Life and Letters

What "Ph. D." really stands for is . . .

• Patiently hoping for a Degree
• Please Hire. Desperate.
• Physiologically Deficient
• Pour him (or her) a Drink
• Probably headed for Divorce
• Probably heavily in Debt
• Parents have Doubts
• Professors had Doubts
• Pheromone Deprived
• Permanent Head Damage
• Potential heavy Drinker
• Professional hamburger Dispenser....."Would you like fries with that?"
• Pretty heavily Depressed
• Prozac handouts Desired
• Pretty heavy Diploma
• Pathetic homeless Dreamer
• Proudly half Dead
• Phinally done! (I wish....)

At this point in my PhD, I feel rather overwhelmed especially when it's dawned upon me that my final year has finally begun and I have one precious last year of research to do. It's mighty scary and at times I have a feeling that I won't make it, or I'll fail the entire degree or something. I guess I just have to keep my faith in myself and my supervisor. I hope my supervisor likes me enough as a tutee not to let me fail my PhD!

The last few days has been crazy - I finally feel the effects of getting old-er. I have less energy to do all this fresher's stuff with Gerald. Going to the Fresher's Fair to collect all the freebies felt like a serious feat - I was panting by the end of it. At the end of each day when I go to bed now, I just feel seriously drained and am fast asleep in a matter of minutes.

I was experiencing a huge mental block this morning as I tried to pen some stuff down for my thesis, I remembered a few kind words of advice my friends and I once joked about:

• When you don't know what you are doing, do it neatly.
• Past experience is always correct, and should never be misled by present facts.
• In case of doubt, make it sound convincing.
• Don't believe in miracles, rely on them.
• Record of data is essential, it indicates you have been doing something.
• No matter what result is anticipated, someone will always fit the facts to it.
• When in charge- ponder
• When in trouble- delegate
• When in doubt- mumble

On a side note,

Here's presenting Proko's ingenius artwork! I know this concert is a long time away but please pen it into your diaries and support my effort to organise yet another piano recital for my PhD Supervisor, Dr. Kenneth Hamilton! THANKS! :o)