By Dr Kelly Bowden Davies, Exercise Physiology Lecturer, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK, @KBowdenDavies
15 March 2021, wow. Nearly 12 months ago, to the day, I went into the office for the last time. I remember speaking to my Head of School at the time as though we would be back in a few weeks.
I remember vividly the panic on final year undergraduate students’ faces. But what about my dissertation? How will we do exams? What about graduation? We all had so many questions and in reality, few of us knew what the future had in store.
Fast-forward 12 months. Two weeks ago, I was delivering physiology “practicals” online. Students were in small groups watching videos, using virtual simulation software, and analysing example data.
Last week however, teaching plans were flipped on their head again. We returned like many other practical-based courses in the UK to some face-to-face teaching. After initial resentment (because of the time invested in developing online resources), finally seeing the students in the lab was great. First year students found collecting ECG data on themselves to be tricky, but they got the gist and were just excited to be on campus.
It feels as though we are on the road to so-called normality, but what is this new normal?
Balancing students on campus and those that were still studying remotely means that content needs to work for both. Is this just extra work to meet the demands of this specific time, or future proofing? I imagine these initial short-term solutions will change the way we teach and learn longer term. I have always liked to embrace change and there is no time like the present!
Forget the setbacks and focus on what you can control
Over the last 12 months I have had to remind myself every now and again that the setbacks, issues, frustrations I’m facing are not unique to me. We are all experiencing them in so many ways, both professionally and personally.
In June 2020, I moved institutions. In pre COVID-19 times, a change like this brings with it a range of emotions, mostly excitement for me. During COVID-19, this was a different story.
Joining a new department solely online was challenging in ways I hadn’t even considered before. Not having informal conversations, not bumping into people in the corridor created a gaping hole in my ability to settle in. Scrolling through the intranet to find an answer that I could have received in 30 seconds from a colleague felt super unproductive.
Nonetheless, I shouldn’t groan. I recognise that there are many that are facing greater challenges: I know peers on fixed-term contracts, PhD students yearning to complete their experiments, vulnerable colleagues who are told to shield, and those with caring responsibilities.
So, the world as we know it is upside down. Teaching, like the Government guidelines, can change by the day. But I can control my research time, right? Turns out I can’t.
Just like most universities, there are restrictions to conducting research and my work has been an absolute no-no because it is done on patients with Type 2 diabetes who are a vulnerable group. I have my first Principal Investigator grant, and I can’t conduct the study– frustrating to say the least. However, I remind myself again to re-focus on what I can control. Admittedly this is sometimes easier said than done.
I have been successful in securing my role as The Physiological Society’s Early Career Theme Lead for Metabolic Physiology, I am also newly a member of the UKRI ECR forum, and my department lead for physiology. I may not have had the time to hold these stimulating and useful citizenship roles if I were in the lab.
There are several other things I have worked on to maintain research activity such as submitting further grant applications and research articles, as well as reaching out to new and old colleagues for new collaborations. On reflection, I probably haven’t been as unproductive as I thought.
A few tips and strategies that have worked for me
I don’t have any pearls of wisdom. I wish I did. But I do have a few strategies that I believe have served me well.
Set goals for yourself. Of course, the long-term plan is paramount, but I have found that setting quarterly goals work best and then I work back from that to a timeline that is manageable.
Prioritise these goals so they can be dynamic based on other opportunities that arises.
Be accountable to your goals and consider a mentor or a peer support group if they make that easier.
Be an active member in The Physiological Society, join webinars, attend your institution’s seminar series and other conferences, or set something up – I guarantee that you are not the only one feeling isolated and at a bit of a crossroads right now.
Remember that most things take longer than you give them credit for. Put things in your diary and be disciplined. If someone suggests a last-minute meeting when you have planned to write during that time, then see if the meeting can wait.
Finally, get out of your comfort zone. Writing a blog is certainly out of mine but I hope my experiences have resonated with you.
Good luck on the next 12 months!
Please note that all views expressed on The Physiological Society’s blog reflect those of the author(s) and not of The Society.