This morning, admittedly, I worked on some projects that are less of a priority. Why, because I've been putting off working on them for more than a week and I wanted to start organising my ideas other than my scribbles on scratch paper. To be fair, I've talked about most of these with my supervisor, at some point, and we both think they are worthwhile, the issues are time and priority. As long as I finish a thesis and submit the papers we've discussed before my imposed deadline at the end of next July, there's no stopping me from taking on extra work. Well there's money, but that's always an issue.
After lunch I got back with the game plan and worked on setting up experiments to collect data, which will contribute to my current paper draft. Later on I left school to read a stack of material for one of my remaining PGSA obligations.
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Traction
I started today with 3 hours of scheduled writing. During this time I ignored email, shut myself off to distractions in the lab and as difficult as it was I resisted the temptations to wander off to more "interesting" work. The result was a significant amount of writing, albeit not the highest quality prose, but certainly a first step in crafting a manuscript. In the process I was able to identify missing data/work necessary to tell our story and in the afternoon I double checked my list with my supervisor. I now have a clear idea of the essential work required before I can complete this article and I plan to start ticking items off this list tomorrow.
In addition to speaking with my supervisor, in the afternoon I spent time on formatting figures.
In addition to speaking with my supervisor, in the afternoon I spent time on formatting figures.
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Staging
Today was an excellent opportunity to line out work for the next couple of months. I spoke with my supervisor about some of the specific work I'd like to do and we had a great discussion about expectations. The content of my thesis is coming into focus and I feel comfortable with the amount of time and work I have left.
I did work on some figures today, both for my paper and a fellow student's draft. To make sure I continue my writing progress from last week, I've blocked off three hours tomorrow morning specifically for writing. In the afternoon I'll work on figures, some PGSA business and my other projects that I'll maintaining in the "background."
I did work on some figures today, both for my paper and a fellow student's draft. To make sure I continue my writing progress from last week, I've blocked off three hours tomorrow morning specifically for writing. In the afternoon I'll work on figures, some PGSA business and my other projects that I'll maintaining in the "background."
Monday, October 27, 2014
Labour Day
As I mentioned yesterday, today was a public holiday and as such I didn't go into the lab. Having worked both Saturday and Sunday afternoons, I was fine with running errands and enjoying some time away from school. Although, I've been spending a lot of time thinking about designs (mechanical, electronics and programming) for my next projects; I am still focused on writing, when I am at my desk, but elsewhere my mind has other plans.
Week in advance: 26 October-1 November
As I've mentioned numerous times last week my goal right now is to knock out a paper draft. I will still be working on other projects, to keep "progress" moving forward, but I would very much like to get this paper submitted. I hesitate to set any deadline or target date, just as right now I don't feel I have a strong grasp on how much work will be required. There's writing the manuscripts, but there's also a couple final experiments to finish to really sell the story.
In reality, I think a goal this week is to get a grasp on the task and figure out what will be required to complete the first draft.
Tomorrow is Labour Day in New Zealand, so I won't head into work in the morning, but I still have volunteer work in the afternoon.
In reality, I think a goal this week is to get a grasp on the task and figure out what will be required to complete the first draft.
Tomorrow is Labour Day in New Zealand, so I won't head into work in the morning, but I still have volunteer work in the afternoon.
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Week in review: 19-25 October
This week I wanted to spend some time planning out my work for the next few months. In the end this never happened as I started to write a paper draft. The message from my supervisor and others in the science community is clear, "publish." As much as I'd like to put all my time into jobs in the lab, writing is a big part of a PhD and I can't put it off any longer. Also, the soon I finish writing, the sooner I can be back to doing the other stuff I want to do.
That said, I am (and will) take small bits and pieces of my days to do my own things in the lab. Also, I am not finished all the experiments I need to complete my thesis, so I need time to keep progress moving along. Finally, I'll have a few odds and ends tasks for my current draft. All of which will help relieve me from constant writing. I guess the struggle will be to balance my time and simultaneously make progress on all fronts.
That said, I am (and will) take small bits and pieces of my days to do my own things in the lab. Also, I am not finished all the experiments I need to complete my thesis, so I need time to keep progress moving along. Finally, I'll have a few odds and ends tasks for my current draft. All of which will help relieve me from constant writing. I guess the struggle will be to balance my time and simultaneously make progress on all fronts.
