First, I should say that the title reads as it does for reasons of almost-witty punning. I will not bore with the details of it except to say that the PhD can be said as the letters 'f' and 'd' in an amusingly way. I am indebted to Jack Klaff for this. And also for the moment of total confusion after he said "How is your f-d, nearly over is it?" and I had nOt the foggiest what he meant. A moment that does bring a smile to my mind's eye, even now.
I should précis the following with the notion that I am not seeking sympathy or complaining as such, though perhaps a fouissant of whingeing will creep in. What has struck me however is many small but terrifyingly powerful things there are that could scupper one's PhD at its present stage. I am currently around 2/3 of the way through writing the completed draft and yet it could so easily all evaporate in a puff of smoke. I am past the end of my funding and so am supporting myself (not a situation I wanted to be in but there you go, life goes on) and need to do so in order to finish it. In order to do this I need to remain a student on the College registry's records because much of the work I do to support myself (and pay for much needed food) comes from casual work for the College. I do not want the distraction of looking for more and different part time work and have a fear of needing to do the same. This would seem to be an unnecessary worry except that an administration peculiarity means I may not be a student after the end of this month as far as the College is concerned, despite not having had the six months I was told I was entitled to, in order to write up. Bugger, one might say. One might indeed.
The question is, and the suggestion from many may be, well why worry, it will all be alright. I can hear dear friends even now telling me I think too much. I hope it will all be all right and so I wish them to be right in that. But why is it that I have allowed this philosophy to reign and I am in exactly the situation I and others for me have sought to avoid. Also, if I do not do things to avoid the pitfalls that await, the chances of getting what I want--a PhD, though easy to forget it--are surely slender.
So the question is, what next? Do I find a bit of the good old Fursey Force and push through, albeit professionally? Or do I soften up and hope it Will be all right in the end. Hmm. Think I might have answered my own question there.
I should précis the following with the notion that I am not seeking sympathy or complaining as such, though perhaps a fouissant of whingeing will creep in. What has struck me however is many small but terrifyingly powerful things there are that could scupper one's PhD at its present stage. I am currently around 2/3 of the way through writing the completed draft and yet it could so easily all evaporate in a puff of smoke. I am past the end of my funding and so am supporting myself (not a situation I wanted to be in but there you go, life goes on) and need to do so in order to finish it. In order to do this I need to remain a student on the College registry's records because much of the work I do to support myself (and pay for much needed food) comes from casual work for the College. I do not want the distraction of looking for more and different part time work and have a fear of needing to do the same. This would seem to be an unnecessary worry except that an administration peculiarity means I may not be a student after the end of this month as far as the College is concerned, despite not having had the six months I was told I was entitled to, in order to write up. Bugger, one might say. One might indeed.
The question is, and the suggestion from many may be, well why worry, it will all be alright. I can hear dear friends even now telling me I think too much. I hope it will all be all right and so I wish them to be right in that. But why is it that I have allowed this philosophy to reign and I am in exactly the situation I and others for me have sought to avoid. Also, if I do not do things to avoid the pitfalls that await, the chances of getting what I want--a PhD, though easy to forget it--are surely slender.
So the question is, what next? Do I find a bit of the good old Fursey Force and push through, albeit professionally? Or do I soften up and hope it Will be all right in the end. Hmm. Think I might have answered my own question there.
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