ABIES Journal January 2021 Table of contents Edito: Tips and tricks from PhD students p.2 The word of a doctoral candidate (Florian) p.2 Challenge “creation d’entreprise” p.4 Next trainings and events (in English) p.5 Prochaines formations (en français) p.6 Job offers p.6 1 TIPS AND TRICKS FROM PHD STUDENTS Notion: a productivity support tool As a PhD student, chances are that you use several applications/tools that help you capture, sort, and organize your ideas (Todoist? Evernote? Word? PDF? ...). The use of these different tools can lead to a disordered accumulation of documents, scattered in multiple places. The information is fragmented and difficult to find. It is in this context that Notion.so can help you. What is it? Simply, it's a PC and mobile application that can change the way you organize yourself by gathering the tools you need in one place. To take notes during meetings, make to-do lists, create spreadsheets, manage your planning and projects (personal and professional) ... All this is possible on Notion.so. Discover this application by visiting: www.notion.so The Pomodoro method Have you ever tried to do several things at once, writing an email while listening to a conversation on the phone for example? If so, have you been fully present, focused, and efficient on these various tasks? It is a safe bet that the answer is no. In order to avoid this scattering, the Pomodoro method can be a good solution. This method of time and goals management proposes to divide one's work into small tasks and to use a timer to perform a specific task during a given time interval, and then to take a short break. During this time interval, the goal is to get rid of the distractions of e-mails or notifications of any kind, stay fully focused on a single task, then reward yourself with a well-deserved cup of tea or coffee and start over with another task If you are curious about this method of working, don't hesitate to try it! The graduate student representatives. has not been conventional. First, when I The word of a doctoral was in high school, I wanted to work as candidate: Florian Diot- soon as possible. I was not seeing the purpose of the class I was attending. I Néant mean, I was not seeing how useful they were for my life. Therefore, I wanted to do Hello everyone, short higher education. Now you are I’m Florian Diot-Néant, I defended in probably wondering “he said short October 2020 and I would like to share my education and he did a Ph. D program, so experience with you. Life is full of he did 8 years of higher education.”. Not unexpected changes. We plan, we quite right, I did 10 years. anticipate and in a matter of days To beginning with, I did a BTS in everything changes and we turn out chemistry which an excellent education for walking on a path we did not even think of. those who want to focus a lot on My journey has been a mix of changes and experimental work. Indeed, we spent 50% opportunities that I seized; in other word it of the time experimenting in labs or in industrial workshops. To be honest with 2 you I’m the kind of person who tends to basically far harder than a defense. This have several plans in mind. Hence if exam is divided into 2 parts. First, you something does not work it’s alright. I’m present your research and your committee saying that because I knew that good members ask you questions whenever they students in BTS could apply to engineering want. Their aim is to corner you. Then you schools. One day, one of my teachers told present an innovative project which is me I had the potential to go further and to related to neither your research nor the pretend to an engineering school. At the research of your lab and once again you end of my BTS, I applied to Chimie are asked a bunch of questions. Anyway, ParisTech and I got the support of some of my 3 years in Florida were of course my teachers. For sure, Chimie ParisTech is intense since I usually arrived in lab one of the most selective engineering around 8:15 am (7:00 am when I had to schools in the field of chemistry but due to teach) and I left after 19:00 pm (sometimes financial reasons I could not move from later). Of course, such schedules are quite Paris. So, I gave it shot. I got an interview intense but I was the 1st of the program and but later on I received a letter informing I could not fail. Failure could have resulted me I was not admitted. As a result, I in a bad reputation and could have decided to enroll at University but at the weakened the partnership. Nevertheless, I end of August Chimie ParisTech phone was lucky enough to be with amazing called me and told me that due to labmates in Dr. Miller lab, I will never withdrawal I could study there if I wanted. thank them enough for their support. What I made my decision and I graduated 3 I liked the most was all the different years later from Chimie ParisTech. cultures we had in that lab. We had people During my 3rd year internship at URD- from all the different parts of the world ABI, Florent Allais proposed me the (China, Brazil, Argentina, UK, Rwanda, opportunity to start a co-advised Ph. D Indonesia etc…), this was so enriching to program between University of Florida share my days with them, and I quickly felt (UF), ABIES and URD-ABI. I admit comfortable thanks to their kindness and before making my decision I pondered for their open-mindedness. They knew what I a couple of weeks because 1) I was the first was going through because they of the program, 2) this program was about experienced it too. to last 5 years (3 years in Florida in Dr. In December 2018 I went back in France to Miller lab, 2 years in France) & 3) I did not start the 2nd part of the program at URD- know if I was good enough to follow a Ph. ABI located nearby Reims. There, I D program in US. On 29th of December continued the research I had started in 2015 I flew from France to US and I stayed Florida. First, it was weird to hear 3 years there. Honestly, I was nervous everyone speaking French because I had about that incoming experience due to the been used to English. I needed a week or different exams to pass and the busy weeks two to get use to it. Honestly, back in I was about to have. For instance, at UF I France research was straightforward had classes and the resulting exams to take, probably because I had 3 years of research I had weekly seminar to attend, classes to behind me. I had been used to work on my teach, writing qualifying exams (named own without real guidelines and direct help cumulative) to pass, oral qualifying exam but I confess I really enjoyed working with to pass and research to do. To remain in other people like interns because I’m a the program all the requirements had to be teamplayer. validated. For example, a graduate student When Covid-19 crisis started, I got must meet a minimum 3.25 GPA for all affected like everyone. It was (and still is) coursework. The most difficult exam I took extremely new and let’s be honest we all was the oral qualifying exam which is freak out about it. However, I had enough 3 material to write articles and to start (and contacted the person and it turned out this to finish) my dissertation during the was not phishing. Even more surprising, lockdown. I had my GANTT it went none of my contact from the program knew smoothly until… June 4th. At the beginning about this scholarship. Finally, everything of June I informed my advisors, UF and was solved after nearly 5 months. This was ABIES I was planning to graduate and more stressful than my defense but I learn defend in October/November 2020. I diplomacy to get the administrative process realized that many things had not been done! So, I highly recommend everyone to planned correctly. I felt like a guinea pig. be as active as possible to not be trapped. While ABIES doctoral school was very If I hadn’t be active, I would have been in efficient and prompt to prepare the trouble. paperworks, UF administration was really In 2020, I also served as a graduate student slow. I was asked to apply again to UF, the representative for the ABIES CSP. I was system required new TOEFL and GRE glad to help the doctoral school and the exams because the one I took had expired. other graduate students. I admit that this When this was fixed after a few weeks, year was probably unusual, we could not they asked me other paperworks and I meet for the discussions but the waited for weeks before the steps get visioconference alternative works well. cleared. Overall, it took more than 3 Even if, this was an unprecedent situation, months to be enrolled again. Some people I learnt a lot and I really enjoyed even thought that I was coming back at UF dedicating time to the ABIES CSP.