Category: tips

Collaboration Station: Google Drive

Collaboration is a vital part of the scientific process. Do you think I’m going to save the world on my own? Nope. I’m going to need at least a little bit of help. The more great minds working on a project, the faster advancements may be made. And we need advancements (I’m look at you, self-driving car peoples)! Any sort of collaboration is difficult across distances. Technology has made the process easier and email is currently the main tool for communication for researchers. While I’m really proud of the older generations of scientists for getting on track with email, I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask them, and everyone, to utilize Google Drive for their collaboration needs.

Being able to access my Google Drive from anywhere keeps me productive!

Google Drive was repeatedly been a useful resource throughout my graduate school years. I could share files and folders with my undergrads so they would always have access to protocols, data sheets, etc. It made for fast communication and kept my data safely stored in multiple locations. However, when I was working on writing manuscripts I would email it to all of my co-authors whenever they needed feedback and would inevitably have to shuffle their responses and changes back into a master copy. This updated copy I would then save as a new file. My third manuscript has yet to be submitted because my advisor and I accidentally worked on two different file versions, and now she has to incorporate her updates into my most recent version. I never wanted to use Google Drive to have people revise my papers because I couldn’t for the life of me find anywhere to turn on Track Changes. But when I was working on my PhD application essays and desperately wanted people’s feedback, I realized Google Drive always has track changes on! And it’ll keep track of who edits what, when, where, and why! Ok, not why. Unless they leave a comment!

So if you want to collaborate on a piece exclusively on Google Drive
1) Start a file – it can be a document, presentation, spreadsheet, drawing, etc
2) Share it with your collaborators. – You can share via a provided link or email. You may also control the level of privacy your work has.
3) Write and edit the file! – All together now!
4) Keep an eye on the changes/comments made by others – Anytime you want to open your revision history, click “All changes saved in Drive” at the top of the page.
5) Profit

So many revisions! So many colors!

Writing that army of essays was undoubtedly one of my least favorite parts about the graduate school application process. I absolutely could not procrastinate them because I wanted to get as many discerning eyes on them as I possibly can. Now that all of my PhD applications are submitted I have the power of hindsight, which allows me to see just how much my essays benefited from the help of several friends’ advice. Some ended up being completely rewritten multiple times. Multiple people were able to review and revise the essays at the same time, and I never had to compare different file versions emailed to me. No going back for me now. Go ahead. Put those theses into GDocs. Your manuscripts. Your group work assignments. Unleash the power of automatic track changes and maximize collaboration! Never worry about hitting save again.

The Great Grad Student Migration: One Woman’s Journey

Two out of four WKU grads have no
idea how to wear their cap.

Well guys, I made it. One bedroom apartment. State College, Pennsylvania. In the five years since living with Rachel and Friends during our undergrad Wonder Years, I haven’t exactly had the best of luck with housing situations. Granted, living in the Chestnut Castle with my best friends really, really set the bar extra high.  Not to say that I’ve suffered through completely horrendous slum lord conditions with outrageous rent prices, but after spending half the time living with my parents and half hopping from place to place in New Mexico, I was absolutely ready for some stability in my own place. And it has been great so far.

I’ve been preparing for this move since getting back from last summer’s European adventures. Finding and getting into a PhD program was my main focus right up until the moment I was accepted back in March. After that, it was one big countdown until the next chapter in my life was ready to begin. And yes, my life chapters do happen to coincide with my academic life stages. I know a lot of you may have just graduated from undergrad, and it’s about time for the great grad student migration. Hopefully, since I made the move a little sooner than most, I can fill you in on what I’ve found to be most helpful during my transition. I started with a little research. First, checking out Rachel’s post from her move last summer, added a few other resources, and I deemed myself ready.


Part of preparing for a move is complete
 disregard for your soon to be former room, right?
Finding an apartment starting in June in a college town was a little challenging. Most leases run August-August, so my best bet was to find a summer sublet and then a more permanent situation. Searching remotely for apartments was a little frustrating, but I was able to ask around in my new department for advice. Remember, all of the other graduate students have already worked through these issues. They had valuable insight into where the best places to live were located. I used Craiglist to find possible locations, but ultimately it was talking directly to a potential landlord (instead of the subletter) that allowed me to find a place where I’d be covered for summer and all next year. Keep in mind you’ll have to pay rent and deposit up front, but your graduate stipend most likely will not kick in until a month after you start. Once you have a place secured, all you have to do is to move in. Sounds easy enough, right?

Step One, figure out what need to get done in advance. I don’t have a car, so that meant finding and renting a moving truck. Inspired by Rachel’s AAA computer discount (editor’s note: Props to my Dad for being wise to the ways of discount shopping!), I checked out the list of AAA member discounts. There were a lot more than I expected; I’ve been missing out. I ended up saving over $60 on the truck rental from Penske Auto. Next up, was to gather packing materials. I knew I didn’t want a stack of plastic bins taking up space in some closet or corner once I had arrived. Inspired by some of my research, I was able to fulfill all of my cardboard packing box needs in just one trip to my local Starbucks on their delivery day. I called ahead to find out what day they received shipments and inquired about acquiring their leftover boxes. Two relatively easy tasks, but getting them done quick and early helped me feel extra prepared.

