Thesis on Sunday

Today I did thesis on Sunday. There really is no rest for thesis.

Thesis in the summer

The sky is clear and blue and the sun is shining bright. On a perfect summer day like this, I just want to be on the beach wearing shorts and slippers. Instead I’m wearing a lab apron, jeans and sneakers because this is the dress code in the lab.

My goal: To finish my thesis  To finish my thesis so I can wear comfortable clothes again!

You know you spend too much time in the lab when….

1. At night, the lights in the lab are the only lights lit in the entire campus.

2. The janitor goes home before you leave the building.

3. You can watch CADS practice at Colayco Pavilion from your lab’s window.

4.  Your dinner almost every night is a cheeseburger, french fries and a Coke conveniently brought to you by a delivery man on a motorbike.

5. You get home and your parents say: “Where have you been all week? This is the first time I’ve seen you at home!”

Thesis defense schedule FAIL!

Last week I found out the thesis panel of professors has decided to move everyone’s thesis defense date to February 12 so that they can listen to presentations and determine who they should send to the SOSE Awards–the thesis competition of science majors in Ateneo.

I was originally scheduled to present on February 18. Now I have less than three weeks to finish all my experiments. And the instrument that I need to confirm my results is STILL broken! Huhuhu!!!

Red Tape

Today, I asked a grad student if he could train me how to use one of the instruments I need for my thesis–it’s departmental policy that a student needs to be trained by an authorized person before he can use an instrument. The grad student told me he will meet me later in the afternoon, so be ready with my samples.

It’s 5:30 now and he hasn’t showed up. I’ve been stood up by one of the grad students. I can’t progress in my thesis without getting checked into this instrument! Thing is… I already know how to use the instrument. This whole business of checking me into an instrument seems more like a formality. Ugh.

Tips on how to communicate with other people about your thesis: PART 1

Always use blanket terms. If you’ve ever explained your thesis to someone outside the sciences, you’ll know the fatal stare and silence of an audience lost to your technical jargon:

Unsuspecting Person: What’s your thesis about?

Thesis Guy: I make molecularly imprinted polymers.

Unsuspecting Person: Oh… Shit.

By simply saying something as scientific as “polymer” or even “molecule”, you have sent the person into a unique state of temporary comatose that occurs when brain cells disintegrate because of an inability to comprehend the complexity of what you’re saying.

So instead of saying something like “I synthesize molecularly imprinted polymers that can detect dieldrin,” say something closer to human language like “I study molecules.”

It’s much simpler and it never fails. It may not represent what you actually do for your thesis, but no one really cares what you do for your thesis. Only science people will ever understand what you’re doing.

Occasionally, you can try to genuinely explain your thesis through its real-life purpose.

Thesis Guy: I make molecularly imprinted polymers.

Unsuspecting Person: Oh… Shit. What’s that?

Thesis Guy: It’s just a really great way of detecting toxic agricultural pesticides that cause human poisoning every year. It can detect other stuff too, but I’m making it for that purpose only.

Unsuspecting Person: Oh, that sounds great! Here’s 1 million pesos to continue your research!

Non-science people may not appreciate the scientific jargon. But they will appreciate the purpose of your work if they realize that the science you do could actually serve society in some way someday. Learning to communicate with non-science people might merit a pat on the back and even a much needed research grant.

Thesis bubble burst

Today, I ran tests on some strips of paper that I’ve treated with chemicals over the last two weeks. I found out that none of the chemical treatments worked. Now I’m set back by two weeks and I have to redo the whole experiment. UGH.

Unauthorized

Today, I needed to run samples through one of the machines. The department has a strict policy against unauthorized use of equipment. I haven’t been authorized to use this particular machine. The only three people who can authorize have either gone to their provinces over the break or are missing-in-action. I need those samples to progress in my thesis. FML

No rest for thesis students

I’m on Christmas break but I went to the lab to get some much needed work done on my thesis. No rest for the wicked.

Expectations Fail

Today I did a chemical reaction that did not work again. Not only did it fail to give me the results I wanted…it gave me results I did not expect at all. UGH.