I learn that I need to reflect on myself.
I learn that by exercising self-reflection, I'll be better loved by Him and others.
I want to learn. I love to learn.
This is 'What I learn...'
Showing posts with label Lessons from PhD journey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lessons from PhD journey. Show all posts
Being a frequent flyer of AirAsia (KT-LCCT), I was excited to check the hypotheses of my small correlational study.
The hypotheses - Good pair of (new Clarks.. =p) shoes is needed if you fly with AirAsia.
The test - Look for associations of excessive walking during outbound and inbound flights.
Online Clarks with Syifa's Shope (Su is a UMT staff!)
From my case study, it was discovered that in deed, there's a perfect positive relation (r = +1) between the two variables. Especially during the last trip, I was requested to embark the flight twice! There was oil spill underneath the aircraft and all passengers were asked to abort the plane...
(This entry is to justify my recent purchase of Clarks shoes - a justification to myself (and the other half!)... I need to make it sound academic and scientific to make it more dramatic! hahahhahahah....)
In addition, to adik-adik, there are alot of fancy shoes out there, but do take care of your feet when purchasing your shoes. You're going to use them all your life (your feet, not the same shoes!!)... do take care of them. Invest on good, comfortable and supportive shoes. And, skimpy and sloppy pairs will not do justice to your nice outfit.. seriously!
Well, I have to admit, it was worth it! Thanks Su for the Clark-y! Better price next time? =p
p/s My love and thanks to my husband for purchasing me an unexpected black coach-y bag to match the shoes! Love you, loads!!
Alhamdulillah, I attended a course handled by dedicated Dr Othman Taib, the founder of drotspss.blogspot.com. An award winning blog dedicated to novice researchers (like me!)
One of the most precious things I learned (and it might be a tad late for me) is filling in the one pageResearch Framework. It does look simple, but it needs in depth thoughts. But this simple piece of paper will give you (and your supervisor and the panel of assessors for your proposal defense) a greater idea of your research, what's lacking and more. Fantastic and highly prescribed for novice researchers, masters and PhD students, preferably the beginners.
This what's mine looked like... you can click on the photo's caption if you really want to read it!
I showed this to my concern supervisor, after being absent from seeing him for about 4 months (pre-delivery admission to ward, post-admission of the twins to NICU for a month).. and to my relieve, he was satisfied that I'm on track (though the RFOT I submitted needed a few amendments, but at least he believes that I have a clear idea of what I'm doing!) And so will you, after you fill this one page RFOT! Alhamdulillah, doing this gives me a kick start or a launch pad after being stuck in a deep end for sometime.
And if you are interested in making your own, this is a blank RFOT template (this is the latest and simpler version of RFOT) and an example that you can refer to. (However, if you like the version that I'm using up there, click here for the blank template). Dr Othman gave his full permission for all to make use of this template.. May Allah showers him with more blessings and greater ease in doing his work.. aamin.
All the best, folks!
It's not enough to mildly want what you want -
you must wildly want what you want.
There are no wishy washy CEOs -
or
wishy washy nobel peace prize winners -
or wishy washy winners of anything.
It helps to remember that life is rarely linear -
there are always
zigzags on your path to your dreams.
True failure only happens when you
abandon your quest.
Mak has taught me a lot of practical things. This is one of the most practised,
ever since I became a mom myself. Spending less time in the kitchen
daily is the objective - in order to spend more quality time with the
children when they are at home. And so, these are some of the shortcuts
I've been making use of...
(p/s: Alhamdulillah for having a husband who is not a fussy eater.. Love you more and more, Abang!)
Cook a “Big Batch” Recipe Weekly
I make big batches of food, like bolognese sauce, curry, masak lomak cili api (without the yoghurt/coconut milk), soup, stocks, tom yam soup (add in more veggies and chook/prawn/squid later) so
there are lots of leftovers to be heated up for dinner for the rest of the week. One of my favorite ‘big batch’ recipes
to make is home made sauce for pasta.
My kids actually thank me every time I make this, which melts my heart.
Frozen batches for this week!
