Being alone in a lab

[Zainab]

I am a second year PhD student in a chemistry lab. When I joined the lab there were quite a few students. However, over the past two years all of the have left, some graduated while some quit. Now, theres only me and a fifth year PhD student in the lab. I feel alone all the time. Is it just me? Or are there other people who are in a similar situation.? My PI is a very hands off kind of advisor. He will always help when I ask for something but is not very chatty or does not like to socialize much. I kind of feel isolated and scared. Maybe I joined a wrong lab? Any insight would help.

[MarineBluePsy]

I'm in a different field, but yes my lab is like this.  So far I'm using the quiet to focus on actually getting my work done and searching for social outlets elsewhere.  Are there other labs in your department that you can socialize with or perhaps do joint projects?  I have that option, but I haven't taken advantage of it since I'm still trying to get into my own groove.

[fuzzylogician]

Is your advisor going to take on new students soon? Is there any reason for you to be concerned about the students who left (are the reasons ones that could potentially be relevant for you)?  If you get along with your advisor and like the hands-off advising style, maybe there are other ways to fill the quiet of the lab (like classes during the semester, inviting others to happy hour, other on- or off-campus groups). It's often the case that things quiet down over the summer and pick back up during the semester, so it's a matter of learning to find the company you need outside of you lab and/or department. If the problem is with the advising style more generally, then yes, maybe you joined the wrong lab. Just based on your post it's hard to know. 

[thescientist]

Hi, I'm also a chemist. 

I've heard of a few labs like this. If I'm honest, here are the two main stories: 

• A PI in my department had all his students leave, one by one, then two by two, until he was the only person in his group. (Because he was a massive asshole.) He tried to get research done by himself, and ended up quitting rather than going up for tenure. 
• My biochemical engineer friend did her PhD by herself. At first, she was the only woman in her building. By the end, she was the only person in her building. She saw her advisor once a year. He didn't even know what she was working on - but he still wanted his name on her papers, the cheeky betch. 

I bet not every situation is as bad as this! FWIW, I also feel really isolated in lab, even though I work in a group of 20+. Is the fifth year helpful? Is five years average graduation time in your group? Are you allowed to talk openly with other students in the department? All these questions might help you figure it out! 

[Bschaefer]

depends, Right now I manage a stable isotope lab and am the only one that actively works up there. I have had other graduate and undergrad students come to get some experience and work with samples, but usually after one day people are over it. I do it because 1) it looks good on a CV and 2) my name is on every publication that comes out of the research I prep.  I wouldn't take it personally -- I get to watch netflix and listen to whatever music I want which is nice too. 

[fadedfigures]

I used to be in that situation. I had a lab all to myself, and it was that way for years. It even became a running joke with my advisor that I would get too territorial if someone else shared the lab with me. It was AMAZING. I had a quiet space all to myself, which definitely helped when I would work. (But it was also bad because I had no one to keep be accountable when I procrastinated.)