100 Days 2 Go
Until I submit my PhD thesis!
Until I submit my PhD thesis!
So I got to work bright eyed and bushy tailed before 9am on a public holiday. I tried to get into the building using my swipe card and then I got the tune of losers (der der der derrrrr). I walked around to multiple other entries into the building and the wretched tune kept playing. Not meant to get into my office today apparently. So I went home and the drive wasted 40 minutes.
I worked solidly on my literature review - editing it after a colleague looked at it for me. Her edits are very helpful and are making the document better, but after about 4 days of editing, I am a bit over reading it and the task now is like swimming through mud. To get through the final task of reading this 30+ page document to check my editing and references, I decided the only strategy was to eat the biscuits in the photo. Yes, I ate the whole box of those dry biscuits. Yes, I got through the task. Apparently this box of biscuits is supposed to have 6 serves. I ate every one of them for the hefty price of 713 calories. No, I didn't eat dinner. Yes, I could have tried another strategy when I felt tired and slightly frustrated rather than eating. Maybe gone for a walk in the sunshine whilst meditating or something - nope. One of those days today. Will have to run extra fast tomorrow morning. Stupid biscuits.
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So the guilt from yesterday has lessened today because I spent half the day working on my thesis. I also plan to work the whole day tomorrow, so that helps.
I wanted to talk about delays. Many things can delay a thesis. One is the thesis itself. If you choose a tricky topic with tricky ethics and tricky participants and you have a supervisor who likes to do a lot of studies - then that will delay you. Other people can delay you. I am lucky to be a pretty healthy human, so don't get sick often (touch wood; cause that is the last thing I would want to happen now). But during my thesis I have had sick children and a child that had a couple of surgeries. My Mum also got diagnosed with cancer and her chemotherapy, radiotherapy, major surgery, intensive recovery and ongoing recovery caused about a 12 month delay. Also, my supervisor has experienced health issues. Oh, and I did sprain my ankle on a run. Oh, and I did have tonsilitis a couple of times (seriously knocks you for six when you get tonsilitis as an adult). So the take home message is - there are going to be delays and there is nothing you can do about it except ride it out I suppose. My goal was to submit in August 2017 - now it is July 2018. The topic of goals is a whole different blog for another day. The other issue in my PhD is funding. I was fortunate enough to get a 3.5 year scholarship. However after this (and during to be honest), I pretty much needed to work. I know a lot of people don't get the scholarship, so I am not complaining. But money is tricky when you are a PhD student, and if you are living at home and your parents are happy to fund your lifestyle, you might get away with not working, but most of us need to work - and yes - this will contribute to more delays! I think the time frame of a PhD can also contribute to delays - at the start you feel like you have a lot of time and at the end you feel like you have none. In hindsight, I don't think I could have done anything to avoid these delays or worked more to finish earlier. It is just important for me to accept that July 2018 is my date and there better NOT be any more delays. Fingers crossed, toes crossed, eyes crossed (you get the hint). |
AuthorI am a PhD student in the last 100 days of my thesis and I thought I would blog this experience. ArchivesCategories |