tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2127239963739441122024-03-05T14:02:56.217-06:00Postcards from an intellectual odysseyA graduate student's adventures, discoveries, frustrations, and pondering.Heather Olinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08888167617185303466noreply@blogger.comBlogger71125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212723996373944112.post-18828623706895612722011-02-16T23:48:00.004-06:002011-02-17T00:01:20.478-06:00hello... is there anybody out there?I am still here... surprise, surprise. I have been asked by a few people in the last week if I am still blogging. This makes me feel loved, but also like a slacker. I actually have been blogging a bit over the last few months, but not here. I contribute (more science, much less personal) to a blog called We Beasties that got picked up by <a href="http://www.scienceblogs.com/webeasties">ScienceBlogs</a> a few months ago. This has been very exciting because it turns out that a lot of people actually read ScienceBlogs. Yes, this means I am "outing" myself here, but I think I am OK with that. Its not like my identity was particularly well hidden before, or that I wrote anything I mind being public. Anyhow, it's one of the reasons I haven't been writing much here. <div><br /></div><div>I feel much more like a scientist these days than I did 6 months ago. I am beginning to formalize my research plans and goals, and feel generally less clueless. I am in the stages of preparing for this summer's research cruise, and also starting to think about my oral (scary!) qualifying exams that are going to happen some time next September... that reminds me, I need to add "schedule quals" to my ever growing to-do list. Apparently professors schedule's fill up months ahead of time, and getting 4 of them together in a room is quite a scheduling feat.</div><div><br /></div><div>I got to travel to (sunny!) California last week for a conference on microbial genomics and metagenomics. Basically I spent the week starting at screens (computer and projector) thinking about how to deal with absurdly large data sets that are generated by sequencing DNA from environmental samples.</div><div><br /></div><div>So that's me in a nutshell (help! im in a nut shell! - sorry couldn't resist). If you are actually reading this consider leaving me a comment... I am debating whether or not to keep this blog going, and that partially depends on whether or not there is actually anybody following me anymore.</div>Heather Olinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08888167617185303466noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212723996373944112.post-86973952654638770112010-08-23T20:26:00.003-05:002010-08-23T20:36:46.731-05:00and... she's backIt is hard to believe that August is almost over. I spent three weeks at sea, and it was great. Hard, but also amazing. I expected to be totally worn out by the end of it, and ready to get back, but instead I felt like I could have done more. I think that is a good sign. Now I am trying to settle back into life in the lab. Instead of focusing on one project for 18 hours a day I have 4 or 5 projects that I need to keep making progress on while also doing the whole personal life thing... much more complicated, and easier to get distracted. <div><br /></div><div>The new year starts soon, which is also hard to believe. This is a big one: teaching, analyzing the data from my first set of experiments, and oh yeah... the dreaded qualifying exam. I also need to pick back up the goal setting. I kind of let that go for the summer, but now its time to put the game face back on. I a bit apprehensive, but mostly I feel good about it. </div><div><br /></div><div>I went hiking this weekend. It was rainy and clammy, but fun. One big goal for this year is make time for being outside. Specifically I want to get up to the White Mountains regularly (is once a month realistic? I think so.) and start getting to know them. It is so easy to fall back on having too much work, but I think ultimately it will keep me happy and sane. I just have to remember to bring my trekking poles, and maybe get some new shoes, because my knees are still hurting! </div>Heather Olinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08888167617185303466noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212723996373944112.post-37450812200267418502010-06-30T14:25:00.002-05:002010-06-30T14:28:09.281-05:00See you in August!I head out to sea tomorrow to try to do some science. I have set up a separate blog for the voyage. If you want to follow along, it can be found <a href="http://heatheratsea.wordpress.com/">here</a>. I would love to hear from readers while I'm out there so comment away if you are so inclined. If not, I will be back at the beginning of August.<div><br /></div><div>Peace out, homies!</div>Heather Olinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08888167617185303466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212723996373944112.post-2158170384417423412010-06-26T21:02:00.001-05:002010-06-26T21:04:46.130-05:00Blog Carnival: zomg grad skool carnival!!!1<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">I have just completed my first year in a PhD program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I started blogging a little over a year ago when I transitioned from one phase of my life into another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It started as a way for people from the life I was leaving behind to keep up with what I was doing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It has turned into an arena to reflect on the various aspects of grad school life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>That is why I was particularly interested in writing for the <a href="http://im-geiste.blogspot.com/2010/06/carnival-call-for-submissions.html">zomg grad skool carnival!!!1</a>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>So, this is my attempt to impart the vast wisdom that I have gained this year (ha!) to the group of folks about to start:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">This year has been a big one for me in many ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I felt dumb much of the time, but am beginning to believe that many of us do… and its kind of the point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>When you are studying something that hasn’t been figured out there are no easy answers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Additionally, when you are surrounded by people who have been working on their projects for longer than you it is very easy to fall into the how-will-I-ever-know-as-much-as-they-do mindset.