Living Research Conference (Nov2012)

Assalamualaikum & Hello

This entry is my presentation script during the “Living Research” Conference organized by the Graduate Studies Office, held on 8^th-9^th Nov 2012. One of the conference themes is Strategy along the Candidature. I took the opportunity to present at the conference just to challenge myself, get a feel of attending conference and for the FREE food.. Hahaha 

 

The Beginning

Deciding to pursue a PhD is driven by various motivations for most of us. As for me, the ultimate motivation is to be a ‘licensed’ researcher followed by self-satisfaction. To me, getting a PhD is as if I have achieved the Self-Actualization stage in the Maslow Hierarchy of Need Pyramid.  I call it the journey of self-discovery because getting a PhD means a person is pushed to his or her limit. Through the obstacles we find our greatest strength, will power and our true self. That is what I think a PhD is. A PhD challenges a person not just mentally but the entire aspect of physical, spiritual and intellectual. In a different prospective, PhD helps you rise to your outmost potential as a human being.

Strategies

At this stage, I manage to identify five main strategies that I will apply along the journey. I believe this is just a fraction of multiple useful strategies. I will definitely discover more through interaction with other students, my own experience and from my readings.

Notice the work 'Perpustakaan'? Yes, this is our library

Strategy #1- Optimising use of resources

In conducting a research, obtaining substantial amount of resources is crucial to guarantee a worthy outcome. Having access to the best and latest  databases, online journals, books, reports and other types of resources is a ‘luxury’ for any researcher. The Library provides abundance of resources to support research student. The only wise thing to do is optimizing the use of resources available to your research advantage. I have to admit that I have not had any problem finding journals, books or reports from the library to date. Besides that, the library also conducts a variety of workshops for the students such as the EndNote and Researching Skills through the Swinburne Library. I have to say those workshops were really helpful and valuable for a beginner like me. Besides that, the liaison librarian appointed to every faculty is definitely an additional bonus to us. I met the liaison librarian Jane O’Donnell on my third day at the campus and she is really wonderful and always ready to help should any problem arise.

I have to admit, I am amazed with the speed of the internet available in the campus. That is another crucial resource for any researcher in this era. Being a PhD student, we are allocated a work space, a desktop, printing facility and many more. Even though all this seems normal or basic but it means a great deal to me. Working with fellow PhD students offers a positive environment especially when you need to discuss research issues or simply catching up for small chats 

No, its not my SV in the pic (he looks wayyy better)

Strategy #2- Provide clarity around the role of the supervisor and student

The next point I would like to share is probably the most important of all the strategies. The process of PhD involves a very important relationship between the student and the Supervisor/s. In my opinion this it is very critical for both the student and Supervisor/s to understand their roles along the journey. As a student, I must always maintain a positive mindset about my research from the very beginning till the end. This might sound rather impossible as we are human being and bound to encounter different kinds of emotions on a daily basis. But what is more important is to get back into perspective following the emotional roller-coaster. Get a grip and keep going. That is the only way to maintain a positive mindset, which is thoroughly crucial for any PhD student. I personally believe that it is vital to start with the end in mind. I often practice visualization, which is imagining me at a graduation ceremony wearing the gown and hat. There are also times when I visualize my name on my office door with the Dr. initial. This might sound ridiculous but I truly have confidence in the law of attraction. 

Another important aspect of the role of a student is maintaining a healthy lifestyle. It is vital to keep a balanced life throughout the candidature. The wise things to do are exercise regularly- even a short walk every day is a good way to exercise. After all, walking is the best exercise, right? Besides that, eating right is also crucial in order to maintain good health. Next is to get enough sleep, at least 6 hours a day and preferably at night.  The quality of good night sleep is important to ensure the brain is fully recharged for the next day and the body is fresh again. I am aware that there are times we would be burning the midnight oil, but let’s hope this is not a constant demand for us. A fatigue mind and body would not be able to work productively. 

