Hello!
Another year has passed since I joined the Laboratory for Bone Biomechanics as a Doctoral student. After exploring and defining a research proposal in the first year, it was over the last months that the reality of research became apparent, from facing complex challenges in the original plan to balancing multiple frontlines of the project simultaneously. Therefore, following last year’s post, I believe it is appropriate to extend the list of takeaways with a few more learning experiences that continue to expand my perspective on life and personal goals.
1. It’s a marathon, not a sprint
3. Embrace team building activities
4. Being comfortable with change
It’s a marathon, not a sprint
It has become more evident that this journey takes a long time to complete. Despite keeping timelines for different parts of the project, the actual execution of the work is often filled with unexpected difficulties or additional tasks that can challenge the original, smooth planning. Furthermore, our team emphasises collaborative projects, which may require some members to pause their main task to support a colleague in a (more urgent) different assignment. Ultimately, accepting that there will be specific periods that are not so productive while remaining focused on the overall goal has been a valuable skill in navigating such turbulent times.
Daily, my strategy resorts to defining a set of milestones for the day and week ahead and adjusting them accordingly to unforeseen circumstances. Therefore, even for relatively unproductive days, having such “minimum milestones” can be decisive in making some progress and maintaining positive momentum.
At a more general level, this idea also relates to the ability to work with high intensity and for extended periods, even if there are no apparent returns in the immediate future. We must understand that we are establishing something that will take some time to materialise to its final form and embrace the patience and commitment required to reach the finish line.
Energy management is key
Following the previous topic, it has become apparent that developing an internal awareness of our energy levels is foundational to planning and executing work effectively. Given that countless meetings and side tasks quickly fill the calendar and reduce the attention span for the work, it is invaluable to identify and protect the periods where we are most productive. At the same time, developing effective ways to maintain a functional energy level throughout the day (by enforcing a consistent sleep schedule, napping, or even consuming stimulant drinks, if needed) is a solid asset to consider. For instance, the regulations still allow home-office days, which can be strategically chosen throughout the week to sleep more, avoid commuting and carry out more extended sessions of uninterrupted work.
Embrace team building activities
Next, I would like to emphasise the importance of camaraderie between colleagues. Although we are working on individual projects, there are everyday struggles that affect many doctoral students and can feel overwhelming at times. Therefore, fostering a culture of mutual support is extremely helpful in maintaining healthy relationships and creating a safe environment to share ongoing challenges and search for solutions.
From a practical standpoint, we find ourselves going together to gym classes, participating in events as a team or hosting board games nights. Indeed, a gratifying example was the Sola Stafette: a relay race of 114km around Zurich, spanning 14 tracks of variable distances. Our Institute had a tradition for each lab to sign up, but the race did not occur in the last two years due to the pandemic. So this year, it finally returned, and we were committed to preparing and racing in the event together. Therefore, months before the race, our team captain organised bi-weekly training sessions where we would run together and get everyone up to speed. By sharing this objective, we motivated each other and developed a strong sense of team spirit. On race day, it was fantastic to unite the team at the finish line and cheer for the runner completing the last track of the event.
Another example relates to celebrating each other’s small victories; each semester, every doctoral student must present a progress report at the Institute’s Colloquium, and we recently started organising a little celebration every time someone from the group gives their talk. These presentations are usually preceded by rather stressful days, and therefore, having a cooldown gathering afterwards can be pretty gratifying.
Being comfortable with change
At last, another recurrent challenge worth mentioning is the need to adjust to a very dynamic environment. Research can be unpredictable, and we often face roadblocks that require re-designing experimental plans to counter these problems. At the same time, at ETH, there is a maximum duration allowed for doctoral studies, which prevents endless quests from solving a specific scientific question. Therefore, it has been invaluable to learn to balance stubborn perseverance to overcome a problem with the flexibility and creativity needed to adjust and pivot the focus of the project. In other words, being able to fully commit to solving a given question while simultaneously having alternative plans to advance the work when no further progress can be made. Overall, by doing such a process independently, these experiences also strengthen the personal motivation and ability to critically assess a situation and decide on the most sensible course of action.
Conclusion
These are some of the learning experiences that have shaped me over the last year, and I am excited to continue this journey and learn more insights. Please feel free to share what have been the most impactful moments of your life over the last months!
Have a great day!