A part-time research student walks into a bar. The barman says, "Why the long face?" The PTRS replies, "Aargh, you know, i'm suffering from need-more-time-for-my-PhD-guilt." And so the joke goes. Since this blog is about my experience of doing a PhD, it's only fair that balance is strived for in my posts. So whilst i am over the medium and long term incredibly excited about my research and how much better it makes me as an academic (which i truly believe is the case), i am currently very frustrated about my short term progress. I had an absolutely brilliant supervision about three weeks ago and since then i have achieved bugger all.
Why? Here goes... marking, picking up moderating for others due to circumstances no one would wish for, HEA teaching development bid, paper on problem-based learning for in-house journal, new module development for external / EIG clients x 2, current module management for external clients, dissertation supervision, module preparation for next year following recent planning day (before i forget what we all said!)... now this is no 'cry-for-help' or pity-request, much of what i've described above i have actively sought, pursued and volunteered for - the current financial and HE climate means that not only do you have to 'do stuff' for the good of your job, but it would be entirely foolish to think that you can just curl up and focus internally on your own defined workload when there is work (and income/opportunity) out there that others want you to do.
The trade-off? Well my research of course. I have a gazillion things i want to read, some bits i want to write and learn more about and i want to generate some momentum so i have a chance of having the even greater opportunities that having a PhD affords before i'm due for retirement (or the glue factory!). So what to do? Well, this catharsis-that-is-blogging helps somewhat, because i've largely got the current frustration off my chest. Tomorrow, i am meeting a doctor in London who might be able to give me some wonderful insights into my research area. And yes, i need to probably have a holiday as incongruous as that sounds, but one that allows me to put some clear blue water between that stuff above and my research. So here's to the first two weeks of July. I now know what i have to do before then and what i get to do when i come back!
Why? Here goes... marking, picking up moderating for others due to circumstances no one would wish for, HEA teaching development bid, paper on problem-based learning for in-house journal, new module development for external / EIG clients x 2, current module management for external clients, dissertation supervision, module preparation for next year following recent planning day (before i forget what we all said!)... now this is no 'cry-for-help' or pity-request, much of what i've described above i have actively sought, pursued and volunteered for - the current financial and HE climate means that not only do you have to 'do stuff' for the good of your job, but it would be entirely foolish to think that you can just curl up and focus internally on your own defined workload when there is work (and income/opportunity) out there that others want you to do.
The trade-off? Well my research of course. I have a gazillion things i want to read, some bits i want to write and learn more about and i want to generate some momentum so i have a chance of having the even greater opportunities that having a PhD affords before i'm due for retirement (or the glue factory!). So what to do? Well, this catharsis-that-is-blogging helps somewhat, because i've largely got the current frustration off my chest. Tomorrow, i am meeting a doctor in London who might be able to give me some wonderful insights into my research area. And yes, i need to probably have a holiday as incongruous as that sounds, but one that allows me to put some clear blue water between that stuff above and my research. So here's to the first two weeks of July. I now know what i have to do before then and what i get to do when i come back!