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I took something that James Watson (I know, not the best role model, for many reasons) wrote in his autobiography (much of which was incredibly pompous).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I don’t remember the exact quote but it went something like, if you surround yourself with people who are smarter than you, you will learn much more than if you are the smartest person in the room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This helped me be ok with not being the top of the class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I learned a huge amount from the people that know more than me, which makes me lucky.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Having people to commiserate with is immensely useful in realizing that you are not alone in these feelings of inadequacy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>That being said, I have realized that grad students (myself included) like to bitch, a lot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It is easy to dwell on frustrations, and while venting is important, it is also important to keep things in perspective.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I often found myself thinking about how incredibly lucky I was that someone decided it was worth it to pay me to be in school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I earn money for learning stuff, and all the downsides (for me at least) pale in comparison to that. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">I will give one piece of advice that might not work for everyone, but has helped me this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Have a Plan B.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Mine is knowing that I would be happy with a career as a middle or high school science teacher, or as an outdoor educator.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Whenever things got particularly challenging this year, or I really felt like I was in over my head, I just told myself that no one is forcing me to be here, and if I decide I really hate it, I can always get a job as a science teacher that would be rewarding and probably fulfilling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Obviously Plan B would feel like a let down, and I would undoubtedly be very disappointed in myself if I left my program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I have no plans to do so (that’s why its not Plan A).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>However, simply having a Plan B takes the pressure off, and allowed me to keep the stress level relatively low this year.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">In summary, to survive and even enjoy your first year of grad school you should…</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Have a thick skin. Allow yourself to believe you are in the right place. Vent and commiserate, but not too much! Have a plan B.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Heather Olinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08888167617185303466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212723996373944112.post-75207629864536854022010-06-26T12:31:00.004-05:002010-06-26T12:36:04.666-05:00People doing something to help the Gulf Coast<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">I haven’t written about the oil disaster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It’s not really a spill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>A spill is what happens when something gets a hole in it, or gets knocked over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This was a blowout and the oil is still pumping out… so spill is not the right term.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Anyhow, I haven’t written about it despite it being on my mind because the details of who all is really to blame, what is being hidden from us, how bad things really are are tough to keep on top of and many people in the “blogosphere” are doing a good job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><a href="http://carlsafina.org/2010/06/17/day-trip-to-grand-isle/">Carl Safina’s blog</a> and <a href="http://deepseanews.com/2010/06/the-jones-act-and-the-oil-spill-not-what-you-think/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+deep_sea_news+(Deep+Sea+News)">Deep Sea News</a> have been doing particularly good jobs of this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>These are links to recent posts on each of these sites, but they both have many informative and thoughtful ones of late.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I am writing this because I have a semi-personal connection that I want to share.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I did a semester in college with the <a href="http://www.williams.edu/williamsmystic/Home.html">Williams-Mystic Maritime Studies Program</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>A key component of this semester’s program are 3 field seminars: one offshore voyage, one west-coast road trip, and a third that has changed since I was in the program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>When I was there we spent a weekend on Nantucket to get a taste of island life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In the last few years they have been taking the students to the Gulf Coast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>These trips are typically an amazing combination of experiential education (think lecture on salmon farming at a salmon farm), interdisciplinary education (you travel with your science, history, literature, and policy professors), cultural experience, and fun.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Over the last few years through the trips to the Gulf, folks in this program have developed strong personal connections to the community on Grand Isle, which is one of the places that has been hardest hit my this disaster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This community depends on the fishing, oil, and tourism industries for its livelihood, and all three are effectively gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It has reached the point where the grocery store on the island may not be able to stay open.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Because of the personal connections people in this program have built they have had many first hand communications with people on Grand Isle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I recently heard the director of the program (<a href="http://www.williams.edu/williamsmystic/academics/faculty.html">Jim Carlton</a>) speak at a mini-reunion and he described the strange feeling of seeing the people he knows on the evening news over and over again.