Who says you can’t go from
disorder to order?
Riding high on this sense of accomplishment, I would’ve probably been happy to wait until the absolute last minute to pack.  But since my life wasn’t the only one affected, I had to get shit done accordingly. With some gentle prompting (and subtle threats) from my landlords/chromosome donators, I began packing things up a month in advance. I only have one bedroom worth of belongings and several kitchen items, but I am still glad I got started early. Packing took much longer than I anticipated. Every box I completed seemed to make only the tiniest of dents in overall progress. The boxes I packed early were all nicely organized with clear labelling on the top:  Contents, locations they belonged, which room to put the box in upon arrival. Textbooks and other heavy/breakable items were scattered into each box; a careful packing job! If you’re like me, you’ve acquired a giant collection of textbooks. If you have the option of leaving some behind, think about the ones you’ll really need for your program. I only took my math/stats related books and left my biology ones behind for now. My last few boxes were thrown together in a hurry when I realized the rest of the moving truck was nearly packed and I still had random items strewn about the room. We don’t ever have talk about The Crevasse between my bed and the wall. (Editor’s note: Mer shouldn’t feel too bad about this!  I think the “random stuff box(es)” happens to the best of us!)  

Years of Tetris and Dr. Mario had
 prepared me for this moment.
As stressful as it may be, moving is still one of those nice reset opportunities. I’ve used mine as an opportunity to create a household where I can easily live an eco-conscious lifestyle, which means minimal plastic and buying new items. I have a wonderful collection of glass flip top jars for storing food that I got at thrift stores for about $3 each. Think about what sort of lifestyle you’d like to have and plan ahead. I’d recommend trying to get rid of/donate as many items as possible. Might I even suggest watching a few episodes of Hoarders to inspire you to purge some of your belongings? It’s seriously the best motivator for getting your clean on. Go through your closet and find items to donate. What doesn’t fit? What haven’t you worn? What shouldn’t you have worn? What’s been sitting around because you swear you’re going to alter or fix it? Let it go. That’s all less you’ll have to pack, haul, and unpack at a new location. Same goes for your other belongings. Pre- and post-move, I’ve keep a cardboard box in my room to chuck the stuff I’ve finally admitted I don’t need anymore.  


All ready to be unpacked!
Honestly, once the moving van was completely packed, it was all downhill from there. The drive was long, but made easier by my collection of podcasts on the ready and a driving buddy who made sure I was clear to switch lanes when needed (essential when driving a 12 foot truck with all of your belongings). I made the brilliant decision of moving somewhere I already had a close friend (10/10 would recommend) so when it came time for unpacking in a new city, she provided some extra hands that lead to a swift unloading leaving more time for beers! Everything else seemed to fall into place smoothly. We had lined everything up in the living room area since it was the most central. My box labels ended up being less useful than anticipated, but it’s only a one bedroom apartment, so nothing was ever far away. I had been waiting so long to have my own place and the ability to decide where everything went, so I found unpacking went relatively quickly. I just puttered around from box to box, focusing on kitchen items first. Because, you know…food in my face reasons. Several items I was glad to have packed on the top layer within a box include: tissues, glasses for water, and toilet paper. I did, however, forget a can opener and shower curtain. Can’t win them all.

How did your last move go? Any advice for all of the students that will be moving in August? We’d love to hear from you!

Making Time for Nature

One of my favorite environmental quotations goes as follows:

“One final paragraph of advice: do not burn yourselves out. Be as I am — a reluctant enthusiast… a part-time crusader, a half-hearted fanatic. Save the other half of yourselves and your lives for pleasure and adventure. It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it’s still here. So get out there and hunt and fish and mess around with your friends, ramble out yonder and explore the forests, climb the mountains, bag the peaks, run the rivers, breathe deep of that yet sweet and lucid air, sit quietly for a while and contemplate the precious stillness, the lovely, mysterious, and awesome space. Enjoy yourselves, keep your brain in your head and your head firmly attached to the body, the body active and alive…”  ~Edward Abbey*

These are the words of wisdom I try to remind myself of when I am having a moral crisis over what sort of salad dressing to buy at the grocery store (Plastic vs. Glass??  High Fructose Corn Syrup vs. Palm Oil??  Too many decisions!).  While I absolutely want to work as hard as I can to understand and conserve the natural world, I also want to take time to walk around in the woods!  When I am working out in the field, I try and remind myself to stick my toes in the water or gush over a particularly adorable weevil.  This helps keep the balance in my life.  

