A new generation Zach

A new generation Zach

I want to start a blog for a few reasons. One of the main reasons is that I’ve heard from great people that writing regularly helps develop both critical thinking and writing skills. Additionally, many of the scientists I admire and aspire to be like are avid bloggers. Too often, we only write when it’s time to draft a manuscript—I’ve been told this, and I’ve experienced it firsthand. With the rise of large language models (LLMs), I’ve noticed that I don’t always take the time to fully flesh out my ideas or independently develop my thoughts in a structured way. Instead, I tend to provide LLMs with a rough draft—or even just scattered thoughts—and let them refine it. I then use the improved version as a foundation to rework in my own tone and style. In some contexts, especially when I’m in a rush (like when writing emails), I’ll even use the output as is. While this is an incredibly useful tool, I’ve found that relying on it doesn’t translate well to speaking or articulating ideas in real time. Since I’m working toward my PhD, becoming a better communicator—both in writing and speech—is a crucial skill. Though LLMs will undoubtedly play a major role in my writing during graduate school, I want to make sure I’m also developing the ability to communicate clearly and effectively on my own. That’s why I’m starting this blog. My goal is for it to be a space with minimal reliance on LLMs—though I’ll still use them for basic grammar and clarity. I want this to be an open and honest space where I can track my progress in writing over the next four to five years (or however long graduate school takes).