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">People from the Williams-Mystic Program have decided to try to do something to help the folks of Grand Isle directly (very little of the BP money for helping people out of work has actually reached this community).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><a href="http://newenglandersforthegulf.com/">A fund</a> has been set up to allow the grocery store to remain open (therefore allowing people to remain on the island where they live) and establish lines of credit at the store for residents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Two people from the program have been sent down to Grand Isle to help set this up and try to document what is actually happening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>They have set up a blog <a href="http://livingwiththespill.blogspot.com/">here</a> that provides a nice perspective - that of non-media real people spending extended amounts of time on Grand Isle. If you have been wishing there was something you that would actually help the people affected by this disaster, please consider donating to <a href="http://newenglandersforthegulf.com/">New Englanders For the Gulf</a> even if you are not from New England. Spread the world.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <!--EndFragment-->Heather Olinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08888167617185303466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212723996373944112.post-17246685785241884002010-06-20T12:25:00.005-05:002010-06-20T12:43:10.491-05:00some welcome R&R<div>I am spending this weekend in Maine relaxing. I am justifying this because we leave for the cruise on July 1st and that is when the science-marathon begins. (Funny how I feel I need to justify relaxation to myself. Luckily, I can rationalize just about anything.) Once we set "sail" it will be all science all the time. For the amount of money it costs to do this type of research, you sacrifice sleep and "down time", and I am totally cool with that. After the cruise is over, we will have time-sensitive samples to analyze, so the marathon will continue. I am fine with that also. It is hard to know how I will deal with that type of rigorous schedule, but I like to think I'll do alright. It may be illogical, but I am trying to rest up (physically and emotionally) ahead of time in the hopes of setting myself up for as much endurance as possible. I think the good food (aka mom cooking for me!), sea air, some tide pool time, and general relaxation of my family's place in Maine will be good for this.</div><div><br /></div><div>Speaking of family, today is both Father's Day, and my big sister's birthday. I made my dad a 3 berry pie. I used to do a lot of baking, but haven't in a long time (one of the many things I have felt too busy to do), so it was really fun to do. It also turned out pretty well. I'll post a photo soon. I love being close to my family. I don't see my sister as much as I would like (and I have historically forgotten her birthday more often than I have remembered it), but its at least more than when I lived in Texas. I also talk to her more often then I did in Texas. I really think that the pace of grad school would be a lot more difficult if I didn't have them all supporting me, and relatively close by. (Just in case they're reading - I love you guys!)</div><div><br /></div>In other news... I just summarized a cool new study that links sperm whale poop to the carbon cycle (and therefore climate change) in the Southern Ocean via microbial metabolism over at <a href="http://masticatedscience.wordpress.com/2010/06/20/whale-poo-and-climate-change-and-microbes-oh-my/">MasticatedScience</a> check it out. I used as many different ways as I could think of to say "poo" without cursing (I think I got 7)... did I miss any?Heather Olinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08888167617185303466noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212723996373944112.post-90377641895624311852010-06-15T19:42:00.005-05:002010-06-15T19:56:04.814-05:00Van packed - check!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCl6co-mReGRuYHmx8rgclQIKVu3P1p8H8HxZdzFHWVWmU_ufTGHAtQ2CaUEOZ_GTxKZRkBaczFI6Dmu1LofOhlpWrmPIuDlhXEqa19Vu8Ai7fiHwHZMJ8-HtI968ThVITLF5w8fnu8g4l/s1600/IMG_0307.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCl6co-mReGRuYHmx8rgclQIKVu3P1p8H8HxZdzFHWVWmU_ufTGHAtQ2CaUEOZ_GTxKZRkBaczFI6Dmu1LofOhlpWrmPIuDlhXEqa19Vu8Ai7fiHwHZMJ8-HtI968ThVITLF5w8fnu8g4l/s400/IMG_0307.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483168666976058066" /></a><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><u>The Van - ready to ship</u></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCl6co-mReGRuYHmx8rgclQIKVu3P1p8H8HxZdzFHWVWmU_ufTGHAtQ2CaUEOZ_GTxKZRkBaczFI6Dmu1LofOhlpWrmPIuDlhXEqa19Vu8Ai7fiHwHZMJ8-HtI968ThVITLF5w8fnu8g4l/s1600/IMG_0307.jpg"></a><br />In about two weeks I head out to the west coast to spend 3 weeks aboard the R/V Atlantis doing research on the hydrothermal vents. Hopefully we will have <a href="http://www.whoi.edu/page.do?pid=8422">Alvin</a> with us... but that is not certain (looooooong story). <div><br /></div><div>We have spent the last month preparing for this research cruise. Everything from radiation permits to hiring a crane to load our shipping container/mobile laboratory onto the truck, to labeling hundreds of sampling tubes, to ordering equipment, to fixing broken equipment had to be taken care of... not to mention designing experiments and anticipating everything we might need to carry them out on the ship. </div><div><br /></div><div>The lab-mate who I have been organizing all of this with described it as if someone who had never baked anything was told to make a cake... its easy just mix the sugar and flour and bake it. That is how we have felt for a good part of the last month... lots of figuring things out along the way... it has been frustrating at times, but as I sit here our shipping container is fully packed and ready to be picked up tomorrow, and that feels good. </div></div>Heather Olinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08888167617185303466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212723996373944112.post-82055563763262503912010-06-06T16:53:00.003-05:002010-06-06T16:58:48.615-05:00Science Blog Post CompetitionFor all of you who enjoy science blogs... you might want to check out this <a href="http://www.3quarksdaily.com/3quarksdaily/the-nominees-for-the-2010-3qd-prize-in-science-are.html">link</a>:<div><br /></div><div>http://www.3quarksdaily.com/3quarksdaily/the-nominees-for-the-2010-3qd-prize-in-science-are.html</div><div><br /></div><div>3 quarks daily is a cool blog that collects some of the most interesting internet-stuff in one place. They are having a competition for the best science blog post of the year. There are 80 nominated posts, and you can vote for your favorite. I have <a href="http://hielochica.blogspot.com/2009/12/mysterious-love-child-of-geology-and_02.html">one post</a> on there. However, whether or not you vote for mine, it is a great selection of science writing!