I have noticed that academics often have interesting sayings, which they try and live by, and will often share at opportune moments. Obviously these pearls of wisdom must have a grain truth, otherwide these people would never have managed to become academics!

I was wondering if people wouldn't mind sharing their supervisors sayings, the sayings of academics that have had a major bearing on their career or even their own favourite sayings. (Or catch phrases).

My supervisor, bless him, has had a few gems in his time! :)

That's why they call it a PhD.
Data is not always your friend.
You have to learn to live with the uncertainty of all this.
It's not the be all and end all...
So, that's it then, just three more chapters and you're finished.

And another one, from my Upgrade examiner...

You have to ask yourself whether your guru is always right!

And from my other Upgrade examiner...

Are you sure this isn't two PhD's?

Oh yes, and another gem from my supervisor... from the very early days (first term in)...

How many elephants do you think you can get into this thesis?



Of course, my PhD has little to do with elephants, although there have been times when it sure has felt and looked like one! *chuckle*

Not my supervisor but a lecturer when I was an undergrad told us we should "bond with our data!" I used to think he was bonkers but now, I'm going to be so grateful when I get some data I imagine I will actually adore it!

I've been told constantly for the past two years that i need to 'unpack' what I'm saying.

lol zelda,. that is funny, unpack. i like that.

this is personal to me, but my supervisor whenever she read drafts of my paper, would tell me, to say something once and to say it well. i had a tendency to keep saying the same thing a few different ways and then not being able to decide which way was the best, and then leaving all the different alternative sentences in the draft.

lol i still do it! i'm just checking my final version of the chapter, and i've put in squiggly brackets alternative versions of sentences. lol habits are hard to break.

There are plenty of elephants in my thesis!

My supervisors say:
'Sorry I am late'
'I have double booked this meeting.... so you are the one thats going to have to go'
'But I want you to enjoy this process'
'writing up is lots of fun'
'I've read a paragraph of this paper, why am I not first author'
'this paper is awful, why is my name on this paper'
'talk to my PA, she knows how to structure a thesis'

"Science is not 'that's interesting', but 'that's odd'.".

Nils Bohr

the race is not given to the swift nor the strong, but to the one that edures to the end

"We don't need to re-invent the wheel" Good because I can't even frickin grease the axel.

my supervisor:
"there are about six, maybe seven books which are relevant to your topic. that's all you really need to read."