Beatrice Le

Writing is difficult! I think it is such a travesty that an incoming Ph.D. student lacks the confidence to write. Hear me out:

In all honesty, I never placed myself in the routine of writing consistently while paying attention to the style of writing. I used a lot of placeholder words that I thought were a good choice for the points I intended to get across. Through my past exams and assignments, I learned that I could become a more effective communicator, scientifically and informally. 

Recently I was speaking to my post-doc and what I said did not match what I intended to say. My brain became fuzzy and I couldn’t form the correct thought. Growing up and speaking with family members that spoke little English, it became more difficult for me to learn to form structured sentences and proper communication. Everything that came out of my mouth became fragments. I became so tuned to visual demonstrations rather than analytical storytelling. 

I think a majority of my poor science communication skills stem from my lack of confidence. I didn’t get imposter syndrome at Berkeley, but I did develop imposter syndrome in my communication skills. I learned that different fields communicate differently and have their own lingo. However, in practice, it is quite hard. I naturally wanted to find the “best way” to communicate. 

I compared myself to my peers, who are phenomenal writers! As I began listening and paying closer attention to how other people talk and tell stories, the overwhelming amount of styles confused me even more! 

I can definitely write, but I also need to learn how to be clear and concise with my style of writing and communicating. 

After reflecting for some time, I am going to write my goals for the remainder of the year:

1. Overconsumption of styles can be overwhelming. Appreciate more, and try not to combine other people’s styles with your own because you love the work they present. 
2. Be true to who you are.  
3. Different styles of writing are used on different occasions. Just because science communication can come across as monotoned and omits the vividness and imagery of descriptive words, doesn’t mean you need to write like that outside of science. Writing and analyzing evidence with an objective lens is a different skill in itself.
4. Show, don’t tell.
5. Refine your drafts, not your thoughts.
6. No one is perfect, and that includes you. 

A note to self: mid-year resolutions can be a thing!

I hope that I can build confidence within myself and stop to appreciate the work that I have done. After reviewing my old posts, it is quite funny to see that I am hilarious and can be a creative writer. Writing is difficult, but my voice can be refined and become easier with practice. Yay to new beginnings.