All Blog Posts
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Celebrating The Little Wins
As a graduate student (or any student), it’s all too easy to get caught up in the big picture— the working experiments, the published articles, and the ultimate goal of acquiring that desired PhD. We often ignore the little things that pave the way forward. I’ve been making a conscious effort to celebrate the seemingly…
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A Year Into My PhD – 3 Lessons
1. My PhD experience is more personal than collective. No two Ph.D. experiences are the same, and your research is unique to you. In a lab, you will most likely share a similar research area, but the content and context will be unique to each of you. You will be delving into areas of research…
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An Almost total eclipse experience
Yesterday, I had the incredible opportunity to witness a celestial phenomenon that has captivated humanity for centuries – a total eclipse; well, almost : ). While my previous encounter with a solar eclipse dates back to 2006 during my middle school days, the magic and wonder of it never ceased to amaze me. As I…
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More Than Just Science: Selecting My Dissertation Lab
It’s official—after careful consideration, numerous discussions, and a fair amount of soul-searching, I’ve made one of the most important decisions in my PhD. I’ve chosen my dissertation lab. It feels a lot like embarking on a new journey, full with both excitement and cautious expectation. While I would like to belabor this post with all…
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Tastes of Home: Recreating Ghanaian Comfort Foods Abroad
Moving often means leaving behind the familiar comforts of home. I miss family and friends, but there are other losses that cut deeply too – especially the nostalgic smells and tastes of my mother’s Ghanaian cooking. For me, food is so much more than sustenance; it embodies love, community, celebration, and heritage.
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Inside My First Semester: Lessons and Triumphs
The first few weeks of my PhD program resembled a complex dance of enthusiasm and nerves. In my department, I found a community of scientists with different focuses, all passionate about research. But dealing with all the coursework was challenging, making me feel overwhelmed at times. My first semester of graduate school passed by so…
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PhD And Mental Health
From finishing my first rotation to beginning my second, I am reflecting on how my research experience has been and how different it is from the education I received in Ghana. More importantly, I am learning that a PhD program can be very overwhelming and I need to prioritize my health and wellbeing. The first…
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Four Tips For Choosing The Right Grad School And Program
Now you are certain you want to go to graduate school and you know exactly what to pursue, but there’s the big question, where? Prioritizing what is important to you and what will help you succeed is something that you should do. Find out what is most important and valuable, and all subsequent evaluations will…
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Email Template For Program Cordinators
Sending cold emails to professors could be helpful for some schools, but most schools in the US do not admit students directly into a lab. The better alternative is to reach out to the department’s designated resource person to learn more on how you can increase your chances of being accepted into the program. Hopefully,…
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Graduate Application Information Spreadsheet
Applying to graduate school can be very long, stressful, and discouraging. With this application information spreadsheet template, you can stay organized. That way, you would be able plan ahead of time and get everything in order without feeling pressured!
PhD Journal Of A Ghanaian Woman in Stem 