I'm really surprised it hadn't been more widely known until lately. Having a bet with the lads in the house that it will do some damage (hey, I'm doing a PhD - I have to be all doom and gloom!), although am wondering how do I collect if existence itself ceases to exist!

I do hope that the research leads to some worthwhile and practical results, rather than makinga few high-level research boffins more famous for essentially having their heads stuck up their own black holes :p Of course if there is any practical results (new energy sources, etc.), this will quickly be swallowed up by the oil companies and their sleazy ilk ... this research is making me cynical and as bitter as a bunch of out of date lemons.

Well I suppose telling my supervisor to talk a long walk off a short pier yesterday seems a bit foolish now in retrospect!

Ogriv -- check your PC for supervisor.exe ... its a virus that runs in the background and usually lies dormant until you least expect it. It shuts down all youtube movies and eliminates all email conversations with friends and totally messes up any MS Project files as it clearly does not have any comprehension of logical planning :p

Ogriv - Tricky might have hit the nail on the head. Disconnect the network cable and you'll find out pretty easily (if it somehow speeds up it's spyware!). Check what processes are taking up the PC time (Ctrl+Alt+Del and click on processes). Google the process that is taking up the processor and find out if its legit or not (although some spyware still remain invisible).
A "no-one at the far post" mistake, but make sure you un-install the old virus checker before installing the new version as incompatibilities between the old and new AV programs will make the present state of your PC Usain Bolt-esque in comparison. Might want to check with your IT desk to see if they support the AV program if on a network in the college - some colleges won't touch your PC afterwards if you install software that they don't support.

Alice - Good to hear the mood is up and getting the solutions to the obstacles.

If this is the first time into any bit of debt in the PhD, you've done well and surely even a modest income in 6 months time will have it paid off (so long as you don't either get on personal terms with the Credit Card Crew or know even before picking up the phone that it's them ... 8.15 on a Saturday night without fail). Keep up the min. payments and don't worry about it - sure, you'll be able to stick it on expenses the first Post-Doc conference ya head to :p

As for the ear plugs, although they cut out most noise, they won't cut out all of it and fire alarms (particularily if your house has the min. 2 fitted) will cut thro' them. As for an alarm clock, any stereo should have an alarm which uses CD's and leaving taste aside, get some death metal a la Cannibal Corpse to wake you. Like the others, I agree that a bit of diplomacy could help the situation i.e. discuss it with your housemate and maybe do some things to alleviate the noise level (leave out the cups/saucers the night before to cut out the opening and closing of cupboards). Let him/her know you respect his/her right to get up for work and if there is anything you can do to help.

Good luck and good to hear that one of us is getting there. Keep on smiling
:-)

Alice
1. If needing a laptop, either get a bog-standard one from Currys/PC World on their credit plan or surely if you googled for rebuilds in your local area there is surely a dirt cheap second hand laptop with some form of guarantee. Failing that, get a decent PC and a few memory sticks. Contact the Undergraduate computer lab technicians in your college - at this time of year they might be replacing the old machines.
2. The books - Contact the publisher and tell them that you are using their books as a main text and could you have a copy of the book - this works for me and all lecturers do it!! Include details of the module if needed. Only problem is that you get spammed at the start of term from that publisher.
3. Ear plugs - They won't cut out the noise totally, but are great - the wax ones are the best but priciest. If moving is not an option, a bit of diplomacy might work. Failing that again, hit the hay an hour or so earlier and do something with your time when you do wake up early which won't demand much thinking (go to the gym, type up the notes from the day before, etc.,). Turn an obstacle into an opportunity.

These measures might mean incurring some debt but in the long run it might be seen as an investment (Dunno if ye have Credit Unions in yer neck of the woods, but if so, check them out for a cheaper than the main street banks loan).

As for when I'm miserable, some Alice In Chains (hey, as bad as the lyrics seem, their delivery by Layne was amazing) or Midnight in a Perfect World by DJ Shadow. Failing that - to the pub, Batman!

Rosy - correct on both counts (I'm a 100% Paddy and on your point about the teaching).
I agree that it is a welcome distraction but I find that I spend too much time prepping for it. It is great to sometimes see the stuff getting thro' to the students though which is uplifting.

Probably will look into some sort of teaching courses when finished the Phd. Seemingly there is a stronger emphasis on the teaching aspect in some of the US colleges.

