Time works differently here

Since my last post I’ve had two meetings with one of my supervisors. One on 9 November and one on 23 December. I didn’t post in November because I as contemplating time and how it works in research. It’s different. For example, you end up sitting on work longer than you expected to (sorry Steph) not because you don’t want to do it, but because you forget about it. Research is a passion, a love, but it’s silent. That means it gets lost in the work deadlines and family commitments that scream at you. So when Leo took almost a year to get back to me on a draft I didn’t mind. I knew he had commitments, I had commitments, it was just something that happened and neither of us really noticed. Time worked differently for our research.

The same is true for my supervisors and this thesis. Time works differently except for the fact I have a hard deadline of 1 January 2023 and soft deadline of 31 December 2021. The soft deadline is my willingness to stay at this. If I can’t get this sucker in 12 months time I’m done. It’s just not worth it. Having said that, I’m reasonably optimistic I can do that, especially in light of the last two meetings. I only cried once in the first meeting and the second meeting went without tears at all!

The reason for one supervisor and not two is time. Working with one person is hard enough to get the time right, add another and it goes really pear shaped. I think my plan is to get the thesis to a submission draft and then bring back in the other supervisor so they can give a final go over with their fresh eyes. Find all those final little gaps. This way I think I might just make my soft deadline (which is really the real deadline).

My mate Louise submitted this week. I’m so proud of her. She put in an amazing amount of effort and has completed a really wonderful thesis. I’m also so jealous I cried. She started after me and has finished before me and has clearly worked harder than me and she’s so much better than me. Anyway, I’ve stopped the crying and have taken her as inspiration. I have to do what she did and knuckle down and create the time to do the writing to get this thesis done. Time is mine to master.

Today is Christmas Day so I wish you all a wonderful day and may 2021 be so much better than the shit bucket of this year. And if you’re wondering why I’m posting on Christmas Day, well time works differently here.