So recently I met a guy who is a post-doc at a really fabulous institute in Dublin. I plan on being a post-doc sooner rather than later so I'm all about free advice. I may not take it, but I'll listen. Anyhow, we were talking about work. Me, being the unassuming graduate student that I am, made some sort of joke about the lab on weekends- I don't exactly remember what I was joking about. He proceeded to tell me that he almost NEVER worked on weekends as a graduate student AND he was at Oxford AND he finished in three years!! I was (actually still am) floored! I don't know how that's done. Granted, things do work a bit differently in Europe than here in the US but come on! If I'm not there at least a good chunk of either Saturday or Sunday, I feel like a total slacker. In fact, I've been told by many a professor that "if you have a spare 6 hours on a weekend, they should be spent in the lab not sleeping". I got that lecture after I had slipped and mentioned something about "free time". (This guy is actually on my thesis committee- the group of scientists that decide when I graduate. yikes!)
On top of this, my aunt made me promise to get a life this year. That sounds harsh, but it wasn't at all... she was thinking of me. So, I've been cutting back... kind-of. Today I left at 6 pm. I don't remember the last time I left work that early. Then I went to the grocery store because I had no food then cooked dinner and after I finish writing this, I'll read papers for work for a couple hours. Normal right? Apparently not. That's still a 10 hour day. But I'm doing what it takes to get me outta here sooner.
Here's my analogy: If somebody is overweight and they are doing everything they can to lose weight: the exercise more, they eat less, the eat healthier, they spend some money on new sneakers etc. They may complain a little but nobody says to that person "stop doing all that, you gotta live a little, it's not worth it". Why doesn't that apply to grad students? I will have a life... after I graduate. I promise to draw the line there. After I graduate I can leave a place and move on whenever I want... but until I've got that degree in my hot little hands, I'm at the mercy of my thesis committee and advisor. It was hard to come to terms with earlier, but really, I'm just doing what I need to to get out of Worcester faster to somewhere where there are more young people... even though it is likely that I won't be all that young when I get there. But I am trying to take my aunt's advice... she's a smart lady... but sometimes it's just about choices.
What I DO think that this is absolutely the perfect justification for me to go to europe (apparently England is good for slacking) and get a post-doc job there after I graduate. Just for a few years... so I can re-shape my view on work ethic and how to live a balanced life. The USA isn't great for that. However, this may be an emergency situation... I may need to go to get some urgent training before I graduate to undo all that has been twisted in my head as "normal". Just spend a couple months there doing some "experiments"... you know... find some equipment that my boss doesn't want to buy and just go there to use it.
I'm not going to hold my breath. In the meantime, I think I'm heading to NH this weekend to stay in a cabin and ski/snow tube with some friends. That will be nice.
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