Tufts Blogs

It’s Monday everyone! I’ve just spent the weekend studying and engaging in Boston’s gastronomy, but now it’s time to start the week. I truly hope this genuine day in my life provides some insight into what Tufts could be like for you.

10am - Alexa’s soothing rhythm slowly gets louder, and I open my eyes. Time to run! I’m not one for giving myself time to relax in the morning, and I have a physics lecture in 30 minutes! I brush my teeth, wash my face, pick the day’s outfit, and leave my house. Luckily, it’s only a five minute walk to our beautiful Science and Engineering Complex.

11:45am - I reach out to my friend and roommate Tim - we have planned a lunch at Dewick. The guy’s always late though, so I have gotten in the habit of telling him to meet me 15 minutes before I am ready (you know it’s true, Tim). Both of us arrive, swipe our IDs, and sit at our preferred upstairs table. Over sweet cereal and bitter coffee (one of my favorite combinations), we discuss our plans for the day and when we will meet again for dinner.

12:10pm - I walk to my car and begin the commute to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. During these twenty minutes, I plan how I am going to use my time most efficiently. Hmmm… maybe during my ligations I will be able to study some organic chemistry! 

12:45pm - Ugh, traffic. I’m 15 minutes late. I enter the secure facility, waving to the familiar staff in the basement. After taking the elevator to my lab, I greet my principal investigator, Professor Charest. I’m happy to see him - ten months ago he hired me as a research student in his lab, and since then I have been assigned two independent projects. I appreciate how he provides a supportive, yet challenging environment in which I can develop my scientific acumen. Today, I have to continue creating a DNA construct which I will use to create a knockout mouse. It’s like molecular Legos!

1:30pm - My DNA digestions are set up, so I have an hour to study. I pull out my computer, and just as I open the organic chemistry book, Alan, a post-doc (who went to Tufts for his PhD!), asks me if I’d like to shadow his mousework. Today, using our transgenic model, Alan is quantifying a luminescent signal to monitor tumor development. I’ve never seen the procedure done before, so I answer with a resounding yes!

3pm - Well, that was cool. I head back to the lab, get my digestions from the thermocycler, and run them on an agarose gel. Another hour to wait. Now, seriously, time to study some chemistry - I have a quiz tomorrow...

4pm - Studying was relatively productive; now, I feel that I kind of understand what Newman projections are! After donning UV safety gear, I turn off the lights and place my gel on the transilluminator. A pale blue light bathes my body and the room as I carefully resect my bands from the gel. With tweezers, I put the fragments in microcentrifuge tubes and begin to follow the procedure to purify the DNA contained within.

5pm - Using a spectrophotometer, I determine the concentration of DNA in my elution. Eek, it’s kind of low. Scratching my head, I wonder why the DNA yield always plummets after using these Qiagen kits. Is it me? Or is it the kit? Probably me. Oh well. I calculate the necessary ratios to perform the ligation, turn the thermocycler to 16 degrees celsius, put the sample in, and rush to my car.

5:30pm - I arrive home and head to Dewick again. Tim has already gotten food, he ditched me :(. I grab takeout to eat with him and Emile around our dinner table, and before I know it, it’s time for immunology.

6pm - I log into the Zoom lecture and listen. Immunology is one of my principal interests, so while I find the content fascinating, I ponder the lack of molecular specificity. Hopefully soon the class dives into these essential details!

7:30pm - Class ends and I relax with Tim and Emile; we chat about the day, and play pranks on each other. A couple of days ago, Tim found it amusing to pour a cold pitcher of water over the top of the shower curtain while I was enjoying the warmth. So, I decided I’d get him back 100 times over. Emile and I pour pitcher after pitcher of frigid water into Tim’s shower, and each time he lets out a cry; hopefully, this is enough to ensure he never does such a thing again! ;)

8:30pm - I pull out my violin for some late-night practice and relaxation. Beth, my violin teacher whom I absolutely adore (a Professor at Berklee, a renowned Boston music school, and an adjunct at Tufts), has assigned several arpeggios and pieces for me to study. Each week since we have met at Tufts (including over the summers) we have met, and her caring, excellent pedagogy has brought me from a complete beginner to someone who can play real music!

9pm - After annoying my friends for half an hour, it’s time to study some more for tomorrow’s quiz. Around the dinner table, we study, with intermittent jokes and playful banter.

12am - Ah, now that was productive! Per tradition, we turn the oven to 405, hear the familiar ring, and put our Tyson chicken tenders in for a midnight snack.

1:30am - After enjoying our delicious chicken, sugary decaf Coca Cola, and more hilarious conversation, it’s time to wind down. I say goodnight, jump in bed, ask Alexa to turn off my lights, and drift off into a peaceful slumber. Well, maybe not that peaceful. Every so often, a Newman projection, like a monster, appears… so haunting indeed.

That’s all! If you have any questions about life at Tufts, my experience insofar as it relates to your interests, or anything else, feel free to reach out to me at Vaughn.Rogers@tufts.edu. I wish you a wonderful day!