Freeze, Freeze, Freeze
Then I'll freeze them in my ever-so-faithful tupperwares in small batches, so it is easy for me to heat them up. I label my tuppsies on top, so that I know what's inside. Then a small list to be placed on the fridge, so that I know what is there and has been chomped!
To save time, I always marinate a big batch of ground beef
and chicken with the normal tumeric and salt, and sometimes with the satay paste. So, when one of the kids are in need of ayam goreng 'Upin Ipin' style (fried chooks), I can make it in 3 steps - open the freezer, thaw, fry!
Mak taught me to make a big batch of cupcakes/curry puffs/sausage rolls/samosas on the weekend with the kids (fantastic fun activity here, moms!). Parbake them. Then, they can be stored in the
freezer for months. It's fab if you love to entertain (surprised) guests as well!
What's left freezing in the freezer?
Pre-Chop Veggies
Onions, chillies of all sorts, garlic, tumeric.. I pre-process them to make my life easier. Then I store them
in colourful tuppsies in the fridge, which look pretty and are enjoyable
to use, instead of plastic bags, which can get kind of sticky. This really cut off your prep time, which means more time for the familia!
Since we love our chillies, I even pickled my chillies for fried noodles/kuey tiaw and chilled a tupperware of sambal belacan! Yes, I confess that I dont like to stay in the kitchen too long! =D
My pickled chillies, half empty! And other sort of pre-prepared shortcuts chilling in the fridge!
Use Pre-Packaged Pastes as Bases
A true confession of a studying/working mom - 'I cheat in the kitchen!' (<---- it's ME!!)
Hey, if it makes my life easier, just half an hour (MAX) in the kitchen, and the result is delicious, why not?!
Since I love this product so much (Seri Tunjung, uolls!), I do sell them to other busy momsies like me! Sharing is caring (and it can be a wonderful side income, too!)
Wide range of VERY TASTY products (<-- promo!! hahah).
And you know what, short cuts or long drive, it is important for us moms to try to cook for our husband and children most of the time. It's crucial since you know the ingredients you are using arehalal, clean and fresh (ish).. and when you cook, you always put the extra ingredients that you cant buy anywhere, LOVE, ZIKR and DU'As. Remember, stir in your food with them... insha Allah, you'll get healthy family filled with His barakah.
There is much that I have learned from experience, most often, the hard way. My PhD life is an experiment itself!
Plan - organize what you need to do. Make a list. Prioritise your tasks, just in case a child gets sick or some
other crisis occurs. Leaving things
till the last minute is a recipe for disaster. Sort out which topics
most need your attention.
Get a calendar, and USE IT! This is to help you to keep track of all the datelines assigned to you in the midst of keeping track of when to pay bills, helping kids with homework, making grocery lists and other random household tasks that fall under your domain.
Keep life simple. Personally, I plan the family menu and make one trip to the
grocery store every three weeks. I cheat during cooking (by using cooking paste).
Yes I cheat, but's its tasty!
Get your family on board in cleaning up - clearing the toys, kitchen counter, table top etc.
Process your laundry at night, so that you can hang up the clothes early in the morning, then forget about it till late afternoon. Teach your kids to fold their own clothes.
Set priorities. When you are
doing your research, it can consume your life. You eat,
sleep and breathe your research. But for me, it is more
important to be there for my family, and particularly,
to be a
good wife and mom. Sometimes, the choice is between my
child's
needs and my own need to study, and each situation is
assessed differently. I try to do special things with my
husband and children, like an outing to the nearby beach, an ice cream
trip or a movie night in the dark living room, or just
chit-chatting with them.
Photo sessions - an activity enjoyed by all!
Don't be too hard on yourself. There will be days that is not
as productive as others. But there are other days that you can triple
your work when the momentum is on the high. When the going gets
tough, the tough gets going! We can do it!
Dont forget to take a break. Sneak out to a coffee shop with your lap top. Do your literature review in style!
Set your study area - wherever you are, make
sure that your study area is comfortable and has what you need close by.
Get the books you need, laptops, pens, highlighters, calculator, a water bottle (filled!) etc. That way when you have
time to study you won't waste it sorting out your study area or getting
distracted.
