Hello PhD student. You write, you suffer and you defend your thesis.
So that did not take a long time to say. But it takes a long time to do.


It is a disturbing thought, but has it occured to you that science is creating and nullifying theories. Research is writing. It occured to me that much of what goes on in academia is purely descriptive, without testing any theory at all. Mere description. The worst type is probably calling a collection of descriptive case studies science. I have seen some of these and they do not qualify as science. The qualify as knowledge. I welcome any comments.
Actually, what we know as academia is probably a mixture of knowledge and science. Many people just record knowledge. I have told a few people this, and they are not happy, obviously. It is not the way to become popular. But since the atmosphere is usually sooo accepting, somebody needs to hightlight what science is.

There is never such intensity in my research as there is when I prepare a paper for a seminar or conference. This gives some special effects, i.e. it's rough falling asleep (and of course getting up), due to my high thought activity. I welcome any good advice on how to cure this.

Maybe, just maybe, you are goin throught the same kind of situation that I am going through. Do not be sad, you are not alone. For reassurance please check out the site Dissertation Hell, www.disshell.blogspot.com.
This woman has made it, she will defend really soon. Be a friend, send her a cheer!

Hey ya all out there. I know you like movies. I know you are busy. So, read the movie in one sentence, it's very practical, go check it out at Movie a Minute http://www.rinkworks.com/movieaminute/.
It made me laugh ;-)
F.

Inspiration, they say, you shall not wait for. But create a routine, in which you everyday type away, inking your thoughts down. Well,now I have collected my thoughts. It seems that the summer has given me the strength now to finally push on through.
I spent the last week waving goodbye to my girlfriend, now she won't be back until x-mas. What a shame. Well, it gives ample time for inking down my thoughts in my thesis...

My Face

Today was one of those wonderful days when I did absolutely nothing to work at all. I just played and relaxed. When waking up, I felt like I had really slept deep. I love it. This summer started with a sharp pain in my right lungue May 30th , which got me hospitalized for three days. It took me almost until today, more than two months later, to recover.

This week, I have to decide what my next paper will contain. It's based on a huge material, which is good enough for no less than 10 papers. I just have to decide which of these I want to write for my thesis. This was tougher than I thought.

It´s only when you do not have something that you can put a value on it. Like the summer house my family had until ten years ago. Then it was sold, and now I understand how valuable it is to recharge one's strenght with all that summer harmony. My next task is to get a new house like that by myself, that belongs only to me, where I can get the best possible summers. Here I come, summer house, don't wait for me too long. Please.

First entry:

This fall is the the beginning of the end for my thesis. I eagerly await D-day.