I used to love working in the lab on Saturdays. No, I didnโt spend every Saturday in the lab and yes, I did have a life outside of the lab (thatโs one reason Saturday work was so great). But there are some great benefits to working in the lab on the weekend:
Beat the commute
When I was a post doc, I commuted 60 miles one way to the lab, with the traffic. When I worked on the weekend, I felt like I was using my time much more efficiently because I wasnโt wasting it sitting on the highway (although I did listen to the whole Harry Potter series).
Relaxed atmosphere
I felt a lot less harried working in the lab by myself. No one was waiting for the centrifuge or walking quickly by when I was carrying around large amounts of liquid.
Have the place to yourself
I used to love the freedom of walking into the lab and knowing that it was all mine (mostly) for the day. Cackle, cackle (evil laugh). Pity the fellow lab mate that also decided to work the same day.
Work more efficiently
Sometimes itโs hard not to get drawn into the lab gossip or join the next coffee break. When you work alone, you tend to get more things done (unless you are a Facebook addict).
Concentrate on hard/long experiments
Itโs hard to concentrate on a hard/large/long experiment during the regular work week. Your day is always interrupted by lab meetings, seminars, your PI wanting the latest data, students who need teaching and vendors. Itโs a wonder anything gets done Monday-Friday. I always planned large and/or complicated experiments on the weekend when I knew I could focus completely.
Peace of mind
As a mother of young children, a little part of my mind was reserved for worrying about my kids while I was at work. I worried if they had gotten off to a bad start, I wondered how their day with the sitter was going, I prayed I wasnโt going to be late picking them up (again).
On the weekends, my kids were with my husband, and a lot of this worry was relieved. I only had to worry about the fun I was missing out on.
What do you enjoy about working in the lab on the weekend?
Scientific conferences are a peculiar throwback to XIX century, when bearded white men in wool suits were meeting in ale houses to discuss the latest experiment they did at home โ once. In our time of instant communication and telepresence, conferences are obsolete and Iโll tell you why. 1. The main reason not to goโฆ
So you might be wondering why you bothered with all those years of failed experiments, committees, over-bearing supervisors, thesis writing, and thesis defending. Well, no matter where life takes you, you can now call yourself โDrโ whenever you want. And that can be more useful than you might thinkโฆ
Whether youโre doing a quick Miniprep or labeling hundreds of PCR tubes, listening to science podcasts can help keep you sane, entertained, and informed! With so many podcasts out there, weโve pulled together this list of twelve great options: 1. 60-Second Science (1 โ 2 minutes, updated weekdays) This Scientific American podcast offers quick news aboutโฆ
It is incredibly important for aspiring young scientists to keep up to date with the scientific literature. We all know that some journal articles are a slog, and critiquing otherโs research is often an onerous task. Sometimes itโs good to have a break. What follows is a list of popular science books I have foundโฆ
The fourth Thursday of November marks the annual tradition in the U.S. called Thanksgiving. Originally, Thanksgiving was a religious holiday that has sinced turned secular and became a national holiday in 1941. Now, for families celebrating Thanskgiving, it is a time to cook a whole lot of food and eat way too much pumpkin pieโฆ.
10 Things Every Molecular Biologist Should Know
The eBook with top tips from our Researcher community.