</div><div><br /></div>Heather Olinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08888167617185303466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212723996373944112.post-7602833874195268212010-06-06T15:56:00.003-05:002010-06-06T16:19:18.385-05:00updates<div>I have started contributing to another blog (in my spare time... ha). It is called <a href="http://masticatedscience.wordpress.com/">Masticated Science</a>, and the idea is to "chew" interesting research into bite sized bits that can be easily consumed by non-scientists. You can check out a recent post I wrote about a very cool recent study characterizing the life in a Mars-like hypersaline methane seep <a href="http://masticatedscience.wordpress.com/2010/06/06/microbes-from-canada-non-biological-methane-and-implication-for-life-on-mars/">here</a>.<div><br /></div><div>In other news, the goal setting for the month of may was pretty dismal. My upward trend has taken a dive.</div></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0GuDd7bd7Tm7e8g4gdwxEne127I0SZwXEo2BmK9IOJR28Zn5eydqMRMLyzyrNhIx5xQs40bHrjFT9MoiatmVAK_qiegJjvFQDsgYVMuiy7kCMUm0-H-Ai39jYVvGTzXnuETZxoc13hAKk/s1600/may+goals.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 292px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0GuDd7bd7Tm7e8g4gdwxEne127I0SZwXEo2BmK9IOJR28Zn5eydqMRMLyzyrNhIx5xQs40bHrjFT9MoiatmVAK_qiegJjvFQDsgYVMuiy7kCMUm0-H-Ai39jYVvGTzXnuETZxoc13hAKk/s400/may+goals.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479773173141346754" /></a><br /><br /><div><br /></div>Heather Olinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08888167617185303466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212723996373944112.post-1316807554723811002010-05-26T16:36:00.004-05:002010-05-26T16:44:53.793-05:00hectic.Somehow I assumed that after classes were over my life would open up and I would have free time to do things like read, or scrapbook, or hike, or sit outside and enjoy the sun, or even cook some good meals again. I suppose that any of you who actually know me will not be at all surprised when I say that none of that has happened, and that, somehow, that surprised me. Now that classes are over I have transitioned into finding-testing-fixing-packing-ordering-labeling-organizing-contacting for the upcoming cruise. I have prepared for extended trips before, but I have never had to plan for doing experiments on a boat, especially the kind of experiments that haven't been done before. This is a daunting task - equal parts frustrating, exciting, and confusing. I guess that is what grad school is all about though, figuring out how to do things that no one is going to tell you how to do, and coming up with what other things you should do alongside the ones you will, theoretically, figure out how to do soon... hopefully. Throw in some last minute grant writing and surprise potential structural issues with the sub we are supposed to be using on the ship and this week has already been crazy than most. I fear that the upward trend in monthly goal setting will not continue in May!Heather Olinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08888167617185303466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212723996373944112.post-37777273997555570082010-05-09T22:48:00.002-05:002010-05-09T22:54:12.997-05:00April Goals<div><div>In one week I will be completely done with the coursework side of my 1st year back in school! I had one final this past week, wrote 2 papers (turned the second one in today) and have one final final next Saturday. Yes, Saturday... I don't get it either.</div><div><br /></div><div>I am happy to see that the monthly goal setting seems to be working. Looking at the graph below I just realized that the year is 1/3 over. Where did it go? I am pretty sure it was January yesterday.</div></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbWi3DK_NMncxl0SMEbAeMoP8vBkQtYjWIL7xuzEmtWMx4jQRy2ragUdS9r7zyQYDFH_TfZKeTQOgA0eLwDipvT1rgz72PHA5O7XTnwqY5w6mN3YBjg1LrZ281GPLNW7avLMLiu5cyOWct/s1600/april_goals.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbWi3DK_NMncxl0SMEbAeMoP8vBkQtYjWIL7xuzEmtWMx4jQRy2ragUdS9r7zyQYDFH_TfZKeTQOgA0eLwDipvT1rgz72PHA5O7XTnwqY5w6mN3YBjg1LrZ281GPLNW7avLMLiu5cyOWct/s400/april_goals.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469484508668175458" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Heather Olinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08888167617185303466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212723996373944112.post-3239814157919606752010-04-26T08:24:00.003-05:002010-04-26T20:54:37.719-05:00Brief Belated Earth Day PostI have noticed recently that a few "evil" corporations have started to put forth an eco-friendly message. When empired, er... organizations, like Fox (with their new "<a href="http://www.fox.com/earthday/">Green it, Mean it</a>" add campaign) and Walmart (with their recent focus on organic produce and doing well in <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/03/the-great-grocery-smackdown/7904/">taste tests against Whole Paycheck, er... Foods</a>) start being "green" I have two simultaneous reactions. The first is to call bullshit. My uber-liberal educational background makes it hard for me not to assume it is just for show. My second reaction, however, is that even if it is just posturing due to mounting public concern about the environment it is a good thing. It means that all the bad press about being eco-terrible has worn off, or that they realize being green is something people actually care about. While I wish we would all just start cherishing nature and being better stewards of the planet because it is the right thing to do, I know that is not going to happen. It is going to take large corporations with big capital to actually make meaningful change, but they certainly wont do it out of the goodness of their "hearts" we need to keep their feet to the fire and make sure they are not just posturing. So here is a tentative cheers to Fox and Walmart, even though it makes me choke a little to say it.