Early Stage Researcher life is not all pipettes and desk work. To better picture the post-graduate student lifestyle for anyone considering this path, we caught up with the STARSTEM ESRs and assembled a short snapshot from each.

With the onset of summer and the relaxation of COVID restrictions in Ireland, I’ve been discovering new places to explore and venture out in and around Galway during the weekend. A few of my favourite places I’ve been to this summer are Cong and Roundstone. I’ve been also going for dips (very short ones, haha) in the sea with my friends and trying food from new restaurants and cafes that have opened up recently. Soorya James, NUI Galway

Life as an early-stage researcher is different to the conventional 9-5 job. Some days are much longer and some days you have finished all your experiments by lunch! It is important to thoroughly unwind when you do have downtime. This gives you chance to mentally rest and also when returning to the work, you may have a fresh perspective.
Personally, I still like to be busy when I’m not at work. My hobbies include golf and fishing. Both activities where you still need to think about what you’re doing. In both activities, you must be focused on what you’re doing in order to succeed. If you start thinking about work or other things your performance will drop.
The persistence that lab work has taught me has also benefitted my hobbies, knowing when to stick with a method or when to change something to achieve a better result. This has now led to me being selected to represent Cambridge University Golf Team Vs Oxford University. It is important to physically rest though when not at work – personally, nothing beats some good food, drinks flowing and good company. Something that I have missed during the pandemic but I’m looking forward to it resuming. William Hotham, University of Cambridge
Typically summer means more free time since all teaching commitments come to close the academic year. This means more time to spend in the lab but also more flexibility with your free time! This summer for example with some COVID restrictions easing and allowing travel between counties I have gone on road trips with my friends to scenic locations such as deeper into Conamara. It also means more time for doing sports and training! They are very few sunny days in Ireland so it is important to make the most of them when you can! Aaron Croke, NUI Galway