I have had the honour of being the room mate of not one but two Biotechnologists at different points of time, Both amazing people. After having lived with them, I know for certain that they make good ( best actually) roomies. Here are some of the up's of having a Bio-girl as your roomie.
1. Cockroaches and Lizards don't freak them out. They have seen stuff that is grosser. If they see a dead insect they will merely pick it up and throw it out. If it is alive, it will receive a blow from the broom before it is thrown out.
2. They help you improve your vocabulary. While a layman will call a swollen tongue "A Swollen Tongue", they will call it Glossitis. Terms like tumefaction will no longer sound like latin. A simple sentence like "An insect bit my cheek" will sound more sophisticated and romantic when euphemized.
3. They know what is wrong and will tell you when you need to overcome a habit. Have a stomach ache and your roomie will explain the complex mechanism behind why the stale potato chips you had two days ago caused the ache.
4. Compared to an average human, Biologists are more patient and forgiving. Drop their plate and break it or use their expensive shampoo, they will not flinch. They are empathetic and have seen it all. They have seen the fruit of hard work go ripe and rotten. They have repeated experiments hundreds of times. Simple mistakes and follies no longer matter to them.
5. Disciple is synonymous with them. They are used to working long hours in the laboratory. The awareness that they need to work everyday since that particular day might be their EUREKA day is ingrained in them.
6. They have a childlike curiosity and passion that never dies. Be it baking or cooking or reading a book they put their 100% into it.
7. Observance Skills and Biology go hand in hand. Observing minute details and spotting false positives is easy for them. If you try to hide your happiness by putting up a fake smile they will see you through it and ask you what is wrong.
8. You might see them only for a few hours each week, but the time you spend with them will be good. They will offer you insights into several things that you overlook. Their thinking box has no boundaries.
9. They are ever willing to teach and learn. The process of learning and giving is familiar to them. They know that exchanging a good thought with someone gives each person an extra good thought. They share lab tips and tricks with their colleagues and life tips with their roomies.
10. At the outset they look like geeks, but beneath the log books and experimental data, is a person who is as human as we non-biology folks are. You can not help thinking of them as your family away from home.
