Over the course of three semesters at NIU, probably one of the most important things I had to learn was time management. Participating in the research rookies program, several clubs, commuting two hours every day, and taking a rigorous course load has taught me the importance of time management. With that being said, I also learned another very important rule of life, which is: when anything can go wrong, it will go wrong. It doesn’t take much of a misstep to have an ever-growing pile of work looming over your head. This week was a perfect example of this rule in effect for me. Last week I only had some book readings, research, and classes to attend, which is a far cry from this week. This week, I had four papers to write, one test to study for and take, and six quizzes to study for in addition to the weekly book readings in all my classes and research. I found that the best way for me, at least, to take care of excess work, is to sit down at my desk with a full cup of coffee and work consistently but not necessarily in any order. For example, I might write a single page of my five-page English paper and then move on to the readings in my Disabilities In Society class. In this way, I prevent my brain from becoming too saturated in any one subject. I understand that this might not be the best method for handling work, but it is the method that works well for me so I will continue to use it until I find a more effective method.
As a returning Research Rookie, I would have to say the most significant difference between this year and last year in the lab is the amount of time I am able to spend working on my research idea. In the first year, I spent most of my time learning lab techniques and other important skills. This year the training wheels are off so to speak; almost every day in the lab I run a reaction, or I work on another relative factor in my research. In other words, I’m actually doing something relevant to my growth in my chosen field of Biochemistry. Being a second year Research Rookie came with some added responsibility and valued experience this year, being a mentor for the new Research Rookies. While I have not been able to attend the meetings due to class conflict, I have been able to interact with the small monthly group meetings and be available for questions and mentoring. To be honest, I feel more like a resource than a mentor because the staff mentors do such a good job with the program that the Rookies already seem well prepared.