Saturday, October 25, 2014
Hidden Work
Today was more of the same: writing, figures and programming. With regards to the first two, this is where I spent most of my time today. I am continuing with a stream of written diarrhoea in the hope of building some critical mass for my paper. To paraphrase my supervisor, "just get words down so the page doesn't look so empty." While I know I'll have a lot of editing and formatting in the future, for now, the more I write the less intimidating the task becomes. I am also working on the figures as these are the core of any paper. I've heard from numerous supervisors (with regards to writing a paper), "start with the figures." In both writing and plotting I am continuing to learn new Latex or Python skills (these are the tools I use for the previously mentioned jobs), which helps to keep me interested in the tasks at hand.
This evening my wife needed to work late so I was able to stay a couple extra hours. Having already spent the day on what I "should" be doing, I decided to work on things I "want" to be doing. To be fair I do "want" to finish my paper, but I am talking about indulging in some new electronics and programming ideas. What can I say, I wanted some Friday night fun!
This evening my wife needed to work late so I was able to stay a couple extra hours. Having already spent the day on what I "should" be doing, I decided to work on things I "want" to be doing. To be fair I do "want" to finish my paper, but I am talking about indulging in some new electronics and programming ideas. What can I say, I wanted some Friday night fun!
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Pen to paper
This morning I spent an hour or so working on a couple figures for a paper. At some point, I realised that what I really needed to be working on was the text of my manuscript. Earlier in the week I had laid out an outline of the manuscript so I started writing the methods sections. These are notoriously "easy" to write and a great way to quickly build momentum for the writing of the draft. While ultimately I know I'll need to shave down the text in the methods section, for now it's a way to reach a critical mass and hopefully make the process less intimidating. In the afternoon, I once again left school to spend time reading.
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Little bits
This morning I spent some time working with another student in the lab. Later on I started formatting my figures for a paper. In the afternoon I left campus to read a few articles. Overall I've been feeling very tired, but I've been able to squeak out some work.
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
It's time
The time has come. It can't be put off any longer. It must be done.
It's time to start writing papers. As a researcher and PhD student, the job entails coming up with a novel idea, designing elegant methodology, executing experimentation and preforming thoughtful analysis. Unfortunately, the job does not stop there, because once you've poured yourself into your work, you then have to offer up your results to your peers. I don't know if I've made the point in the past couple months, but I love my work. I get a kick out of experimental design, learning by doing and collecting data in the lab. However, if I have any desire to continue in science, I have to publish. To be fair, there's pressure to publish not only to tick a box, but because in the process you explain to a wider audience not just how and what you did, but more importantly why. A scientific paper is a neat (or should be) package that frames the motivation for a small contribution (that's the experiment) within one or more broad fields and typically concludes with a discussion of the implications of the reported results. With that in mind, there's nothing about a journal article that's unreasonable to ask of the graduate student. And I would suggest that for a capable student there's nothing too difficult about formatting and drafting a manuscript. Well in theory at least. With the countdown clock ticking away, the reality is I already have two papers and a thesis that need to be finished by July. Add to that the other projects (and subsequent output) that I'd like to additionally work on and it's clear I need to start knocking items off the "master" to do list.
So there it is, the planning of the week has arrived at the simple conclusion, it's time to write. I will have some data analysis and auxiliary experiments to run as I close in on my final draft, but for now the focus will be writing.
It's time to start writing papers. As a researcher and PhD student, the job entails coming up with a novel idea, designing elegant methodology, executing experimentation and preforming thoughtful analysis. Unfortunately, the job does not stop there, because once you've poured yourself into your work, you then have to offer up your results to your peers. I don't know if I've made the point in the past couple months, but I love my work. I get a kick out of experimental design, learning by doing and collecting data in the lab. However, if I have any desire to continue in science, I have to publish. To be fair, there's pressure to publish not only to tick a box, but because in the process you explain to a wider audience not just how and what you did, but more importantly why. A scientific paper is a neat (or should be) package that frames the motivation for a small contribution (that's the experiment) within one or more broad fields and typically concludes with a discussion of the implications of the reported results. With that in mind, there's nothing about a journal article that's unreasonable to ask of the graduate student. And I would suggest that for a capable student there's nothing too difficult about formatting and drafting a manuscript. Well in theory at least. With the countdown clock ticking away, the reality is I already have two papers and a thesis that need to be finished by July. Add to that the other projects (and subsequent output) that I'd like to additionally work on and it's clear I need to start knocking items off the "master" to do list.
