'Maybe this was my chance to make friends and find the connections I was missing.' Volunteering helped this PhD student find community—and so much more. Read their story in this week's ScienceWorkingLife:
As the pandemic started, so, too, did my journey as a Ph.D. student in a new country. Lockdown and homesickness combined to leave me feeling isolated and desperate to meet people. So, when I received an email one morning inviting volunteers to join the university’s graduate students’ society, I was intrigued. I worried that getting involved in extracurriculars would be a distraction from my Ph.D. work; I thought doing experiments and reading papers were supposed to be my sole priorities.
The first few weeks in my new role were daunting. Along with my routine Ph.D. work, I was suddenly managing a team of four volunteers and arranging virtual meetings with industry professionals and startup founders. Luckily my supervisor was supportive, and I decided I would just give it a try and do my best.National University of Singapore
I also learned about leadership. At the start, things seemed to go well with my team of graduate students. We were accomplishing our goals, and I thought that was all that mattered—until one of my team members came to me upset I wasn’t including her more fully in decision-making. I was frustrated; didn’t she trust my leadership? But after I calmed down, I saw that maybe she had a point. I reached out to my other team members, and another gave me similar feedback.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Teens tackle 21st-century challenges at robotics contestAfter a COVID-19 hiatus, the “First Global” robotics challenge for high school students is taking place in person again, with teams from almost every country in the world — though not Russia.
Read more »
U.S. Extends COVID-19 Public Health Emergency 90 DaysWith health officials saying a winter spike in COVID-19 cases is possible, the Biden administration this week extended the COVID-19 public health emergency to Jan. 11, 2023.
Read more »
66 percent of OSU students feeling burnout.\u00a0Mental heath strained on all levels |OpinionMore than two years into COVID-19 pandemic, a mental health pandemic rages, Bernadette Melnyk writes.
Read more »
New bivalent booster shots available for kids as young as 5 at Chicago clinics, pharmacies, and moreThe new boosters target both the original COVID-19 strain and the omicron variant.
Read more »
Gov. Newsom to End California's COVID-19 State of Emergency in FebruaryCalifornia’s COVID-19 state of emergency will end in February, the Governor’s Office announced Monday.
Read more »