YoungFemaleScientist muses over superficial qualities versus work ethic and commitment in the lab. She looks back over students she had worked with, saying that she found that ones who came recommended often had good grades, “but they usually lacked work ethic, did not respect me, and were unable to handle basic arithmetic” and the people who came without “fanfare,” they “generally they were smarter, more respectful, showed up on time, and worked harder.”