<div><br /></div><div>Also, for some awesome science-art-earth inspiration check out what is happening at one amazingly awesome small uber-liberal arts college: <a href="http://www.wesleyan.edu/cfa/feettothefire/">Feet to the Fire</a> </div>Heather Olinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08888167617185303466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212723996373944112.post-65295514515723991552010-04-25T22:58:00.000-05:002010-04-25T22:59:05.331-05:00rapid rambling reflectionsIt is hard to believe that my first year back in school is almost at its end. 3 days of classes, 2 exams, and 1 paper stand between me and the relative relaxation of simply being a scientist rather than juggling doing science alongside taking science classes. I am looking forward to being able to focus on my research and getting ready for summer field work. I have really felt like classes were slowing down the research this semester. I also have a good feeling for what material I need to read up on to increase my background knowledge directly relevant to my research, and I haven't been able to make much progress in that while focusing on my classwork. I have 3 textbooks that I would like to read this summer. I am hoping I can get other students to read them with me. It is funny how much more likely I am to stick to something (be it reading a textbook or going to the climbing gym regularly) when I set a schedule with a friend. Somehow it is easier to come up short on promises to myself than to others (I wonder what a psychologist would say about that). I think I am finally getting over my inferiority complex and beginning to feel like I actually belong in this program, and have (or will eventually have) something meaningful (albeit probably small) to contribute to the general body of knowledge that is science.Heather Olinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08888167617185303466noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212723996373944112.post-13324870972245647022010-04-14T21:28:00.003-05:002010-04-14T21:34:18.609-05:00a (not so) productive dayThings have been hectic lately. The lab work is ramping up, and finals and papers are rapidly approaching. I decided to be extra productive today. I got to lab early and got one reaction going and did some sampling for someone in the lab who is out all before my morning class. I came back from class and looked at my samples and did the next round of lab work before lunch. After lunch I set up another reaction and finished sampling for the person who is out before the whole lab went over to a nearby school for a particularly relevant talk. I came back looked at my reaction, and did the final bit of lab work in time to go meet with my cohort to discuss Darwin's Origin of Species that we have been reading in monthly installments. I was busy all day, and was all ready to feel like I had accomplished something... except that the reactions I was trying were not working. The DNA refuses to amplify, and I keep returning to square one. I will keep trying, but it kind of feels like all my efforts to be super-productive today were a waste. Sigh.Heather Olinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08888167617185303466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212723996373944112.post-859147729439128682010-03-31T21:48:00.005-05:002010-03-31T22:02:57.966-05:00Procrastination Fun<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYeDDwTyhVcBidIQ9RtRiYzN-Prf-5lI_Qpje3sbfs_30TQz2ChwJythU15i80yI0BbrhJmaIwCboSqYTYWXjY_YcyrFqyUfCVi7lZGwKUfznWLMdfDR6Jo5bxMJKcLhUaKGhVwh-EkdMM/s1600/2010+goals.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 249px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYeDDwTyhVcBidIQ9RtRiYzN-Prf-5lI_Qpje3sbfs_30TQz2ChwJythU15i80yI0BbrhJmaIwCboSqYTYWXjY_YcyrFqyUfCVi7lZGwKUfznWLMdfDR6Jo5bxMJKcLhUaKGhVwh-EkdMM/s320/2010+goals.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454996451347246402" /></a><div style="text-align: left;">It is the end of March, which means it is time to revisit my March goals (for background on this see <a href="http://hielochica.blogspot.com/2010/01/resolving-not-to-resolve-sort-of.html">here</a> and <a href="http://hielochica.blogspot.com/2010/02/new-month-and-new-semester.html">here</a>). It also means that I have been doing this goal setting process for 1/4 of a year now! I think this means its time to share how I'm doing so far. I made a graph for this purpose. For each month "n" is the total number of goals that I set for each month. The blue represents the portion of those goals that I successfully completed, the yellow represents the portion of goals that were not completed, and the green represents the portion of my goals that I made some progress on, but did not complete. I am glad to see such a positive trend in my successes, however, I am disappointed that my "failures" rate is not decreasing. I am hoping by the end of the year to have a large enough data set to do some statistics with. I do like checking in at the end of each month with myself and seeing how I am going. Maybe I should add to the analysis types of goals (ie fitness, academic, relaxation, life maintenence, friends/family). It would be interesting to see if I am better at certain types of goals than other.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Ok... thats enough procrastination for now. Stay tuned for more super-nerdy analysis of my goals (or SNAMG for short)!</div>Heather Olinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08888167617185303466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212723996373944112.post-8110556571864532862010-03-28T11:44:00.003-05:002010-03-28T12:47:56.479-05:00Data!I have data. We sent off one of my samples for sequencing and got the results back a couple of days ago. Now I need to start learning what to do with this type of data. It is really exciting to have this data because, while it is still very preliminary, it means that I have a springboard to start thinking about what might be going on in the environments that I am studying. It also means that our process of DNA extraction and amplification (from very difficult samples) worked, at least for this sample.<div><br /></div><div>I like that scientific research comes in phases. First you have to plan out your experiments or your sample analyses. This often involves a lot of background research to figure out what other people have done to ask similar questions, and how they did it. Then you have to do the actual lab or field work. In the case of the lab work I have been doing, a lot of this feels like one step forward two steps backward because each time we figure one thing out in our procedure, there is another issue to deal with. We spend a lot of time trying to figure out why our extractions or DNA amplification isn't working, and deciding which of the 20 factors to tweak the next time around. If we get luck and pick the right one, things progress fast. If not, we can spend weeks or even months trying to navigate around some road block that is standing between us and the data we seek. Once samples have been collected, experiments have been carried out, experimental samples have been preserved or analyzed we are ready to proceed to the next phase... data analysis. </div><div><br /></div><div>Once there is data in the picture the game changes. A new set of challenges arise because the goal in this phase is to figure out what the data are telling you. Sometimes this is frustrating because there is no clear story, and sometimes you realize you need to back up and get more data or slightly different data in order to really understand what is going on. In the world of genetic sequences that task becomes figuring out what hundreds of thousands of A's, C's, T's, and G's mean. There are databases to help you figure out what organisms are in your samples, but in environments like hydrothermal vents where so many of the microbes are uncultured and unknown these databases are of limited use. So now it falls to me to learn a new set of skills that involve computer savvy (using new programs and platforms), a thorough understanding of genetics, and I'm not sure what else. Bioinformatics... here I come!