So there it is, the planning of the week has arrived at the simple conclusion, it's time to write. I will have some data analysis and auxiliary experiments to run as I close in on my final draft, but for now the focus will be writing.
Work in progress
Lots of thinking today, as I said there would be...
This morning and this evening I've been thinking about my thesis, my direction and work plan for the next few months. No final decisions yet; to be continued...
This morning and this evening I've been thinking about my thesis, my direction and work plan for the next few months. No final decisions yet; to be continued...
Sunday, October 19, 2014
Week in advance: 19-25 October
Here we go... back on the air and ready for work. My apologies for the disruption over the past week. With travelling I slacked on my blog duties, but now it's time to move forward.
"Moving forward" an interesting sentiment, as this is the thought that's captured my attention the past couple of days. Preparing for last week's workshop gave me a goal. There were certain tasks I wanted to accomplish, with a defined due date. In turn I took this work and presented the results; ultimately receiving feedback from my peers. Now what do I do next? What next, moving forward?
From speaking with folks at the workshop and hearing talks from others, I have a number of ideas for future work, experiments, etc. However, there's pressure (rightly so) to publish the work I have to date. In the past I've always continued to refine my work, never settling. Maybe I could get away with this as an undergraduate, but it won't fly as a professional or career scientist. In fact, last week I was speaking with a couple professors from around Europe; we were having a great discussion and at some point, I mentioned how much time I have left and how many ideas I still had for future work. This is when the conversation took a sombre tone, as one of them turned to me and flatly asked, "How many papers have you published this year?" The point was quickly taken, that ideas, while important, do not ensure success. In fact what good are ideas and experiments if you don't communicate your work with others. This is a lesson my supervisor (and supervisors in the past) has tried to teach me. However, before I am able to write competently, I would like to have a better grasp on other work which means I have a lot of reading to do.
So, what to do moving forward: work, write, read? I know the answer is all three, but I still need a plan of attack. This is my goal for this week. Any entire week? Yes. Do I think it should take that long? No. However, planning is the most important part of a PhD. Over the next couple days I will take stock of where I am, I'll review my goals and progress over the past few months, I'll speak with my supervisor and then I will be able to map out the next 2-3 months of work. Having been away for a week and volunteering on Monday afternoon, tomorrow will most likely be a wash. From Tuesday on I'll start to work through my plans and hopefully by the end of the week I'll be moving forward in whatever direction is the priority.
"Moving forward" an interesting sentiment, as this is the thought that's captured my attention the past couple of days. Preparing for last week's workshop gave me a goal. There were certain tasks I wanted to accomplish, with a defined due date. In turn I took this work and presented the results; ultimately receiving feedback from my peers. Now what do I do next? What next, moving forward?
From speaking with folks at the workshop and hearing talks from others, I have a number of ideas for future work, experiments, etc. However, there's pressure (rightly so) to publish the work I have to date. In the past I've always continued to refine my work, never settling. Maybe I could get away with this as an undergraduate, but it won't fly as a professional or career scientist. In fact, last week I was speaking with a couple professors from around Europe; we were having a great discussion and at some point, I mentioned how much time I have left and how many ideas I still had for future work. This is when the conversation took a sombre tone, as one of them turned to me and flatly asked, "How many papers have you published this year?" The point was quickly taken, that ideas, while important, do not ensure success. In fact what good are ideas and experiments if you don't communicate your work with others. This is a lesson my supervisor (and supervisors in the past) has tried to teach me. However, before I am able to write competently, I would like to have a better grasp on other work which means I have a lot of reading to do.
So, what to do moving forward: work, write, read? I know the answer is all three, but I still need a plan of attack. This is my goal for this week. Any entire week? Yes. Do I think it should take that long? No. However, planning is the most important part of a PhD. Over the next couple days I will take stock of where I am, I'll review my goals and progress over the past few months, I'll speak with my supervisor and then I will be able to map out the next 2-3 months of work. Having been away for a week and volunteering on Monday afternoon, tomorrow will most likely be a wash. From Tuesday on I'll start to work through my plans and hopefully by the end of the week I'll be moving forward in whatever direction is the priority.
