Alan -- this is destined to become a lab classic... brilliant!!!

Haha! No worries then, mate! Cheers to you and good luck. Your stuff is brilliant so far!

Hey Tim - still would love to hear what your PI said when you told him/her you were leaving to pursue comedy!!

Just found this out recently and thought I would share -- you know those 20% off coupons from Bed, Bath and Beyond they are always sending but you never seem to use them in time before the expiration date? Well I found out from a store manager that they always accept the coupons, even if the date printed on them has passed, because they're always sending more out. Now I save them up and leave them in my car -- that way whenever I happen to head to BB&B I can always save at least 20% on whatever I purchase. Happy shopping!

Yeah but sometimes even your meaningful explanation can get lost on people. And by people this CAN be friends and family who you can't exactly try to lose in a crowded bar. I think the challenge comes from a sad state of how science is taught - some people, no matter how simple and elegant your explanation is, will glaze over at the first mention of "science" - they probably got feedback at an early age that they didn't excel or comprehend science or math "well enough" and from then on these subjects became life-long enemies. Science needs to be better at embracing kids who learn differently and reach analytical conclusions in more independent ways. Afterall if, as BenchFly has shown us, that succeeding in science has a lot to do with luck than why really can't we embrace people who tend to think more outside the box? It will only enrich the field and invite a wider range of bright people to explore scientific discovery.

@psi-psi: that might be nice for you to have a project that you can relate to flat screen TVs, because even Joe 6 pack will appreciate that, but not everyone is doing a project like that. I think the key to explaining things to non-scientists is framing what you're working on in a way that reveals what part of it impacts them or the world the most.

Oh man these are so good!!!!!

Wow! Tina is a great artist! Her cards are amusing and creative, and some are really funny! It's refreshing and inspiring to read about students who are both embracing the scientific career and branching out of it at the same time. Good luck to you and I will be ordering some cards soon! Thanks BenchFly for telling us about her!!

While a credit monitoring service may run $120 a year, it's really a small price to pay for the peace of mind you get. I use one and I pay $10 a month. Even for me on a grad student budget I think it's worth it. It's kind of like insurance. You pay for it every month and if things work out for the best -- you stay healthy, don't get in a car accident, don't find out you owe $120,00 for a Ferarri registered in Florida you never bought -- you never use it but you're glad you have it. They really do alert you to any changes in your credit -- including if a new line of credit is opened in your name, which tends to be the first signal that your identity is compromised.

Alan - Sorry that happened to you, but thanks for sharing your story with those of us on BenchFly!

Thanks for posting this, BenchFly! DA's tips really do apply to anyone looking for sanity in their work day! DA's techniques have helped me be so much more efficient in my work. Something I still do automatically every day is follow his "two minute rule." I ask myself, will this take me less than two minutes to get done? If so, I just DO it and get it over with. Doing this helps get rid of all the minutiae-type tasks that clutter up your day.

In a previous job I was also trained on Franklin Covey methods. What stuck with me the most was the concept of the "four quadrants" that categorize most of the stuff we have to do in one day. In reality, we tend to have a reflex response to "urgent but not important items" and end up getting sucked into spending wayyy to much time on them (think emails). Instead the bulk of our day should be spent on the "not urgent but important" ones that usually make up the exact things the boss expects us to deliver by the next group meeting (and why we have a job).

At one point I literally created a quadrant on my bulletin board at my desk and labeled post-its with each to do item I needed to get done. I then prioritized them by placing them in the proper quadrant. Seeing it layed out like that really helped put my mind at ease, and when I did finish a task it felt good tossing that post it in the recycle bin!

Just in case the other two quadrants are: "not urgent and not important" and "urgent and not important (when you think about it, a lot of emails fall into this category -- it's just that they always create a sense of false urgency because of that DING you hear when an email comes in, but their content or required action may not be that important!)".

I like the ones listed here, but mentorship has been the quality that stood out in the best bosses I've ever had. The bosses that see their role as more than just a bean counter and manager are the ones who inspire their team and instill respect -- the traits that beget success.