Many people said that PhD students always suffer from the feeling of isolation and are always disconnected from the world outside the PhD domain. I agree with this statement to a certain extend because PhD demands rigorous work in the office or lab and the tendency to be disconnected is possible. But isolation is not worthy to our personal well-being and it is alright to have a social life outside the office or lab. This serves as a platform for us to unwind and forget about PhD temporarily. It makes a perfect sense that we set a target to travel or plan a get-away after achieving our short-term target or simply because we need a break. Time spent away from research would help clear our mind and perhaps result in better productivity when we get back to it. 

Moving on, I would like to discuss about the importance of maintaining a good relationship with your Supervisors. During the course of your PhD, it is fair to say that your Supervisors are the key person in your life.  I feel extremely lucky to have two Supervisors who are very encouraging, always guiding me through the right direction and never fail to provide an advice or feedback whenever I need it. Dr. Chris Mason is my Principal Coordinating Supervisor, he never stops offering suggestions and comments when we meet or even through email communication. He is always available to meet up should any issue arises. I take this as a blessing from God.

 On the other hand, my Associate Supervisor, Dr. Catherine Prentice is nevertheless a kind-hearted and  helpful in providing insights to my research. She is a caring person and always motivating me to work hard and achieve my target. The pro-active plans help me manage the expectations of my Supervisors and the process throughout the journey.  Another very important element in the relationship is to keep in touch with your supervisors along the journey and since we live in the digital era, email, Skype and Facetime eases the process of maintaining the effective communication process between the student and Supervisors. Again, I believe both of my Supervisors are Godsend. I am truly grateful for that. 

I am still struggling with this section

Strategy #3- Seeking language assistance if needed

Being an international student, PhD holds another potential challenge for me; language. Coming from a non-English speaking country I have to admit that writing, especially academic writing is going to be an issue for me. I mentioned this to my Supervisor during our first meeting and he recommended that I get in touch with Dr. Elena Verezub from Language Support for International Student for assistance. So, I did just that. We set up our first appointment and she helps me in the area I need improvements such as reading and writing. Prior to the meeting, I would have to email her some write-up and she would discuss the problems I have during the meeting. She is also very accommodating if there is an urgent need and her assistance is required. She would do her best to schedule an appointment and help me. I am grateful for that.  Her advice and assistance has been really useful and I believe in time I would definitely improve and be able to write independently. 

Strategy #4- Networking

The following strategy is networking. “No man is an island”, this idiom suits perfectly to define the significance of networking among researchers.Networking is a great tool for any researcher because it presents various benefits such as ability to discuss research topics, exchange ideas, a good platform for future research collaboration and many more. Networking involves the community within the campus as well as outside the campus. Having a good network of people in the same research area is a great advantage for any researcher. Networking allows our ideas to be viewed by others from a different perspective and enable discussions and suggestions to be generated from the networking process. Moreover, we are able to learn from others through their experience and research process.   

Being a new student, I have got several chances to network within the research community from the faculty as well as the campus through the HDR Mini Conference and the workshops I attended. I have to agree that I have benefited a lot from the networking sessions because I get to know about what others are doing, their challenges and contribution as well as obtaining some useful insights for my research. I hope to be able to network outside the campus research community when given a chance. Networking present not only short-term benefits but also in the long run especially for future research collaboration.

Network, network, network

Strategy #5- Ensuring a good support system

Apart from all the strategies I have mentioned, the next strategy is of great importance for any PhD student. It is the human nature to seek for support, recognition, love, care and security. In fact these are our basic needs. I believe that establishing an external support system is necessary for any PhD student. Having good support system within the campus is not sufficient, therefore securing support system from our friends and loved ones would make a great deal of difference along the journey. I believe family and friends are important people in our lives. They might not understand what we are doing, what we go through but it is important to gain emotional and moral support from them whenever we feel demotivated or discouraged. Ensuring continuous support from them can boost our motivation and morale facing the up’s and down’s of a PhD journey.

 Thank You for reading

Miss F