</div><div><br /></div><div>After preliminary data typically comes more experiments and additional data collection. Eventually you decide you have enough data to tell a compelling story and then the next phase begins... writing. That one is a long way off, but it is the ultimate goal: to write up your results and get them published. In reality these phases often co-occur if you are working on various projects or various aspects of the same project. The way people do science very rarely occurs in the way that middle school science text books describe the "scientific method", but to me these phases represent different mindsets, and the transition from one to the next makes me feel like I have accomplished something.</div><div><br /></div><div>I am excited because this data provides a peak into the next phase of my science... data analysis. It will be fun to not just be doing lab work for a while. It is intimidating and exciting to have a whole new set of skills (bioinformatics) to begin learning. This whole process has been one steep learning curve after another. It keeps you busy, and transition between phases prevents boredom. </div>Heather Olinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08888167617185303466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212723996373944112.post-73059850808007310922010-03-22T19:04:00.002-05:002010-03-22T19:06:53.884-05:00World Water DayIn honor of <a href="http://www.worldwaterday.org/">world water day</a>, take a few minutes and check out Annie Leonard's new film "<a href="http://storyofstuff.org/bottledwater/">the story of bottled water</a>". If you don't already, skip buying bottled water and carry a reusable bottle...every little bit helps!Heather Olinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08888167617185303466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212723996373944112.post-81707913671665280182010-03-18T09:47:00.003-05:002010-03-18T10:13:34.114-05:00Time well spent out of lab<div>On Tuesday I was walking to the middle school where I lead a weekly afterschool club for a group of girls on the broad topic of "ocean science". I was feeling a bit torn and overextended because this takes away an afternoon per week from lab work, which has been piling up lately. Additionally, the first few weeks of this club were a bit chaotic, and I wasn't sure how engaged some of the girls were. I was wrestling with whether or not I was actually doing something important, or whether I was just wasting time that should be spent trying to get DNA out of rocks that don't feel particularly like giving it up. </div><div><br /></div><div>I arrived at the school to learn that my co-mentor had to quit the program, and that I was flying solo. I am a bit embarrassed to admit that I actually like it better this way... not because I didn't like working with her (I actually did), but because I am a bit of a control freak, and not having to cooperate and compromise with someone else is often easier for me. I was given a second high school student helper, and set off to do an exciting dissection activity with the girls. I started club by talking with them about how I had been frustrated not feeling like I was being listened to, and asked them for a bit more respect since the only reason I am there is for them to have fun learning about what I think are some of the coolest topics in the world. </div><div><br /></div><div>I was pleasantly surprised at how club went. By no means were they all behaved perfectly, but when I asked for attention I got it, and more importantly, they were totally engaged in the activity. Mostly I think this is because it was a particularly exciting activity (dissecting sea stars - we don't call them star fish in our club), but it might have had a bit to do with the fact that I laid out for them ahead of time how I wanted things to progress. I told them we were going to walk through a few questions slowly together, and then they would be free to investigate on their own. My high school helpers were awesome, and everyone had a good time. I walked back to lab confident that the past 3 hours had been a worthwhile investment in these young women, and reminded that this aspect of science (call it outreach, teaching, or hanging out with kids) is not something I am willing to give up just because I don't have time for everything.</div>Heather Olinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08888167617185303466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212723996373944112.post-9261176114797090752010-03-13T20:03:00.004-06:002010-03-15T10:30:43.570-05:00Wonderfully Wet Windy Woods Walk<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOsrSaFn5-ftQx3UJ-VKZ8LHt0gtRunME7oCSwsGSI_3u_QjrD1645WnxCT2dRZi1pu44ZI2HWD5JFwMVLTEJqo5awWipHvxUAngsbJt_ppduDPMbOKWY2lPIHUagtbNrqDfCn3c22hFlw/s1600-h/IMG_4409.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOsrSaFn5-ftQx3UJ-VKZ8LHt0gtRunME7oCSwsGSI_3u_QjrD1645WnxCT2dRZi1pu44ZI2HWD5JFwMVLTEJqo5awWipHvxUAngsbJt_ppduDPMbOKWY2lPIHUagtbNrqDfCn3c22hFlw/s320/IMG_4409.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448882370638322402" /></a><br />Saturday was cold, rainy, and windy. It was certainly a day to hunker down inside, but I was determined to spend some time in the woods... it has been far too long, and I had my mind set on some solitary thinking time. I do my best thinking outside in beautiful places; sitting on a dock looking over a lake, on a rocky beach, on a mountain top, in my kayak, or wandering amongst evergreen trees. I almost gave up on the idea of Saturday tree time, but decided it was silly to let a little rain keep me inside. I broke out the waterproof gear and hiking boots that I rarely wear these days and set off in search of a local park that I had heard about. <div><br /></div><div>I didn't have a trail map, or even know where to park, but thanks to the maps feature on my iPhone I was able to find the place and start walking without taking too many wrong turns. I was prepared with water, snacks, more layers of clothes, a mini first aid kit, and a headlamp... just in case. Just in case what, i'm not exactly sure, but just in case.