In the lab
and I've got some downtime :) Since my postdoc is downstairs and I'm waiting for her before we do some experiments to try and figure out what I did wrong what went wrong with the enzymes yesterday.
Not that I'm busy anyways. I started Friday last week and my postdoc (who is super cute with her Chinese accent) is guiding me through some really basic techniques. I'm mostly watching, taking notes, and being assigned to do baby stuff. Which is fine, really--- I'm happy to just sit around and learn whatever I can while I'm here. I'm already learning Tons, even if my ego has been taking its share of hits.
My Prof gave me a CD-ROM with tons of technical reading so I can figure out how to do shit on my own/train myself for labwork, so I've been studying from it. Haha It's summer and I'm studying. My postdoc has been very patient with me (thank goodness) --Friday morning was a bit of a nightmare though, because we met and then realized the language barrier was really going to get in the way---thankfully so far it hasn't. It's actually getting better, I understand that when she says "peptide", it means "pipette" <---super super cute!
I'd really like to stop messing up, if just to save face. I keep forgetting to wear gloves, I forget to clean up after I do anything, I leave things out, I do stuff in the wrong order, I grab the wrong tube. Yeah, I've never had any prior lab/research experience. I haven't even taken the Bio core. I'm so vastly underqualified it's kind of funny.
This is the adjustment period. Everyone has to have their first time. So the general awkwardness doesn't have me feeling too concerned. If I'm still like this 6 months from now, then I'll be worried.
Not that I'm busy anyways. I started Friday last week and my postdoc (who is super cute with her Chinese accent) is guiding me through some really basic techniques. I'm mostly watching, taking notes, and being assigned to do baby stuff. Which is fine, really--- I'm happy to just sit around and learn whatever I can while I'm here. I'm already learning Tons, even if my ego has been taking its share of hits.
My Prof gave me a CD-ROM with tons of technical reading so I can figure out how to do shit on my own/train myself for labwork, so I've been studying from it. Haha It's summer and I'm studying. My postdoc has been very patient with me (thank goodness) --Friday morning was a bit of a nightmare though, because we met and then realized the language barrier was really going to get in the way---thankfully so far it hasn't. It's actually getting better, I understand that when she says "peptide", it means "pipette" <---super super cute!
I'd really like to stop messing up, if just to save face. I keep forgetting to wear gloves, I forget to clean up after I do anything, I leave things out, I do stuff in the wrong order, I grab the wrong tube. Yeah, I've never had any prior lab/research experience. I haven't even taken the Bio core. I'm so vastly underqualified it's kind of funny.
This is the adjustment period. Everyone has to have their first time. So the general awkwardness doesn't have me feeling too concerned. If I'm still like this 6 months from now, then I'll be worried.