Pipette Tips for Freshies
It’s my first year in UP and I wanted to start the school year right, but now that I’m here I’ve been feeling so overwhelmed. There’s so much going on, from school requirements to extracurriculars, and I’m already falling behind. I don’t know what to do. Help!
Sincerely,
A Nervous Newbie
Dear Nervous Newbie,
Whether you’re a freshman, shiftee, or transferee, your first year in UP is always overwhelming. You’re probably drowning in course guides, Zoom links, and email notifications from UVLê, and it’s only been two weeks! But have no fear, Newbie! We have some science-based tips you can adopt to turn your semester around:
Some factors are out of your control.
The great thing about being in the laboratory is that you can manipulate conditions to suit your specific needs. You can do anything from changing reagent concentrations to varying degree angles. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case in real life. Some factors are out of your control. You can’t change the weather when it slows down your Wi-Fi. You can’t ask your instructor to lower their uno percentage. You can’t help that the country’s pandemic response is lacking and is stopping you from proper face-to-face classes. In these scenarios, the only thing you can do is accept the situation and try to find ways to make do.
We suggest looking for what you do have control over. Even simple tasks that seem inconsequential, like color coding your schedule or emptying out your trash folder, can make you feel like you have your life together. This is a simple act of empowerment that should fuel you the next time you feel powerless in a situation.
It’s okay to be wrong.
Scientists hypothesize all the time. Experiments happen because they want to give their ideas a shot. What’s great about research is that, when things don’t work out, you (or someone else) can always pick up where you left off. And the body of knowledge just keeps on expanding! So next time you pick the wrong letter in a multiple choice question, remember that your mistake still has value. It’s simply a sign for you to try a different approach. If anything, at least now you know what you don’t know.
Progress takes time.
Scientific breakthroughs don’t happen overnight. On the contrary, they are the result of years of hard work from teams of scientists who dedicate their lives to their research. Your personal project to improve your habits to survive the semester won’t give immediate results. Moreover, progress is not always linear. Some days you might feel like you’re going nowhere despite all the effort you put in. When this happens, remember where you were when you first started. You’ll see how far you’ve come since then, and this will hopefully motivate you to keep going!
Quiescence is not a bad thing.
Lastly, it’s okay to take it easy sometimes. Forcing yourself to be productive 100% of the time isn’t sustainable and you’ll end up feeling burnt out. Instead, you should take a cue from the cell cycle, where cells may go into a quiescent state to take a break from replicating and growing. One reason they do this is to protect themselves from environmental stressors. See? Rest is important.
We hope that these tips were helpful, Nervous Newbie! We can conclude with reasonable certainty that you’ll do far more than just survive this semester. Based on our calculations, you’re sure to thrive!
With much love,
Pip and Etty
If you’re in need of some more advice, or have some of your own to share, head to The Transcript dropbox and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can!
Written by Gabbie Lagdameo
Art by Megan Gozum
