And I have to say, life is amaaaaaaaazing!!!!!
This is the first year I have had where I haven't been doing the PhD or a related course for six years. My life is so much more balanced now! My evenings and weekends are spent doing naff all but reading, crocheting and watching tv :) I have no heavy guilt when I am sat about. I swim twice a week, for as long as I like - I don't feel like if I have time to swim I have time to work. I even swim in the evenings when before I never would have, I was too tired from working and looking after my son.
I have received my wonderful massive tome as well! I have a HUGE leather bound thesis on my bookshelf. I adore it. It is my baby. It is a lot of work. I do also feel a pang of guilt when I see it too though, because I haven't disseminated any of my findings or shared my knowledge. Which makes it all feel like a rather selfish endeavour. In my defence I was *offered* the PhD position and funded, so would have been daft to turn such a wonderful opportunity down. But still. One day I hope that my knowledge will be used :)
In the meantime I have parcels that arrive for 'Dr' me (only parcels, am very childish and love ordering stuff for me as a dr but haven't changed anything official yet) and is all very fun. I have two children who I can bring up to care about the world and humanity and hopefully have a healthy scepticism of big corporations and political speak. I won't listen to any bigotry or nonsense about immigration to Britain that abounds in our culture under the Conservatives and use my knowledge and education to inform others. I want to volunteer for a foodbank or refuge and do something useful and mostly spend my life standing up for us little guys. I have stopped shopping at Amazon and large supermarkets, stopped buying clothes from retailers that use sweatshops (all of them. Am a charity shop shopper these days) and buy furniture etc from charity shops, auctions and out of the paper. I love it - but then, at the moment, I have the time as am still on maternity leave.
Truly, doing the PhD was an amazing achievement and if you are on the way to getting yours, keep on going :) The hardest bit I found was writing up. So many people don't write up as I discovered when I heard the term 'ABD' - All But Dissertation. It is so common to stay at this point there is a phrase for it. Writing is tough, largely unrewarding and makes you feel glum as anything. But treat yourself kindly and listen to your supervisor and it will be ok. One day you will add the final edit and submit it for remarking by the VIVA peeps, it will be accepted and there you are. You have finished. WELL DONE!
Am off to eat some toast and play with the children.
Take care y'all.
x J
This is the first year I have had where I haven't been doing the PhD or a related course for six years. My life is so much more balanced now! My evenings and weekends are spent doing naff all but reading, crocheting and watching tv :) I have no heavy guilt when I am sat about. I swim twice a week, for as long as I like - I don't feel like if I have time to swim I have time to work. I even swim in the evenings when before I never would have, I was too tired from working and looking after my son.
I have received my wonderful massive tome as well! I have a HUGE leather bound thesis on my bookshelf. I adore it. It is my baby. It is a lot of work. I do also feel a pang of guilt when I see it too though, because I haven't disseminated any of my findings or shared my knowledge. Which makes it all feel like a rather selfish endeavour. In my defence I was *offered* the PhD position and funded, so would have been daft to turn such a wonderful opportunity down. But still. One day I hope that my knowledge will be used :)
In the meantime I have parcels that arrive for 'Dr' me (only parcels, am very childish and love ordering stuff for me as a dr but haven't changed anything official yet) and is all very fun. I have two children who I can bring up to care about the world and humanity and hopefully have a healthy scepticism of big corporations and political speak. I won't listen to any bigotry or nonsense about immigration to Britain that abounds in our culture under the Conservatives and use my knowledge and education to inform others. I want to volunteer for a foodbank or refuge and do something useful and mostly spend my life standing up for us little guys. I have stopped shopping at Amazon and large supermarkets, stopped buying clothes from retailers that use sweatshops (all of them. Am a charity shop shopper these days) and buy furniture etc from charity shops, auctions and out of the paper. I love it - but then, at the moment, I have the time as am still on maternity leave.
Truly, doing the PhD was an amazing achievement and if you are on the way to getting yours, keep on going :) The hardest bit I found was writing up. So many people don't write up as I discovered when I heard the term 'ABD' - All But Dissertation. It is so common to stay at this point there is a phrase for it. Writing is tough, largely unrewarding and makes you feel glum as anything. But treat yourself kindly and listen to your supervisor and it will be ok. One day you will add the final edit and submit it for remarking by the VIVA peeps, it will be accepted and there you are. You have finished. WELL DONE!
Am off to eat some toast and play with the children.
Take care y'all.
x J
