Dark Academia In STEM

May study challenge day 23!

What type of learner are you (visual, kinetic, etc.)? How does this translate to your study methods?

I’ve never really had one particular learning type that works for me more than others - I try to study in different ways, but I guess my study style fits with a visual learning method more than others?

Today - a photo from a chemistry experiment, reviewing English, chemistry homework, violin practice, piano practice, making chemistry notes, music homework, Latin lit revision, and my cute little productivity tracker with a flower for each day 🌷🌟

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Unrealistic polymath genius: has six PhDs.

Realistic polymath genius: just has the one set of degrees, but their bachelor’s, their master’s, and their doctorate are each in a different field, and they’d be happy to explain – at great length – how the three relate to one another.

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the one with the brains

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Bless the person who made this. I love it. 

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Learning astronomy

Podcasts

astronomy cast  : hundreds of podcasts! Great for beginners and general facts, but keep in mind that those are from 2006, so some technical things may no longer be relevant

Videos 

crash course : amazing synthetic videos about astronomy, those are my personal favorites 

Websites

astronomy basics : all you need to know if you’re a great beginner!

Free online courses

probably the most complete one I’ve ever seen

khan academy astronomy courses are quality af

Books

list of books about what to see and how with a telescope

another list of books about astronomy in general 

telescope books

astrophotography

Stargazing

Sky maps

sky maps per month 

very good starwheels aka planispheres 

How to observe

basic skills

10 steps to begin

the perfect all-in-one stargazing guide: I can’t recommend this highly enough!!

Telescopes and things

telescopes

telescope reviews : aka what to chose for what you want to see

everything about telescopes : super useful when you start using one!!

Astrophotography

Starting

everything you need to know depending on what equipment you have!!

all you need version 2!

General

catching the light

hundreds of tips 

Apps and websites

For computers

stellarium

googlesky

astroplanner: plan your observation!

winstars: 3D planet/stargazing!

planetarium 

+ full list of softwares and websites

For mobiles

starwalk2 (android version): alright guys, this one is my absolute favorite at all times. Like, really. Have you ever wished you could point a device at the sky and know exactly what’s above you? And have a description of those things? Even in the middle of the day?? Well, now you can yaaay! :D 

Astronomy News

astronomy.com

universetoday

skyandtelescope

space.com aka my personal favorite

astronomynow

sci-news

++bonus !

All the random facts

here +other links:  x x x x

Backgrounds

hubble site gallery

ESA/Hubble gallery

HD wallpapers

NASA gallery

Even more resources

friendsoftheobservatory

NASA

European Space Agency

ISS Live

I really hoped it helped! Thank you very much for reading! Zoya

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random sites that are extremely helpful

animation screencaps

body visualizer

create infographics

desktop goose

help with writers block

boil the frog

professions based on your personality

best dictionary ever

fighters block

writing tool

slides go

slides carnival

online library

free movies and tv shows

free movies and tv shows #2

worldbuilding website

make music online

human pose reference

notes and annotations!

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Bonus post: Thesis writing.

This post will be a combination of tips and tricks I have received from numerous sources, with the majority coming from Shinton Consulting and STREAM IDC staff. 

The big T

If you’re anything like me, just the word ‘thesis’ can instill a sense of dread in me. However, the best way to deal with a phobia is to face it head on, so let’s do just that, both in a literal and metaphorical sense. 

What a thesis is and what to expect…

Writing a thesis could take anywhere between four weeks to a whole year, and sometimes even longer! The worst thing you can do is compare your progress to that of others; setting a benchmark is one thing, but beating yourself into a panicked pulp because you haven’t written as many chapters as a fellow PhD/EngD won’t do you any good. The best thing you can do is have regular discussions with your supervisors on how long your thesis will take and plan accordingly. 🕖

Your thesis has to be fit for purpose (that is to pass), which means that it has to:

Satisfy the expectations of your institution and industry sponsor (if applicable).

How did you solve the problem that was proposed to you?

Contain material which presents a unified body of work that could reasonably be achieved on the basis of three years’ postgraduate study and research.

Show you have done the work and impress your examiners.

Allow your examiners to confirm that the thesis is an original work, which makes a significant contribution to the field, including material worthy of publication.

Research your examiners and quote them where possible, especially of they’re relevant to your field.

Show adequate knowledge of the field of study and relevant literature. 

Make sure you read all of the key papers in your field. 

