#phdjournal

[torrentium]

3/2/2026

Today, more planning. Did some reading and paper organisation for the literature review. Sent a bunch of emails to different departments and tried to set up my new email without any luck.

Tomorrow is the first lab day!

[envs-phd-track]

This is to keep myself on track

I am currently a college sophmore majoring in environmental biology because there is no conservation major.

My goal is a PhD, and I want to start making myself seem like a good candidate now.

My main ideas to focus on are

Trees, Moss, Fungi, Ferns, and Pollution.

My goals:

I will start a journal writing everything I do towards a PhD, or learning in general, down. This will include articles with notes, author, my interest level, and if I found I can read it. It will also include tips I find/hear about, and my current motivation level. This will be physically written and then copied down here.

I will start off easy and read 3 academic articles this month.

Become a feasible candidate to be accepted into a program once I get my BA.

Tips are welcome

[caffienecradle]

05/27/26

Failed at my master's blog, let's give PhD a shot! New Amazon keyboard so I will be the belle of the ball (my office).

[torrentium]

5/3/2026

Pilot project brainstorming lab lattes and my trusted Moleskine notebooks with one too many to-do lists.

Studying for my first exam and trying to perfect the protocol for the micelium growth experiment.

[envs-phd-track]

I don't know what to read, anyone have any recommendations for recent environmental/sustainability/conservation studies? I want to read more academic articles to become more literate reading them.

Is there like a tiktok but you scroll through recent studies? (But you know, less predatory and with more of an attention span?) If not I think there should be

[torrentium]

14/5/2026

My first international conference, this one is in Poland! First day done, tomorrow I'm presenting my poster 🥟🦞

[envs-phd-track]

I've decided that this will be the notebook I write it all down in

Because my future is bright and important (said as a montra not like an ego boost) and I like looking at this notebook so I'll notice it more often

[torrentium]

16/3/2026

Last week was a roller coaster - the lab protocol we were perfecting turned out badly, so we're switching back to the old one, but I got an A from my first exam and a grant for a conference in Poland in May!

This week, I am starting my microplastic experiments, and next week, the master's student I am mentoring is starting in the lab!

Also, I am enrolled in an R course this week, every day from 5 PM to 9 PM, so let's hope I get something from it, because the first day was pretty basic.

I wish everyone a calm academic week!