Have done little here for ages except tweaks to the bibliography because I have been engulfed in prep for my PhD upgrade. As a part time researcher on MARes. status I’ve been on probation for PhD and this goes through a submission of work and a viva interview to get upgraded. Much diary fuss to get three professors and me together: my two supervisors and an external prof. to check we’re not on the fiddle.
I dreaded my PhD upgrade meeting! I’d not had to face an interview or exam in many many years and I resented being judged, and feared the raw inferiority of my position. I feared most of all I would receive “advice” to do things that interfered with MY WORK.
Fears unfounded. I was treated with courtesy, told my work was commendable, and received some excellently helpful advice. Moreover the session was fascinating and galloped along at a whizzing pace. The external prof. actually had to haul us up with seconds to spare out of the hour, for ‘last points.’
Advice focused on focus. Liz McAvoy advised me to top and tail my chapters with ‘This chapter will do X’ and ‘This chap has done X.’ Super stuff – bang on practical – and focused advice!
I came away buzzing with stimulation. My poor family having been promised I would return to the real world after 3 months away in Rhiannon’s world, suffered a further week of absorption as I reorganised the Contents, rewrote my synopsis, and drafted a new chapter of 4,000 words. All of which I was quite pleased with.
Oh yes … I passed.
So I won another four years of slog. Hurray!
