The first year of my PhD studies is over, and it has taught me as much about myself and others as it has about structural biology and bioinformatics. Most significantly, I have learned that most of the decisions I make have both upsides and downsides, both of which you have to come to terms with. My first year has been both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, it has been a constant struggle for money. But on the other, I feel that I am living my life the way I want.

My research experience has been equally mixed. There were moments when I felt that time was standing still and I was not progressing at all. But this just came down to the time I needed to learn new techniques to get me to the next research phase. Once there, I experienced moments of failure, followed by feelings of satisfaction, when the work moved along. I've also been very busy, commuting between Lodz and Warsaw. But I've still managed to carve out time for other non-scientific activities, such as photography and travel — which I've managed to intermingle with attending scientific conferences.

Perhaps the biggest thing I've learned in the past year is to live with both sides of a decision — and to find ways to balance the positives and negatives.