Saturday 14 November 2015

Seattle cycling

So I’m one of those folks with a dorky backpack and cycling gloves. I’m a PhD student, I’m broke, cycling is free and provides me with much needed exercise. And I bloody love cycling in Seattle. When I hope on my bike in the U.K. I feel simultaneously like the most loathed and vulnerable person on the road. Motorists in the U.K. HATE cyclists, we’re met with honking and an indifference verging on cruelty on the roads. 
In Seattle a driver STOPPED HIS CAR WOUND DOWN THE WINDOW AND APOLOGISED because he’d vaguely cut me up as we were both coming out of the supermarket car park. I nearly fell off my bike. Like straight up. They wait for you to go at junctions, they flash you to go ahead, ITS TRULY UNBELIEVABLE. Thank you motorists of Seattle. Thank you very very much. 

Friday 13 November 2015

First ever post!

Something I've been meaning to do for a while...

As a PhD student, I have a pretty constant inner monologue running, flickering away incessantly, like faulty fluorescent strip lighting (common in labs across the world). As such, a blog seemed the best way to blow off some of this steam, so at least I'll have half a chance of focussing on what my supervisor is saying to me regarding the coefficient of variance and how it affects standard deviation (I'm sorry what? I can't ask you to repeat that because you'll think I don't get it, and if you think I'm stupid I'll literally have to lock myself in the chemical store for the next week. It's a vicious, vicious cycle).

Anywho I thought I'd set up this blog to share some of the many secrets, trials and tribulations of being a young researcher in the big bad academic world. I'm just going into my third year (see I told you I'd been putting it off for a while - that's a common theme) of a biological sciences PhD in the U.K. I'm on a four year programme so luckily I still have two years in order to fill this delicious blog with tidbits and doodahs about PhD life. The really nitty gritty. 

I'll keep you on the edge of your seats for now, but expect a post shortly!

PhD you later (say it out loud, see what I did there???)