About Me — Sakina
Academic life| Self-love| Adventure
About Me Stories Oxford Academic Albert Le Phdgrow
Hello to all fellow readers and writers on Medium!
As an academician and scientific writer, I’ve often pondered why I write and what would happen if I weren’t good at it. These thoughts lingered as I navigated the structured world of academic writing — a domain where once you grasp the process, everything seems straightforward. Let me take you through how I approach writing a research article, which is much like following a well-trodden path.
When crafting a research article, I begin with a hypothesis. This initial spark leads naturally to the design of experiments, forming the backbone of the methodology section. Once experimental results are in, analyzing them is both exciting and challenging. Creating visuals from these results is where creativity meets science, transforming raw data into compelling figures. These visuals then seamlessly flow into the results section.
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The most strenuous part, in my experience, is the discussion section. Here, I must dive deep into the literature, comparing my findings with other published works. It’s like piecing together a puzzle where every piece must fit perfectly. But once this hurdle is crossed, I find that 80% of the article is done. The methodology, results, and discussion sections are in place, and writing the introduction becomes a breeze. The abstract follows naturally, summarizing the story in a concise and engaging way. Lastly, the conclusion wraps it all up, offering a glimpse of what future work might build on this foundation.
Despite my familiarity with academic writing, the idea of writing a blog felt daunting. So, like many beginners, I turned to YouTube videos and Medium articles for guidance. One quote that helped me start was: “Be gentle and try not to cast judgments on yourself,” from an article on writing About Me story. This advice gave me the courage to write without fear of being judged, and here I am, sharing my thoughts with you.
A bit about me — I have a PhD in environmental bioinformatics, and I work as a bioinformatic programmer in a government-funded research lab. This career path wasn’t something I dreamed of as a child. In fact, I didn’t have a specific passion growing up. But I was always fascinated by TEDx talks and the idea of sharing stories that could inspire others. Though I never said it aloud, I wanted to be influential, to have something meaningful to share.
Through Medium, I hope to connect with aspiring academicians who may be struggling with unsupportive supervisors or challenging research environments. I want to share how you can teach yourself anything, even in the toughest circumstances, with limited resources. My PhD journey taught me invaluable lessons — extreme patience, the importance of holding onto a vision, and the necessity of believing in oneself. These are lessons I wish to pass on to others.
Let me share a quick story. When I started my PhD, I knew I wanted to secure a good postdoc position afterward. But as I approached the end of my PhD, I was lost. I had no idea how to apply for postdoc jobs or how to prepare for the interviews. There was little to no content online to guide me. But I figured it out, and I’m proud to say I was selected for three out of the four interviews I attended — a pretty good success rate, right? Now, I want to share the insights I gained, especially since postdoc interviews are so different from interviews for industry, IT, or management positions.
Another major life change was moving to a different country at the age of 28, alone. Leaving behind friends and family was tough, and learning to live by myself was a journey in itself. Coming from a culture where extracurricular activities were a luxury, my life had always revolved around academics. Moving away opened up a world of opportunities that I had never been exposed to before. Initially, I was anxious — overwhelmed by the time and opportunities I had, but unsure how to use them to grow. I felt like a dislocated chicken still in its eggshell, afraid to break free. But I decided to take chances, and today, I can proudly say that I did it. I know myself better now, and I’ve learned the true value of self-love.
That’s it from my side. I hope you enjoyed reading this. If you did, please clap and follow me for more content on how to crack academic life, hold onto your dreams, and find true self-love.
Thanks for reading!