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Hallo aus Deutschland
I have missed a couple posts over the past few days, due to the fact I am in Germany to attend a Rheo-NMR workshop. Travelling to Europe from New Zealand and vice versa takes about 25 hours worth of flights and an additional few hours during layovers on route. Additionally, at this time of the year, there is a 11 hour difference between New Zealand and Germany.
This trip was particularly exciting because although I arrived the day before the workshop, when I arrived I still need to finish my slides. And I need to practice and fine tune my presentation of the material. Building my slides wasn't an issue, it's just a time consuming process to get the formatting and layout just right. While it was easy to finish the slides in time and I didn't mind working on these the day before, my big mistake was not giving myself enough time to practice my talk. Additionally, I had 30 minutes at the conference, with a goal of speaking for ~25 minutes and leaving some time for questions. This is a much longer talk than I am use to, and longer by a factor of 2. What this means is that practice runs for this talk took twice as long as a "typical" conference presentation. So even with 2 hours to practice there was only time to run through 3-4 times. Additionally, it's exhausting to speak for 25 minutes straight, so with the night to prepare I was only able to run through the slides a handful of times.
Despite finishing the slides at the last minute and the limited time to practice, the workshop today went very well. There were some fabulous talks from leaders in the field. And when it came to my turn, I was pleased with my presentation. I did not go over time, but with the amount of questions I received, I did pass the 30 minute mark. Using questions as a gauge of how effective my talk was and how interesting the material was to the audience, I would say people were interested in my work. I received questions, which is always a good position to be, meaning that others engaged with the talk and felt my research was relevant. Also the questions I received indicated that folks understood the key points of my research and that I was able to communicate these ideas sufficiently during my presentation.
Tomorrow night I begin the day and half voyage back to New Zealand, but after a fantastic session today, I am more than happy I made the trip.
This trip was particularly exciting because although I arrived the day before the workshop, when I arrived I still need to finish my slides. And I need to practice and fine tune my presentation of the material. Building my slides wasn't an issue, it's just a time consuming process to get the formatting and layout just right. While it was easy to finish the slides in time and I didn't mind working on these the day before, my big mistake was not giving myself enough time to practice my talk. Additionally, I had 30 minutes at the conference, with a goal of speaking for ~25 minutes and leaving some time for questions. This is a much longer talk than I am use to, and longer by a factor of 2. What this means is that practice runs for this talk took twice as long as a "typical" conference presentation. So even with 2 hours to practice there was only time to run through 3-4 times. Additionally, it's exhausting to speak for 25 minutes straight, so with the night to prepare I was only able to run through the slides a handful of times.
Despite finishing the slides at the last minute and the limited time to practice, the workshop today went very well. There were some fabulous talks from leaders in the field. And when it came to my turn, I was pleased with my presentation. I did not go over time, but with the amount of questions I received, I did pass the 30 minute mark. Using questions as a gauge of how effective my talk was and how interesting the material was to the audience, I would say people were interested in my work. I received questions, which is always a good position to be, meaning that others engaged with the talk and felt my research was relevant. Also the questions I received indicated that folks understood the key points of my research and that I was able to communicate these ideas sufficiently during my presentation.
Tomorrow night I begin the day and half voyage back to New Zealand, but after a fantastic session today, I am more than happy I made the trip.
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Week in review: 5-11 October
A brief review of the week before I board my flight to Singapore, on my way to a workshop in Germany.
Overall I am pleased with my progress this week. I had put myself in a great position leading up to my departure today, which only made the last few days that much less stressful. The lessons learned, however, include "over" budgeting time; if I think I can do something in half a day, block off a whole day. And second, I need to learn when to say something is "good" enough. I have high standards for my work and output, but I need to make sure I don't get stuck working on a minor detail for too long.
Overall I am pleased with my progress this week. I had put myself in a great position leading up to my departure today, which only made the last few days that much less stressful. The lessons learned, however, include "over" budgeting time; if I think I can do something in half a day, block off a whole day. And second, I need to learn when to say something is "good" enough. I have high standards for my work and output, but I need to make sure I don't get stuck working on a minor detail for too long.
