Overview of sneaks
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2nd Year Accountability thread
Just thought, maybe we should be more 'accountable' on this accountability thread! - Will start properly doing the things I say I will tomorrow!
2nd Year Accountability thread
Good luck with your paper tomorrow, sure it will go just fine. I managed to half the work today
- completed reports for consultancy work (NON-PHD)
- chased up emails from when I was ill
- thought about planning intro (does this count??? lol)
will properly do some tomorrow as other half is lecturing all day which means I won't have distractions like him wanting to watch a film etc.
admire you for doing PhD abroad! my dad wanted me to do a year out in France for my degree but there was no way! my french is passable to get me places and food but not good enough to study in!! Plus - didn't see the point as French academics are rubbish in my field. Is there not an 'english club' you can join of fellow PhDers/students?
Is the gallway girl one "and her hair was black and her eyes were blue" cos I love that song, almost tempted to dye hair black so other half can sing it to me (altho he can't sing so won't).
2nd Year Accountability thread
btw, think ruth should have won cos I loved her dresses each week :-x but now I hate everyone lol. ALtho I think ALex will have the most longevity, I can't stand eaghisofnfion cos I hate kids who sing (and they have marketed him as the cute kid). The main reason why I refuse to see oliver, even tho I really wanted to see rowan atkinson as fagin.
2nd Year Accountability thread
Well done Maggie! I spent all afternoon watching P.S I love you AGAIN! and then just sat about. Will try to get today's aims done tomorrow, but planning on going xmas shopping - I know I said I wouldn't but cos I work at home a lot, I seem to get cabin fever when I am in the house for too long! WIll update tomorrow to see if I got anything done.
2nd Year Accountability thread
ooh Christmas markets! Trying to stay clear of town at the moment as I have no money!! Today I have spent all morning exercising for my lost a stone for xmas diet. Half an hour on exercise bike and hour doing a video thing. Now I'm really tired and want to sit down and watch dvds all afternoon. However, if I am good, my aims for today are:
- chase up emails missed when ill
- map out rest of introduction chapter
- write 500 words on introduction chapter
oh, I can see this going nowhere but at least its an aim!
People eating in the library - should I say somethings?
I use 'PhD researcher' or 'doctoral researcher' :$ But this is mainly because 'student' has so many bad connotations e.g. tax dodging scum ;-)
Also in my area of research there is a lot of value placed on getting yourself known, networking with academics and practitioners and the minute you say 'student' to anyone not in academia they automatically put you into that box. I suppose it is an ego thing, but rather a self-marketing, promoting yourself to the wider world kinda thing. It also means that people value my work equally to the work of someone who graduated from my MSc at the same time as me and is now 'senior consultant'.
So it is important to me how I market myself, even more so because I do a lot of consultancy on the side. and maybe it is more common in the UK, as I think 'student' really refers to studying and not getting paid, whereas I am paid a monthly salary, eventhough it is technically a grant.
2nd Year Accountability thread
Maggie - hope the work is going well, and the internet didn't 'get' you. If you use firefox there is a program you can use to block you accessing certain sites e.g. facebook during certain times of the day.
Frankie - I wouldn't worry about having days off, I seem to do it too much, and then have a week of manic work when my supervisor wants something! In terms of setting unrealistic deadlines, I think its fine as long as you don't overstress about them. I think I do this and then end up getting demoralised that nothing got done, and then give up completely.
2nd Year Accountability thread
Hey Sneaks!! I think maybe we will miss each other sometimes, since I think you work in the day whereas I work at night!!...
Anyways, its a good start getting these first few tentative words for the chapter, and I think getting those first few words can often be the hardest- peope have different styles as we have seen in other posts, some people will write every word carefully and really mean it (thus no need for much editing) whereas others will write like crazy anything they can think of to get them started, then edit later. I follow the latter approach which works for me, as I find if I write everything that occurs to me at the beginning (even if over 50% of it is rubbish), I find this way allows me to get started more easily on the work concerned and 'get into it'...Have you tird playing with different appraches?
Regarding the balance with other committments, it seems your time isn't as free as you would like it to be...so all I can suggest is when you do get the time to maximise the efficiency in how you use the limited time each day you have set aside for 'phd' work-I have seen some people achieve more in an hour than others will in a day- so that means no distractions close emails, facebook, bbc website etc!! Also with regard to the problem of accessing materials in the industrial place, is it possible to download your articles in intend reading before you go there at home, and then either print them or access them via an email attachement while you are there? I know sometimes, something can only strike you at the time, but often if you plan ahead your reading the day before, then I think it can help to alleviate these problems to an extent...
anyways im off to bed now! I managed to get the chapter read and summarised, and im pretty happy that I found it to be very relevant to my research in the end which is always good!! anyway, I will check back in the morning with my goals for tomorrow (sorry its today now, dint realise the time!!):-x but first a cup of tea!
