I wrote this for the end of year "Research in Progress" awards for my department. Enjoy!

You know you are in graduate school when:

1. You hear I cant get my mice to breed and dont do a double take

2. Your heart beats faster when you hear the words product show

3. You dont care if something is a waste of time, as long as there is free food

4. You used to love keeping a diary but havent written anything in your lab notebook in over a month

5. You show off the free pen you got at the product show to your friends

6. Youre broke

7. Med students dont realize youre part of the Med school and your family doesnt realize your not a med student

8. When you tell people you are in grad school they ask, so how long will that take? and your response is you have no idea

9. You stare out the window on a sunny day and wonder what qualifications you need to become a bicycle tour guide and how easy is it to get in the business

10. Your PI emails you at 10pm about a fellowship that he would like you to apply for and the application is due tomorrow

hahhah. so true!
"You used to love keeping a diary but havent written anything in your lab notebook in over a month "

This brings backs so many fun memories of graduate school. Occasionally I volunteer to give a talk at the local high school on Career day. I try to inspire those young minds to think that being a scientist would be so cool. Anyone have a "Top Ten List of why being a Scientist would be so Cool" or anythiig like this that I could include in my presentation? Pictures/images would be nice too.

I like being a scientist, because I can go to work in my pajamas and I never have to comb my hair, or wear make-up, or stupid shoes. The sloppier you are, the smarter people think you are. I get to play with chemicals, and radioactivity, and dry ice, and bacteria, and fire. Making mistakes is not only expected, it is occasionally brilliant. I get to be creative, mechanical, analytical, and irreverent. And if you work for a good company, they give you beer on Fridays.

beer on fridays?!?!? what company do you work for and are they taking applications? PJs as the dress code is a good sell too lol

> beer on fridays?!?!? what company do you work for and are they taking applications?

It's not as rare as you think; Genzyme, for example, has hosted Friday night "Ho-Ho's" for years. Although my company (MBL International) doesn't offer beer, we usually have a Friday lunch cookout barbeque (weather permitting) with the CEO flipping the burgers!

One of my previous labs had gin and 7-up in the PI's office at 5pm on Fridays. We also played basketball every week, an activity that drew a number of people from our department (glassware washer, students, techs, professors...all the way up to Department Chairman.)

A different lab had occasional lab meetings at Hooters...

You're lab has a glassware washer, wow, can i work there...

(having just washed a lot of bottles)