A Week in the Life: The PhD Edition

Tuesday

Today was all about finishing up the baseline plasma samples — one final plate to run! I’m getting more familiar with the steps now and it’s nice to be able to put my headphones in, dance around to some music and not concentrate too much.

After lunch, I plotted the standard curves for each cytokine so I can start analysing the data properly later. That was enough science for the day, so I escaped the lab for a walk with my friend’s dog (my MPhil supervisor’s pup who’s now a good friend). Sunshine, fresh air and zero judgement for my questionable lab technique was just what I needed. Sometimes a wagging tail is the best supervisor you could ask for (sorry Amy).

Wednesday

Finally, I saw some humans! My lab mates were back from their annual leave, and after two days alone in the lab, it was nice to catch up over coffee and biscuits in my office (I may or may not be hoarding the department’s largest biscuit collection). It was a much-needed social boost before diving into a more desk-based day.

The rest of the day was spent analysing the data. I’m starting to see some exciting results, but I keep convincing myself that me, of all people, couldn’t possibly have found something interesting. Imposter syndrome is real, but thankfully my lab mates are there to cheer me on and remind me that I am actually a ‘proper scientist’ (whatever that means).

Thursday

A later start today. A slower morning with coffee at one of my favourite spots before heading in for my 10:30 am 1:1 with my supervisor. Not too many updates this week, apart from proudly reporting that I haven’t burned down the wet lab yet. Last week, I may or may not have melted a measuring cylinder on the hotplate. . . who knew plastic starts melting around 70°C. . .

The 1:1 went well, full of encouragement, small tweaks for ongoing projects and some sharing of (very relatable) science-themed memes. Afterwards, the weekly lab lunch was a nice chance to catch up with everyone properly and to celebrate a lab birthday with the traditional Colin the Caterpillar cake.

The afternoon was spent responding to reviewer comments on my latest manuscript (we love Reviewer 2. . .) until 6 pm, when it was time for ‘Journal Pub’ — a mix of science and dinner. The way it works is that someone presents their ongoing work or practices a conference talk and we all give feedback. The twist? Whoever presents gets to choose the dinner spot. Unsurprisingly, we ended up at the Chinese on the corner, ordering the same as always: 3 Set Menu B, 2 Set Menu C and prawn crispy noodles. Neuroscientists are creatures of habit, after all.

Friday

Friday was a marathon lab day prepping samples for next week’s western blots. I also got all my gels and solutions ready so I can start Monday like a science ninja. It was just me and my supervisor in the department today. She made coffee and left it in my office for my afternoon break, basically proving why she’s the best supervisor ever. It was also our turn to clean the wet lab. I emptied the bins (which I single-handedly filled this week), wiped down the benches and washed up the bottles and flasks. No one told me that PhD life would make me quite so *domesticated*.

Writing this reminded me that a PhD is equal parts chaos and discovery — it’s a mix of experiments that work (and plenty that don’t), cleaning up your own messes, surviving Reviewer 2 and celebrating the small wins with coffee and cake. Some days I feel like a ‘proper scientist,’ some days I feel like a very expensive lab gremlin. But taken together, weeks like this are what make the PhD journey worth it — messy, funny, frustrating and full of little moments that keep me going.