<br /><br />As I started walking I was chilly, and began to doubt the sanity of my plan. However, I was determined not to let the rain get me down and I moved quickly and soon warmed up. I found a pond and stood watching sheets of rain dance across the water. I scampered over wet rock, moss, and lichen, squelched through mud and pine needles, and got off the trail to do a bit of exploring. It felt like I was the only person in the park, and I don't think I could have enjoyed if more if it was bright and sunny because I felt like I was experiencing a side of these woods that most people don't bother to get to know, and somehow that meant I knew them in a different way even though it was my first time there. I look forward to many more trips to this little oasis only 15 minutes from my house. Knowing that I can be in the woods in 15 minutes if I need to makes life a little bit better.</div><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwx9pXxKqvLfIrXy6Ol_YT9R8Jb15QnWz7GF5LLlTUApq5DvGVRKTYLETMNjEgyQJIaPf9dx1NlSDKbRzktCQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div></div>Heather Olinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08888167617185303466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212723996373944112.post-55769923094069542872010-03-10T16:51:00.004-06:002010-03-10T20:12:53.273-06:00An unexpected lesson from a testI had another experience today that offered insight into my experiences teaching. I took a test, the first timed math test that I have taken in 11 year (with the exception of the GRE). I came from yoga and tried to keep the mantra "<inhale> bright, <exhale> calm" going through my head, but the panic was hard to keep at bay. I could feel my heart begin to race as I skipped over question after question that I did not immediately know the answer to. Things that I knew were in my brain only minutes before the test were gone, and it appeared that they had taken with the the calm that I had intentionally cultivated in my yoga practice before the exam. Eventually I got to the last question of the test and the answer came right away. I second guessed myself, but then came back to the original, simple answer. With that came a bit of peace of mind. As I worked backwards through the questions I had skipped I was able to retrieve some information that had been missing upon my first read. Eventually I worked through the whole test, and at the last minute remembered something that allowed me to answer a big question that I had through I was going to have to skip. <div><br /></div><div>Big deal. The point of my sharing this is not to complain about my stressful day, or even whine about how math is hard. Up until this year school has always been very easy for me, and as a teacher it was sometimes challenging to relate to my students who were struggling with the material or had test anxiety. This test taking experience, and the experience of being in a very challenging academic setting has shown me what it feels like to know the material, but not confidently, and has helped me understand why testing is a good educational tool for some and not others. I can see how easy it would be for a young student to give up on school relatively early if they had never know how good it feels to ace a test, or feel that you really understand something.</div><div><br /></div><div>How's that for a silver lining?</div>Heather Olinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08888167617185303466noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212723996373944112.post-60499778272984414872010-03-08T15:46:00.003-06:002010-03-08T15:54:30.379-06:00Can I be a museum educator when I grow up?I spent most of Saturday volunteering at the nearby museum of natural history. There was a geology festival and I got to spend the day talking to people about the differences between rocks and minerals, and talking about different types of volcanoes and volcanic rocks. I realized (or maybe remembered) that communicating cool information to other people really is one of my favorite things to do. It occurred to me that museum education would be a pretty ideal job for someone who really loves teaching. You get to plan curricula, spend time one on one with people who are genuinely interested in learning from you, and you get school groups who are excited about being on a field trip. Most importantly you don't have any grading to do, and you don't need to worry about teaching to a standardized test. Now clearly there are some downsides as well, specifically not forming relationships with your students, but from my one day it seems pretty idea. Now, I should stop daydreaming and start studying for that pesky statistics midterm that I have on Wednesday.Heather Olinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08888167617185303466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212723996373944112.post-76364854865194761452010-02-25T20:54:00.003-06:002010-02-25T21:03:09.664-06:00Rainy Day TherapyIf you ask most people around me it is miserable out... cold, rainy, dreary. If it were a bit colder it would be a wonderful snow storm and a good way to end the winter. But, it is raining, raining, raining. The wilderness instructor in me calls this "prime hyperthermia weather". However, I am not in the wilderness, and I do not have to worry about hyperthermia when indoors is always nearby, so I propose a radical notion... it is actually wonderful out. Don't believe me? Follow these steps on your next walk home in the cold rain and enjoy experiencing the elements, the feel of your cold damp skin, and appreciate your warm home when you get there.<div><br /></div><div>1. Walk with a friend</div><div>2. Skip until you get warm</div><div>3. Stamp in every puddle you pass trying to get your friend wet, make sure they do the same to you</div><div>4. Laugh loudly, try to laugh so loudly that people hunched over near you look up and maybe appreciate the experience, just a little bit</div><div><br /></div>Heather Olinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08888167617185303466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212723996373944112.post-62856761138067816542010-02-21T10:08:00.005-06:002010-02-21T10:38:55.645-06:00Getting ahead of myself<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEmAeyfNE7DdLKNfHMV4HIVTFmwydaKLCzkMmQXeedXMz67Sc9zs4s0ryASxGc11far3uFuILcZImsMI6zre5Idko_wYGvGYthInwIleQaDPnOP4sSst6sqbWlSwDoop5kDeynvVPfcTvF/s1600-h/IMG_4343.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEmAeyfNE7DdLKNfHMV4HIVTFmwydaKLCzkMmQXeedXMz67Sc9zs4s0ryASxGc11far3uFuILcZImsMI6zre5Idko_wYGvGYthInwIleQaDPnOP4sSst6sqbWlSwDoop5kDeynvVPfcTvF/s320/IMG_4343.