Hope the weekend is going good. The hangover is not as bad as I would have thought ... another reason to stay off the ciggies

Bakuvia- Not Scottish at all (but not a million miles away) .
I suppose wasn't really thinking when originally posted the thread - point I was trying to get was that there is little emphasis on the whole notion of actually preparing people for teaching in the classical PhD. I just find it contradictory that there seems to be a growing need to get the PhD for lecturing but yet no training for that role when doing your research (at least to get the decent posts). And I take your point that not all research is "introverted" - what I meant there was that we all have our own little research and don't communicate with others our findings or thoughts.
After a few pints tonight (although not toasted) so not a bad start to the weekend ... a colleague just had her viva so not a bad excuse.

As for the Bob Dylan - well, I'd prefer a bit of Opeth or Explosions in the Sky to be honest, but whatever gets ya thro' ... keep the flag flying

Lads and ladies,
Doing a good bit of part-time work (luckily enough, its on campus and is teaching). Finding lately that it is proving to be a bit of a distraction but god knows I need the cash (car insurance/tax, health insurance and house deposit due at end of the month alone). Anyhows, do any of ye find that ye throw yerselves big-time into this work to somehow justify doing Jack Diddley with your research? Been thinking this might be a bit of a problem for others as from reading the threads, there is a lot of people doing PhD's in order to teach.

Also, do any of ye find that the whole "You need a PhD to lecture" thinking a load of cr*p which produces brilliant minded but socially inept lecturers? Surely if you were interested in teaching you would require some level of formal training and not spending time doing essentially introverted research. As stated earlier, a lot of us are doing PhD's primarily because we want to teach at third level, so why isn't that specific need answered?

Sorry for the Friday 6.00 ravings of a lunatic - the teaching thing is a pet peev! Anyhows, I hope ye have a good weekend and no matter what's happening, take one of the days off and spend it chillin' like Bob Dylan

:-)

======= Date Modified 05 Sep 2008 17:30:18 =======
It's 5.30 on a Friday so forgive the ramblings of a still slightly hungover city fool (been promoted from village idiot since last term) :p


Jk1982 - Its an understandable reaction but don't put yourself thro' a ringer for it. I'm certain that you didn't make your decision lightly and weighed up everything. Enjoy the new freedom and just because you didn't finish the PhD it doesn't mean that work is worthless and if you do change your mind in the future, that you can't return to academia, but more under your terms. You are in no doubt still reeling from a major decision so don't torture yourself thinking for a while - enjoy the fact that at 5 ya can leave work (well, most days) and that you won't have to rely on some stupid paper to get any chance of foreign travel for a while.

And just because you don't have a stream of letters behind your name, it doesn't change the fact that you are intelligent and can reach your potential in another avenue of life.


Saw this phrase yesterday and kinda sums up ...
"When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us."

Helen Keller (1880 - 1968)

H - Obviously we can't do a Pre- and Post- examination here, but I don't think its as bad as you make it and once all is handed in, you'll have time and ca$hto "get your groooooooooove back"

Walminskipeas - Are you sure there isn't a bottle of Sex Panther in your toilet bag as well?
"Score within the hour with MAN POWER!!!"

Not that I started from a good starting point but deffo know I'd hit rock bottom when was out foreign and some guy said "You are Little Britain, yes?". That was it - into the gym with me and exchanging the keg for a six-pack (ok, maybe a twenty four pack, but smaller than a keg at least)

I think sometimes you have to forego the extras in life (rent and food) in order to re-jig the threads every few months ... at this stage, most of the stuff is virtually in threads so will need to do it anyways!!

Think the whole culture is prone to "letting it go" for a while, between long nights (either working or occasionally boozing to forget the work). I've seen a huge change for the better in many of the friends who have recently finished.

Well, if anything, the recession has probably stregthened the resolve of a lot of post-graduates i.e. there is no alternative so ya might as well put your heart and soul into your research! I don't think academia is as recession proof as we would like to believe and if anything, it is the first cost to be cut by many of the otherwise benevolent corporations and by whichever means possible. From what I can see, results nearly have to come out faster from projects and I would even reckon that there will be something of a ranking of PhD results in terms of future employment (ok, ok, I know generally a PhD is a PhD but they could be evaluated in terms of publications, etc.,).

