The female Scientist

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.

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.

Sustainability and laboratories, are they compatible?

Have you ever thought about how much plastic do you use everyday in the lab? Do you consider yourself as an eco-friendly scientist? Well, I wondered these questions some time ago. There is much more that we can do to without a big effort to be sustainable while progressing efficiently in our research. Go green!

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.

The purpose of each section in a thesis!

One of the common questions I get asked by students is how to structure a thesis, and how to decide what to include in each section. This article provides a very short summary of the structure of a thesis, and the purpose of each section. In 500 words or less!

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!

How to do things faster!

With our global efforts in finding a COVID-19 vaccine and other issues such as addressing climate change and poverty, there is an expectation that scientists need to work faster. While the tools are becoming available to enable this, we can also talk about how to work faster as an individual. I use the example of speed chess.

Why do I want to stay in academia?

Through the media and social media, I’ve been reading a lot about the issues of being in academia: questions around why we do what we do, why people want to leave, is it effective at training for skills, and do we need stronger statements of academic freedom. I struggled through this myself recently, and I applied my skills as a scientist to create a model. In this article, I discuss my understanding of the purpose of academia, and why I want to stay.

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.

The benefits of supervising undergraduate honours research students!

I’ve supervised a lot of short-, medium-, and long-term student research projects in the past eight years. The only thing I expect is that every student’s needs are different! In this article, I have identified the key traits that I develop in each student, so that by the end of the project I am satisfied that they have developed into a novice scientist.

Why practising pitches is good for your academic writing!

How does a pitch help your academic writing in technical fields?

How to deal with FOMO in a literature review!

I have a confession to make. I have fear of missing out (FOMO) in my literature search. How do I deal with this condition?

Contributing to climate action as a female non-expert scientist!

Social media is an opportunity to contribute to global discussion after some thought. But social media also has excessive bullying, and made me fearful of participating. This is my story of getting over my fear of social media, by contributing to the climate change discussion as a female, non-expert scientist.

Fostering a sense of belonging in academia!

Fostering a sense of belonging for early career scientists in academia is critical for improving the system and ensuring that the individuals within it will be happier and more productive. This article explores a few potential actions that can be taken in this regard at various levels in academia. 

An opinionated guide on what to wear to a scientific conference!

Is a “feminine” appearance still viewed as incompatible with good science?

How I Learned to Leave My Guilt Behind and Gave my Last F@#$!

When I decided that academic research was no longer making me happy, I received a lot of reactions from those around me. Many were surprised, others excited. But I found that there was only one opinion I really cared about, and I already knew what it would be: disappointment.

We Are Human Scientists!

The word human relates to the characterisation of humankind and as scientists I believe we aim to show the better qualities of humankind. In spite of this, I have long felt the need to defend my ‘human’ status as a scientist, in particular as a female scientist. We are often made to feel that emotion is a weakness and that as a scientist we must focus on logic alone.

Approaching a PI – a Guide for Undergraduates in STEM!

Your inexperience can be a huge asset. You have a lot of questions to ask. These questions may never have been asked before! You have fresh curiosity on your side. You are not influenced by the status quo or ‘established’ way of thinking or doing things.  Academia can be tribal about ideas so the more objective and unbiased about the work you can be, the better.

The Importance of Mental Health Awareness in STEM!

Following Mental Health Awareness Week, the overwhelming impact of mental health disorders is ever apparent within STEM. From PhD students at the start of their careers to Professors at the pinnacle of theirs, mental health does not discriminate.

Where are the guides for Undergraduates in STEM?

As an undergraduate STEM student, I can find limited advice for STEM undergraduates as a lot of the advice is aimed at “young career scientists” aka PhD students and above. Which is why I contacted The Female Scientist, to see if anyone could answer my questions about undergraduate experiences as a female in STEM.

Note: This is supposed to be a growing guide. Can you help our author answering those questions?

Should I stay or should I go?

Changing institutions during your studies is not an easy choice, but taking the risk might be worth it!

Let’s talk about Academia and Parenthood!

I don’t have children, but I want to have them someday, and I want to hear about the experiences women in science have had taking time out from their academic careers to have children.

Note: This is supposed to be a growing guide. Can you help our author answering those questions? Would you like to add your experiences?

The side effect of academic life: How to deal with depression and anxiety!

Being a postdoc – What does it mean?

I  am a postdoc at a University in a developing country and I know exactly what this means. But not everyone does! From governments to the University itself, there are plenty of misconceptions. Before accepting a position like mine, be aware of these issues.

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Q&A Sessions!

The gender gap in asking questions is problematic because doing so is good for your career. Here are some tips on how to overcome your nerves and to get involved in Q&A sessions!

A date with myself!

Tasleem shares a quick view of her stressful everyday life as a woman in science and asks: If you don’t fill your cookie jar, who will?

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.

Unable to clear your mind? Here are some things that might help!

Being a scientist, and probably just being a human being, can be quite stressful from time to time, with so many things that you need to care and think about. This is challenging, and you might end up as a nervous wreck if you don´t find good counter strategies. Here are some ways that hopefully can help you to take good care of your mental health, and to free your mind of all that thoughts for a while!

5 little things you can do to increase your happiness

Being a scientist comes with a lot of stress and days of feeling like a non-achiever. Caring for yourself is crucial to stay sane in this fast and crazy business. So, are you having a bad day? Here are a few tips to increase your mood and train your happiness science-style.

How to trick yourself to work (and live) smarter, not harder!

Working in science also means that there are lots of different tasks to have on your mind, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed and so stressed that you don’t even know where to start. This is obviously not making your work more productive, and quite likely both work as well as private life suffer – as does your health! So, what can we do to manage all of our tasks without burning out?

How to get involved!

Are you unsatisfied with the situation of women in science? You would like to receive more attention for your work, or have recently published a paper that you would like to be read by a larger audience? You have a story to share? Get involved!

How to write a scientific paper – a few basics

Writing a scientific paper is hard work, and it takes a lot of practise for each of us to be able to write a manuscript that readers can follow and consider interesting. No matter if you are about to write your first paper, but do not know where to start, or if you are currently halfway stuck in your manuscript and have lost focus – here are some tips that (hopefully) might help you on your way to a great publication!

How do I write an article? Our FAQs.

You consider contributing to this project? Read the FAQs to help you get started with registration and writing your text. We are thrilled to have you here!

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.

Common mistakes when writing a scientific paper

Writing a scientific manuscript takes a lot of practice, and often we tend to make the same mistakes over and over again. By summarizing the most common ones, including ways to avoid them, this text will (hopefully) help you on your way to a great publication!