Creativity is often misunderstood. Many people imagine creative individuals as spontaneous geniuses who effortlessly produce brilliant ideas. In reality, creativity is far more disciplined, complex, and learnable than most stereotypes suggest. For young professionals, researchers, entrepreneurs, and academics, understanding how creativity actually works can improve problem-solving, innovation, and long-term career growth. Here are five surprising qualities that highly creative people often share. 1. Creative People Work Extremely Hard One of the biggest myths about creativity is that talented people rely…
Category: Academic Life
Should You Review Scientific Publications After Leaving Academia?
Publishing in peer-reviewed journals is a key milestone in any academic career. If you’ve completed a PhD or worked as a postdoctoral researcher, chances are you’ve already contributed to scientific publications. Once your work is published, you may start receiving invitations to review articles from other researchers in your field. But what if you’ve moved on from academia? Should you still accept these requests? The short answer: yes—there are several good reasons to continue reviewing scientific papers, even after leaving…
4 Smart Questions to Ask Your Thesis Supervisor (That Most Students Miss)
If you’re working on your bachelor’s or master’s thesis, your supervisor can be one of your biggest assets—not just for academic success, but for your future career. Most students ask technical questions about their research. That’s important, but it’s not enough. If you want to stand out, improve your thesis, and prepare for life after graduation, you need to ask smarter questions. Here are four essential questions every student should ask their thesis supervisor—but often doesn’t. 1. What Are the…
Six takeaways from the book „Made to Stick“ for scientists
Every scientist knows the problem: you’re presenting at a conference or giving a research talk to a mildly interested audience, and you’re just one speaker among dozens—maybe hundreds. How do you stand out? How do you make sure people remember your presentation once the slides blur together? This is where the book Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath becomes surprisingly valuable. While it isn’t written specifically for academics, it offers powerful communication principles that are highly relevant for…
Quick formatting hacks for your thesis
If you are in the final stages of writing your thesis right now, the last thing on your mind is the formatting of your thesis. Chances are that you do not have time to fiddle around with your layout for hours. Still, it is important for your thesis to look neat to make a good impression. For this reason, I have compiled for your five Microsoft Word formatting hacks. They will make your thesis look polished and professional instantly: Structure…
The upright scientist – little guide to integrity
Some people behave in a way that is just right. When you see such outstanding examples of integrity, you notice immediately. Be one of these shining examples of integrity in the competitive world of science and research. The Cambridge Dictionary defines integrity as the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. But there is more to it, integrity makes you happy because you act in accordance with your moral values. This gives you a sense of satisfaction and…
The biggest challenges for interdisciplinary research
In recent years, interdisciplinary research was found to be the best approach to solve complex problems. This is why researchers form interdisciplinary teams more often. This is also true in academic research. But despite its importance, interdisciplinary research faces several challenges. Education and training is organized around distinctive subjects In school and in university the different subjects are taught independently of each other. This fact is almost too trivial to spell out here. But it is how we get to…
Get inspiration what to do with your degree
As a student, are you ever asking yourself: “What am I going to do with my degree?”. You might need some inspiration. For some fields of study it is not immediately obvious how to make a living from it. Yet, this does not mean that they are any less valuable to society than the university courses that directly lead to a certain occupation. Don’t let people tell you otherwise. For the most part I would tell you to shrug off…
Conflicting traits of highly creative people
In his book „Creativity“ Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi investigates the psychology of discovery and invention. To do so he studied the lives of highly creative individuals. All these men and women made groundbreaking contributions to their respective fields be it in science or in the arts. In one of the chapters, the author describes antithetical characteristics of creative individuals. His descriptions illustrate the contrariness of the characters of creative people. Several opposing traits are often present in successful scientists and artists. These…
Not all Postdocs are created equal
Your are thinking about doing a Postdoc? Great idea! But be aware that not all Postdoc positions are created equal. Thus, not every Postdoc will suit your particular needs or help you achieve your goals. Read this article to learn about the considerable differences between five common types of Postdocs. The academic Postdoc Doing a Postdoc in academia is the obvious choice especially if you want to pursue an academic career. Yet, be aware that not all academic Postdocs are…