Short and sweet - Don't rule out half-an-hour study
sessions. You may feel that you need a long session to learn, but you'll
be amazed what you can learn in 30 minutes. Thirty minute blocks of
study here and there soon add up.
Semi-cranky Fawwaz on the lap while Ummi's trying (her very best) to do her content analysis.
May Allah eases our journey to capture some tiny bits of His sea of knowledge.
Ya Fattah, please grant us overflowing ideas in making our research right and meaningful.
Ya Salaam, please bestow us peace and help us to make this journey as stress-free as possible.
Ya Razzaq, please provide us great blessings and more rezqi in our lives.
Ya Hafeez, please protect us from being lazy, protect us from being depress.
Ya Baasit, please expand our knowledge and let us think outside the box.
Ya Ghaffuur, please forgive us...
Today and tomorrow will not be the same, for us moms, especially studying moms out there. Our motivation is always up and down. Self-discipline is another HUGE issue to tackle. Health issues, not just ours, husband's and kids' contribute to our studying momentum.
I have a unwavering respects for Moms who are studying. It is not easy... but it is NOT IMPOSSIBLE!
Dr, Shafis, a wonder-Mom (of Alya and Amir) who can proudly say, 'Been there, done that!' I'm proud of you, babe!
Of course, I am not one of the moms who has clutched a PhD scroll (just yet).. but I'm going to, insha Allah, however hard and long (not too long, I hope =D) it takes...
To the mommies who are consolidating on furthering their studies out there.. before you embark on this journey, please think about this...
Do my husband and family support me, mentally and physically?
Remember, at times, you need to be away to the library, collect your data, meet your supervisor, attend seminars/courses - you need others to support you, to attend to your kids. It is essential that you have strong support at home.
You need your husband's approval. Talk about it. Discuss... really take time to discuss.
Get the kids on board, too! It's a family effort. When they see Abi helps out Ummi running errands and doing chores, trying to make life easier for Ummi while she's studying, insha Allah, they will too. Don't forget to explain to them the importance of you studying and them helping out, even though they are young.
Do I really want to know about the topic/title that I've chosen? REALLY?
If the answer is YES, go on ahead, because remember, you have to eat, pray, love (ahaks!), sleep, wake up, drink, type, read, drafting, re-drafting the topic you've chosen for at least another 4 years of your life. And if you're really 'pro' in it, you are actually opening up a fantastic new chapter in your life. Hey, being a 'specialist' in a field is something extraordinary, masha Allah!
You need to have fun in reading, writing, listening and speaking about your topic. When you have fun, you'll be passionate about your topic. That's crucial.
Bottom line, going back to school and being an Ummi at the same time is a tough, challenging job. What we can do is to execute our plans at our very best, strive to achieve the finest result.
PRAY. Allah is there for you.. to listen to your anguish and anxiousness.
HAVE FUN. Your kids will not enjoy stressed-out Ummi. And YOU will not enjoy your kids too (and that's a pity!!)
Don't be too hard on yourself. The time will pass whether you push yourself or not, and I strongly believe that in the long run, you'll be more grateful to look back on this time and you be satisfied, for you have done your best, and have fun while doing it.
Happy studying, momsies! You are superwomen! And as asserted by Shafis (2012), 'We do what we have to do and pray we'll do it well...with His blessings'.
I was indulged in an emotional and physical roller coaster for the past few weeks.
Symphony 1
We were surprised with another pregnancy news, since we were not planning to have one this soon. Alhamdulillah for Allah's gift(s).
Symphony 2
However, with that, came a huge sacrifice that I had to make as a servant of Allah. Subhanallah, it was not an easy task for me to climb the stairs of the Tabung Haji building in KT to decline the hajj offer. We were looking forward for this great event in our lives and has been preparing for it for some time. But Allah knows best. I believe in His design of my life's journey.
Symphony 3
I willingly told my husband to perform the Hajj pilgrimage this year without me, though many of my family members disagree. However, I believe that it was not easy to get a grand invitation from Allah to perform one of the essential pillars of Islam, so why must we decline it without a valid reason. It's me who will be 8 months pregnant during Hajj period, not him. So, alhamdulillah, we stand firm with our decision for my husband to go first, and insha Allah, my turn will come next, maybe as a PhD gift from Him, wallahu'alam.
