Grad School Life: New Skills

We attend grad school, among other reasons, to gain new skills. In one year or six-plus, we will have a better understanding of how to conduct research, a deeper awareness of the current status and history of our field, a sense of the breadth and depth of future careers and of the networks that sustain those careers. We also gain some skills that might politely be referred to as 'non-academic'. Today, I've decided to share with you a new non-academic skill that I've gained in my first six weeks living on campus (more to come, I'm guessing):

Multitask biking -- Most students bike on campus so bike safety is huge. I've managed to avoid being hit by any cyclists thus far, which I consider a huge win. As much transit time (e.g., getting to or between classes) takes place on a bike, I have begun to work my way towards valuable bike skills. Specifically, I am now able to eat easy-to-hold foods (e.g., peaches, sweet potatoes) while biking. This allows continued easy access to the brakes and some control with both hands. I still struggle with biking  entirely one-handed, a skill tested the other night as I biked home with a full 2 1/2-inch binder under my arm. Fortunately, both the binder and I made it in one piece.
Skill importance: 8 out of 10
Skill mastery: 6