List #39...Grad Student Perks

There are few perks that go along with being a graduate student. Unless, of course, you happen to enjoy long hours, low pay, and worst of all, the lack of a finite ending. Yeah, yeah, there is the joy of possible scientific discovery, and someday at the end of all of this, I'll get a Ph.D. and start insisting that people call me "Doctor." Just kidding, I would never do that. (What do you think I am, an M.D.?) But for now, here's a list of the perks that occasionally brighten my day.

1. Easy access to scientific items for Halloween costume purposes. Need a syringe? Lab coat? I'll hook you up.

2. Leftover food from seminars. Occasionally, meetings are held in which food is served. It's pretty much standard policy that any leftover food is immediately snagged by a grad student, tech, or post doc and then transported to the lunchroom for the enjoyment of many. When it comes to scavenging abilities, Scientists > Vultures.

3. If I am wearing nail polish and chip it, I don't need to worry about finding nail polish remover, because hello lab acetone!

4. You can wear the same jeans two days in a row and no one cares. Not that I do this.

5. The view is quite nice.














There's a notch in the roof of the building across the street, and I like how the Prudential and 111 Boylston line up inside it. For the past couple of weeks, a crane has been hanging out there as well. Speaking of the Pru, did anyone else notice that the top of it was lit up in blue last week? Does anyone know why? It's back to normal, this week, thank goodness. The blue reminded me too much of the State Street building, which I think looks evil, but not nearly as menacing as Chicago's Sears Tower.