Symphony 4
From the beginning of the pregnancy till now, I experienced three events of bleeding. It was scary. It effected my supervision meetings with my supervisor since I wasn't able to commute regularly from KT to Nottingham, Semenyih. Another huge alhamdulillah, for my supervisor was very understanding and instructed me to do my work at home and submitting my reports through emails. He advised me to bed rest and took the break I needed since health is an essential tool for me to complete my PhD process. Oh, alhamdulillah.
Symphony 5
When I was spotting for the third time, I went to the usual clinic and another HUGE news came to us. I AM still pregnant but not with one fetus, but TWO! There you go! TWINkle, TWINkle little star(s)! Symphony 6
I've got serious coughing issues in this pregnancy and I wheeze at night which makez it very hard for me to sleep or rest during night time. Hence, I needed afternoon naps, which made me lag behind my work as promised to myself and my supervisor. I have promised myself to complete at least 100% of my chapters 1 and 3 and at least 90% of chapter 2 before my EDD (which is mid December, 2011 - yes, this year). I need to work on my pilot study report so that I have a clear idea on what to expect during my data collection this September (pre-test) and December (post-test).
Symphony 7
Yes, you read right. I need to collect post-test data in December, the exact same time I'm due with the twins. And another round of huge alhamdulillah for I have super wonderful colleagues in at my workplace, who willingly volunteered to do it for me. I'm indebted to you, Shayda and Husna, as well as the gurus, Kak Sham and Kak Ti, for willingly helping to ensure my research data collection journey sails smoothly, insha Allah.
The Symphony
A song aptly titled Allah Knows by Zain Bhika and Dawud Wharnsby is the anthem to my bitter sweet symphony this June. The simple words, so simple, so frank, so direct, yet so true;
When you feel all alone in this world
And there’s nobody to count your tears
Just remember, no matter where you are
Allah knows
Allah knows
When you carrying a monster load
And you wonder how far you can go
With every step on that road that you take
Allah knows
Allah knows
CHORUS
No matter what, inside or out
There’s one thing of which there’s no doubt
Allah knows
Allah knows
And whatever lies in the heavens and the earth
Every star in this whole universe
Allah knows
Allah knows
When you find that special someone
Feel your whole life has barely begun
You can walk on the moon, shout it to everyone
Allah knows
Allah knows
When you gaze with love in your eyes
Catch a glimpse of paradise
And you see your child take the first breath of life
Allah knows
Allah knows
CHORUS
When you lose someone close to your heart
See your whole world fall apart
And you try to go on but it seems so hard
Allah knows
Allah knows
You see we all have a path to choose
Through the valleys and hills we go
With the ups and the downs, never fret never frown
Allah knows Allah knows
CHORUS (x2)
Every grain of sand,
In every desert land, He knows.
Every shade of palm,
Every closed hand, He knows.
Every sparkling tear,
On every eyelash, He knows.
Every thought I have,
And every word I share, He knows.
Allah knows.
It was the first time for both of us to leave the kids at home and had a quick retreat. It wasn't an easy decision (at my part) but we believe it's a good idea for us to have a quick getaway and share good quality time together .
And so, after 7 years of marriage, 3 kids and a PhD (and another one to go, insha Allah) <-- (sounds like the script in the Amazing Race finale!!! Hahah), we booked our tix and hotels, left the kids with my ever so wonderful parents, and took a plane to BALI!!
Well, I won't bother telling the details of our travel itinerary =p - but I'll gladly share the things we've learned from the quick getaway.
Getaways can help to refresh and revive relationships. It is like breathing fresh air into them, re-energizing them with greater intimacy and deeper love.This might sound kinky, but hey, as we're so absorbed in our responsibilities and roles at work and home, we could forget how we began as a unit. As vacation is time to devote ourselves to rest and relax from work or study, it's the best time to devote our quality time for each other! (Parents with small children without a helper will know that vacation with kids is not really a totally relaxing time, though it's important and special, too).
