Should I do a rotation next semester?

[Ben Linn]

I graduated with an undergrad in biochemistry and proceeded to a ph.d. program in plant biology.

 

I was given funding for 1 year and would need to be a TA after that until I graduate. I responded saying that I'd like to do a rotation the 1st semester in another lab that I might be interested in. They said that would be fine.

 

However it turns out that the funding was only available from the 1st lab, so I needed to stay at that lab for the semester and maybe try the 2nd lab the next semester. It turns out I'd need to be a TA in the second lab if I wanted to rotate there.

 

Well now I'm debating whether to stay in the 1st lab (studying kinases) or try the 2nd lab (studying plant-derived pharmaceuticals).

 

The advantage of staying would be that I'd have another semester of funding without TAing, I'm already familiar with the project, and I know everyone in lab and am doing well. It's more of a plant physiology lab. This would be another fairly easy semester.

 

The advantage of going to the 2nd lab would be a more varied lab experience, experience being a TA, perhaps discovering a project that interests me more, and meeting more biochemistry people rather than plant biology people.

 

The downside is that it might cost me a semester or two longer to graduate going this route, and I'd have a very busy semester next year.

 

Can someone give me the perspective of an experienced student and help me choose what to do? Thanks!

[rising_star]

If you're going to have to be a TA anyway next year, I wouldn't bother trying out the second lab, but that's just me. It probably depends on where your interests lie...