SAYAS BLOG

Vulnerability – willingness to show emotion or to allow one’s weaknesses to be seen or known; willingness to risk being emotionally hurt

Let me tell you something: putting your life out there is not easy. If you do this for a living, I imagine it’s a completely different scenario. I’m not afraid of the camera! I have a YouTube channel, am active on social media, and interact with the media on occasion. A day-in-the-life vlog, on the other hand, is an entirely different challenge!

This video came together as a result of meticulous planning — as I’m sure I’ve stated before, I don’t do anything without a plan! Anyone who came to see me before this formal process began would have assumed that I was starting a new research project. On Microsoft To Do I methodically listed my tasks, and on TimeTree Calender I planned time for editing. After that, Petnanny, My Online Therapist and SAGE Pilates all gave their informed consent. Finding more content (videos, music and images) took the longest period of time in this whole process, but once it was done, the recording process could begin. Isn’t that how the research process works as well?

The steps leading up to the final data gathering can seem tedious at times, but without them, you won’t be able to complete your project. I had a lot of fun filming and editing the vlog. This was not surprising, because I enjoy data analysis as well. I was about 75% done when I melted my computer’s brain – or maybe the computer melted my brain, I’m not sure.  All of my carefully prepared adjustments were lost when the application crashed. While agitated, I remembered my supervisor’s statement that there will always be unplanned parts in a project’s final phase. Whilst participating in a free online Pilatus session I took a few deep breaths. I convinced myself that I now know exactly what I want to do, where I want things to go, what the timelines should be, and that the previous time was just a preparation. With that in mind, I continued the editing process and was blown away by how quickly it all went.

The vlog, like my research project, was completed and is now at the stage of waiting for feedback. While I’m waiting, I have the opportunity to consider the prospective feedback, which is where the vulnerability comes in. I agree with Brené Brown who claims that there are power in vulnerability. The term that comes to me is ‘bravery.’ It takes courage to put oneself out there and try something new, whether it’s a vlog, a project, or something else entirely different.

Let’s celebrate our bravery in the upcoming month!

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you…my very FIRST VLOG!

Holding a camera and recording yourself is a fun task to do, but editing together your whole vlog? Not so much. Nevertheless, I hope my vlog provides you with a glimpse into my life as a PhD student (spoiler alert: it’s really not that different from any other student). Many people assume that a scientists job never ends, and while that is true, there are many perks about being a PhD student, such as the flexibility during the day. Being a PhD student means being a self-starter, having the ability to plan your own experiments, analyses and, basically, having self-discipline. Based on the amount of lab work that’s waiting for me, I usually start my day around 7am-8am and reach campus around 8:30am-9:00am. I’m definitely a “morning” person and prefer getting my work done early.

The best part of my morning is opening my door and having these two adorable four-legged creatures galloping towards me! After a small breakfast, I get ready for my travel to campus. Unfortunately, WITS is around 28-30 mins from home EXCLUDING traffic on the M1 (if you’re familiar with the M1, I’m sure you can relate to my struggle). Luckily, due to my flexible schedule, I can arrange my own times so that I skip the morning and afternoon traffic. My typical day at WITS consists of socialising, reading, lab-work, data analysis and planning for upcoming experiments. Since the new year has just started, and it being the first week returning to the lab, there was not much work to be done, basically just setting myself up for the upcoming week.

I like to think of myself as a non-typical PhD student. I believe that getting through a terminal degree such as a PhD shouldn’t tire you out mentally or physically which is why I appreciate the flexibility of my days. My program, although intense, allows me to enjoy my social life while still getting work done. From the vlog, it is quite evident that down-time is necessary. Overworking= overstressing= BURN-OUT. And that’s not good, for me, for my work or for my support system who has to deal with my crocodile tears.

So, thank you for watching my vlog, I am very enthusiastic about the year ahead which will be filled with PhD progress, weekend getaways (on a budget of course!) and accomplishing or at least TRYING to accomplish my goals with a focus on sci comm. Thanks to this vlogging experience, I feel much more comfortable in front of the camera and cannot wait to dive into my social media sci comm journey. If there are any science or personal vloggers out there, share your experiences and tips for us beginners 😊.