When I arrived at university last October, people talked about 'Research Week'. For the first month I had absolutely no idea what they were on about. After that, I equated Research Week with APG exam and so in my head, all winter long, it meant a week of dread.
It wasn't until the spring, after the conference ended, that I started to figure out why the senior students actually liked Research Week. Now that it's over, I still see why they enjoy it so much, but I am equally obvious now as to why the first years will always view it with a sense of dread.
Yes, there was the APG (I passed), and the presentation (went great), and a lot of stress leading up to it. But Research Week is a lot less about research and a lot more about a chance to spend time with other PhDs, especially the distance students I've never met or don't see often, and just talk about things. Talk about our reading, our writing, our projects, anything and everything that interests us. It's an entire week dedicated to just that. No one does work. It's wonderful, actually, to have that chance, every year. I am definitely looking forward to next year's, where I will have no duties to perform whatsoever!
But now, Research Week is over, and it's on to the epic uphill battle that is the PhD. I have a new methodology, a new timeline for work, and new deadlines for the next few months. Also, I have about 10 new duties in the department. Yikes! It is going to be a very busy year, and a very busy 18 months, but then I will have a thesis to write and then I will have a doctorate, so every second of it is worth it!
I will have posts to come over the next months on early field work and such things, and also about the new term starting. And there may be a post about the last fic for the next few years that I am writing this summer (my last multi-chapter fic, at least). I've not forgotten about this blog, I promise, I just have 3 others to manage!
