2 min read
I can't believe I’m writing this. It’s been 15 months! What
the heck is that? I think my last blog post about PhD was ‘10 months report’.
So, what happened in the last 5 months? So many things! But
to recap, after my first-year progression review, I decided to take a few days
off and it became forever. My best advice to the newcomers would be, never ever
take a break for more than one week. Because it's so easy to lose track of what
you've been doing. I had to read my progression review report a few times in
order to remember what was doing. But
anyways. Due to lots of personal stuff, I had to take a few months off, and I
restarted again in September with a new supervisor. Of course, when you give so
much break, everything feels like the first time.
I remember when I was reading an article in the library after
a long time, I struggled so much that I started to question myself, ‘are we
really working on the same area?’ But that's life. Sometimes starting from scratch
is also needed. Anyways. I got speed up. I've gone over everything from the
previous year. I love revising things. Right now, I'm working on the next
two chapters of my thesis.
This year I have two more responsibilities compared to the
last year. I became a policy associate at the university and co-editor in chief
of the law school journal. I also found a few conferences that I wanted to
attend. They are all incredibly exciting in my eyes and I can't wait to squeeze
myself into so much workload and have lots of mental breakdowns lol. (I wish
this was a joke though.)
For the last few weeks, I have been working until the very late
hours and I really enjoy working late. When I was in my undergraduate and masters,
I always believed that there's a unique beauty in staying late at the library.
You get to talk with your friends during breaks, you enjoy freezing yet fresh
weather, you drink disgusting and somehow delicious (in its own way)
vending machine coffee. And you just work. When you finish, you feel
proud. Because that's an accomplishment.
Nowadays, I feel a similar thing with one exception. This
time, I don't have to stay late in the library. Because I have my own office! Of
course, I am sharing with other PhD friends but most of the time, I'm all
alone. How cool is that? Today when I was eating my sandwich and
watching an episode of the Office (that's a must while eating) I thought, my office
is no different than my home. And this level of comfort surprised me. I have always
liked the office but these days, especially after adding a few things to my
desk and making it cosier, I am literally in love.
This year is going to be tough due to the responsibilities
that I've taken on. Also, many people believe that the second year of a PhD (a.k.a
confirmation) is the most difficult one. Am I scared? Not really. Because it is
pointless to be scared. I'll be crushed either way. But this time I'll at least
try to enjoy it. Because my supervisor is fantastic. I'm still surrounded by
many nice people. I am taking good care of myself- more than ever. There's plenty
to be grateful for. So really looking forward to the next challenges!
And I've written these a few times already, but I think doing a PhD
is still the coolest thing in the world.
Comments
Post a Comment