Could I talk with a physics PhD about struggles with experiments and lab work?

[Anonymous]

[AI Opinion]

Yes, and it’s a very good idea.

In practice, people bring all kinds of struggles to supervisors, mentors, or older students: failed experiments, feeling “clumsy” in lab, anxiety about breaking equipment, or worrying they’re “not cut out for research.”

You could:

- Ask a friendly postdoc or senior PhD for a short coffee chat.
- Frame it as: “I’m finding experimental work harder than I expected. Could I ask your advice on how you learned to handle lab work and mistakes?”

Most experimentalists have been exactly where you are.