top of page

Keep Hope Alive

Updated: Feb 20, 2021

Hello there! I'm @tatioldfield, a PhD in Biochemistry and I work with STEM education in SaoPaulošŸ‡§šŸ‡·.


My šŸ˜ of science is on my DNA, wanted to be an astronaut šŸš€ as a child. I'm a BSc in Chemistry from University of Sao Paulo and my postgraduate days started when I finally moved to my šŸ‡¬šŸ‡§ for a MSc in Biotechnology at @uniessex in 2009.


They offer free counselling service for students: it was perfect for me who has always cared about my own mental health history with anxiety in my life. There was a sticker inside my room door at my uni's halls of residence with information on contacting useful mental health services available 24/7 on/off campus.

Ā 

My PhD journey was very intense: changed my supervisor + project in my 1st year and had to work very hard within a tight schedule in order to succeed. The sense of isolation + selfdoubt + impostor syndrome were always there and I had a fantastic support from my counsellor, friends + family. Plus the challenges of being a mature student and expat at the same time!


I had free mindfulness sessions on campus, which is a powerful tool to help you to get focused in life and have a healthy relationship with your own thoughts and stress management.


Writing up my thesis was very tough: depression hit me hard + a fellow PhD student committed suicide + my supervisor's cancer battle (he's fine now). But I wouldn't have managed to become Dr Tati without meeting peterdavison šŸŽ­ at my 1st DoctorWho convention: he asked what I was doing in the šŸ‡¬šŸ‡§ and I mentioned about my PhD. "I'm impressed", he said to me and when his words really kicked in my mind, I could finally appreciate my research as whole. As a result, his name ended up on my acknowledgements section!


My phdchat /phdlife advice is to keep doing the things you šŸ’– because they help you to be productive. I volunteered at scicomm events to promote women in science, went to music šŸŽµšŸŽ¶ gigs, had a student radio show + šŸš—šŸš„āœˆļø around šŸ‡¬šŸ‡§ šŸ‡§šŸ‡· šŸ‡ŗšŸ‡øšŸ‡®šŸ‡ŖšŸ‡«šŸ‡·šŸ‡©šŸ‡ŖšŸ‡¬šŸ‡·šŸ‡§šŸ‡ŖšŸ‡¦šŸ‡¹šŸ‡±šŸ‡ŗ šŸ‡ŖšŸ‡øšŸ‡µšŸ‡¹ during weekends or vacations. Hope that sharing my story can help šŸ‘ŠšŸ» stigma and raise mental health awareness in grad school.


Comments


© 2018-2023 by Community Balance LLC

Nothing on any of our pages should be interpreted as professional or medical advice.

designed by klattalyst.com

bottom of page