Living with Uncertainty: Early Career Research Life

Living with Uncertainty: Early Career Research Life

People say to you that the only certainty is uncertainty, but what do you do when your research life feels like one giant question mark? In this episode, Anne and Yifan normalize the feeling of "possibility without clarity," exploring how uncertainty evolves from a daunting hurdle into an enticing part of the research life. We ruminate on the emotional weight of living in the "in-between," from the anxiety of career next-steps, to the unique intricacies of being an international researcher residing many time zones away from home. We don’t know all the answers yet, but we loved sharing our personal practices to help us live with uncertainty in harmony, and we’d love to hear how you deal with it. Have a listen and see if it helps you navigate your own "grind" toward stability! Music: "Cipher" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ “True Appeal” Mubert (mubert.com)

Brain-rot and Technology

Did you pick up your phone to look up something important but somehow started listening to our awesome podcast again? In this episode, Anne and Yifan dive into "brain-rot" and how the technology we use every day might be harming our minds. We reflect on how technology acts as both a trigger for "brain-rot" and a vital tool that has expanded access for early career researchers. From navigating the tension between digital overload and opportunity to sharing the rituals that help us reclaim focus, we explore the messy middle of our tech-saturated research lives.   Have a listen and let’s give our brains more love!    Bibliography:  Dell'Acqua, Fabrizio and Ayoubi, Charles and Lifshitz-Assaf, Hila and Sadun, Raffaella and Mollick, Ethan R. and Mollick, Lilach and Han, Yi and Goldman, Jeff and Nair, Hari and Taub, Stew and Lakhani, Karim R., The Cybernetic Teammate: A Field Experiment on Generative AI Reshaping Teamwork and Expertise (March 28, 2025). Harvard Business School Working Paper 25-043, Available at SSRN: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5188231 [https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5188231]    Music:   "Cipher"  Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/]   “True Appeal”   Mubert (mubert.com)

Research life and personal relationships

Is your research jealous of the attention you give to other relationships? In this episode, Anne and Yifan dive into the rewarding, but sometimes exhausting reality of balancing research with the people who make us who we are. We explore the unique hurdles of maintaining family ties across time zones, the "two-world" feeling of living as a first-generation researcher abroad, and how our personalities dictate how we handle these pressures. From navigating the guilt of missing milestones back home to the evolution of friendships and partnerships in an academic environment, we share our hardest moments and the strategies we use to stay connected amidst looming deadlines.   Have a listen and let us know what is the first word that comes to mind describing the balance you strike?      Music:   "Cipher" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ “True Appeal”   Mubert (mubert.com)

Imposter syndrome

Feeling like an imposter? As we endeavor through our research lives every day, it’s not always smooth sailing without doubting ourselves. In this episode, Anne and Yifan dissected their experiences on imposter syndrome in their early careers. We shared what makes these imposter feelings pop up and how we normally respond to them. We sought out some solutions to prepare ourselves better, nipping the self-doubt in the bud and regaining confidence.   Have a listen and share what tools you have in your shed!    Bibliography:  Granfield, R., 1991. Making it by faking it: Working-class students in an elite academic environment. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 20(3), pp.331-351. https://doi.org/10.1177/089124191020003005 [https://doi.org/10.1177/089124191020003005]   Mulholland, K., Nichol, D. and Gillespie, A., 2023. ‘It feels like you’re going back to the beginning…’: addressing imposter feelings in early career academics through the creation of communities of practice. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 47(1), pp.89-104. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2022.2095896 [https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2022.2095896]   Read, B. and Leathwood, C., 2018. Tomorrow’sa mystery: Constructions of the future and ‘un/becoming’amongst ‘early’and ‘late’career academics. International Studies in Sociology of Education, 27(4), pp.333-351. https://doi.org/10.1080/09620214.2018.1453307 [https://doi.org/10.1080/09620214.2018.1453307]   Music:   "Cipher" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ “True Appeal”   Mubert (mubert.com)

Working through holidays: how did cultural switch impact our research lives?

Life abroad comes with new perspectives: opportunities, challenges, excitement, disheartenment, you name it. In this episode, Anne and Yifan reflected on how it feels during holiday season while away from home and whether cultural shock has ever stricken. We shared how our identities have been impacted and how our research lives are shaped by new perspectives. We appreciate you starting your 2026 with us and we wish you a curious and balanced New Year!  Have a listen and we'll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne.    Bibliography:  Frank, K. and Hou, F., 2019. Source-country individualism, cultural shock, and depression among immigrants. International Journal of Public Health, 64(4), pp.479-486. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-019-01218-z [https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-019-01218-z]  Winkelman, M., 1994. Cultural shock and adaptation. Journal of Counseling & Development, 73(2), pp.121-126. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6676.1994.tb01723.x [https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6676.1994.tb01723.x]   Jurásek, M. and Wawrosz, P., 2023. What makes people abroad satisfied? The role of cultural intelligence, cultural identity, and culture shock. Social Sciences, 12(3), p.126. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12030126 [https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12030126]   Presbitero, A., 2016. Culture shock and reverse culture shock: The moderating role of cultural intelligence in international students’ adaptation. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 53, pp.28-38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2016.05.004 [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2016.05.004]       Music:   "Cipher" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ “True Appeal”   Mubert (mubert.com)