What were the gaps in knowledge?

The ‘references’ section is very important as this sets the scene and examiners will read this. BUT, don’t have too many references. 

Demonstrate critical judgement with regard to both the candidate’s work and that of other scholars in the same general field.

Compare approaches and conclusions of others.

Note potential conflicts of interest.

Why did you use this method/approach?

Is your interpretation the only possible explanation?

Be presented in a clear, consistent, concise, and accessible format. 

Make your examiners lives easier. 

Make your viva as pleasant as can be!

Basically, you need to know why your project was important, be able to explain the key work that has already been done in the area and how it relates to your research aim. You should then be able to explain what you have done during your research and how this contributes to your field. 

Note: Keep checking university regulations! Each university should have their own code of practice for supervisors and research students, which will look something like this. 

Picture: A short summary of the above. Source: Tumblr.

Planning and writing

I’m not going to lie to you, it is not going to be easy. I have only just embarked on the journey myself and am already overwhelmed. However, with the right preparation, coping mechanisms in place, and a tremendous amount of self-discipline, we will get through. ☕

Getting started

You need to practice writing. That’s as simple as advice gets. 

You need to practice reading other PhD/EngD theses, mainly to understand what to expect, and to experience what being the audience for a thesis is like. 

Create a thesis plan… 

To start the mammoth task that is thesis writing, it needs to be fully understood and broken down into manageable chunks.

Make a plan (perhaps based on the table of contents of another thesis) of all the sections and chapters in the thesis.

Then break these into sections and keep breaking it down until you are almost at the paragraph level.

Now you can start writing!

Where to start the actual writing?

Start with the most comfortable chapter, such as a previously published paper, a set of results that are straightforward and can be easily explained, methodology/methods, etc. 

Create a storyboard for you thesis and write as if you are telling that story.

If you’re not sure what comes next, refer to previous theses and back to your plan and storyboard. 

Be ready to amend the plan for future chapters as each is completed and you become more aware of what the thesis must contain.

Remember: THINKING IS HARD, WRITING IS EASIER. 💭

Organisation

Develop and maintain a logical filing system.

Improve your back up technique; if it’s not saved in 3+ locations, it is not safely backed up.

Back up every day.

Never overwrite previous documents, just make many versions. It’s not worth the risk of losing a valuable piece of work from a copy and paste error.

Copy any key parts from your lab/note/field books as these can get lost/damaged.

Keep a file/folder of thoughts, references, etc. that you are not including in your thesis; these may be useful to refer back to for ideas and information.

Effective writing

Establish a routine, don’t be distracted, take breaks.

Set clear and realistic goals for each week/day. 

A GANTT chart is very good for this; use it to keep on track and measure progress.

You just gotta start. The hardest part is the beginning.

Don’t stall on details, walk away for a short break to clear your mind.

Get formatting correct from the start (check your code of practice/regulations).

Be consistent with references.

Seek help from the experts - supervisors, postdocs, online sources/training programmes etc.

Create SMART objectives for your writing process:

Specific - e.g. “I will complete chapter 3/collate all diagrams” rather than “I will make good progress”.

Measurable - e.g. “I will write 4 pages today” not “I will try to write as much as I can”.

Achievable - e.g. “I will complete the first draft for my supervisor” not “I will get it perfect before he/she sees it”.

Realistic - e.g. “I will complete the introduction today” not “I will complete a chapter a week”.

Time - it can be useful to set yourself deadlines e.g. tell your supervisor you will hand in a draft on a certain day - that way you are sure to have it done.

Finally, find a balance between being tough with yourself whilst protecting your well-being the best you can. I wrote a post a little while ago that covers managing your mental health during a PhD. Read it here. 

GIF: Anna Kendrick dishing out some top advice. Source: Tumblr.

A few more tips

Supervisor management

Establish what you want to cover in each meeting.

Keep a record of the outcomes and actions from those meetings.

Make your supervisors lives easy; they’re very busy humans.

They are unlikely to judge work unless it is presented completely (i.e. fully written with tables, figures, etc.).

Give them a neat, complete version of a chapter at a time (proof-read thoroughly and spell-checked).

It is in your supervisors interest for you to complete in good time; they are experts and will offer a lot of support.

To summarise, a good thesis:

Has an appreciation of what came before.

Focuses on the interesting and important.

Is well reasoned.

Will change the way people think.

