18.08.09

Morning everyone...had a really nice relaxing weekend and was quite busy so didn't have time to post. Did some non-phd work things: painted shed, hoed the veggie garden and had fun picking loads of tasty veg. Made some tasty pasta and watched some dvd's...an all round chilled out weekend. Although I did manage to get in a couple of hours programming which was good. It was just what I needed and now am all ready to get working this week.

Although, I have gotten the cold shoulder again from my colleagues who I share an office with. Am not sure what exactly that I have done, but they don't even bother to talk to me any more. I always say hello and goodbye, but one girl in particular gives me the most evil stares ever ... not quite sure why but I just be civil and plug myself in to my ipod and get on with my work.

Today's Aims:
1. Spent this morning looking through my programming testing and checking it, there are still a few glitches that need to be worked out.
2. Still working on getting references into LaTeX I think I need to do some testing to work out how it works properly, incase I ruin all the lit review I have already written!
3. Get up to date with literature review- have done a lot of work but I need some order and a plan of what I am going to do next.
4. Have a look at list of programming that is still left to do! (Probably wont have time to do this today thou!)

HI Billy

Hope you have good progress with your aims! That sucks that you have rude colleagues that you must share space with. Probably they are jealous---you seem to have your act together, with your PhD, with your personal life, etc, and come across as a very balanced and kind person. This oddly may threaten people who feel insecure--about their study, about their personal life, or about life in general. It sounds to me like your approach of being civil and then just getting on with things is the best way to handle this! Let them stew in their own juice!

Thanks for the nice words, olivia, I am not sure what it is about me they don't like ... I am much younger than them coming into a phd straight from my undergrad degree which was at a former polytechnic. Also because I don't live in london i think there is a bit of snobbery going on...they cannot comprehend that I don't want to live in london and love living in the country ... and a couple of times when I have been invited for drinks i've had to leave early as i had to get a train back home. I don't know...at least in a few years i won't have to put up with them!

You have probably identified some issues, but I would say that those are "their" issues and not yours. I think some groups of people ( workplace/study place) can lack boundaries, and cling to each other in ways that totally exclude people who are not "just like them"--its all or nothing, so that if you are pursuing independent activities, friendships, socialising, work habits, or even where you live, etc., you get cast out! Who needs that sort of "togetherness"? Its not realistic and its not healthy. I do think you have a mature and healthy attitude towards it--and you are right, heading straight into a PhD from a bachelors degree, etc., who knows you might intimidate them??!!! I think that living in the country sounds lovely.

======= Date Modified 18 Aug 2008 14:51:54 =======
Hi Billy,
I used Latex in my PhD and it is great and helped me a lot in the final stages, it requires some learning but it is worth it. As a computer scientist, I am interested in the programming you are doing, and the PL used.

Good luck in your work. (up)

oh edit function is working now :-)

well when i tried it over the weekend, i would click on save. and then it would do *nothing* but you guys managed to fix it. so great (up) well done admin peeps ;-)

Hey! Nice to meet a fellow LaTeX user...I am planning to produce my thesis in LaTeX and although I am learning loads I knwo it will be worth it! I am programming some diagnostic statistics and graphics in R which is a statistical programme. I don't know if it proper programming (I have never had any formal education in programming) but I suppose it kind of it as it uses if/else/for etc...I can use some of R's inbuilt functions as well... it's a lot of fun and problem solving but I really enjoy it!

18.08.08

So, today's aims I havn't done so well on, didn't look at the lit review as I couldn't face looking at it (don't enjoy doing it) but did have a look at the references using LaTeX. Spent the afternoon programming...which is what I enjoy doing the most and although I probably spend too much time doing this at least it is productive.

R is a proper programming language, it is a specialised language, not like general purpose languages like C++ or Java. It is interesting to know that you are using R + Latex, which are both open source, I use Linux and almost all my software tools are open source.

19.08.09

Have made a resolution not to do any programming today and try and focus on my literature review

Today's Aims:
1. Start work on an appendix which consists of a load of table to be filled in.
2. Read through what I have already done on my lit review, make changes and make a list of what needs to be covered.
3. Review my lit review plan
4. Have a look at systematic review sheets

Today I'm also going to do a time plan as suggested by Lara, although i am a bit late today as I started at 9 this morning!!

======= Date Modified 19 Aug 2008 11:06:58 =======

you can use this online to track what you are doing, on either a 15min/30 minute or hourly basis!

http://davidseah.com/tools/ett/alpha/

nice aims! good luck (up)

and 9am isnt late
i started at 10am :$
got up at 9am, am not an early bird:$

Hi Billy,

Just noticed that your thread was lagging behind, I hope you are doing OK and that you are making progress. Keep it up 8-)

22.08.08



Sorry, guys for going AWOL, been so busy had no time to post. Moving house turns out to be much more stressful than I remembered, especially when its not your house your moving from and to. Have been trying to pack, but things such as cooking/cleaning take a million times longer when all the contents of the house have been dragged from their usual resting places!



Work wise, I seem to have lost some steam, I have been doing a few bits and pieces but have not really got stuck into doing anything. Had seminars to attend weds and yesterday, so that took up a bit of time. Haven’t really felt like programming and am a bit stuck on the literature review, I don’t know why but I have to be in the mood for working on something if I am going to make a good job of it. So am hoping when I come back after the bank-holiday weekend that I will recover some enthusiasm for my work.



I am gonna try and get some work done at home this weekend, but am also going to hopeful have some more time to continue packing stuff up (it takes ageees!!) and maybe spend some time with my other half! Any who, thanks for all your nice messages and encouragement and for those who have been reading this thread…it is much appreciated. Hope you all have a good bank holiday weekend (those in the UK) and try to do something other than PhD work even for half a day- I reckon we all deserve some time off every now and then!



Billys xx

Thanks!

Hi Billy,

How are you doing? I hope you are not stuck and that you are making some progress.