The beginning of my final year | Life of a chemistry PhD student | My PhD and Me

TL;DR

In her YouTube video, the creator discusses her experiences and achievements during her second year of her PhD program, as well as her goals and aspirations for the upcoming third year.

Transcript

hello welcome back to my youtube channel so today i thought i would do a bit of a different video for this week um because this week i actually went into the third year of my phd i i can't believe that time has gone by this quickly it literally feels like just yesterday that i went into my third year i thought for this week's video i would sit down... Read More

Key Insights

• 🫢 The creator's PhD project focuses on finding natural compounds to prevent marine biofouling, specifically on marine structures in the oil and gas industry.
• 💦 The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the creator's second year, resulting in a four-month lab work hiatus.
• 😉 Despite the challenges, the creator achieved various milestones, such as isolating compounds, supervising an undergraduate student, winning a competition, and developing a bioassay.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did the COVID-19 pandemic impact the creator's second year of her PhD program?

The pandemic caused a four-month lab work hiatus, leading to difficulties in progressing her research and adjusting to part-time lab access.

Q: What were some achievements the creator accomplished during her second year?

She successfully isolated compounds for her research, supervised an undergraduate student (albeit briefly), won a competition related to her research, and developed her own bioassay.

Q: What are the creator's goals for her third year of her PhD program?

Her goals include finishing her PhD on time, publishing at least one paper, maintaining resilience in the face of setbacks, and seeking guidance by asking questions and collaborating with others.

Q: Why is it important for the creator to publish papers during her PhD program?

Although it is not a requirement for her program, publishing papers is crucial for a career in academia, which the creator intends to pursue. It establishes credibility and contributes to the scientific community's knowledge.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The creator reflects on her second year of her PhD program, which was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in a four-month lab work hiatus.

• Despite the challenges, she successfully isolated compounds for her research project, supervised an undergraduate student, won a competition, and optimized her own bioassay.

• For her third year, the creator aims to finish her PhD on time, publish her first paper, maintain resilience, and seek guidance through asking questions.