A day of a graduate student

First, I make a list of things to do in the day. And then, I start my work with my laptop. Recently, I also use a supercomputer to analyze gene expression data (I sometimes struggle with it).

We have a book reading club every week and some of the lab’s members join it to learn mathematics. We read various field of mathematics not only mathematical biology but also basic mathematics, differential geometry, and physics etc. The discussion is very stimulating for me.

I usually go to the cafeteria or bring a lunch in our tearoom. When I have a lunch in the tea room, I enjoy chatting with other students and my boss over lunch. Since we basically conduct research individually, this is a good time to discuss with other students and get ideas from them.

After lunch and small break, I start my analysis in my office. When I get tired, I often summarize results for a change. It also helps me to get new idea by organizing my thoughts.

When I get tired, I also have a break in tearoom, and I enjoy chatting.

I check the tasks that I did in the day, and I make a schedule for the next day. Additionally, sometimes it takes more than one day to finish a calculation, so such a case, I set the calculation and check the result in the next day.

I read some papers or mathematical textbook in short time. I think studying little by little will make a big progress in the future.

After finishing my work, I usually go home by 7 o’clock. I sometimes enjoy painting pictures as a club activity (I am a member of an art club in Kyushu university).

After arriving at my desk, I check the results of the analysis started yesterday. I usually use the computer at my desk, but I also use the supercomputer. If the analysis is going well, I summarize the results and start the next analysis.

The organizer selects the papers and assigns a person to explain the figures. I am often assigned to explain Figures, so I read the papers chosen by the organizer and think about the content of the explanation.

I have lunch with classmates from other laboratories and share information.

I sometimes use other laboratory in a different building. We go there by bicycle or a bus that circulates around the campus.

I perform molecular experiments such as DNA extraction from insects and microscopic observations. After lunch, I try to do a hands-on work not to get sleepy.

I clean up, summarize the results, and return to my desk.

We talk about research, how to proceed with lab seminar, and many other things.

I proceed with researching the analysis methods and codes on the Internet. I was not good at programming when I was an undergraduate student, but I think I am getting used to it. I organize the data, produce figures, and summarize the results.

Sometimes I make dinner in the tearoom with lab members.

Students studying insects belong to various laboratories at Kyushu University, so I can make valuable connections beyond laboratories.

I start analysis so that I can check the results tomorrow.