^[1] It’s seven pm and here I am at the lab, with no prospects of leaving for at least 2 hours. The summer job is no longer just an institution, it’s a necessity.
With debt burden higher than ever, and professional competition ingrained in our young but pragmatic psyches, not only do students need to make ends meet, they also feel like they need relevant, interesting, smart jobs replete with networking opportunities, prestige, and resume cred. Maybe this is a good thing. But I tell you, I’d rather be gardening or cutting someone’s lawn right now. In fact, I’d rather summarily shoot myself in the face than have another negative pcr, or one more failed extraction – and it’s only week 2. Yeah so it’s been a frustrating week of wrathful science-gods, and maybe I don’t entirely dislike biology. gah.

But basically, bring back menial labour.

and no, I have nothing more meaningful to add.