Full Transcript for S5E5 - PhD Reflections & Relationships

if one of my friends saw that I owned one. 00:06:07.120 --> 00:06:09.040 It was just cool. 00:06:09.839 --> 00:06:20.800 Yes, on this fork road presented to me, I chose not the road less traveled by, as Robert Frost prophesized, but the one which wouldn't wear down my shoes. 00:06:20.959 --> 00:06:23.120 It was grade 12 science class at St. 00:06:23.199 --> 00:06:24.639 Paul Catholic High School. 00:06:24.800 --> 00:06:26.079 My science teacher, Mr. 00:06:26.240 --> 00:06:30.160 Bondi, explained the final assignment to our class of twenty. 00:06:30.480 --> 00:06:37.519 Take all the knowledge you obtained during the organic chemistry portion of this year's curriculum and create a music video. 00:06:37.839 --> 00:06:42.720 In this assignment you can create your own music or do a cover of an already established song. 00:06:42.959 --> 00:06:47.199 You can use any materials and cover any concept about that field. 00:06:47.439 --> 00:06:48.800 Now go have fun. 00:06:49.759 --> 00:06:50.959 I'm sorry, what? 00:06:51.199 --> 00:06:55.199 What is this sandbox style assignment that you're dropping me into? 00:06:55.519 --> 00:06:56.480 A music video? 00:06:56.720 --> 00:06:59.839 Like those orchestrated performances I watch on MTV? 00:07:00.160 --> 00:07:01.199 I can't sing. 00:07:01.439 --> 00:07:03.519 I can't produce rhythmic beats. 00:07:03.759 --> 00:07:08.000 And I was barely paying attention to your lectures during the organic chemistry section. 00:07:08.160 --> 00:07:10.319 Carbon bonding to other elements, right? 00:07:10.639 --> 00:07:13.519 Ah, what's so important about carbon anyway? 00:07:13.680 --> 00:07:15.040 Why do people care? 00:07:15.600 --> 00:07:22.959 Thoughts like these raced through my head, but it was solidified that this was the final science project of the year. 00:07:23.199 --> 00:07:27.279 In fact, the final science project of my high school experience. 00:07:27.519 --> 00:07:29.680 And well, I just started. 00:07:29.920 --> 00:07:33.120 I started to learn about organic chemistry on my own. 00:07:33.439 --> 00:07:44.240 Teaming up with a friend, we worked together for many, many, many nights and produced a cover for Any Way You Wanted by Journey, which we called Elements Need to Bond. 00:07:44.480 --> 00:07:49.360 We learned about different types of chemical bonds like ionic and covalent bonding. 00:07:49.519 --> 00:08:00.879 We studied carbon's different orbitals of sigma and pi, orbital hybridization, promotion energy for electron movement, formal charges for calculating stable configurations. 00:08:01.120 --> 00:08:15.839 We researched Vesper theory for 3D spatial geometry, Vanderwaal's forces describing states of matter, even molecular crystals which are configurations of carbon making incredible things like diamonds in your jewelry and graphite in your pencils. 00:08:16.079 --> 00:08:21.120 We combined this with sick graphics, animated atomic gifs. 00:08:21.759 --> 00:08:23.600 Gifs or GIFs, I don't know. 00:08:23.839 -->

00:08:30.720 And our friends' thumbs upping are descriptions of bonding theory and a hilarious montage of candid photos. 00:08:30.879 --> 00:08:35.039 Although you can't see the video in question, here's just a sample of the audio. 00:08:49.600 --> 00:08:53.120 I know, I know, but note that this was the early 2010s. 00:08:53.279 --> 00:08:57.919 Yes, we did use autotune despite what Jay-Z thought about its mortality at the time. 00:08:58.080 --> 00:08:59.440 But this is what astonished me. 00:08:59.600 --> 00:09:07.840 We were tricked, nay, encouraged even, to learn the material in our own way and teach it back to our peers in this unique format of education. 00:09:08.080 --> 00:09:13.519 And it was actually interesting, not because we needed to learn that specific topic for a grade on a quiz. 00:09:13.759 --> 00:09:21.759 We were learning not only the concepts but also the bright minds behind those ideas, Gilbert Lewis, Linus Pauling, Johannes Diedrich van der Vals. 00:09:22.240 --> 00:09:27.679 These were actual people smart enough to hypothesize and test these theories in methodical ways. 00:09:27.919 --> 00:09:34.879 Science became the history class I've always wanted, explaining the complexity of our universe one genius at a time. 00:09:35.200 --> 00:09:48.559 It wasn't until this project in my final year of high school that I realized this teacher, this hypnotizing educator, had been tricking us to learn the curriculum in our own way throughout our entire high school experience. 00:09:48.799 --> 00:10:05.519 Further reflection on previous years' science classes made me remember the other final projects he assigned us, like creating our own documentary about a topic in our grade 11 biology class, and creating a commercial about a fake product we designed using our knowledge of chemical properties in grade 10 general science. 00:10:05.679 --> 00:10:27.120 For those curious, I did a documentary on neurogenesis using scenes from 28 days later, probably some copyright issues there, and designed a hydrogen peroxide infused antiperspirant that, according to my 16-year-old brain back in the day, would deodorize and neutralize that annoying BO, keeping you smelling fresh. 00:10:27.519 --> 00:10:31.440 And yes, I understand the coincidence of a chemistry teacher named Mr. 00:10:31.519 --> 00:10:32.159 Bondi. 00:10:32.399 --> 00:10:36.480 Shoutouts to that man for changing my perspective of science education. 00:10:36.799 --> 00:10:51.279 This experience underscores the importance of one of, and if not the most important pillar I have to science communication, which is that the main goal is never to teach someone something, it is to encourage them to teach themselves. 00:10:51.519 --> 00:11:05.919 In the majority of scenarios that encompass the broadness of science communication, which excludes any special case in which the presenter is being tested or judged for their content, the educators should primarily make their audience interested in the topic. 00:11:06.080 --> 00:11:09.039 Teachers can get around this through the guise of test taking. 00:11:09.200 --> 00:11:15.679 However, only students who have developed a keen sense of memorization will flourish, and even then that's questionable. 00:11:15.840 --> 00:11:23.360 Half the stuff students are expected to memorize and regurgitate onto fill-in-the-blank style questions are forgotten within a month's time. 00:11:23.600 --> 00:11:30.960 Sadly, this is the reality of my early education and of education generally up until post-secondary schooling. 00:11:31.200 --> 00:11:45.919 From here, trudging through the path of least resistance, I registered for an undergraduate degree in biochemistry, participating in science-related initiatives at the University of Ottawa, followed by a master's degree in again biochemistry at the same university. 00:11:46.080 --> 00:11:56.240 I won't go too much into detail about this, as it opens some more questions about the reasoning for these specific choices, all spirited by life circumstances at the time. 00:11:56.480 --> 00:12:04.000 So let's fast forward to Kevin in early 2020, post-master's defense, pre-Serious Pandemic. 00:12:04.320 --> 00:12:15.600 As mentioned, I had recently finished my Master's Defense and was just proud that I had made it so far into a science project and passed basically a Q ⁇ A about what I did and why I did it. 00:12:15.840 --> 00:12:18.480 Now at the time, research was all I knew. 00:12:18.720 --> 00:12:24.879 I had been dedicated to grinding out this project that changed multiple times over the course of the two and a half years. 