selkie222

Just want to say I am very happy to be able to actually directly work towards this goal. I feel just like I am in the right place and doing something I really want.

I wouldn’t like this to be only aim of my career though - I don’t want to be one of those PhD students who are doing one only because they don’t know what else to do out of “school”. This is definitely not true for me, and to show that it is not true to people around who may not understand (parents), I need to start thinking and planning what to do after my PhD. Jobs don’t fall from skies, PhD or not!

This term I have started doing some experiments. I have demonstrated in some undergraduate labs. I have learned a lot about linux systems. I attended two meetings in my field in London. I have a weekly plan system going with my supervisor. There were times when I tried to do too much and got stressed and upset, but with the help of friends have been able to recover. In the next term, I would like to read more, read faster, get a proper bibliographic system up and running, and start writing my first year report!

Visited the lockpickers at HAR and took their beginner’s course. They had proper picks and practising locks!

Just need to practise now.

... at two places! Now I have to decide where to go… it is really hard, the more I think about it the less I can decide!

Supervisors, group size, collaborations, department, university… location, distance from loved ones, living arrangements… I have thought long and hard about all of these and it’s still hard to come to a decision.

I should decide in the next week or so, and start around October 2009. Wish me luck!