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Keep going
Okay, so for the past eight weeks now, I’ve relentlessly worked on my doctoral thesis. For the most part, I have kept my commitment to myself to write every day – some weekends, I’ve taken a day off. There are days that the writing feels good, not easy, but I feel driven and purposeful. Then there are days that are just completely hard. Putting a couple of sentences feels brutal and almost torturous. And to think this is self-inflicted – I applied to be a Ph.D. student.
Movie reflection: Frances Ha
What can I say? I did not think I would enjoy this film, but I really did. My sister kept urging me to watch it and when I finally did, I couldn’t help but relate to Frances in more than a few ways. You see, Frances is finding her way through life – navigating friendships and seeking out her place in life as an adult, especially as she’s realizing she may not be the ideal and perfect dancer the world of dance demands that she should be if she were to be considered “successful”.
The cure to bad days
We’re all sad sometimes, that’s simply part of being human. Maybe it was a rejection, maybe you miss home, maybe it’s the fancy restaurant you splurged on that turned out to be mediocre – whatever the reason for your melancholy may be, know that to feel sad is normal and that sometimes, there’s nothing more comforting than to wallow in it for a day or two.
Weekends off
As an HDR student, sometimes it’s hard to put boundaries around your time. Typically, you won’t have to attend any regular classes or seminars and for the most part, you are in control of how you spend your time during the day. Most times you can work from anywhere, or if your research is tied to a laboratory, usually you would have access 24/7. It’s not unusual to let research work and writing spill over to the weekend. This leads us to a high risk of burning out.