00:12:25.039 --> 00:12:37.600 And with the recent events of a type of infection slowly taking over the world, like a less brutal, less Hollywood version of The Last of Us, I again decided to take the path of least resistance and search for a PhD. 00:12:38.000 --> 00:12:40.240 But even searching for one wasn't easy. 00:12:40.399 --> 00:12:45.360 At the time, I was dating someone who eventually wanted to return to their home country in Europe. 00:12:45.679 --> 00:12:48.960 Europe has many upsides for those wishing to pursue a PhD there. 00:12:49.120 --> 00:12:54.240 For starters, at least being in a PhD program has the benefit of not being able to get fired. 00:12:54.399 --> 00:13:00.720 I mean, unless you fail your confirmation exam, pretty much guaranteeing a position for at least four years. 00:13:00.960 --> 00:13:10.559 It also has the benefit of getting some money while working towards obtaining a degree that makes you somewhat more competitive than other candidates once you are out there on the job market. 00:13:10.720 --> 00:13:12.080 Field dependent, of course. 00:13:12.240 --> 00:13:17.679 It sounds crazy, I know, that searching for a PhD would be the path of least resistance. 00:13:17.840 --> 00:13:23.360 And I want to emphasize that I didn't say obtain a PhD, I said search for one. 00:13:23.759 --> 00:13:27.120 In the end, I had broken up

with that partner, now ex-partner. 00:13:27.440 --> 00:13:34.159 However, I was so dedicated to moving abroad that it didn't stop me from continuing to pursue PhD programs in Europe. 00:13:34.399 --> 00:13:46.080 Perhaps time far away from home would allow me to grow into a better partner in the future, and also broaden my search and looking for one outside the country I've called home for 27 years at that stage. 00:13:46.320 --> 00:14:01.279 It took 21 applications to PhD programs all over Europe, from Germany to Switzerland to Denmark to the Netherlands to Sweden to Finland, resulting in 10 interviews and one final acceptance in Trinity College Dublin in Ireland. 00:14:01.440 --> 00:14:15.039 I was actually accepted into two programs, oh look at me, so desired, and again ultimately chose the path of least resistance with Ireland, being an English-speaking country, and weather conditions that were bearable all throughout the year. 00:14:15.200 --> 00:14:20.399 Constant moldy interiors aside, as I didn't realize that would be a problem yet. 00:14:20.720 --> 00:14:23.519 Just a little bit about the PhD searching process. 00:14:23.759 --> 00:14:25.840 These weren't exactly programs. 00:14:25.919 --> 00:14:26.960 That was a bit of a fib. 00:14:27.279 --> 00:14:36.879 The majority of the time I was reaching out to professors that one were actively recruiting PhD students, and two, were doing anything remotely similar to work I did during my masters. 00:14:37.039 --> 00:14:39.759 I joined LinkedIn groups and scoured Reddit forums. 00:14:39.919 --> 00:14:44.000 I checked known university departments and clicked on faculty biography pages. 00:14:44.159 --> 00:14:48.879 I signed up for PhD newsletters that sent out alerts every week for PhD positions. 00:14:49.120 --> 00:14:58.240 Where I found the eventual posting for the Turnby College PhD position was on none of these, as in the end, it was from a Twitter posting by my PhD supervisor. 00:14:58.399 --> 00:15:04.879 All she asked for was a CV and a 250-word statement about why you were interested in joining her lab. 00:15:05.039 --> 00:15:11.360 Clear, brief, and a shot on the ever-expansive Dartboard of Applications, and it worked. 00:15:11.679 --> 00:15:23.039 We discussed the project over Microsoft Teams, about microNAS and their impact on the gut epithelial barrier, and how my specific skill set could benefit the role of understanding this unique type of regulation. 00:15:23.279 --> 00:15:32.559 Before final acceptance, I had the opportunity to virtually meet the current lab members to discuss what they thought of the group culture, workplace environment, and the university as a whole. 00:15:32.720 --> 00:15:42.000 These were and still are, fantastic people that I am happy to call my first friends I made abroad, and hope to continue to stay in contact with them now that the PhD has ended. 00:15:42.240 --> 00:15:43.279 It was a great match. 00:15:43.440 --> 00:15:49.279 I just can't say anything more

than how patience was the one thing I took from that whole ordeal. 00:15:49.600 --> 00:15:52.240 And that was the start of the PhD adventure. 00:15:52.480 --> 00:16:21.919 The continuity of research due to the instability caused by the pandemic, the desire to travel to Europe initially due to romance but became an individual desire to develop life skills and experience something new, to what seemed like endless interviews leading from one dead end to the next, and finally stumbling upon a PhD posting on Twitter that was not only fully funded for four years, but included a research team vibrant in their attitude to accomplish great science and support one another. 00:16:22.080 --> 00:16:27.200 So I packed my bags and my cat, and we headed overseas to Ireland. 00:16:27.679 --> 00:16:32.240 Life at the beginning of the PhD was ecstatic, magical even. 00:16:32.480 --> 00:16:47.679 Regardless of the frustrations of moving internationally, living in an Airbnb for a whole month, the ghostly emptiness of a city under COVID lockdown, seeing a drunk man piss right outside my front door, the PhD work was so illuminating and novel. 00:16:47.919 --> 00:16:57.679 I wanted to learn everything, do something, say anything that made me inch a bit closer to establishing some type of collegiate relationship to people in my department. 00:16:57.919 --> 00:16:59.360 What experiment are you doing? 00:16:59.519 --> 00:17:01.600 Can I assist with labeling reagents? 00:17:01.759 --> 00:17:04.240 How can I participate in the university's student life? 00:17:04.400 --> 00:17:08.000 Why is there a professor walking around in sandals chugging a can of coke? 00:17:08.160 --> 00:17:13.440 He was an emeritus professor, still active in lecturing undergraduates at the time. 00:17:13.599 --> 00:17:20.240 Everything was just so new, so exciting, so full of life, and it all ended happily ever after. 00:17:20.799 --> 00:17:22.799 Okay, imagine if it ended there. 00:17:22.960 --> 00:17:25.599 What a fairy tale ending that would have been. 00:17:25.839 --> 00:17:27.759 No, just just no. 00:17:28.000 --> 00:17:35.359 I mean there's no denying that there were many hardships faced during the PhD due to experiments failing and theories needing to be adjusted. 00:17:35.519 --> 00:17:45.599 I've always known that to be the manifestation of the scientific method since the days of my undergraduate final year project, and so I had thankfully faced this revelation quite early on. 00:17:45.920 --> 00:17:46.240 No. 00:17:46.720 --> 00:17:55.759 I think for the purposes of this podcast format, I think it would be more interesting to talk about the broader contexts of doing a PhD, especially abroad. 00:17:55.920 --> 00:18:03.200 I've categorized these thoughts around three central themes, which I will now go into heavy detail, each involving specific relationships. 00:18:03.440 --> 00:18:05.759 The first is workplace relationships. 00:18:05.920 --> 00:18:12.000 This includes the bonding between peers