Lett Lake, Snow Mt. Wilderness Area, 

Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a job that requires as much outdoor time as mine does.  Heck, even for those of us that work outside, having unstructured outdoor play time is really important.  Remember, just because you are playing, doesn’t mean you aren’t learning or growing.  How do you think kids learn?  Through play, naturally.  Playing in nature, whatever play means to you, is a great first step to exploration, questioning, and eventual understanding.  The question becomes, how do we fit hours into our busy schedules for outdoor recreation and soul-feeding fresh air?  I am currently on a quest to answer this question in my own busy life.  In an effort to make it happen, my partner and I (editor’s note: Meridith and her partner, too!) have committed to hiking once a week every week.  The life experiment is set to run for the summer (May thru August).  For us, there are no rules aside from “get outside and walk!”  I’m hoping to see some new places and explore spaces nearby that I have under appreciated or overlooked.  As of today, we have gone on a walk-about all but one of the weeks we intended! Not bad overall, and we are only getting started! Would you like to get your outdoor adventure one?  Here are my strategies for making it happen!

     
STS Guide to Making Time for Nature

Schedule Your Nature Time
You schedule your classes, your work week, and time to hang out with friends.  As busy people, most of us know that if an activity doesn’t merit a spot in our calendars, it isn’t likely to happen.  So, pick a time and place and pencil in your next outdoor adventure now!  

Multitask (sort of)
Meridith likes to multitask by visiting
 Joshua Tree NP AND looking fabulous.

No, I don’t mean you should be checking your email while you are out on the trail.  I do mean you should make this time do double duty in your life.  Have you been wanting to read that novel, but cannot find the time?  Bring along an audio book and headphones on your next hike. Heck, you can even listen to a sweet science podcast! Have a friend with whom you need to have a life update?  Bring them with you on your evening walk!  Been meaning to find quiet time alone for yourself?  Do a little yoga or meditation by the lake, or, you know, just sit and watch the bugs on the grass.  I think this could be an especially useful tactic for the busy parents in the crowd.  Spend time with your kids and get them tuckered out simultaneously!  Your time in nature can be just nature time, but it can also be friend time, family time, personal development time, or just you time.

Don’t Get Preoccupied with Exercise
I am 100% completely guilty of this sometimes.  I think this is obvious based on my own personal goal to “hike once each week.”  Exercise keeps me centered, and this is often how I multitask my nature time.  And, sure, getting out into nature can be a wonderful way to get some exercise and breath some fresh air.  Is hiking to the top of a mountain superior to driving out to a lake and having a picnic?  I don’t think so.  It really depends on what you like and what you are trying to get out of this time.  Importantly, you can get different things out of nature at different times.  Sometimes it’s a calorie burn and sometimes its a peaceful nap.

Our local spot:  Stebbins Cold Canyon, UC NRS
Think Local
National Parks are amazing, and there is a reason that Ken Burns called them “America’s Best Idea.”  I’m sure Ken would agree that America has had some other really good ideas, like these cookies,(most) of these famous internet cats, and the numerous state and regional parks across the great ol’ US of A.  Just Google “State parks of (your state name here)” and you will be well on your way!  You can also go straight to Google Maps and type in “State Park.”  Don’t forget to do a little internet sleuthing about regional parks, open space areas, land trust zones, wildlife areas, or Bureau of Land Management Areas (BLM Areas).  Meridith and I particularly love finding new BLM areas because these are public lands, meaning when you find one designated for recreation, you can camp for free!  You might find a gem you didn’t even know about within your 20 mile radius.  That is totally within striking distance, even for the most over-committed weekend warrior!    

Expand Your Concept of Nature
Take the suggestion above, and go even further.  Sure, nothing really beats being in a large natural area like a park (national or otherwise).  However, the green belt running through my town is beautiful, and I love walking and running along it.  Does your town have a green belt?  Do you even know what a green belt is?  You can also check out local arboretums and botanical gardens.  Find a local green space and play some Frisbee or lay in the grass!  Don’t get me wrong, if I could, I would be at Olympic National Park every single day, but I can’t.  I can, however, take a walk through the restored riparian area along the local drainage ditch anytime I want.  Even if you live right down the road from some great regional, state, or national parks, I would encourage you to take a little bit of time to explore these non-traditional nature experiences.

Build to Something Bigger
Point Reyes National Seashore, CA

Maybe it’s just my personality, but I am super goal oriented.  For me, setting a goal encourages me to do things I would never have made time for otherwise.  For example my 10-year goal to see all the US National Parks has resulted in numerous adventures that I’m not sure I would have facilitated otherwise.  Just two weeks ago, our household goal to hike once a week this summer lead us to take a short detour to Point Reyes National Seashore after attending a family graduation.  Giving your everyday actions context in the larger picture of you life gets you jazzed and propels you out the door.  And that, really, is what it’s all about.


**************************************************************

So there you have it! What are your plans for getting outside this summer? Any big outdoor oriented goals you want to share?



*Emphasis is my own