Full on
As my Kiwi colleagues would say, today was "full on." Before work, I ran a couple errands to prepare for my upcoming trip overseas. Then I went into the lab where I ran through my talk with my research group. At that point my presentation was still at the 70% stage, so I had to arm wave through a couple of blank slides. I have a 30 minute session next week and my first run ever (at this morning's group meeting) took me ~32 minutes. I've taken out a slide and will tighten my narration with the goal of trimming down to 25 spoken minutes, with the extra time available for questions.
After my practise talk I had to run to the PGSA office for a retreat/monthly Executive Board meeting.
... whoa whoa whoa, I thought you finished with the PGSA?
Well I am no longer President or a member of the leadership group, however, I am still committed to help the Association, as time allows. Additionally, I'll be working with the new board, over the next month or so, to prepare for next year.
This afternoon and into the evening I made sure I had all the material to finish my slides as I travel. I'll fine tune the presentation in airports and hotels, but I am confident I've prepared all the animations, collected all the data and snapped all the necessary photos.
Also today I am starting a new rating system to track the daily ups and downs of PhD life. You'll see this as a number in the labels. Moving forward, each day I'll tag my progress as an integer 1-4 (including the end points); with a 1 being a "bad" day and 4 being a "great" day.
After my practise talk I had to run to the PGSA office for a retreat/monthly Executive Board meeting.
... whoa whoa whoa, I thought you finished with the PGSA?
Well I am no longer President or a member of the leadership group, however, I am still committed to help the Association, as time allows. Additionally, I'll be working with the new board, over the next month or so, to prepare for next year.
This afternoon and into the evening I made sure I had all the material to finish my slides as I travel. I'll fine tune the presentation in airports and hotels, but I am confident I've prepared all the animations, collected all the data and snapped all the necessary photos.
Also today I am starting a new rating system to track the daily ups and downs of PhD life. You'll see this as a number in the labels. Moving forward, each day I'll tag my progress as an integer 1-4 (including the end points); with a 1 being a "bad" day and 4 being a "great" day.
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Late night
Today I am blogging from work as I've been trying to finish my presentation for a practice run tomorrow. I am about 70% done, but I think I am in a position to get feedback from others. I won't be able to give a "proper" talk in the morning, but I can work through my slides to see if the flow and content is on track.
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
When to say enough
Frustration is certainly a part of the game when it comes to research. Today I was trying to get some data for my talk next week and despite our best efforts, things didn't work out. Really there's no issue here and during any other week I'd just go back into the lab tomorrow and try again. However, in a couple days I am headed off to a workshop on the other side of the planet. Before I leave I definitely need to finish my talk, practise and take care of other business. This means I am now fighting the clock.
... side note, new micro-blog, "60hours2flight," capturing the riveting moments of finishing a presentation before leaving for Germany ... nahh
I've been in a great place the past couple weeks. I have made tremendous progress and I had set myself up nicely for the upcoming meeting. My issue now is to realise that the work and data I have is good enough and that I just need to finish my slides. I can't work up until the last minute. I've been there, last year before leaving to speak at a conference in Cambridge. And I certainly don't want to have this problem as I prepare to submit my thesis.
... side note, new micro-blog, "60hours2flight," capturing the riveting moments of finishing a presentation before leaving for Germany ... nahh
I've been in a great place the past couple weeks. I have made tremendous progress and I had set myself up nicely for the upcoming meeting. My issue now is to realise that the work and data I have is good enough and that I just need to finish my slides. I can't work up until the last minute. I've been there, last year before leaving to speak at a conference in Cambridge. And I certainly don't want to have this problem as I prepare to submit my thesis.
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Great fun
I had a lot of fun at work today. Even with my upcoming deadlines I am still enjoying my jobs in the lab. I spent the entire day uninterrupted and I was able to continue on collecting data for my talk.
I didn't spend any time formatting my slides, but I am planning to focus on these all day Thursday.
I didn't spend any time formatting my slides, but I am planning to focus on these all day Thursday.
Monday, October 6, 2014
End of term
Today was a Monday, which as always means a busy day. This morning I was able to get a run in on an instrument in the lab, but otherwise I wasn't able to accomplish much else. At noon the PGSA held it's AGM which means I am official out of a job; as of the meeting, I am no longer President. Over the next couple weeks I will be helping out the new Executive Board, but my responsibilities in the Association are coming to an end. In the afternoon I was off campus volunteering.