in your research group and other researchers in the department or the university as a whole. 00:18:12.240 --> 00:18:16.079 This also includes the mentorship of your supervisor and thesis committee. 00:18:16.240 --> 00:18:24.160 The second is non-work-related relationships you attempt to make, whether that is through dating or friendly encounters in societies and clubs. 00:18:24.319 --> 00:18:36.960 And lastly, the third is the relationship you have with yourself, how you choose to or choose not to, take care of yourself, and what I did throughout certain moments of the PhD that changed my life for the better. 00:18:37.200 --> 00:18:39.359 Let's get into the nitty-gritty. 00:19:15.599 --> 00:19:28.400 Often your first in-person encounter is not with your professor, who may be busy doing a million other things on their list of responsibilities, or even other students, but with administrative officers preparing you for your academic journey. 00:19:28.559 --> 00:19:32.480 Now these are the people who are the definition of behind the scenes. 00:19:32.640 --> 00:19:46.079 They might be the ones who set up your key card for building access, put you on the university system payroll, provide you with personal protective equipment like lab coats and safety goggles, or assign you an office space. 00:19:46.240 --> 00:19:49.440 They're the secret agents that keep the department running smoothly. 00:19:49.599 --> 00:20:04.880 I'm giving them a special shout out because often their work gets ignored, not by malice, but because the department is indeed running smoothly, therefore their work is being accomplished without much recognition until something is not performed up to the standard, deviating from homeostasis. 00:20:05.039 --> 00:20:07.440 They are, in my view, the maintainers. 00:20:07.680 --> 00:20:15.440 Don't forget these VIPs, chat with them, befriend them, and keep up with them during your weekly routines during the project. 00:20:15.759 --> 00:20:19.279 Technical staff are also personnel that need a special mention here. 00:20:19.440 --> 00:20:26.160 Within my department, one that is strictly part of the biological sciences, these researchers are the ones I go to for expertise. 00:20:26.400 --> 00:20:28.160 Need a reagent that you've never heard of? 00:20:28.319 --> 00:20:34.000 Don't worry, staff has it stored on the second shelf in the third cabinet up the first floor corner lab. 00:20:34.240 --> 00:20:38.160 Need to work a machine to do a step in your lab's SOP? 00:20:38.319 --> 00:20:45.759 Don't worry, staff has been using that machine in student courses for years, and the on-switch is on the back 12 centimeters from the right. 00:20:45.920 --> 00:20:55.440 They're the gurus, the ones who know the solution to the problem, any problem, and have a surprisingly calm perspective on the situation, no matter how dire you think it is. 00:20:55.680 --> 00:21:01.440 These people should be on your phone's speed dial list and also gift giving lists at the

end of the PhD. 00:21:02.319 --> 00:21:12.960 I'm going to group postdoctoral researchers and professors, excluding your direct supervisor, together, as the only difference between these two groups is time, annual salary, and a bit of luck. 00:21:13.200 --> 00:21:22.880 Now these people have been through the gauntlet of PhD milestones already in their lives, and yet they've decided to remain in the land of academia and continue the fight for knowledge. 00:21:23.039 --> 00:21:26.880 That means that the years obtaining the PhD can't be all that bad. 00:21:27.200 --> 00:21:27.599 Right? 00:21:28.240 --> 00:21:28.799 Right? 00:21:29.279 --> 00:21:31.599 Insert Anakin and Padme Meme. 00:21:32.000 --> 00:21:37.759 During my PhD, I was lucky enough to work with three of the four postdocs doing research in my department. 00:21:38.000 --> 00:21:42.319 Boy, did I bother them about novice questions that I wouldn't dare ask my supervisor. 00:21:42.559 --> 00:21:48.880 And that's what they're there for, to provide you with a safe space to ask those questions without fear of being labeled the simpleton. 00:21:49.039 --> 00:21:50.160 At least not so blatantly. 00:21:50.319 --> 00:21:52.160 Who knows how they judge behind our backs. 00:21:52.400 --> 00:21:59.759 From my perspective, they're the vision of what you can and will be at the end of the program, and without their advice, you could be at a significant disadvantage. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:12.079 Advantage, they have earned the nickname the Consultants, providing scientific advice to students without charging the substantive fees of a McKinsey or Deloitte representative picked from an undergraduate career fair. 00:22:12.559 --> 00:22:21.839 For other professors, they're slightly more intimidating solely based on their titles, and often whenever they walk into a room, all the students would immediately stop talking. 00:22:22.000 --> 00:22:29.119 It was the spookiest thing, and there's no doubt in my mind that the professors in my department realize this when walking into the lunchroom. 00:22:29.279 --> 00:22:49.039 I would still group them with the postdoc consultants because, over time, you will gain enough confidence to one day ask them about their own opinion on a scientific conundrum you're working on, or even more risky, their own research, and at that point be prepared to talk about their latest idea for a paper every time you meet them in line at the coffee shop. 00:22:49.359 --> 00:22:54.240 Finally, for fellow postgraduates, my goodness what a journey you will set on together. 00:22:54.480 --> 00:23:02.319 I remember starting just after the peak of the COVID-19 scare, but still only identifying people by their hairstyles and stare styles. 00:23:02.480 --> 00:23:05.839 I started during a time when my department wasn't recruiting many new students. 00:23:06.079 --> 00:23:09.680 In fact, only two other students started at the same time as me. 00:23:09.839 --> 00:23:11.680 There were two noticeable drawbacks to that. 00:23:11.759 --> 00:23:23.839 One, I felt the community of students that was already present was quite close already, and two, it meant that at some point in my PhD, I may be the most senior graduate student in the department. 00:23:24.079 --> 00:23:32.240 The latter, at least at the time, was mind-boggling to me, to anyone really, and can easily bring about imposter syndrome vibes. 00:23:32.480 --> 00:23:41.759 As more and more joined the department, I began forming the view that graduate students in your vicinity are your lifeline for keeping sane during the PhD program. 00:23:42.079 --> 00:23:54.319 Some of them will drive you insane, some of them will hog the equipment, some of them will make fun of your food after microwaving it for too long, this might have been specific to me, but they were certainly there when I needed them the most. 00:23:54.480 --> 00:24:08.480 When experiments didn't work, when lab meetings were just critical enough for you to question the constructive part, graduate students were there noticing your change in mood and sensed when you needed a hug, a cookie, a walk, or a shout-out to Kilo the most. 00:24:08.640 --> 00:24:11.359 And you know, it's always a two-way street. 