Expanding your Bubble

Breaking out of the comfort zone! Burst the bubble! Push the envelope! Expand your horizons... 

All of these great clichés exist because we each have a forte. That is great, and necessary, but don't be caught in your own bubble. Expanding your frame of reference is invaluable to your success as a researcher. Don't limit yourself in such a way that you stop learning.

I continually search for new ways to expand and improve my research. When I was finalising my Master's degree I had the idea of incorporating a little bit of network theory with my more traditional molecular biology work. Now I did not know anything about how to apply network theory (I still know very little) and had to go through a steep learning curve.

This started with learning the basics of programming, which I knew almost nothing of. I searched online for some tutorials/help and discovered the amazing world of MOOCs (Massive Online Open Course). Through one such a platform (Coursera) I did two courses that gave me a basic understanding of programming. From there I just tinkered with my data and continuously asked new questions. I tried various online tools, forums, tutorials and of course published scientific material. After about three months, and many late evenings, I finished what turned out to be the most expansive and rewarding chapter in my thesis. I discovered so many new avenues for my research which ended up being the foundation for my PhD project.

I could have saved myself a lot of effort and time by just doing what is expected... just another thesis. I would have passed and my supervisor would be happy but I would never have learned a new skill. Pushing the envelope allowed me to expand my skill set and identify new opportunities. I encourage you to do the same. 

Don't be afraid to learn!