows everything, and wants to be a lawyer, FSM help us all). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I spent Friday in an all-day symposium at my institute, on the subject of … Continue reading →

Posted in career, conferences, English language, family, medicine, Rumsfeldian symposia, science, silliness | 4 Comments

Plight of the living deadlines

Posted on October 31, 2011 by Cath@VWXYNot?

Today was a momentous day. I submitted two progress reports to our private sector collaborator, looked at my calendar, and realised that I don’t have to lurch immediately into a panic about another deadline! Yep, for the first time since … Continue reading →

Posted in career, grant wrangling, whining | 13 Comments

In praise of bike room buddies and other secret societies

Posted on October 24, 2011 by Cath@VWXYNot?

“I just found out who you are!” announced my buddy-whose-name-I-don’t-know. “There’s a photo of you on the alumni wall of my lab! You have different hair and a different name, but it’s definitely you!” This conversation took place in the … Continue reading →

Posted in career, cycling, personal, publishing | 35 Comments

Separating the l33t from the graph

Posted on October 18, 2011 by Cath@VWXYNot?

Were you ever explicitly taught which graphs to use to represent different types of scientific data? I remember some very basic lessons on this subject in high school maths (and possibly biology), but once I reached university it was never … Continue reading →

Posted in career, communication, education, English language, science | 25 Comments

The Teacher Feature

Posted on October 6, 2011 by Cath@VWXYNot?

Writing my last (proper) post reminded me that way back in 2009 I started a series on my most influential teachers, and that I’d intended to include my PhD supervisor in the list. However, given that it’s World Teachers’ Day … Continue reading →

Posted in career, communication, education, music, personal, science | 6 Comments

Dr. Strangehabits, or: how I learned to stop procrastinating and write my thesis

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Cath@VWXYNot?

Athene’s recent post about how students write their PhD theses (plus frequent keyword search hits to my blog on the same subject) served as a long-overdue reminder that I’d promised to share my own thesis writing experiences. Some of the … Continue reading →

Posted in career, education, personal, science | 30 Comments

I’m not insane. My mother had me tested.

Posted on September 14, 2011 by Cath@VWXYNot?

The recent conversation at DrugMonkey’s place about responding to previous grant reviews has proved very timely; I’m currently working on the first grant resubmission for which I’ve been chief wrangler. There have been some unbloggably hilarious emails pinging around between … Continue reading →

Posted in career, grant wrangling, silliness, television | 14 Comments

Feeding the Science Tamagotchi

Posted on September 12, 2011 by Cath@VWXYNot?

It started during my undergrad research project. “I have to go into the lab tomorrow morning to feed all my cells, so I can’t stay out too late tonight or have a hangover tomorrow”, I’d say. After comments along the … Continue reading →

Posted in career, drunkenness, education, grant wrangling, personal, rants, science, travel, whining | 31 Comments

Remember remember…

Posted on September 7, 2011 by Cath@VWXYNot?

July through November, Abstracts and budgets and pain. I see no reason Why grant deadline season Should ever leave you sane. So, I’ve managed to extend the usual season (which started August 15th, when I submitted one full grant as … Continue reading →

Posted in career, grant wrangling, science, silliness, sport | 3 Comments