Sorry - been either away from a computer/ill in the last few days. No PhD work done since Tuesday :-( apart from scouting for participants. But I'm pleased I started that chapter and plan to work on it this weekend.
Regarding reading material at the industrial partner: I find that I need ALL my articles lol and my endnote to get on with my work - which I can't do. I have a back problem which means I can't drag my laptop there either - complete pain but filled my time this week with my consultancy work and admin etc. I think in terms of balancing time I have come to realise that I just have to work all weekend to make up for the days I am at uni/industrial partners. Its a pain, but I'd rather complete my PhD earlier and then have a whole year off or something rather than have wasted days watching tv when I should be doing PhD.
2nd Year Accountability thread
My target was supposed to be do my 1st chapter (sounds bad but only 5-6 pages) but so far I have done 196 words - altho has made me start it so hopefully will flow onwards tomorrow. I know I will stop in about 20 mins too cos other half is due back from lecturing and im hungry! (on lose a stone for xmas diet - rubbish!)
My main problem this week is that I have to go to my industrial partners - where I find I can't do work cos of lack of tea and lounging capabilities, but also cos all my work is at home. so I start something and then have to stop cos I haven't got the right journal etc. (and their online security is really tight, so no USB sticks allowed etc.) Then rest of week is spent at uni cos have ridiculous amount of xmas dos to go to, which is great, but means I spend £ and don't get the work done, so will be spending the weekend catching up AGAIN.
So altho I can work mon and tues unlike you Maggie, I find the days when I have to be at uni etc a bit of a right off and turn into Admin days. Hopefully once the uni closes for xmas I can get some work done! I am also stressing about a lecture I have to do after xmas, as I don't teach much and am scared :-( and still chasing participants to get them to sign up for my second study which I hope to do after xmas. busy busy!
2nd Year Accountability thread
So my story:
Progress to date: So first of all, my field is in law and at the moment I am predominatly a night worker though I am trying to change with little steps, though I am getting better in finishing before midnight nowadays! So I had a pretty crap first year, in which I descended into a deep depression as a result of numerous family issues (god I sound like an x factor sob story lol!) but thankfully pulled myself out of it!!! So I pulled myself together at the end of first year and have now written 2 chapters out of 5 (between May and November-prime example of my inconsistency!), and have a few publications accepted.
Medium Term Goals, before next upgrade review in May (6 months)- to get third chapter researched thoroughly and written (its the main chapter and will mean the most work), and some publications produced. This will be broken down into a month for further researching each of the 3 sub headings of the chapter and 3 months to write it,
short term goals: next 2 weeks, prepare presentation to be given soon and read and write book review which is due v. soon.
Ok!! so my first daily goal: is to quickly grad a sandwich, then read a number of articles I have piled up which will be useful for my presentation soon (2pm-9pm) , Then also to sort out a number of article lying around my place and write down a very prcise and detailed plan of action for the next 5 weeks up until christmas (9pm-11pm)- so I will check back later tonight with my progress update!! I am really exicted now! even if no one else decides to join me in keeping progress tabs (which would be great) it still feels as though I will have to justify my work to myself every day just by the simple fact of posting it every morning and night!!
:p
how did you get on?
2nd Year Accountability thread
Can I join? I like the idea of the accountability thread, but the older thread was too daunting for me to look through all the posts! I am a second year doing social sciences. I find my PhD work often gets lost in a lot of other work e.g. teaching, lab demonstrator, admin work and although it seems like I'm super busy, when I look back at time spent, I realise that very little was PhD work. My main aims for this year are
- finish my 1st study's analysis (2 types of analysis)
- write a finished lit review
- conduct 2nd Study
- write up both studies for publication
- write up both studies for thesis
God - bit daunting but have to do it!
This weeks aims are
- write the intro and 1st section of lit review
- to check with supervisor that attempt analysis of study 1 was and to continue analysing - one interview a night
Critique/literature review? ingredients? structure?
Bit more info would be good. But if you are comparing 6 authors and their theories/ideas I would start with the earliest and then move through them date-wise until you get to the most recent, how each has added/changed perspective and then some up which you think is the best/worst etc. Really does depend on the subject tho
Some confusion about 2.1, 2.2 etc
at my uni it was
50-60 = pass
60-70 = merit
70+ = distinction
so I guess it would be a high pass (2:2?)
Some confusion about 2.1, 2.2 etc
at my uni it was
50-60 = pass
60-70 = merit
70+ = distinction
so I guess it would be a high pass (2:2?)
Distractions of Dick van Dyke
Wright stuff is a must when working from home! This morning - ONLY when phillip and Fern are on. I hate EAMON homes and his rubbish wife! :-s I used to watch loose women, but began to think they do a real disservice to us women folk - they just witter on and do the stupid "i'm a girl so I wouldn't know about that" thing. Egg heads (and the new one where they select an egghead!!) and then I watch downloaded stuff like Eli Stone from the US and Dexter.
