#grad school tips

[thephdpensieve]

Rewiring the brain: the idea of productivity

3/100 days of productivity • 27-Oct-23, Friday

In light of my #NoZeroDays promise I didn't want to let this day go "unproductive". I have been struggling with untying my self-worth with my productivity level. And hence by extension to my PhD progress. I feel so guilty that I didn't work on my PhD at all. But I just couldn't get myself to work - It's something I've been struggling for the past few weeks. So I decided to be productive in a different way: art.

Productivity is not just academic work. Productivity shouldn't mean working full 8 hours on your PhD. You don't have to be 'productive' when you are sick. Taking rest is not unproductive. Indulging in a hobby is not unproductive. Moving slowly is not unproductive.

-- this is something I told myself today. I don't know if I fully believe when I say this, but I want to ❤️

About today

Still sick. I was so tired and demotivated today. Couldn't sleep early last night and so the day began at noon today

Lunch and dinner with friends

Completed a painting that I was postponing since september. It's called A sunset at the sunflowers' 🌻

Started a new painting, which is at 80% completion. (it's in the picture)

I hope tomorrow will be better and I want to be able to stick to my plan🤞🏼

[nenelonomh]

how to not rot after a long day at school

₊˚ପ⊹ commute home while listening to music or a podcast that you enjoy. remember to be mindful of what you consume.

₊˚ପ⊹ get moving! physical activity can help to clear your mind and boost your energy. try going for a walk, doing some yoga, or even dancing to your favourite music.

₊˚ପ⊹ engage in hobbies such as reading, drawing, or playing a musical instrument.

₊˚ପ⊹ have something to eat! eating a snack can help replenish your energy levels. opt for nutrition over easy energy.

₊˚ପ⊹ make sure to listen to any app time limits set in place to limit screen time. if you take a bus or train, look out the window or people watch.

[academicfever]

43/100 days of productivity!

OMG!!! Ceasefire!!! Finally!!! This is the bare minimum for Palestinian people, but I am so glad ...

Log:16.1.25

#class 2p #textbook session 2P #Take a walk #journal+ mental health check #writing draft 2P #Read_1P

#shower and yoga b4 bed

reminder for me: feeling vulnerable, needing breaks, and recognizing when you're at a limit are not signs of weakness—they are signs of self-awareness and strength. You're not a "snowflake" for wanting to protect your mental health, for needing time to heal, or for feeling like things are too much. That’s just human. Life can be exhausting, and we all have our limits.

[justalawschoolgirl]

studying while hearing a Christmas Lofi Radio to remember that the year is ending and it’s all going to be okay

[justgivemethephd]

15.11.2024

Happy Friday everyone!

I am completely dead. I had to start lab work at 6:45am today and I will be running my analysis until probably around 8pm or 9pm, so I'm basically surviving on coffee at this point. Buuuuut fortunately it is giving me plenty of time to work on my upgrade report, for which I have written about a quarter of the introduction so far. Considering I started writing it yesterday and already know exactly where I want to go with it, I think that's pretty good. I'm hoping I can have something resembling a first draft by the end of next week, and then with a bit of luck one of the post docs in my group will agree to read through it.

Other than that nothing much has happened. I've been quite busy but I've done almost everything I wanted to do this week, which I'm super happy about. I'm still not feeling 100%, but at least I am feeling more consistently motivated. I had a meeting with both my supervisors today for the first time in a while and it was also good to be able to discuss what I've been working on and plan with them what I will be doing in the next few months. I think it allowed me a moment to consider everything I've done in the last year and kind of centre myself again. After feeling like I've been spinning out of control for so long, that's also a big relief. Overall, I'm doing a lot better mentally than I have been in the last few weeks, and I'm looking forward to the weeks of hard work that are coming my way.

My boyfriend will be out of the apartment this weekend, and while it would do me some good to rest on Saturday I'm really tempted to take myself out on a solo date. I've been meaning to go to a modern art museum, and considering I have to run some errands anyway maybe I could kill two birds with one stone. We will see what happens, but it kind of all boils down to my energy levels at the end of the day. Plus, I'm starting to play dungeons and dragons with my friends again on Sunday, so I have to consider that this won't be a rest day either! Still, I'm looking forward to a hopefully relaxing time.

I hope everyone has a great weekend! Please take care of yourselves and take some time to reset.

_____

🎧 - 'My Marmalade' by Katya Lel

🎮 - World of Warcraft

📖 - Once upon a broken heart by Stephanie Garber

[tranquilstudy]

january 15th, 2024

which is cooler, the mcgill application being completed or the giant octopus?

I wanna talk more about graduate school… about how, even though I’m applying for something monumental there’s a lot of conflict surrounding it that I’ve been trying to ignore. Mostly that there are some people that don’t see it as a big achievement, or as monumental, unless it’s done their way. I dunno, I’ll get into more detail on it in my next post. But, even though I’m proud of myself I feel like I’m disappointing a lot of people, and I’m carrying a lot of weight on it. It’ll be nice to let some of that go, but it’s tough right now. Just trying to keep my head up, okay? You keep your head up too, okay?

🎧: hey pretty momma — rainbow kitten surprise

🎥: zodiac (rewatch)

🎮: ace attorney investigations: miles edgeworth (turnabout reminiscence) ALSO I haven’t forgotten that @inseparabiles asked me to talk more about my thoughts on this game. Maybe that’ll be my next post instead and we procrastinate talking about the hard stuff?

[outsassing-nero]

a real beast of a week is almost overrr (just have a 7h shift tomorrow left heh)!!! i’ve written a lot and read a lot, and even managed to edit my journal article!!

[medstudy09]

I'm surprised I might pass!!!

Now for tomorrow's paper....

Wish me luck.

[lankenstien]

[bbizzy]

quick study tips now that I've almost finished my masters: follow study with me videos on youtube. download cold turkey website blocker on your laptop and liberate website blocker on your phone. chew gum while studying. play an instrument, knit/crochet, or move while on study breaks instead of going on your phone. always keep your study space clean. wear noise cancelling headphones with no music playing (that's my cue to focus). eat plenty always and bring snacks. know when to stop. learn when you focus best, and only plan to be able to work during those times- schedule errands / meetings / hobbies / rest during times when you know you won't be focused. schedule at least one full day per week where you have no responsibilities. if you're too tired to work, take a nap instead of sitting there numb and exhausted with dry eyes. you can skip class sometimes (trust me). know when "good enough" is enough (and when it's not).

[ramyeonpng]

In essence, it involves having a weekly schedule with hourly slots where you visually colour in the times where you have tasks. This way, instead of having some disembodied task list that feels like it will get done quickly, you have a concrete dedication of time.

#StudyTips

[academicfever]

46/100 days of productivity!

To-do: 19.1.25

Read _1P

Textbook session _1P

Class recap_2P

Matlab _1P

Take a walk

Meet up with friend

Journal_mental health check

Yoga b4 bed

[justalawschoolgirl]

after my test I still worked a bit on my last assignments and later I went to a cafe to get some treats for afternoon coffee

I love the parallel between countries that have afternoon coffee and the ones that have afternoon tea

[justgivemethephd]

11.11.2024

Happy Monday everyone!

Oh my god, I had the busiest weekend... I am once again starting a new week completely exhausted and with no idea how to get through everything I need to do. I spent Saturday in the National Gallery with my boyfriend, followed by a lovely, romantic dinner in one of our favourite restaurants. It was so good to spend time just the two of us after a very long time of me being too exhausted to do more than just run a few errands. I also got my eye test done on Sunday, and it turns out I do need glasses, but the optician suggested that my prescription is likely too small for my eyesight to be related to my migraines. It's good to know my eyes are healthy and that I only need to wear glasses for computer work, but I still hope I can get to the bottom of my health problems.

I have quite a lot planned for this week. I want to complete the coding exercises I couldn't get through last week, and I have long days of blood processing and protein extraction coming up. I'm honestly super excited to be back in the lab so frequently again. I think it's what I needed to pull myself out of the lows I've been feeling lately. I also have a lot of seminars to attend, which I will hopefully be able to stay focus on, and a bunch of reading to explore a possible new avenue for my project!

I hope you guys are feeling as motivated as me. It's getting a lot colder now, so make sure you wrap up!

_____

🎧 - Disease by Lady Gaga

🎮 - Skyrim

📖 - Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber

[tranquilstudy]

December 23rd, 2024

This is probably the last time you’ll hear from me until Christmas is over. So, a very happy holidays to everyone, wishing you all a safe, happy and warm holiday season 🍊 featuring me hitting part three of Les Mis, and poring over Western’s SLP essential skills.

🎧: daytona sand — orville peck

📖: Les Misérables — Victor Hugo (page count: 502)

🎮: Ace Attorney Investigstions: Miles Edgeworth

[outsassing-nero]

22.05.24 // another day of phd brainstorming~