00:24:11.519 --> 00:24:16.960 Each graduate student will have good days and bad days, and like really, really bad days. 00:24:17.200 --> 00:24:25.440 Getting to know other graduate students in your department is crucial for building a community you work with, rather than a workplace you commute to. 00:24:25.599 --> 00:24:28.799 That line took weeks to write, I don't care it's staying in. 00:24:29.039 --> 00:24:31.359 Kind of like that thin piece of tape. 00:24:31.599 --> 00:24:39.599 Yeah, they're like the scotch tape of all departments, that barely holds things together until you use enough pieces that it actually works. 00:24:39.839 --> 00:24:47.039 But before moving on to your direct supervisor, there's something to say about the thesis committee and the role they play in your PhD. 00:24:47.200 --> 00:24:58.480 Honestly, this will be different for all those in PhD programs, in that this particular committee could be objectively beneficial for setting you up for success, or on the flip side, not useful at all. 00:24:58.720 --> 00:25:07.759 It's important to communicate with your supervisor about who could be on the committee, as their skill set and experience could be paramount in certain aspects of your project. 00:25:07.920 --> 00:25:17.119 For example, on my committee, I had a professor who was doing the exact same type of work as me in their lab, but for a different molecule and for a different disease pathway. 00:25:17.279 --> 00:25:23.440 There was a lot of cross-collaboration between members of our labs and therefore seemed like a fantastic fit for the committee. 00:25:23.599 --> 00:25:26.640 There is, however, one thing that will remain the same. 00:25:26.880 --> 00:25:30.559 No matter who is on your committee, they do not

want you to fail. 00:25:30.799 --> 00:25:39.920 Of course, from a decent human being standpoint, this should be true, but think about how it would look on them and your supervisor if that were indeed to happen. 00:25:40.079 --> 00:25:43.599 It won't be a scenario they would like to add it to their reputation. 00:25:44.400 --> 00:25:52.960 We've made it to the final workplace relationship you will pass throughout your PhD, and that's the one with your direct supervisor. 00:25:53.119 --> 00:26:02.240 It's hard to put into words how important this last one is, and indeed, it is in my humble opinion that it will inevitably define the overall experience of your program. 00:26:02.480 --> 00:26:13.519 And again, this relationship will also differ between individuals, between supervisors, and between how two personalities combine in the confines of one-on-one get-togethers and team meetings alike. 00:26:13.759 --> 00:26:22.960 Maybe your supervisor is more prone to leave their team members to their own devices, or maybe your supervisor is more hands-on in the way they manage their team members' assigned projects. 00:26:23.200 --> 00:26:26.000 For most, if not all, there will be some turbulence. 00:26:26.160 --> 00:26:38.799 At whatever capacity that turbulence manifests itself as, it's important to remember that a PhD is not just training you in your field of expertise, it's also training you in your ability to cooperate with other people. 00:26:39.039 --> 00:26:45.519 Gone are the days that an individual trainee can synthesize theories and test hypotheses on their own. 00:26:45.759 --> 00:26:52.079 Your supervisor in this case and managing your relationship with them is probably the biggest skill you can obtain. 00:26:52.559 --> 00:26:59.440 I talked about this exact notion in a testimonial now found within the Trinity College Dublin PhD Research Handbook. 00:26:59.599 --> 00:27:02.319 I stand by these words, so I would like to repeat them here. 00:27:02.480 --> 00:27:15.359 Since I have been honored with opportunities to develop several of these professional relationships throughout my academic career on the topic of mentor-mentee relationships, I have three key pieces of advice for those wishing to develop their own. 00:27:16.160 --> 00:27:20.160 The first is to understand respectful and honest communication. 00:27:20.400 --> 00:27:27.759 The cliche for these discussions is that communication between the student and the supervisor is crucial to an effective working relationship. 00:27:28.000 --> 00:27:29.519 But what does that really mean? 00:27:29.680 --> 00:27:34.640 In my view, this embodies two important values, respect and honesty. 00:27:34.880 --> 00:27:42.799 Students need to respect the experience and goals of the supervisor, while the supervisor needs to respect the motivations and aspirations of the student. 00:27:43.039 --> 00:27:48.079 This respect goes hand in hand with being completely honest with one another from the beginning. 00:27:48.319 --> 00:27:58.559 Supervisors need to provide realistic constructive feedback to students' work in a timely manner, and students need to demonstrate their needs regarding mentorship and professional development. 00:27:58.720 --> 00:28:04.160 With these values of respect and honesty, strong communication will naturally flow. 00:28:04.720 --> 00:28:09.599 The second is to establish supervisor expectations and student boundaries. 00:28:09.839 --> 00:28:15.680 At the very start of a working relationship, it's essential that both parties define relevant formalities. 00:28:15.839 --> 00:28:23.359 The idea of this might scare anxious students away and may also be outright abandoned by the supervisor due to its air of finality. 00:28:23.599 --> 00:28:34.079 However, it is through this initial meeting that two important aspects of the student supervisor relationship could be established supervisor expectations and student boundaries. 00:28:34.240 --> 00:28:45.839 Supervisors need to properly convey their expectations to the students from the beginning, whether that be designated working hours, achievement of publications, or other academic milestones, and work ethic. 00:28:46.000 --> 00:28:56.160 Students need to also express realistic boundaries for a professional setting, whether that be due to family matters, pay, and other essential workplace aspects. 00:28:56.319 --> 00:29:04.079 Without this formal, all-encompassing discussion, it would be impossible to know what is required and how it will be acquired. 00:29:04.400 --> 00:29:08.799 The third and final piece of advice is that learning goes both ways. 00:29:09.039 --> 00:29:14.880 Students may think that supervisors are exceptional beings and that knowledge extraction is unidirectional. 00:29:15.039 --> 00:29:17.440 I can assure you that this is not the case. 00:29:17.759 --> 00:29:22.799 Universities are rich with diversity, and these perspectives matter in all areas of study. 00:29:23.039 --> 00:29:28.480 Every student is different and has unique values that can support the supervisor and their team. 00:29:28.720 --> 00:29:37.279 Students come from various cultures, professional backgrounds, extracurricular hobbies, and just general life experiences that supervisors can learn from. 00:29:37.440 --> 00:29:43.200 Additionally, it is often the case that students define their worth based on the goals of their supervisor. 00:29:43.359 --> 00:29:48.319 If aspects of the project fail, it may seem to fall on the responsibility of the student. 00:29:48.640 --> 00:29:55.279 This is not always the case, and often it leads to a remarkable learning opportunity for both the student and the supervisor. 00:29:55.519 --> 00:30:07.759 Bottom line, students must embrace their unique characteristics, and both must acknowledge that students are learning how to become experts in their field, while supervisors are learning how to best accomplish this. 00:30:08.240 --> 00:30:21.279 A general theme among these

words of wisdom, I mean if you can call it that coming from an early career researcher, is to remember your value, whether you are a graduate student, a postdoctoral fellow, or even a supervisor yourself. 00:30:21.519 --> 00:30:24.240 I don't mean that in a sort of self-aggrandizing way. 00:30:24.400 --> 00:30:48.400 What I really want you to take away from the segment is that you have values that can benefit your team, and you should or must be willing to offer such value during your programs, and even fight for those values when the time comes, by acknowledging that you are a step closer to embracing that you are there for a reason, selected among a pool of candidates, large or small, that were also competing for that exact position. 00:30:48.640 --> 00:30:59.119 With this monumental understanding, you are one step closer to getting over something that plagues every person at every level of academia, that darn imposter syndrome. 00:30:59.279 --> 00:31:01.759 I mean, which among us hasn't been there? 00:31:02.000 --> 00:31:05.599 Now cast those feelings into the vacuum of space. 00:31:33.680 --> 00:31:37.680 Those non-workplace relationships made in the real world. 00:31:37.920 --> 00:31:39.200 Remember the real world? 00:31:39.440 --> 00:31:58.720 Where people chat about the latest stories happening in different countries and in their local communities, or how their dad caught a big fish on the weekend, or how their pet dog did just the cutest thing at the park the other day, or how their marathon training is going, or what they thought about the premise of the drama starring Robert Pattinson and Zendaya. 00:31:58.880 --> 00:32:03.599 And was she born as Zendaya, or was that a later choice to be uniam? 00:32:04.000 --> 00:32:08.880 Like really important everyday topics that span life, philosophy, politics. 00:32:09.119 --> 00:32:12.000 And what the hell are these euphoria season three episodes? 00:32:12.160 --> 00:32:17.839 I thought it was supposed to be a societal perspective about the life of drug addiction and youth. 00:32:18.079 --> 00:32:25.519 Anyway, during a PhD program, it may shock some of you that there are things that can be done outside of the PhD work itself. 00:32:25.759 --> 00:32:30.640 Whether you choose to use that time for non-PHD purposes, that's a whole other story. 00:32:30.799 --> 00:32:33.200 But honestly, I shouldn't even say it like that. 00:32:33.359 --> 00:32:42.319 There are objectively things that you can do unrelated to your project that, by and large, develop skills that are important for your overall success post-PHD. 00:32:42.480 --> 00:32:56.640 Literally, by participating in something outside of your program, you are practicing your skills in time management, communication, creativity, teamwork, organization, initiative, adaptability, stress management, work ethic, the list goes on. 00:32:56.960 --> 00:33:06.240 These are actively sought for in jobs across all sectors, public and private, from academic to industry to the nonprofit space. 00:33:06.559 --> 00:33:13.680 In fact, there lies the second best part of my experience doing a PhD, which is the friends we made along the way. 00:33:14.000 --> 00:33:22.480 So absolutely cliche and memeified at this point, but so foundational that I'm surprised that no one has really talked about this in PhD guidance. 00:33:22.640 --> 00:33:30.319 A lot of friends and acquaintances I still have post-PHD came from actively participating in initiatives that weren't directly related to my project. 00:33:30.480 --> 00:33:37.200 Now, I might not be the best at deciding when I've reached a limit in the number of things my body and mind are capable of doing. 00:33:37.519 --> 00:33:52.079 My process of selection of which endeavors to undertake was a combination of will this help me in my professional development and do I get money for doing it, mixed in with how I can ensure not to think about the PhD every minute of the day. 00:33:52.400 --> 00:34:05.200 During my PhD, I participated in as many things as I could in order to provide myself some mental holiday from the technical onslaught of biological methodologies and mechanistic insights around inflammatory bowel disease. 00:34:05.359 --> 00:34:20.960 These include co-directing Pint of Science Ireland, tutoring underrepresented youth as part of Scholars Ireland with Access Ed, helping the local academic community as a CV cover letter reviewer for Trinity Career Services, and heading the university's microbiological society as chairperson. 00:34:21.199 --> 00:34:39.679 I contributed writings for the University Times, was a teaching assistant and guest lecturer for multiple scientific faculties, mentored trainees in microbiome research for the undergraduate research in natural and clinical science and technology journal based out of Toronto, and conducted peer review for the University of Ottawa's Journal of Medicine. 00:34:39.840 --> 00:34:51.760 Not to mention producing my own podcast, Meta forgens, on figurative language and science communication, and trying to succeed as a short story writer as part of my personal initiative called the Scaline Writing Project. 00:34:51.920 --> 00:35:02.400 I had and continue to have so many interests that far exceed my ability at the bench, and it was through these endeavors that I met some fantastic people making similar efforts. 00:35:02.960 --> 00:35:22.400 Overlooking the obvious argument that one who participates in multiple projects will ultimately spread themselves too thin, an expression I must find the origin to someday, maybe through the junior investigative journalism of an independent podcast, I wholeheartedly believe that if I had to start all over again, that I would certainly participate in those projects. 00:35:22.639 --> 00:36:01.199 From opportunity after opportunity, I had the chance to work with researchers to share their love of science in pubs across the whole country, laugh with high school students throwing

Nintendo toys in the air as part of my class activity about gene mutations, meet undergraduates to support their career development, organize industry-sponsored trainee-run conferences around hot topics in microbiology, interview researchers doing amazing science communication work and their sustainability goals in local research communities, and even participate in panels and lead seminars on topics that people appreciate my efforts in advocating for, those being science communication and non-conventional ways of engaged learning. 00:36:01.360 --> 00:36:13.599 These professional skills, these measurable goals, this appreciated recognition would not be remotely possible without developing relationships with great people outside of the PhD project itself. 00:36:14.480 --> 00:36:20.480 But there may be some of you who would rather do extracurriculars that aren't meant to be under the umbrella of career development. 00:36:20.719 --> 00:36:34.320 Perhaps there are those who find solace in playing a sport or musical instrument, act within a theatrical group or read a novel with a book club, attend Pate Night at the local bar, or see a midnight opening of a long-awaited sci-fi adaptation at the cinema. 00:36:34.639 --> 00:36:35.519 My advice? 00:36:35.840 --> 00:36:36.159 Go. 00:36:36.559 --> 00:36:39.599 Fly on you social metaphoragens butterfly. 00:36:39.760 --> 00:36:47.519 And if there's a group that organized something around it, and even better, organizes many similar events around that interest of yours, please go. 00:36:47.760 --> 00:36:56.159 For the sake of your own body and mind, no matter if you're an exuberant extrovert or an intimidated introvert, at least try it. 00:36:56.400 --> 00:37:07.760 Who knows, those relationships could blossom into something powerful, or at the very least bring you a momentary joy that might have been forgotten during the undertaking of a specialized training program. 00:37:08.320 --> 00:37:15.360 Now, I will end this particular segment about non-professional relationships on what it is like to date while doing a PhD. 00:37:15.599 --> 00:37:21.519 This, of course, more than any other type of relationship, will be completely different for each individual. 00:37:21.679 --> 00:37:30.159 It will depend on your dedication to your project, your ability to time manage, and even your interest in romanticism during such an important time in your life. 00:37:30.320 --> 00:37:35.920 I know it is not for everyone, and perhaps shall remain a low priority during your time during a PhD. 00:37:36.079 --> 00:37:41.920 Kudos to those, by the way, who went into these training programs with a partner and came out with the same partner. 00:37:42.239 --> 00:37:50.239 This shows how much your partner really is a keeper, and by all accounts, someone who has likely seen you at your worst, at least for now. 00:37:50.639 --> 00:37:53.519 I can only go with my own experience on this matter. 00:37:53.679 --> 00:37:59.599 Everyone who knows

me will vouch that I find my studies and career development to be incredibly important to me. 00:37:59.760 --> 00:38:09.199 You can see based on my extracurriculars that I rarely participate in something that did not have, in some shape or form, advanced some skills development in the forward direction. 00:38:09.440 --> 00:38:23.679 Of course, more about the relationship with yourself will be discussed in the final segment of this episode, but it's crucial to take note that despite that notion of personal growth as a top priority, I went through multiple bouts of loneliness during my PhD. 00:38:23.840 --> 00:38:30.559 To solve that, with what perhaps was the biggest flaw in this personal growth mission of mine was to date. 00:38:31.039 --> 00:38:33.599 Now, I used every app that I could find. 00:38:33.760 --> 00:38:41.920 Went out to socialize at bars and clubs, even though that was not at all my scene, and went on as many dates as I could to relieve this sense of loneliness. 00:38:42.079 --> 00:38:46.480 I remember one time I went out on a walk and my date spilled ice cream all over us. 00:38:46.719 --> 00:38:50.960 You think that would be a fun, lighthearted moment, but I was just annoyed. 00:38:51.199 --> 00:38:57.760 On a separate occasion, I remember being so anxious about holding hands with my date that I could not remove my hands out of my pockets. 00:38:58.000 --> 00:39:04.239 There was another time where I was having dinner in almost complete silence because my date and I had nothing really important to say. 00:39:04.480 --> 00:39:09.679 I say almost because there were plenty of other dates around us engrossed in conversation. 00:39:10.000 --> 00:39:15.199 It was not normal endeavor that normal people looking for normal relationships set out to do. 00:39:15.440 --> 00:39:26.639 Although maybe it is, because if there's anything I took away from Sally Rooney's take on the meta title normal people, was that normal people make the wrong decision almost all the time. 00:39:26.880 --> 00:39:34.000 But I must say, reflecting on my dating experience led me to view each outing as a conversation with an interesting individual. 00:39:34.239 --> 00:39:37.840 And I think that's where I wish I realized that perspective sooner. 00:39:38.000 --> 00:39:40.480 Hmm, how am I going to make this juxtaposition? 00:39:41.119 --> 00:39:50.159 Dating should not have been a quest to hinder my feelings of loneliness, but rather it should have been an endeavor similar to playing a sport or joining a book club. 00:39:50.320 --> 00:40:00.880 That through such an endeavor you'll get the opportunity to meet someone you would have not otherwise met, not through your education, not through your side jobs, just simply because of a hello at a social venue or dating app. 00:40:01.039 --> 00:40:04.320 Despite what people say, a hello is very much welcome nowadays. 00:40:04.559 --> 00:40:15.840 Until I made that realization, dating was incredibly difficult for me during the PhD, and made me resent sacrificing my limited time away from the project, my social life, and my own personal time. 00:40:16.079 --> 00:40:26.239 Until I made that realization, I and the person I was with on a date suffered in trying to make relationships work that had more to do with relieving loneliness than defining capability. 00:40:26.559 --> 00:40:35.679 Until I made that realization, I finally started dating with one sole expectation that I want to get to know this person and do things I find enjoyable. 00:40:35.840 --> 00:40:41.760 Once I made that realization, there came the relationship I am currently in now, and I couldn't be happier. 00:40:42.159 --> 00:40:47.039 Non-professional relationships are sometimes what define PhD people the most. 00:40:47.280 --> 00:40:53.760 They are there when things aren't going your way with the project, and they are there to celebrate the milestones you achieve along the way. 00:40:53.920 --> 00:41:05.039 They affect us at a deeper level, shaping our emotions, heading to the laboratory or office, and hang in our minds when we are trying to concentrate on that paper's abstract we already read three times. 00:41:05.280 --> 00:41:18.000 They even work meticulously in the background, preparing to engage you when you have the time, organizing the next initiative as part of an outlined schedule, each a network of individuals that have their own goals and obstacles and emotions. 00:41:18.239 --> 00:41:27.119 Managing those relationships can even make us question their worthiness, whether it should be part of our ever-filling schedules to remain a part of and work on. 00:41:27.360 --> 00:41:34.079 Take it from me, as someone who really values their personal time, these relationships should not and cannot be overlooked. 00:41:34.320 --> 00:41:46.639 They are, as I like to put it, the unexpected lessons I learned along the way and have chipped away at shaping me into the person I wish to be, someone who is not remembered for being good at doing a PhD. 00:42:09.760 --> 00:42:14.079 Before we get to the next segment, has the podcast bubble not popped for you yet? 00:42:14.320 --> 00:42:17.840 Still looking for auditory content to complement your Spotify playlist? 00:42:18.000 --> 00:42:20.960 And what about starting a podcast about a topic you love? 00:42:21.199 --> 00:42:24.880 The decision to begin a creative project like a podcast isn't easy. 00:42:25.119 --> 00:42:29.519 When I started this podcast back in 2020, I literally had nothing else to do. 00:42:29.679 --> 00:42:42.079 I had just finished my master's degree, got more into writing poetry and short stories, and would often be surprised at the origins of English expressions we use every day, expressions like don't judge a book by its cover, and falling in love. 00:42:42.400 --> 00:42:47.280 We use figurative language to communicate complex things to our family, friends, and colleagues. 00:42:47.440 --> 00:42:57.280 It wasn't until I realized that science

is also a communications domain, using these same language tricks that Metaforgens became the weird but passionate project it is now. 00:42:57.920 --> 00:43:00.559 The benefits of starting a podcast were twofold. 00:43:00.800 --> 00:43:13.199 Personally, this podcast has given me the motivation to dive into topics I actually find interesting, both from a researcher point of view, but also abstractly, like some alien trying to understand the human experience. 00:43:13.440 --> 00:43:29.119 Professionally, by incorporating the interview segment in season three, I had the opportunity to meet incredible people in the scientific community hoping to discuss the nuances of what it's like to be within such community, the ups, the downs, the ways of improving the environment as a whole. 00:43:29.360 --> 00:43:38.079 That was something I never thought about at the beginning, and yet it grew so organically that I often forget that some of these people I've actually never met before in person. 00:43:38.880 --> 00:43:40.559 Should you start a podcast? 00:43:40.800 --> 00:43:44.159 The answer to that question may not be so simple, but you know what is? 00:43:44.400 --> 00:43:45.199 Buzzsprout. 00:43:45.360 --> 00:43:53.760 Buzzsprout is a seamless service that supports anyone wishing to launch and produce a professional podcast, hosting over 120,000 podcasts on their platform. 00:43:53.920 --> 00:43:59.760 You manage your show via your own stylish podcast website and are listed on all the major podcast directories. 00:44:00.320 --> 00:44:02.320 Just minutes after uploading your recording. 00:44:02.480 --> 00:44:13.119 Not only that, BuzzSprout provides detailed analytics to monitor the growth of your show, as well as videos and discussion forums about all podcast topics like, for example, how to market your show. 00:44:13.360 --> 00:44:21.679 There is also an incredibly supportive collection of podcasters in the BuzzSprout community, offering great advice on any questions you may have. 00:44:21.920 --> 00:44:32.320 If you want to test out the whole podcast gig, you can get a jumpstart on your own podcast and get a$20 Amazon gift card by clicking the affiliate link in the episode's description. 00:44:32.480 --> 00:44:41.440 This lets BuzzSprout know that I sent you to their service and will help support Metaforgens and money towards creating that pretty butterfly merch I keep teasing about. 00:44:41.679 --> 00:44:44.719 Buzzsprout, the easiest way to start a podcast. 00:44:44.880 --> 00:44:47.280 And now, back to the episode. 00:44:47.840 --> 00:44:55.920 We move on to the final and most important category of relationships you will make during a PhD, the relationship you have with yourself. 00:44:56.079 --> 00:45:00.960 Now I say that as someone who was, at their core, a completely driven individual. 00:45:01.119 --> 00:45:07.280 Motivation is something that comes so naturally to me, so long as I have rationalized why I need to do something in the first place. 00:45:07.519 --> 00:45:24.800 This mentality is why I was able to pay thousands of dollars of undergraduate debt in less than a year working two jobs, the same reason why I was able to complete a 150-page thesis committee report by not sleeping for 48 hours straight, and the same reason why I was able to train and complete the Dublin Marathon. 00:45:24.960 --> 00:45:31.519 Yes, I'm aware, people do this all the time, even make a brand out of it doing all this crap and become motivational speakers. 00:45:31.760 --> 00:45:39.280 I have no interest in that, nor advocate for the type of winning mentality presented by people who have success and wealth and recognition. 00:45:39.519 --> 00:45:59.440 This is because at the end of the day, it's the same mentality that pushed me to do not so good things in the past, like hang out with people who drank endlessly and did all kinds of drugs in my youth, but still performing at the top of my class, or be furiously jealous of my peers after losing a scholarship in undergrad, or feel like it was the end of the world if my ex-girlfriend left me. 00:45:59.599 --> 00:46:16.400 The mentality of feeling like you deserve something because of who you are and how much effort you put in to get yourself to where you are today, call that pride, call that vanity, call that narcissism, whatever you want to call it, but it's the same kind of attitude that drove me to do a PhD in the first place. 00:46:17.119 --> 00:46:21.760 As I discussed earlier in this episode, don't get me wrong, I love science. 00:46:21.920 --> 00:46:31.039 I love the aspect of using systematic steps to answer a well-defined question that brings our collective knowledge closer to understanding reality and the universe. 00:46:31.199 --> 00:46:34.159 I don't believe these answers can be found in any other way. 00:46:34.400 --> 00:46:47.280 However, I am a natural skeptic, and for the many years I've been in academia for, I've come to realize that people are not in it for the sake of fundamental science, of trying to understand something for the sake of understanding in itself. 00:46:47.519 --> 00:46:53.760 It is not possible anymore to have a career in science with such a carefree notion of what it means to be a scientist today. 00:46:54.000 --> 00:46:58.880 Everything must be explained in the context of how science can benefit humanity now. 00:46:59.119 --> 00:47:01.360 Of course, how else can it be framed? 00:47:01.519 --> 00:47:09.440 To think it to be framed otherwise in modern day is to admit ignorance in how scientific research is undertaken and funded to begin with. 00:47:09.679 --> 00:47:22.960 Panels upon panels of experts debate on which scientific proposals are worthy of funding, private or public, dictated by the number of publications around your research and the impact of your research on society as a whole. 00:47:23.199 --> 00:47:32.719 What that means is that you can have an out-of-this world but plausible theory of how something in this

universe works and not have the money to pursue it. 00:47:32.880 --> 00:47:39.280 From a business perspective, that makes completely logical sense, but doesn't make sense from a scientific standpoint. 00:47:39.440 --> 00:47:50.000 It's what made Peter Higgs, winner of the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics, say in a Guardian interview, quote, today I wouldn't get an academic job, it's as simple as that. 00:47:50.159 --> 00:47:53.199 I don't think I'd be regarded as productive enough. 00:47:53.599 --> 00:47:57.599 And so, when I decided to do a PhD, I was well aware of this. 00:47:57.760 --> 00:48:04.800 I was aware of the amount of serious independent hands-on laboratory work that needed to be accomplished to fuel the academic publishing industry. 00:48:05.039 --> 00:48:10.639 I was aware of the constant literature review that needed to be performed to stay on top of the latest updates in the field. 00:48:10.880 --> 00:48:19.360 I was aware of the vast workshops I needed to attend to learn new technologies or practice other academic skills in lecturing and basic coding. 00:48:19.599 --> 00:48:30.800 And to some degree, I was aware of the external relationships I needed to manage within my immediate research department, and in my extracurriculars to have a sense of seamless day-to-day progression in my projects. 00:48:31.039 --> 00:48:39.599 What I was not aware of was the strain that the PhD would have on self-management, on managing the expectations and desires I have with myself. 00:48:39.920 --> 00:48:47.519 When starting the PhD, thinking about myself was very much at the bottom of my priorities, or removed from the list entirely. 00:48:47.760 --> 00:48:55.519 I was so excited to be starting a new career path, a fresh life in a new country, that all my satisfaction came from external stimulus. 00:48:55.760 --> 00:49:04.400 Work was of course one of them, meeting my research team and other students, touring the university grounds, and getting started on some data acquisition for the project. 00:49:04.559 --> 00:49:11.519 Additional sources of stimulus included finding extracurricular groups that help me learn new skills and manage creative projects. 00:49:11.760 --> 00:49:19.920 But it also came from looking for a place to live, trying new restaurants in town, testing which pint was the best in Dublin's many pubs. 00:49:20.159 --> 00:49:28.480 You get so caught up in it, probably for the majority of those doing a PhD program, that for years you forget to check in with yourself. 00:49:28.719 --> 00:49:30.159 How's your sleeping routine? 00:49:30.320 --> 00:49:31.679 How's your eating habits? 00:49:31.840 --> 00:49:33.360 How's the daily exercise? 00:49:33.599 --> 00:49:39.760 How's your beloved Cat Mila that you dragged all the way from Canada to Ireland because you wanted some familiar company? 00:49:40.880 --> 00:49:46.159 With all that forward progression, I found that sometimes I should actually take a step back. 00:49:46.320 --> 00:49:53.199 I lost the inner monologue and awareness that is usually present, and I did not prioritize any time for some self-reflection. 00:49:53.360 --> 00:49:58.079 Particularly towards the later half of the PhD, exercise was completely absent. 00:49:58.320 --> 00:50:06.000 I remember I started the PhD close to 60 kilograms, might be pretty thin, and after the PhD ended I had gained about 15 kilograms. 00:50:06.239 --> 00:50:13.199 For the last two years, sleep was something I tried to catch up on during the weekends, but even then I went into the lab to do a little bit of work. 00:50:13.440 --> 00:50:22.880 In the last six months of the PhD, I either went out to eat unhealthy fast food, or had instant noodles and a bag of chips, or was lucky enough to have something my girlfriend cooked. 00:50:23.039 --> 00:50:29.440 It was such a grind, and it's important to note that I had quit almost all of my extracurriculars by that time. 00:50:30.159 --> 00:50:36.320 The thing is, even with hindsight being 2020, I don't know if I would have done anything differently. 00:50:36.639 --> 00:50:46.320 I can complain all I want now about how difficult accomplishing the PhD was, and it certainly was difficult, probably the most difficult thing I was able to accomplish thus far in my life. 00:50:46.559 --> 00:50:55.519 But that journey through the program really allowed me to see where my limits were, see what I was truly interested in both inside science and outside science. 00:50:55.760 --> 00:51:05.760 In fact, I took at face value what a postdoc advised me one day during my master's, which was that if you want to pick strawberries, go out and pick strawberries. 00:51:05.920 --> 00:51:16.719 It's a mantra that I had said on this podcast a few times now, and boy did I ever go out and obsess about picking strawberries like I was some new fruit-loving character addition to Sesame Street. 00:51:17.440 --> 00:51:23.360 However, there were moments where I knew that I needed to break from the daily grind of the PhD. 00:51:23.760 --> 00:51:26.559 Moments that felt like waking up from the Matrix. 00:51:26.719 --> 00:51:42.159 Throughout my program, I made sure to see as much as I could of Ireland and also visited as many countries as I could as well, taking in as many bank holiday weekends to plan a short and all-encompassing trip to many wonderful European countries only a short distance away. 00:51:42.400 --> 00:51:51.199 I have been to almost every major town in Ireland and drove the entire coast of this lovely island, including the Aran Islands and Northern Ireland as well. 00:51:51.440 --> 00:52:22.159 I went to England and Scotland, toured Spain and Ibiza, went skydiving in Czech Republic, celebrated in Christmas markets in France, viewed textbook mythology in Greece, learned about religious influence in Italy and the Vatican, rode a hot air balloon in Turkey, presented at a conference in Denmark, breathed in nature in Iceland, saw Dracula's castle in Romania, drank golden cappuccinos in Hungary, lost the electricity grid in Portugal, and even walked through humanity's cruelest war crimes in Poland. 00:52:22.400 --> 00:52:33.199 These experiences were my times of self-reflection, of understanding the importance of my PhD to me, but the true insignificance of it to how the world functions. 00:52:33.440 --> 00:52:40.079 That grounding of myself back to Earth is what I think was the most valuable takeaway I learned about self-management. 00:52:40.400 --> 00:52:46.000 So with that, I think that's all I can really say about how I reflected on the relationship I grew with myself. 00:52:46.239 --> 00:52:52.000 I'm still working on building that relationship more and more each day, certainly easier to do post PhD. 00:52:52.159 --> 00:53:06.719 Perhaps that's the key, which is that it will be an endeavor you undertake for the rest of your life, and doing any sort of monumental tasks like completing a PhD or any major project will test that relationship to the highest level possible. 00:53:06.960 --> 00:53:12.159 That relationship will likely never be perfect, and there will always be work to be done. 00:53:12.400 --> 00:53:26.719 If you're as hard as yourself as I am on myself, then this reflection may not sound so positive, but I can assure you, now being on the other side, that the relationship you have with yourself is the most important one you will have in your PhD. 00:53:26.960 --> 00:53:37.360 Cherish it for the good and the bad, and remember that after picking all those strawberries, to make some lemonade or some sort of profound expression along those lines. 00:54:19.280 --> 00:54:28.960 Metaphor has just recently reached 5,000 total downloads, which I know is not a lot, but imagine reaching that number despite two years of not producing any new content. 00:54:29.199 --> 00:54:35.840 I think science communication and the science content space is changing, and I hope to talk about those changes in the upcoming episodes. 00:54:36.079 --> 00:54:44.000 Lots of new things to come from my side, new projects, new opportunities, so keep an eye or ear out for those updates as well. 00:54:44.239 --> 00:54:48.079 But that's it for this incredibly long reflective episode. 00:54:48.320 --> 00:54:51.199 Thank you so much for listening and even making it this far. 00:54:51.440 --> 00:54:56.400 Do remember to follow the podcast Instagram page for all updates in cool visual format. 00:54:56.559 --> 00:55:07.599 And as always, anyone following will still be placed into the draw to win some Metaforge and swag, whatever that ends up being, on my 50th episode and season 5 finale. 00:55:07.840 --> 00:55:13.119 Rate, subscribe, share, message, megaphone this episode to your family and friends. 00:55:13.360 --> 00:55:18.800 Tune in for the next episode, which is still coming this time, I promised. 00:55:19.360 --> 00:55:24.400 But until then, follow the new LinkedIn page, I forgot to say.