With my coach ABBA

Rep by Rep: How Lessons from My Personal Trainer Strengthened My Approach to Academia!

My coach taught me that true growth comes from prioritizing self-care and focusing on my own journey. In academia, I had been sacrificing meals and sleep for productivity, but he showed me that this was unsustainable. Envy and comparison, I learned, don’t fuel progress—personal growth does. These lessons reshaped my approach to both life and research, helping me realize that balance, not burnout, is the key to long-term success. By applying these lessons from the gym to my academic life, I’ve embraced a balanced approach, prioritizing well-being over burnout and finding strength in my own path. Growth isn’t about competing; it’s about building resilience, inside and out.

National finalist (Bangladesh) Famelab International 2019

Young researchers: finding passion for science and enjoy the twists and turns of the journey!

Masuma Afrin Taniya is a senior year undergraduate research student studying Microbiology at Independent University, Bangladesh. During her time in the program, she has participated in several public speaking and essay writing competitions notably Famelab international, Hult-prize competition, Nature’s essay writing competition, and Sanger prize competition. From these competitions, She has acquired public speaking skills, good writing skills, confidence to distill complex ideas and communicate effectively to a non-specialist audience. In this article, she shares many vital tips for young readers who aspire to become a researcher.

How to increase your employbility from home

How to increase your employability from home!

Looking for inspiration on how to increase your employability during this undeniably difficult period? Read below for some quick, easy and free ways to spend your days at home productively and for the most part enjoyably. Great for those who are currently unemployed and ready to enter the job-hunting arena when lockdown rules are paused, also great for those who are employed but are looking into self-development and / or changing their career.

Student Group

Five tips for student group success!

Does your research centre have a student group? Georgia and I know first-hand how important having a connected social group is to survive and thrive in the graduate research environment. Research studies can often be a stressful and challenging time for the individual; our work can be independent, we may be studying off campus and away from a main group, and we are often learning as we go whilst being constantly reminded that we are competing with our peers for post-doc jobs. With that said we know how vital it is to have social connectedness, and like-minded people to share this unique journey with.  Here’s 5 tips to get the best from your student group!

Writing...

Technical writing skills and how to improve them!

What happens when someone is trying to convey technical information in a “non-technical” way? For example, for my PhD I looked into, you know, how to clean water, remove stuff from it using this powder which looks like sand actually it’s sand. So, I made the powder as we do in the lab and then I used it to put some enzymes in, it’s like baking a raisin bun, very cool. And then I put it in coloured water and I saw it going, it was great!  It does not sound very technical or professional. I do not sound like someone who knows what they are talking about.

Help! I have to do a statistics course!

Whether the idea thrills you or chills you, data and its analysis are central components of all sciences. Data is the main story in any piece of research, and as such most disciplines expect you to learn how to analyse, interpret and communicate this vital information. This can come as a shock to some people, especially those entering into “social sciences.” Fear not! After seven years of tutoring and lecturing in statistics for psychology, I have analysed a sample of over 1000 new statistics students and the results are in. Here are 10 tips to give you a leg up in any mandatory statistics-for-sciences course you have to undertake.

How to survive in the field – physical and mental healthcare

This article provides a rough guide “what to think about” whilst you are preparing your field work in remote areas. It will not tell you everything you need to know, but hopefully, it gives you a good idea what you have to consider and to get informed about before starting your work. The points mentioned are based on my own experience at the very remote research station Ankarafa in NW-Madagascar, and the questions that I was frequently asked by research students that were preparing for research. Furthermore, I hope to answer the questions students should ask but usually, do not think about. In this part, I´m concentrating on physical and mental health care!

How to survive your field work – the field site

This article provides a rough guide “what to think about” whilst you are preparing your field work in remote areas. It will not tell you everything you need to know about your research site, but hopefully, it gives you a good idea what you have to consider and to get informed about before starting your work. The points mentioned are based on my own experience at the very remote research station Ankarafa in NW-Madagascar, and the questions that I was frequently asked by research students that were preparing for research. Furthermore, I hope to answer the questions students should ask but usually, do not think about. In this part, I concentrate on the conditions at the field site.