The Bali retreat allow us to focus on each other, share memorable life experiences together, and simply have fun, with no interference from work or home. It focused on what we love to do together - we simply shared the moment! (However, during one of my phone call home, I confessed that I cried after talking to the children!! It was a big distraction leaving the kids for the first time, but hey, it's only for 2 days!)
A couple's vacation is when you REALLY spend your quality time together. Hence it's important for both of you to talk about your relationship: where it had been, how did you go through the rough times, how do you plan to make it better - for yourselves and for the kids. When you communicate earnestly and discussed openly with your spouse, your objectives will be clearer and you'll work towards the same goals - and this will make you closer and happier with each other. And automatically, the kids will benefit from the healthy and loving relationship, too, insha Allah!
Taking a vacation is the healthy thing to do! It's healthy for your mind, body and relationship. A getaway is like hitting the reset button (after saving all the important files!). Taking a retreat, vacating my mind off my research (just for the shortest period of time =D), improved my motivation and concentration! I don't want to risk myself into serious burnout. (And the vacation was a 'present' for myself for completing my CoS report successfully!)
The retreat should be well within your budget. Hence, (budget and detail trip) planning is essential. Since we are the frequent flyer of AirAsia, we managed to grab the RM20 tickets to Bali, and booked the hotel through Hotel.com - and alhamdulillah, we managed to grab great bargains from both!
It's super fun going out on a halal date with your husband! Trust me!
Kuta Beach, Bali.
I hope that I don't have to wait another 7 years and 3 more kids for the next vacation!! A present for another PhD in the house would be nice... (hint.. hint...)
A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.
~Mignon McLaughlin
Happy marriages are based on a deep friendship. By this I mean a mutual respect for and enjoyment of each other’s company. ~John Gottman
A happy marriage is the union of two good forgivers.
I started my small veggie patch late last year when I felt the need to divert my attention from my research. Yes, that's how bad it was. Using the hoe as my weapon to break the hard brown soil, I felt a sense of relieve. I felt good.
From planting the basic lemon grass and pandan plants, I advanced to veggies and everyday herbs. And today, after sowing the seeds of my kangkung in mid March, I ate my own grown veggie for the first time (in Terengganu) (and this also excludes eating taugeh, which was theexperiments of Al Fateh and Alwani)!
My skinny kangkung.
Looking at the photos captured, I praise to Allah for His power to make things grow.
I learn that the kids enjoyed looking at the different phases of the growth. My wee veggie patch allows me to introduce to the kids the idea of caring of our surroundings, how to treat plants. Even Yusuf loves to take part by practically standing by the hose to 'book' his turn to water the plants. Alhamdulillah for this opportunity.
And of course, the best part is.....
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
eating them!
As I reached the first birthday of my unborn PhD thesis, I was asked to submit a Confirmation of Status (CoS) report. It's the prime time for me to show (off) to my supervisors and other members of the faculty what I have been doing and try hard to cover the things that I haven't done (but to no avail).
Writing a report of a minimum of 10K words was among the biggest hurdle. But, alhamdulillah, my supervisor advised me to chillax and take it easy and kindly gave me a tip, which was to write the report according to the structure of the thesis, and he asked me to produce one in 2 hours time (so much of the chillax moment!).
And so, this was what I came out with.. my CoS skeleton.
My supervisor accepted my CoS Skeleton Proposal and I was asked to 'beef-it-up' in 4 weeks.
Having this skeleton did help me to focus on my 10k journey of CoS. The lovely thing about having this skeleton was, I could start on whichever point I wanted. Meaning, I could beef up the 3.7s though my 2.3 was still boney (to be honest, the literature review haunts me till now!!).
Hence, I learn that I need skeletons in my PhD life for clear and distinct directions. Thanks to my supervisor for introducing this concept. Now I know that I'm one of the Vygotsky-ans.
Oh by the way, my uni only wanted me to produce up to the (3.7) Research Procedure bit. Yours might be different, but at least, if you're just starting your PhD journey, you could have the fast-forward ticket by doing this from the very beginning! You'll be the model student for your professor, I bet!
All the best to us! May Allah eases our journey to gain beneficial knowledge and excellence, aamin.
