In this vlog, I’m showing you a realistic (and honestly unglamorous) day as a physics PhD candidate—like the kind of day where it’s already 11:33, I was supposed to be in the lab an hour ago, and I’m still in my apartment moving soooo slowly because I just don’t want to go. I’m not sick, I just feel under the weather, lethargic, and not in the mood to do anything. But I still end up going in to run my experiment, gather data, analyze it, and do the same loop we all know too well. The big takeaway for me is something grad school has taught me over and over again: just show up. Even if I’m unmotivated, showing up is already a win, and I shouldn’t beat myself up for having lows because that’s normal. I also talk about appetite being off (yes, even when I meal prep—because I’m loyal to meal prepping) and how something as simple as ending the day with Costco grocery shopping can feel genuinely therapeutic. A few days later, when my spirits are higher, I address impostor syndrome and comparison—especially after seeing a new PhD student on TikTok feeling “behind.” I’m in my fourth year and I still battle impostor syndrome, but I remind myself: I’m here because I worked for it, and because I deserve it. And also—everything online is curated, including my cozy romanticized edits, so please don’t compare your real life to anyone’s highlight reel.