But anyways, speaking of economic black holes, all this talk of recession will be worth nought once the boys and girls in CERN flick the switch in a weeks time ... there'll be the biggest bang since Will E. Coyote used that faulty ACME dynamite and a box of matches donated by that pesky Roadus Runnerus 8-)

Juno - half the reason for this forum is for the moaning so moan on. I take your point that it is easier if you don't have a family or partner or other outside influences whilst doing the PhD so, yeah, there is added pressures to deal with. It isn't easy to unwind and everyone has a different means of doing it. But I honestly do think that the disposition of the majority of PhD students makes us prone to getting stressed i.e. usually are considerate thinkers who over-analyze everything and anything. We also forget that while we value the judgement of our peers, the real people that we should be concerned with is ourselves and family and friends.
At a wedding y'day so DT's kicking in (it was a class wedding so no complaints). Taking a few days off before the onslaught of the new term (and teaching) so gonna just take a stroll in the local park and then head into a few bookstores/record shops to chill.
Dunno if I said it before but a great book for remembering the beauty of life, "The Tao of Pooh & the Te of Piglet" ... basically explains the concepts of Taoism thro' Winnie the Pooh (although us academics don't fare too well). A bit unusual but if read with an open mind, it is a great read.
Mira - hope the gym is working out well and helping the sleep. Its great to be able to go that extra bit on the rowing machine/threadmill every few days.

At least you don't get the "shocks" ... you'd be asleep when all of a sudden, you'd feel a shock like grabbing an electric fence across your chest and that would wake you. Typically I'd get it with the DT's (Delerium Tremens or drink shakes), so yeah, it is kinda self-inflicted, but has happened once or twice on normal nights

It is scary that with sleep accounting for nearly 33% of your life (slightly less for us insomniacs), that it is so undervalued and misunderstood. Talked to a few friends here doing PhDs and it is frightening to see them stressed out and having the same sleep problems (waking up before hitting deep sleep and not being able to get back to sleep until 7-8.00). Not taking this thing as seriously as I was, which is really paying dividends. Work to live, not live to work!

In my opinion, I think that if having sleep problems caused by stress, you should say "to hell with work" and take those few days off to sort out the surrounding problems. Then go back to work with a somewhat clearer mind. If the supervisor has a problem with that, they aren't worth talking to.

Hope Mira and other insomniacs/over sleepers are getting a better nights sleep these days ... and here's a thought for ya - who the fudge came up with the rather incorrect saying "slept like a baby"?

Mira - no bothers. I think this forum is great, even if its only to point out that you are not alone and that if in need of help, people are willing to give their time.
I hope the sleep has returned to normal and if not, don't worry but do get a bit of help and take that time off (even for a few days). Took two days off last week to go to a gig and it was a right pick-up ... a couple of friends, a great gig and a few pints and pi*s-taking afterwards. Reminds ya that there's more to life than journal articles and the ilk.
My own PhD is going a bit late and could be trouble with funding, but we have a solid research idea and so what if it goes over the time limit. Was all over the shop for a while but fought against my own natural inclinations and got a bit organised (actually writing down what has to be done for each week and sticking (roughly) to that).
Good luck with your own stuff and hopefully you'll have good news for your next posting.

Frankie - give yourself a break ... you are doing brilliantly and it is natural to be feeling the way you do after a week of R&R (although if I were you I'd take another one - we are entitled to four you know!)
Do small tasks i.e. filing, updating Endnote records (if using Endnote) or at this stage in the year, getting your teaching stuff ready for the next term. Even if its drawing out a rough plan for the year ahead in the PhD.
If still feeling guilty about the main task at hand, go away from the PC and go to someplace quiet and jot down your own idea of what you think the PhD outline should be (the library is always a good place outside of term). Use the Insane/Sane approach i.e. jot down whatever thoughts roughly and then sort it out later.
I could be wrong as in a totally different field, but I think you are showing great progress for what is still essentially your first year - I assume that the 30k words is a lit review of sorts and this and the papers will somehow go into the finished article. But progress is an ever moving measure so get back to pace, but as I said before, take your time getting to that pace!
And remember, its Friday, so enjoy the weekend. Sorry for the rambling ... after taking a few days off for a brill gig and had a bit of foreign beer "tasting" at the gaff last night - Duvel is the jazzzzzzz8-)