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440731316761814178" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">The pacific ocean.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgziTp6gEa6lVlIH3sa-lB1x_14smCItC0JDmCp26Hk-XBguqPfGQ9s874g7Hel5kEOwZ1HSRV79C4NVi-ymO9SLdMsG9_czIpUXC098m74pwln1KoBFXeTaiRU7o-YixqtHJoKYT5z0u15/s1600-h/IMG_4354.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgziTp6gEa6lVlIH3sa-lB1x_14smCItC0JDmCp26Hk-XBguqPfGQ9s874g7Hel5kEOwZ1HSRV79C4NVi-ymO9SLdMsG9_czIpUXC098m74pwln1KoBFXeTaiRU7o-YixqtHJoKYT5z0u15/s320/IMG_4354.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440731305978145250" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">The view from our "guest office" at MBARI</div><div><br /></div><div><br />I have been slacking in blog-land recently, but I have something to report. I want to move to California, at least for a couple of years... like for a post doc. Now all I have to do is finish my PhD. I spent the last week out in the Monteray area working with collaborators at the <a href="http://www.mbari.org/">Monteray Bay Aquarium Research Institute</a>. By "working with" I mean that I was being shown how to use a very complicated instrument that we will eventually get to play with in our lab and bring to sea. I am (mostly) confident that when said instrument arrives I can tinker with it without breaking it. Using this instrument is going to test both my molecular biology skills as well as force me to learn some basic computer programming. As usual, I am looking forward to the challenge. </div><div><br /></div><div>This was my first school-sponsored trip in this grad program, and it was certainly exciting to learn about this cutting edge technology. I really did try to come up with a less cliche way of saying "cutting edge". My advisor gets serious points for deciding to send my science-partner-in-crime along with me for this training. It cost him some extra money, but the two brains being better than one will certainly hold true when the instrument arrives.<div><br /></div><div>So... back to CA (ah... if only I could go back). The folks at MBARI seemed to really enjoy their work, and why wouldn't you when you got to have the above view from your office each day. I grew up in New England where we like to think that the weather makes us tough, and we are stronger for it. This leads to the mindset that "those Californians can't possibly appreciate all that nice weather, how could they get anything done?". I am certainly willing to go give it a try, and report back! </div></div>Heather Olinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08888167617185303466noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212723996373944112.post-64051610870693009902010-02-07T13:39:00.005-06:002010-02-07T14:39:01.729-06:00Molecular Biology Actually WorksUp until this past Friday I was semi-convinced that molecular biology doesn't really work. Or, at least, that it was never going to work for me. Since I transitioned into biology from the world of Geology and Environmental Science I have been playing catch up in terms of learning lab techniques, some of which are very finicky. I can now say that it is very exciting when these processes actually work.<div><br /></div><div>We have been attempting to increase the volume of our extracted DNA using a Whole Genome Amplification (WGA) kit. In contrast to the more common PCR which amplifies a specific region of the DNA, the WGA process amplifies all of the DNA in a sample. This is great if you have very small amounts of DNA, but the downside is that if there is any non-sample DNA present that will amplify along with your sample. </div><div><br /></div><div>My science partner and I spend about 2 weeks trying to work with our WGA kit. In order to make sure we were really amplifying our sample DNA and not a contaminant that we inadvertently introduced we used water as a negative control along side our sample. If we did things correctly we should have seen amplified DNA in our sample and no DNA in the water control when we were done. However, time after time we had more DNA in our water control than we did in the actual sample. This was very frustrating. We tried everything we could think of to be more sterile, and kept getting the same result. Finally we contacted the company and they sent us a new kit to work with. The first time we used it we got good results! There was no DNA in our water control, and plenty of DNA in the sample. It is really good to know the process works, and now we might actually be able to send some DNA out for sequencing. I am beginning to believe all the people who have told me that in molecular biology you do something over and over and over and over again... and then, finally, it works.</div>Heather Olinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08888167617185303466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212723996373944112.post-57532337211250973182010-02-01T18:54:00.002-06:002010-02-01T19:20:45.934-06:00a new month and a new semesterOne month ago I decided to do monthly goals and self-check-ins rather than make new years resolutions. It is time to see how I did with my <a href="http://hielochica.blogspot.com/2010/01/resolving-not-to-resolve-sort-of.html">January goals</a>. <div><br /></div><div>Overall I would say not too well. Of my 10 goals I partially accomplished 3 of them, partially failed at 2, and totally failed at the rest. As I expected, I did not have nearly as much time for myself as I thought I would. However, this was just month one, and the overall goal was to set more realistic goals. So, now it is time to decide what I will accomplish in February. I have made 7 goals for myself that should be doable. 2 have to do with family. 2 have to do with work. 1 is fitness related (sort of a 3-in-1 goal). 1 is to keep my room clean and organize stacks of papers that have accumulated over the last months, and the last is to write at least 6 blog posts. So far I like the monthly goal setting.</div><div><br /></div><div>The academic semester has started up and my schedule already seems much busier than last semester. This is primarily because there is lots of lab work to be done before our summer research cruise. I am struggling with the voodoo-like nature of molecular biology, and really hope that things start working out soon! Everyone tells me that this is just the way it goes... you mess up a bunch of times, and then, magically, it works. I am really looking forward to being able to say "it worked!". Some day soon, hopefully...</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Heather Olinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08888167617185303466noreply@blogger.com0