Posted on by Nthabeleng Hlapisi

The academic puzzle… Which piece am, I and where do I fit in?

‘We cannot think of being acceptable to others until we have first proven acceptable to ourselves.’ – Malcolm X

Most of us played with puzzles when we grew up. We might have done this for the fun of it, for our personal development and the enhancement of our problem-solving skills, to build our perseverance, or for all of the aforementioned reasons. Some puzzles can be tricky, while others can be easily solved depending of course their connection of the individual pieces to the bigger picture (the number of pieces and the size).  I would like to think of myself as a piece of the puzzle in the bigger picture of academia. While the bigger picture (academic environment) may change and become trickier I have to always find myself a space to fit in and make a difference to fit in and make the picture whole, because without me it wouldn’t.

I recently moved to a new university (UKZN) to start my PhD, and as a piece of the puzzle, I have been trying to find out what my role is and how to fit in the bigger picture. I had spoken to my supervisor over emails for the past six months but, due to the pandemic, we had not met in person. It is only now in 2022 that I had the privilege of meeting him face to face and getting to know him more. And as we spoke, he shared a couple of gems that cemented my outlook on the PhD or even the academic journey. Those were that we all belong, we just have to find out how or where.

We cannot shy away from the media or even just the conversations we have within ourselves as researchers often magnify the bad and problems in academia, and not speak about the good and motivating parts of this space. With this first meeting with my supervisor, my subconscious had a negative attitude, because of course, ‘he was going to tell me how strict he is’ and all the rules he had for his lab I was ready for that, and I was ready to even answer Prof, I know and I am willing to work hard and do all I can to submit in time so that ‘we get along or that I’m not in your bad books.’

It took me by surprise that during our conversation, I saw him as a person and not as a supervisor. I saw his heart and his ambition for life and academia and not his wand and stick to lash me into working. It was a beautiful conversation and I left his office motivated to work and not depressed to think about how hard the journey I was about to embark on would be. He shared some advice that I will share shortly but as he spoke I quickly remembered when I first watched a video of our SAYAS editors Prof Jennifer Fitchett and Prof Roula Inglesi-Lotz… and in their conversations, they asked each other who they were and not what they do but who they were. And this made me realise that we are human before we could be our professions.

One of the pieces of advice my supervisors shared with me was to be teachable and learn from people and what I read. This may seem easy to read but very difficult to comprehend if one doesn’t know which part of the puzzle they represent. Another piece of advice was to practice excellence and not mediocrity. When you solve a puzzle, each shape is different, but each of the pieces makes the whole picture. Being excellent in your way is the same, be yourself but in that do everything with excellence and diligence. The last piece I want to share Is that I should be consistent, with my time and with my work and be simple in it.

Being consistent is part of building habits and it helps in being a masterpiece at what one does. So, which piece of the puzzle are you in the big picture and what new habit will you take into it? With no proper assistance or people, we surround ourselves with this may be difficult and it means for building and academic growth we need to remember that we are part of the bigger picture and working together is also a critical part of our elevation. Working together through networks, collaboration and mentorships is critical and will also help us find our space in the big picture.

Posted on by tasvidaya

The art of learning

Let me stop you right there. I’m not going to give you tips on how to ace your next exam, or the best method for memorising chemical formulas. Instead, I’m going to share with you one of the now-best experiences of my life, and from that, I’m sure you’ll get the “lesson” (see what I did there?).

Can you imagine studying the sun for 4 years of your life, and then, suddenly changing course to study the planet Earth? Seriously, who would be silly enough to do that? Me. I am said person. Although in my case, I studied biochemistry for 4 years and then suddenly decided to switch to cancer biology in my PhD. Crazy right?

“Yes, you’re crazy, so why make this switch in the first place?” After completing my Masters, I desperately wanted a change in my life, and I knew that it had to start with my PhD. I was always two-minded between biochemistry and cell biology. Since I experienced biochem, I decided to give the other field a shot (also, cancer research is really cool!). After being lucky enough to land a cool cancer project along with an empowering supervisor, the hard part began. I mean, how do you get a TERMINAL degree in a field you have absolutely no experience in (excluding the one or two undergrad practical’s)? You LEARN.

“So, she’s changed from biochemistry to cancer biology…Is that a big deal?” YES, in biochemistry I only dealt with proteins and the only time I worked with cells was to get my protein. On the other hand, EVERYTHING in CELL biology revolves around cells. Besides reading papers, designing experiments and the occasional pity-party, that’s about the only similarities between these two fields in terms of techniques.

Of course, I knew this would be a challenge, but oh boy was it the biggest challenge I ever experienced. Let’s start off easy:

  1. The proposal: From the years of scientific research experience, writing up a project proposal wasn’t too difficult considering I knew the basics to get me started. However, entering the field of cancer research was TOUGH, to say the least! I had dozens of papers and no clue where to start. Between you and I…I still can’t believe I pulled off that research proposal.

“How would you rate your experience?”

2/5. Not happy.

  • New team: Leaving my old research team was another toughie. During my first year of research, we usually came in a group to meet our new lab mates, so I was always comfortable knowing I had my usual peers around me. This time, it was different, it was just me, and yes, I was quite nervous about meeting these new people. But this experience turned out better than I had expected. Without having anyone to lean on, I was forced to become more extroverted than normal and within my first week, I was already feeling both comfortable and welcomed in my new setting. I realised how capable I am of breaking into new environments and forming relationships with those around me.

“How would you rate your experience?”

3.5/5. Feeling great.

  • Lab work: I’m not going to sugar‑coat this part. I killed my cells, I contaminated my cells, I used a colleague’s WHOLE bottle of media (by mistake OF COURSE), I incorrectly made-up cell stocks for the entire first month, and the list goes on. I laugh about it now, but at some point, during those times, I really felt like giving up. There were days where I questioned whether switching my field at this point in my academic career was the right move.

“How would you rate your experience?”

1/5. I’m crying myself to sleep.

Present day: Fast forward a couple of months and I’m proud to say that I am still here, standing tall. So, let’s re-evaluate those experiences, shall we?

  1. The proposal:

Achievements unlocked: The ability to read, understand and communicate science in more than one field (which I am currently proud to be using as a freelance scientific/medical writer 😊)

  • New team:

Achievements unlocked: Self-reliance, the ability to network and form interpersonal relationships, strengthened team-player skills.

  • Lab work:

Achievements unlocked: Training on new lab techniques, alternative data analysis methods, exposure to multiple lab environments. P.S. My cells are now healthy and alive.

So, whether it’s a new job, field of research or complete diversion from your usual activities, there is always one constant challenge, that is, to LEARN. It’s always tough at first, but the lessons prepare you for an amazing future. Of course, I still have a lot of challenges on the way, but as long as I continue to learn, then I have nothing to lose, right?