I've been organising in my head my plan of attack for tomorrow and I have notes made out to get the most from my workday. My goal is to have a practise talk on Friday which will require a solid effort over the next couple of days.
I've been organising in my head my plan of attack for tomorrow and I have notes made out to get the most from my workday. My goal is to have a practise talk on Friday which will require a solid effort over the next couple of days.
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Week in advance: 5-11 October
I am feeling the pressure! There's nothing like an upcoming conference talk to get the blood flowing. I have one week of work left and I am looking to make the most of it. The only challenge is that my Monday and Friday are pretty much no good. Tomorrow I have an AGM for the PGSA followed by an afternoon of volunteering. And on Friday I am leading a retreat for the new PGSA Executive Board and giving a practice talk to my lab group.
The good news is that the rest of my week is rather straight forward... finish my presentation! I have enough data for my talk, but as a secondary task this week, I'll try to get a bit more work done in tandem to preparing my slides. This might even be the best position I've been in before a talk. I already have an outline of my talk and place holders for each slides, I just need to fill in the figures and add a splash of text.
The good news is that the rest of my week is rather straight forward... finish my presentation! I have enough data for my talk, but as a secondary task this week, I'll try to get a bit more work done in tandem to preparing my slides. This might even be the best position I've been in before a talk. I already have an outline of my talk and place holders for each slides, I just need to fill in the figures and add a splash of text.
Week in review: 28 September-4 October
This week was a mix of emotions. On the one hand, I continued to make progress in the lab, I tied up a number of PGSA "loose ends" and I nearly completed my weekly to do list. However, stresses from finances, visa renewals and upcoming travel have negated my positivity. I've been going to work this week, charging ahead, but I felt like I was in a funk. I've talked before about the ups and downs of PhD studies and I am not too concerned about the past few days as I figure it was just a "low" week. Despite my mood, I was able to keep on task as I had a thought out to do list. And looking back, this list was possibly doubly effective... not only did it keep me focused on work, but ticking jobs off the list helped (in a small way) to improve my attitude.
Friday, October 3, 2014
300 days to go
Work today was rather uneventful. A typical day in the lab and at my desk. I set-up an experiment that I'll run tomorrow and I spent a few hours in the afternoon preparing my talk for the workshop later this month. However, when loaded my blog this evening to write my post, I noticed that there are 300 days until thesis submission. This particularly worries me, not so much because of the work leading up to turning in my thesis, but because of the drama associated with the final year of PhD study (at least at my university). In a nutshell the final year is plagued with visa renewals, financial uncertainty and tedious paperwork. All of which are burdens not faced when you're in the middle of your studies. Even without looking at the countdown clock this evening, I have already been distracted and bothered this week by these final years stresses, which are a very real part of studying at my school.
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Standard day
This morning I took my time to get into work. I think I am getting sick, but all I can do is refuse to acknowledge the body's signals. When I arrived on campus today, I meet with the PGSA Executive Assistant for about an hour and then headed onto my office. I was able to work on some analysis of the data I collected yesterday and I took some time to prepare another small grant application. At the end of the day, I stayed a bit late as I had a 2 hour conversation about an upcoming research project with another student in our lab.
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
A long day
Today was a particularly long day; an early start with a late night. Most of the day was spent in the lab running experiments and looking at data. I am happy with the amount of work I accomplished and I am even finding some fun in troubleshooting data from our custom instruments.
While my lab work is going well, I am becoming a bit nervous for my upcoming workshop. Additionally, with the recent developments in the lab, my supervisor is pushing for a publication in the next month. I am completely and utterly terrified of the thought of preparing a manuscript. Also, I fear I'll have trouble finding the motivation to work on the paper and that I'll stray to other work.
On a side note, this evening I attend a Student Representation Celebration at school where a number of outstanding students were recognised for their contributions to the University. It was wonderful to be there with others from the PGSA to share in the excitement.
While my lab work is going well, I am becoming a bit nervous for my upcoming workshop. Additionally, with the recent developments in the lab, my supervisor is pushing for a publication in the next month. I am completely and utterly terrified of the thought of preparing a manuscript. Also, I fear I'll have trouble finding the motivation to work on the paper and that I'll stray to other work.
On a side note, this evening I attend a Student Representation Celebration at school where a number of outstanding students were recognised for their contributions to the University. It was wonderful to be there with others from the PGSA to share in the excitement.
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