Let me start off by saying I like the environment--I try to do environmentally friendly things, being able to shed my car when I moved to the UK was a plus! But I have just seen something that confirms my increasing suspicion that the UK really does not like heat! There is a movement in the EU to ban outdoor heaters, patio heaters as bad for the environment.

Now of course I realize that the EU is not the UK and that the UK has frequent differences of opinion with EU policy. On this one, however, I predict, they will stand ( coldly) side by side( Togetherness produces warmth)with such websits as http://www.patioheatersareevil.com/ to promote the cause.

I think you have every reason to be unhappy!!!! As pointed out, it would have been easy to contact you about the move. It is ALWAYS a bad idea to just move someone's stuff. I have been put into someone else's office, and I am just working around the piles that they left...I do not want to move anything, and while it would make life easier, I am not going to. Just as I would be hopping mad if someone moved my piles--they are in a way that makes sense to me, and it would take a long time to re-sort them were they to get moved. What outcome did you have?

I think that is where writing as you go can help a bit--it is one thing to read an article, it is another thing to have to write about it and relate it to other things you have read. One thing that might help is to do a short precis of each article you have read ( whether or not you are told to do any writing at this stage) and part of that should be trying to relate it to other articles--are there similar themes? differing points of view? the same questions being asked, but not pursued by the literature? My supervisor suggested keeping bibliography of what I read, and starring those articles that seemed of particular quality and value, to separate them from those that were not--there IS a wide variety in the quality of articles available, and that said, even among great articles, you may find a particular point of view or writer resonates with you in a way others do not, and that is well worth keeping track of!

What method do people use to organize their research materials, meanining, books, articles, etc? Having just survived another impressive avalanche of materials, I am thinking about what I can do. I am in an office that has limited options for me, its essentially borrowed space, so I am not in much of a position to make waves about storage--and I have it to myself! Other than (un) tidy piles of things, what sort of organizing methods do people use? Before, at home, I had all sorts of storage room, and now am trying to figure out a new system...

http://www.woopit.com/quotes-by-Carlos-Castaneda.html

this is my favorite Carlos Castaneda quote--it helped me make the decision on how to pursue my Phd!


"A path is only a path, and there is no affront, to oneself or to others, in dropping it if that is what your heart tells you. Look at every path closely and deliberately. Try it as many times as you think necessary. Then ask yourself alone, one question. Does this path have a heart? If it does, the path is good; if it doesnt it is of no use."

http://www.knowprose.com/node/11924

A few more from Carlos Castenada...

"A path without a heart is never enjoyable. On the other hand, a path with heart is easy— it does not make a warrior work at liking it; it makes for a joyful journey; as long as a man follows it, he is one with it."

"If a warrior is to succeed at anything, the success must come gently, with a great deal of effort but with no stress or obsession."

"Only as a warrior can one withstand the path of knowledge. A warrior cannot complain or regret anything. His life is an endless challenge, and challenges cannot possibly be good or bad. Challenges are simply challenges."

A few quotes from Carlos Castenda:

http://www.knowprose.com/node/11924

"Anything is one of a million paths. Therefore, a warrior must always keep in mind that a path is only a path; if he feels that he should not follow it, he must not stay with it under any conditions. His decision to keep on that path or to leave it must be free of fear or ambition. He must look at every path closely and deliberately. There is a question that a warrior has to ask: 'Does this path have a heart?'

and

"Look at every path closely and deliberately, then ask ourselves this crucial question: Does this path have a heart? If it does, then the path is good. If it doesn't, it is of no use."

I beleive it is the Garner book that has the comments on that ( my "mature" student memory might be letting me down! )

but the point that was made is that while it feels immensely personal, to reframe the criticisms on your writing away from something that you take as a judgment on your intellect, your self-worth, etc...as a piece of writing is not a reflection on all of that, it is an isolated piece of writing, and ALL writing can be improved upon. It is often the lack of process to edit and move through stages, and NOT the quality of the writing itself, or the intellect of the person that is involved, that can result in less than stellar writing. Garner is about the PROCESS, and with those tools, you can learn to improve editing skills. Look at it this way, if no one ever gave you those tools, why should you feel bad if you need to improve in that department? Its impossible to know how to do it if you are not given the means and tools !

This is not a PhD quote in particular--but it IS my all time favorite quote!!!!

" It is not getting any brighter out there. You have to come to terms with stupidity and make it work for you." Frank Zappa

I went completely walk about for two hours--much longer than I intended, but it was worth it. I stopped into a little free local museum, saw the Roman walls, got an application for some different housing, dropped off a form on the campus, etc..it was a worthwhile two hours and my head feels so much clearer! Just a brisk walk and some fresh air makes a big difference, I think!

http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/garner/


This is a great book, especially if you are in legal writing of any sort, but I think that regardless, it has great information on how to structure your writing, how to edit your writing, and if I remember correctly, he even has a bit of advise on how to take it when your writing is criticised--that you are not your writing, and how to de-personalise the feelings you have when someone talks about what you have written.

Hope this helps!

https://webspace.utexas.edu/cherwitz/www/ie/b_flowers.html

This is a website that gives a cursory description of the proces. I know it sounds a big too simplistic, perhaps, but it DOES work. I first heard of this when I went to a legal writing seminar offered by Bryan Garner, who is well known in American legal writing--he edits, for instance, Blacks Law Dictionary--which might not mean anything to you if you are not an American lawyer.

He suggested using this method ( the Flowers Paradigm) in non academic legal writing ( the seminar was on legal writing for practitioners, but it really transcends disciplines, I think).

Let me see if I can find some links for Bryan Garner. He himself has some great books on the writing process.

I suppose it comes down to in some sense a matter of priority, as well as what you think is "fun." I would not mind a happy hour drink some place, like an Irish pub, or better yet, a nice meal, with better wine, and even better conversation. That said, it takes too much of a toll on me to drink much or stay out late, and I much prefer waking up with a clear head, ready to start my day, with whatever that might be, than reeking of cigarette smoke and having a pounding head and an ill stomach.

That counts as "mature"! Perhaps in some ways it is a mindset about whether your age makes you mature or not...in the student sense. But I think it would be a bit pathetic to try to pretend I was 25 and hang out at their venues!

I was feeling even more like Oliver Twist when I discovered that I had walked a hole into the sole of my shoes--already--I suppose having done that much walking in already well worn and well loved comfy shoes. Well, not too worry, I found a reasonable replacement for them, and since the sun is out ( meaning its not raining--the sun being out is a relative thing, I think!) I am going to dash out and look at the Roman wall!