2.16.2009

roller coaster week

This postdoc thing has got me up, down, upside-down and sideways. 

Up: Since last week, things have gotten better. I figured something out on my own, which really helped increase my confidence. I was able to finish up analyzing my first data set and now...

Down:  ...the second has not been as kind. I am slooooowly working through it but seriously, does anyone have any tips on how to remind yourself to eat when you are in the lab 12+ hours? It is really inconvenient when you are in the middle of something and have to leave to actually do it!

Upside-down: My progress is at a dangerous stage right now. I know just enough to know when something is new and different, but I don't know how to deal with it yet. Some of what I'm finding is completely unexpected (and therefore totally awesome). It is enthralling and frustrating all at once.  Tomorrow I actually get to learn how to take my own data (yay!) but for now...
 
Sideways: ...I'm going to go crawl into bed with some pdfs.

6 comments:

Julie @ Bunsen Burner Bakery said...

I lost 20 pounds this fall on the CD diet... I spent 18 hours/day running circular dichroism samples in a lab on a totally opposite side of campus, so I had none of my own things with me, and I never left the room. After going 18 straight hours without eating, I was just so tired I wasn't even hungry, so I kind of stopped eating period. So I totally have no advice as to how to remind yourself when to eat, but I did get a funny story out of it -- my best friend wanted to know how I lost weight, and I told her the CD diet, and she thought it meant that I was only eating either right or left light polarizing foods, LOL.

Good luck with all the data. I know what it feels like -- I am the only person in my lab (actually, my entire program) doing many of the techniques that I do, so I am very familiar with that overwhelming feeling of not exactly knowing how to deal with things.

Seeking Solace said...

Is there a place in the lab where you can stash an energy bar? That might help.

Albatross said...

EtBr- Exactly! Once I get home, I don't even bother to cook anything even. I am gigggling over what my diet would be called =)
I think I would be less frustrated if I were the only one doing my techniques. There are about 5-10 people who do pretty much the same thing I do. My data is just different enough that thy can't help me.

SS- there is, and i usually have some fruit or something at my desk (which is in the lab). It is just a matter of getting to my desk for 5 minutes!

ScienceGirl said...

I stash nuts, dried fruit, and other non-perishables anywhere I can. I still struggle with remembering to eat (or drink water, for that matter) before I get the hunger headaches, so no advice there.

I hope you show your data who's the boss soon!

Albatross said...

ScienceGirl- it sounds like you might be a squirrel!

ScienceGirl said...

I may be :)