Well, January just about whizzed by at lightning speed. I have been quite busy starting my new co-op position at SNOLAB. It’s a lot to learn! Even though I went from one dark matter experiment to another, the technology is completely different. So while I may know more than the average person about dark matter, I am once again a completely newbie on an experiment. If you’re interested in learning about dark matter, check out Science Snippet #3: Dark Matter.

I have heard a few people say that learning a new experiment is like drinking from a fire hose, and I can now verify (seeing as it is my second time going through it) that this is indeed the case. At first it can seem really overwhelming and nerve-wracking. I’m a people pleaser, and I want to prove my worth. I want to be useful and don’t want to seem like “dead weight” to the group, so I definitely feel pressure to learn as much as possible as fast as possible. I get anxious whenever someone asks me a question, hoping that I’ll have the answer ready for them. I also get anxious whenever I want to ask a question, and I find myself thinking “Is this a stupid question? Is this something I should already know? Is asking this question going to make them regret hiring me?”

My first little while on my first experiment at SNOLAB had this initial panic period, and I was definitely been feeling that the first couple of weeks on the new one. And then I realized that I was kind of missing the point of being a student in a co-op placement. These people that I’m working with have gone through basically the same schooling that I’m going through right now, so they have a pretty good idea about my level of knowledge and experience. They can’t expect me to know everything. I’m supposed to be asking questions. These people are a wealth of knowledge, a resource for me to learn from. Their guidance and input is how I will get better as an experimentalist.

Since starting to work with the people at SNOLAB two years ago, I’ve started collecting mentors, people I could look up to and learn from, and get some guidance from. And I’m learning that it’s important to broaden my experience as an undergraduate student to expose myself to as many potential mentors and experiences as possible. I came close to ending up in a very narrow rut very early on in my career by getting very comfortable on one experiment. But that’s not how a student career should look. I am very grateful that one of my mentors pointed me to someone else to work with before that happened.

So far my supervisor has been great. He is incredibly encouraging, knowledgeable, and makes the learning process fun and enjoyable. He seems genuinely invested in me gaining valuable learning experiences and succeeding in what I set out to achieve. Once I realized that learning (and not knowing) is my job, I started to relax into the role. It’s part of the process. I can’t be expected to know everything there is to know, otherwise I would no longer be a student! And I certainly wouldn’t be working in a student co-op placement.

So if you’re just starting out, if you’re learning new things, maybe beginning a new position, give yourself some grace. Let yourself experience the learning curve, and make sure you’re really thirsty for that fire hose of knowledge. I hope you can find some mentors to help you and guide you like I have. However if you haven’t, please feel free to contact me and I would be happy to provide any kind of guidance I can offer, even if it’s just helping you find someone in your own organization or institution.

Stay thirsty.