Most Wonderful Time of the Year

It’s that time of year again. The halls are loud with excited chatter, I hear marching bands playing in the (not-far-enough) distance, and everywhere I go, I am surrounded by college students and their not-yet-ready-to-let-go parents. Ahhhhhh. Oh how I miss summer already.

 

But really- one good thing all the hub-bub brings is a renewed sense of purpose, an artificial rejuvenation, and a second “new year” to start some new beginnings, to start from scratch. I am definitely one of those people that pull a lot of motivation from the start of the school year. I love using it as an excuse to get re-organized, to buy ridiculous and unnecessary supplies, to get back into seminars and homework and a frantic schedule. And Karina, the aspiring ecologist, our host for Scientiae this month, asks us all to reflect on the supplies we use in our scientific lives, the tools that are indispensable in our work.

 

I play a variety of scientific roles– I am a PhD student, I am a researcher, and I am an educator. Each of these roles requires a different toolbox. I could get all philosophical about needing good collaborators, or the need to try new ideas, or something else a little corny, but instead, I’m going to geek out about actual, physical supplies. Glorious supplies.

 

I’m a bit OCD, so when it comes to what I need as a student, I need MANY organizational supplies. I have folders for the work I do with student organizations, or for special events I organize. I have binders with separators (those big 3″ white binders, to be precise), for all my class notes, organized by semester. I take notes on college-ruled notebook paper, and those notes come in an array of colors– I need at least 3 different colors to be happy with how my notes are organized. I have stacks and stacks of pens for this (all ballpoint, clicky pens with rubber grips) , and mechanical pencils for when I do problem sets. Only mechanical pencils. I have stacks of notecards for studying, my trusty TI-89, and awesome binder clips to hold anything else I need. I LOVE the staples ads for back to school- in September, Staples is HEAVEN. There are so many novel school supplies that can brighten up an otherwise crappy day (really, I’ve got the sweetest binder clips). And no matter which courses I’m taking, I always need Big Chunky/B.O.B. (Big Orange Book), the astrophysicists’ not-so-pocket guide. I keep it close for anytime I need to remember a formula.

As a researcher, I need some “school supply” type things, too. I recently went on quest for the BEST LAB NOTEBOOK EVER. I’m super picky about notebooks- I always have been. I was even picky about what kind of journal I wrote in as an angsty pre-teen. So, not just any ole lab notebook will do. I needed hardbound, ruled, with some graph paper (though not all). I like the more divided graph-paper, I like pages that are the right thickness, I need space at the top for a title or a date, or something. I like hardcover. In the end, I found this: the best lab notebook around. Now, I don’t get paid for this, I just LOVE these. Blue ruled on the right page, green quad or plain on the left side, 200 pages of white paper, no carbon. It’s brilliant. And reasonably priced. I bought a few.

 

Now, I also need a pretty reasonable computer, on which to do data analysis or look for other supplies. I need lovely lab supplies. The things we go through that we need to buy more of? Cable ties, duct tape, wire spindles, clean room gear (yay gloves, masks, hoods, boots!). I need vacuum equipment and mirrors- my big huge awesome mirrors. I need things I cannot mention (yay, ITAR!). I need detectors and sources, I need electronics components and test equipment, I need liquid nitrogen. For work & play, that stuff never gets old.

And as I am no longer a TA, no longer a HS or college tutor, my only educator role left is the one I play at the museum. I get to teach kids about science!! There, my supplies are the best. I use magazines and toilet paper tubes, pop bottles and pipe cleaners. I need Popsicle sticks, balloons, string, markers, straws, and tape. Oh my do I use a lot of tape. I need construction paper and film canisters (which are harder to find!), I need aluminum foil and fossils and clay, and best of all? OWL PELLETS.

Oooh, owl pellets.

So my “back to school” shopping list includes lots of paper, tape, and writing utensils, but also Big Chunky, liquid nitrogen, and owl pellets. If anyone ever asks you what these have in common? Now you know. And armed with these things (and many many more), I’m ready to conquer a new semester in learning, researching, and teaching. What are your favorite supplies that you can’t live without?