Great Kanto Highway. Credit to AP/Daily Mail online picture
Looking at this photo, I couldn't help but to feel astounded and at the same time motivated to get back to my stack of surveys which hasn't been punched into SPSS. In my previous entry, I found it amazing on how the Japanese reacted after the great earthquake and tsunami. Then, looking at this vivid before and after photos, it proved to me that they are highly resistant and disciplined lot.
I want myself and my children to have the same attitude in life. I need to teach myself and my children that despite any chaos or nerve-wracking moments that we have to endure in life, we need to stand by each other, will not panic or blame each other, but work together to restore peace and order in our lives.
Another lesson learned from the photo above is the astonishing speed of reconstruction which makes me believe that the Nippons will come around faster then I can imagine. Together with their positive and winning mental attitude, there's no question about the nation's ability to get back on its feet.
Hence, if we ever stumble and fall during the course of life, we need to adopt the fabulous positive energy displayed by the Japanese. With the spirit of togetherness, positive and winning mental attitude, and high quality job done, we will surely can make changes in our lives by leaps and bounds.
Prelude: For social science researchers, the word correlation plays an important role to ‘statistically’ describe and measure the degree of relationship between two or more variables.
Tohoku Earthquake and Sendai Tsunami
Last week, incredibly devastating news on Tohoku earthquake (9.0 magnitude) and tsunami (10m height) were covered in most news network. It's assumed (since the real amount is untold just yet) that this might be the costliest earthquakes and tsunamis ever.
A couple of friends of mine were personally affected, since they are doing their doctorate studies in Tohoku University in Sendai. Alhamdulillah, they were saved by Allah’s perfect plan – meeting up a relative who stopped over in Tokyo from Dubai, which meant, their usual routine of working in the Uni lab for one, and performing Friday prayers for another were distorted. Allah’s plan ensured them to be together during this trying time, and away from the distressed area.
Some of the footage were terrifyingand way beyond disheartening, and I personally think it’s impossible to imagine what it’d be like to be caught up in the tragedy. Na’uzubillahi minzalik.
Nonetheless, I couldn’t stop relating this phenomenon with my own research.
It would be inevitable for anyone to face tough and challenging phases during the process of PhD-ing oneself. The first phase would be feeling restless and lonely, not forgetting, sensing of being totally lost in piles of journals. Then it came to the time(s) of burning the midnight oil - then waking up cranky in the morning. There were times when the layers of patience left the body, and the wicked witch of the west emerged from within and transformed me into the short-tempered melancholic lady (whom I detest). Then the feelings of 'there's not enough hours in the 24 hours' and 'why didn't I do this earlier' which could sometimes contribute to the stamping of the word GUILT (bold and caps) on the forehead. In short, the process of PhD-ing oneself could be pretty self-shattering.
But Alhamdulillah, I have Allah. Alhamdulillah, I have a supportive and understanding husband. Alhamdulillah, I have great kids who listen to me. Alhamdulillah, I have great parents who support me physically and mentally. Alhamdulillah, I have super friends who showers me with guidance and personally aid me through this lonely and treacherous journey. Alhamdulillah for all the miracles that Allah bestows upon me.
The correlation of Tohoku Earthquake and PhD process
It is vital to keep things in perspectives.
Should the PhD stress and the aftermath of the earthquake stop ourselves from living our lives to the fullest? NO! Both should help creating better person for the future, that is, after the hurdles have been successfully leaped over.
I don’t mean to say that it isn’t stressful, or that the stress isn’t real. It exists, unfortunately. However, by reading a couple of paragraphs above, there are always little and big things in our lives to be happy and grateful about - i.e. in the case of my friends in Tohoku, Sendai, they still have each other, healthy and alive!
We need to always keep in mind that everything is temporary. There'll be rainbow after the rain, sunshine after a stormy nights. In order to earn the sunshine, we need to work on it, and don't let the stress (and procrastination) succumb you to a deeper ditch. I believe that the Japanese will surely rise and go on with their lives and build a better Nippon; and they have proven it after the Kobe Earthquake in 1995. If they can overcome a horrific situation, we sure can, too! Let's 'earn the sunshine'!
