In Finding Your Groove, I talked about reflecting on your working style, your schedule, etc. to knit your routine in such a way that it takes advantage of your strengths and minimizes your weaknesses. 

Just like there are some tasks I do better in a busy coffee shop than quiet at my desk, there are some tasks that need some background noise. Enter: Netflix (Hulu, AmazonPrime, HBO, Starz...you pick). 

So here's a not so serious post where I list some of my go-to shows. Scan the list and hopefully you find one you haven't seen yet, or maybe one you forgot about! 

What are your favorite shows or movies to watch while doing work?
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​BMD

1. Free coffee refills

2. Outlets accessible to all

3. Catered seminars (free lunch)

4. Elbow room, in class and while studying

5. Professors that stay on topic

6. Perfectly timed public transportation

7. $2 drinks at happy hour

8. Naptime after lunch

9. Emails over meetings

10. Adorable puppies

At some point in your grad school career, you should be writing.

For me, it cycles through the challenge of writing while in classes to the wide open space of vacations and summers when I should be writing, but seem to do every other thing on my to do list before sitting down at my computer. 

Over the past few years, I've stumbled across some great writing resources, many provide subscription emails. A few subject lines from these resources popped out at me this morning from my inbox, and I'd like to share. 

One of my current projects as a baby genetic epidemiologist is taking a look at missing heritability in type 2 diabetes. Reading papers late one night, this image popped in my head, and I had to draw it out. Laughing alone with my laptop and my dog on PubMed is probably a sign of too much coffee, not enough sleep. But, enjoy the cartoon! I hope to have more. Science is my life, as is creativity. 

xoxo
​BD

Great news! I've come back from my first conference as a PhD student and it went great. 

• For the first time, I knew a good amount of people at the conference
  • It was great introducing my present colleagues to those of past - matchmaker!
• I spoke with a number of interesting poster presenters about the intersection of our research
  • I've already incorporated some of their suggestions in my current projects

If you read my first post on getting the most out of conferences, you may recognize a few of 'tasks' or suggestions I mentioned. 

You may be thinking, "Bailey, what was your goal for this conference?" Read more to find out.