News: phd
Dalgona-esque oatmeal breakky
Read on for an oatmeal recipe that tastes like a whipped coffee crossed with a Reese’s peanut butter cup.
Dear 2020
Dear 2020, you were definitely not the year most of us wanted or asked for as we were bidding 2019 farewell, but here you are. I’m grateful though, very grateful. I really wouldn’t have learned any of the things I know now if it weren’t for the curveballs this year has thrown my way. As the saying goes, ‘fine weather never made a skilled sailor’. It’s true, as cliché as it sounds. (Although I still sometimes wish none of us needed stormy weather to become savvy sailors.) Below are some of the critical things I learned from this year, but also some of the key takeaways from a recent workshop I attended with my HDR peers and new graduates. It was also fortunate that two senior academics, who were also PhD supervisors, were able to join us to share their postgraduate journeys and the different forms of ‘disruption’ that they had to navigate through. Why am I sharing this now, at the end of the year? It’s because although most students have finished their semester and exams are slowly concluding too, a lot of HDR students like me will need to be mindful that we give ourselves a chance to have a proper break during the summer break even though we can be silently plugging away with our writing and work.
Our first steps: on continuous learning and growing
My 10-month old has started taking her first steps and in addition to being wildly excited about all of this, I also found myself in awe. Well of course I’m biased, she’s brilliant, but she also gave me this opportunity to reflect on learning and growing in general. I mean, how do we learn how to walk? It looks like we do it by falling an incredibly large number of times. She also needed to learn how to let go of things that she could hold on to, in order for her to take her first steps.
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Is the Ph.D. worth it
I feel like I am running out of time with my Ph.D. The struggle is indeed very real, but to be honest, it’s already worth it.
Presenting nerves
Recently, I had the privilege (I guess?!) of presenting some of my research to a panel of academics at the Australian National University’s symposium on Australian life post COVID-19.
Why they’re tuning in to the US presidential elections (oh and a book reflection here too)
Admittedly, we are oceans away from the US and with the pandemic, how does US politics really affect any of us? My study, you could argue, has nothing to do with it but I am a Ph.D. student researching within the realm of social sciences and leadership and inequality, and so at the very least, it is all very interesting. My supervisors have not only been such amazing teachers, but also inspiring sources of support and scholarly insight. Our meetings aren’t restricted to updates on data analysis and thesis progress, but also on how our research is relevant to what is happening in the world, to social justice, as well as scholarly and deliberate reflection.
What brings me joy
Oh my gosh, so very many things. Where do I start? My daughter brings me tremendous joy, so does spending time with family and friends. Then there are dolphins, diving, dancing, dawn and dusk, dessert, doctoral thesis writing, down time curled up reading a book. Just thinking of all the people and passions that bring me joy elicits the joyous feeling. It also makes me feel very grateful, which then reinforces the nice, happy feelings again. Thinking about joyful things quickly improves one’s mood, especially during difficult and stressful times.
On dissents and rest, and the notorious RBG
I’ve always looked up to Ruth Bader Ginsburg. So much of the doctoral research I am conducting is fuelled by the trails she has blazed. To me she is a beacon of hope, and so I was particularly saddened by her passing in September. Like many others, I was getting increasingly worried about her health over the past several months. Hospitalisation was becoming more frequent. What would we do without her, without her voice, without her toughness, without her bravery, without her dissents?
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Being able to graciously accept positive feedback as much as the negative
I would’ve thought that I would be the absolute last person to be commended at work. First, I’m a full-time student and only work part-time – I feel as if my contributions wouldn’t really be significant because I only work a few hours. Second, I tend to work quietly in the background, so to be applauded for being curious, for seeking to understand different perspectives, for looking for new approaches, partnerships and solutions, and for continuously learning, was a surprise. I didn’t think anyone was ‘looking’, to be honest. I kept thinking to myself, is this a kind way of telling me that I am venturing too far into unknown territory? I tried to keep cool and remind myself that I also need to learn how to take a compliment, Curiosity is one of our work values and in a way, I guess this demonstrated that I was valued at work. Maybe it also supports my desire to be in a research field – you have to want to be continuously learning. Still, perhaps as a research student, maybe I keep expecting negative feedback, I need it after all. How am I going to improve my writing if I don’t have my supervisors sending me feedback on my drafts?
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