All 5 entries tagged Study

Another PhD

Follow-up to Got it! from XIULU

Congratulations to Cristina Caimotto as well!
Let’s figure out a time go to the lake at warwick again---to celeberate your success with some wine and nice food, maybe together with our lovely quacking friends…

Xiu Wang : 09 Feb 2007 09:02 |  Tags: Study |  Comments (2) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Got it!

Received an email from Yovnne this morning, with an exciting title: Illaria got the degree!

I first met Illaria at a conference in Belfast. Three of us, Illaria, Kostas, and I, sneaked out of the conference to have a walk around that beautiful old city of Belfast. It later proved to be a very stupid decision, as we missed the keynote speech of Terry Eagleton ;-((. Of course at that time we did not know, and we actually had a great time out in the city. We watched the Titanic show in Belfast city center, and took pictures like tourists everywhere. Then we sit in the sunshine in a Starbuck, and I asked THE really stupid question: Illaria, what is your research subject?
Illaria tried to explain, but obviously I did not have any idea about her topic. So she took out a huge (I mean really really HUGE) copy of her thesis out of her bag. It was nicey bound, with a proper cover page saying: as a partially fulfilment of a PhD degree, thesis submitted in April 2006. I was so happy and before a ‘congregations’ burst out, she added very calmly: “Don’t be too excited——it was rejected, and I was told to resturcture.”
I still remember at that instant, tears just welled up in my eyes. I could not imagine how I would handle this if it were to happen to me, in one or two years time.
Both Illaria and Kostas looked at me sympathetically and said: “Calm down girl, calm down. This is part of your life as a research student. Your writings get rejected, rejected and rejected; you just rewrite, rewrite and rewrite. Don’t you feel bad about it; this is your choice, isn’t it?”

It’s great to know she finally made it! Even today I can still remember her smile that afternoon, calm and confident, in front of the huge ‘rejected’ copy of her thesis.
Congratulations, Illaria! And thank you for showing me what do to if my writing were to go wrong: I will just rewrite, rewrite, and rewrite.

Xiu Wang : 08 Feb 2007 01:53 |  Tags: Study |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Trackbacks (1) |  Report a problem

method and methodology

I remember Maria’s response when I told her that I will attend the seminar on methodology. “Congratulations”, she said, “you dont have to take it whe you are already in your third-year”.
I know it is quite an irnoy itself for old students like me to sit in such seminars, but it does seem quite necessary--——as i am still struggling with all my methods, theories, hypothesis, definitions, frameworks, and perhaps most important of all “plausible methodology”.
Towards the end of the discussion there emerges the role of supervisor who plays devil advocator, who constantly ask pressing questions from outside your field so as to ensure that the arguement is not build upon shaky grounds. My supervisor looked at me with a meaningful smile.
I guess I have always been a devil to myself as well. My arguement has been reversed, revised, and reformed again and again. On a very shaky grounds, I am writing the current chapter. Will that lead anywhere? I seriously do not know.
I always feel it is my writing that leads my arguement, rather than the other way round. In this sense, it seems that writing seems to be the only methodology that I can rely on--—or more precisely, method.

Xiu Wang : 24 Nov 2006 18:05 |  Tags: Study |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

flash

What happened on my first day back to Campus.

flash 1.
A: haven’t seen u for long… u r part-time student now?
B: well, no…
A: how come you never show up then?
B: well, i thought I can work at home as well…
A: So, did you?
B: ops, I really need to go now…nice talking to you, catch you up later!

flash 2
B standing in front of the library door. It says “automatic door”.
The door does not open.
A pointed at the wall: door open manually.
People around looked at B sympathetically.
B: I am not the idiot! It was not like this 4 month ago!~!

flash 3
B: Is that sozo? I was thinking of buying a gift for a friend.
A: it’s the CD store now.
B: I’ll get Gnarls CD for my friend then.

flash 4
At costcutter
B: do you have swift card?
A: what?
B: do you still have swift card?
A: what?
B: do you sell phone card?
A: 15 pounds please.

Xiu Wang : 16 Nov 2006 15:40 |  Tags: Study |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Friday afternoon

It is Friday afternoon, and Iam reading in the library. Sounds a bit boring, but it seems my life here is just doomed to be like this. It is vacation time, so the library is almost empty. Just 2 weeks ago you should really feel lucky to find a seat; but now you can pick any place you wish.
One of my favorite seat is next to the section of Philosophy. There is only one very small table there, almost buried in the bookshelves. It is always great to occupy that corner without much disturbance: obviously not many readers are quite interested in the hardcore philosophy.
Only a few weeks ago that I discovered that I actually can use internet with the Catalogue–only computers in the library. I don't know if they allow us to do this, but I accidently found out that we can actually link to the internet through ''search'' function in the library website. It is a quite nice surprise, since it means I really do not have to carry my stupid laptop around. :–)) I believe a friend mentioned this function to me two years ago, and how amazing it is that I finally get to know how to (mis)use the liberary computers!!
I spend most of my time on the third and fifth floor. The third floor is a bit like home to me, since I can find all the translation theories here; but i prefer the chairs on the fifth floor. I am not sure if they are made of leather but they definitely feel more comfortable.
It does not seem to be a very nice weekend plan: to stay in the library and to try sit on different chairs on different floors. Therefore, I just end up here and try to figure out something more interesting to do. :–))

Xiu Wang : 14 Jul 2006 18:17 |  Tags: Study |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem