We need to talk about academic life - Part 2

Academic life is quite unique, I’d say. It operates with structures, hierarchies, and work dynamics that are vastly different from those in corporate environments.

It brings an impressive sense of intellectual growth while simultaneously throwing you into the deep end with its complex rituals, methods, and systems.

As a biologist working on my doctorate in Biochemistry labs, lab bench work is a daily grind. Mistakes are the norm. So much so, that any success becomes a victory worth celebrating.

Discovery is EXTREMELY challenging. Have you ever thought about how long it’s been since something truly new emerged? Today, everything feels like repetition. In a way, the “new” seems almost nonexistent.

... but that’s the beauty of science... there’s always the possibility of discovering something new...

See, that’s the beautiful part, the part that fuels so many of us academics and aspiring academics. Yet, this is the story we hear most often. Very little is said about what academic life is actually like—about the daily grind, the routine, the pressure, and the challenges of being an academic scientist.

There’s so much to be said, so much that I’d probably need a book to truly do it justice.

But talking about this is necessary.

The academic world seeks truth while often failing to reveal many truths about itself.