>>12559378Some of it depends on the field (ex. plasma physicists need to know probe theory, AMO guys need to know lasers, etc), but as far as some good basics for any field
1) Learn LabView, it will make your life so much easier. I've saved thousands of lab hours by automating my sensors and diagnostics and shit.
2) Learn a coding language for analysis. Any language will do, most people use Matlab or Python, but I know plenty of guys who do everything in Mathematica, one guy who insists on using IDL, etc. All programming is fundamentally the same, you just need to figure out the basics of data analysis, modelling, numerical solving, plotting, etc
3) Learn some basic machining. If you can design and/or machine simple parts on your own without having to submit shit to a busy machine shop, you will get so much shit done and be everyone's new best friend.
4) Get in the habit of documenting EVERYTHING - it's a pain in the fucking ass, but you never know when some obscure detail about an apparatus or something will come up and when it does you're going to be fucked if you've already swapped shit around for a different experiment if you don't have it written down.
