So it’s been a bit of an uphill struggle settling in with my PhD. This is mainly because it’s a totally different application of chemistry to my comfort zone (synthetic organometallic, not something you’d often describe as “comfortable”, eh?), not to mention the totally different vibe at Imperial compared to Newcastle, and the awful stomach-dropping feeling of being hopelessly out of my depth every time someone asks me even a fairly straightforward question. I’ve gotten tired of feeling totally out of control all the time, so I looked for some concrete measures to nail everything down and try to get a grip, both for my own sanity and because threatening to quit every other week is driving the other Stratigrads round the bend.