Interlude:
Let's pray for the victims of Tohoku Earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
Let's pray that from this tragedy, they learn to find truth and peace in Allah.
Let's pray that we are always grateful to Allah.
Let's pray that He always grants us positive yet critical perspectives in life.
Let's pray that we will always appreciate good and bad experiences in our lives,
even if sometimes it takes some effort to see them.
When I read, read, read and read journal articles, it came to a point when I asked myself, what am I reading? Why am I reviewing? When should I stop? And when these questions started popping out in your mind, I knew that I'm starting to loose focus, I'm starting to loose interest.
Then, I would find 'other' more interesting stuff, which range from facebooking, ebay/online/window/virtual/pasar payang shopping, playing games, scrapbooking, no-objective-online-browsing, HBO, TLC, Diva Universal, and even shifting my concentration and energy in a sudden interest in cooking and new recipes.
Surely, at the end of the day, I'd suffer the 'non-guilt-free sleep' syndrome. Yikes!!
Cure needed!
I needed to find a cure. So, I arranged for a special appointment with my SV and told him about my disease, well he's a Dr afterall! To my amazement, he said that this is a common illness for full time PhD students.
And so, we came to an agreement that I needed (and still need) to keep focus by not reading off track. Off track in this context can mean too much, or too little reading. So, he told me to start compiling my reviews in an article format. This means, I have to limit my review on a sub-topic only up to 15-18 pages, including the reference. 15 page?! Gosh.. that's alot!
But then, I think my SV read my mind (and wrinkled face), and he said, 'Hello Azza, your first few parts will be your abstract and your intro, which will be your background of studies. You've got them already from your proposal! Just reshape your reviews and put them into a theoretical review! Please bring it to my table in a week.'
A week?!! Biar benar?!
Puzzle pieces.
I thought it'll be hard, but hey, I was wrong! Remember in the third lesson from the previous entry that I told you all the 'wrong' reviews will build up to be the 'right' one? This was the 'a-ha' moment for me, putting all the tiny jigsaw pieces into the right places in the research puzzle.
During my next appointment, I bravely showed my SV my first draft on my first ever attempt in writing an article. He nodded, then he shook his head, and some more nods.
The verdict.
He told me that it was a 'marketable' article (being an editor of an international journal himself, I have to admit I was very pleased) BUT I needed to refine my academic writing style and flow of writing. And so, he gave me a private tutoring on how to create a good journal. Then, he sent me back to my work station and asked me to meet him again after lunch, where he wanted to read my second draft.
In less then 3 hours, I managed to produce a second draft, yes, I was shocked I could manage to do that in a short amount of time (but I think I managed well because I did not change my window browser at all during that time!).
The issue of co-write or solo author.
During the second meeting in regards of my first ever journal article, my SV asked me frankly whether I wanted to co-write with him or publish this article on my own. I gave him a truthful answer, which I have thought about during the AirAsia flight from KT-KL earlier in the morning, that I wanted to co-write with him.
Why?
Surely my SV has more publications=experiences in writing journal articles. When he agrees to co-write, it means that he can help me reword and edit my amateur version.
His name could ring a bell to another international journal editor, so it'll be easier for the article to be accepted (I think).
It'll be a win-win situation for both of us. Not only my SV will be credited for another journal article, but I also have a publication, too!
Furthermore, the article would be edited and refined by both my SV and the editor of the journal, hence, I could easily cut and paste it without doubt into my thesis! Cool eh?! Super cool!
I think these are more than enough reasons to co-write.
And so, both of us had corrected and refined the article until the 6th draft before I boldly sent it to an international journal editor! And it was accepted with 2 more corrections!! Alhamdulillah!
And now, I have submitted another article in an international journal, but there is no reply just yet, and working on my third one. The reason I want to write on this was not to boast, astaghfirullah, but to share that there is a cure out there for the PhD illnesses!
You'll enjoy doing something when you have a reward instore for you. It's a basic Affective theory in education. It's a basic theory of life.
'Many learners want to succeed. They are capable of suceeding:
they are simply lack the belief (and effort) to do so." Jensen, The Learning Brain (1994)