Will teach your supervisors something. 

Has publishable results.

Is logical in presentation, analysis, and arguments.

Is well illustrated with tables, figures, graphs, summary flow charts etc.

It is worth spending a lot of time on these. 

Is written without grammatical and spelling errors.

Has an appreciation of what comes next.

I hope that the above was helpful! There are many resources out there, so get exploring if you need more advice!

I’ll soon be writing a post on how to survive your viva! So, watch this space. ✨

Photo: Make this your phone/desktop/laptop/everything background when you’re writing, I know I will! Source: Tumblr.

Free Astronomy Resources

Astronomy

Astronomy Lecture Powerpoints

Astronomy Lecture Notes (Textbook-Like)

Astronomy Notes

Astronomy Lecture Notes (Alaska)

Astronomy Lecture Powerpoints (Trinity)

Astronomy Lecture Notes (MIRA)

Astronomy Lecture Powerpoints (Rutten)

Modern Astronomy Lecture Notes

Astronomy Lecture Powerpoints (Wickman)

Solar System Astronomy Lecture Notes

Astronomy Lecture Notes

Astronomy Lecture Notes (Mitchell)

Astronomy Lecture Notes (Rochester)

Time Systems Lecture Notes

Earth and Sky Notes

Galactic Structure and Stellar Populations Lecture Notes

Stars, Galaxies, and the Universe Lecture Notes

Astronomical Techniques

Essential Radio Astronomy

Introduction to Astronomy 

Physics

Equations and Formulas

Essential Physics Equations

MCAT Physics Equations

Frequently Used Physics Equations

General Physics Notes

Physics Lecture Notes (MIT) 

University Physics (Textbook-Like)

General Physics I

Physics Lecture Notes (Colorado)

Physics Lecture Notes (Rochester)

Physics Lecture Notes (Cabrillo)

Physics Lecture Notes (Trinity)

Physics Notes

Physics Videos (Flipping Physics)

Physics Ch 1 to 8 Lecture Notes

Feynman Physics Lecture Notes

Electromagnetism

Electromagnetism Lecture Notes

Feynman Electromagnetism and Matter Lecture Notes 

Mechanics

Mechanics (Physics) Lecture Notes

Mechanics (Physics) Powerpoint Slides

Feynman Quantum Mechanics Lecture Notes 

Physics and Astronomy

Physics of the Interstellar Medium Lecture Notes

Physics for Astronomy Lecture Notes (Textbook-Like)

Radio Astronomy (Physics 728)

Physics: Astronomy, Astrophysics, and Cosmology

Inorganic Chemistry

Inorganic Chemistry Chapter Notes

Inorganic Chemistry Lecture Notes

Inorganic Chemistry 2 Lecture Notes

Advanced Inorganic Chemistry Lecture Notes

Calculus

Formulas and Equations

Calculus Cheat Sheet

AP Calculus Basic Formulas and Properties

Calculus 1 Formulas

Basic Calculus: Rules and Formulas (Video)

Differential Formulas

Integral Calculus Formulas

The Basics

Basic Calculus Refresher

Single Variable Calculus

Multivariable Calculus (Textbook-like)

Basics of Calculus (Textbook-like)

Calculus for Beginners

Calculus 1

Calculus (Textbook-like)

Calculus 1 (Textbook-like)

Calculus 1 Video Lectures

Calculus 1 Lecture Notes

Calculus 1 Lecture Notes (Northern Illinois)

Calculus 1 Lecture Notes (Citadel)

Calculus 1 Compact Lecture Notes

Calculus Lecture Notes (Raz Kupferman)

Introduction to Calculus Lecture Notes

Calculus 2

Calculus 2 Lecture Notes

Calculus 2 Lecture Notes (Northern Illinois)

Calculus 2 Notes (Illinois State)

Calculus 2 Lecture Notes (McClendon)

Calculus 2 Lecture Notes (Textbook-like)

Calculus 2 (Textbook-like) (Dawkins)

Calculus 2 Lecture Videos

Calculus 2 Class Notes

Calculus 2 Materials (Notes, Handouts, Etc.)

Calculus 3

Calculus 3 Lecture Notes (Lamar)

Calculus 3 Lecture Videos

Calculus 3 (Dawkins)

Calculus 3 (Notes, Homework, Quizzes)

Notes for Calculus 3

Calculus 3 Class Notes

Other Calculus

Integral Calculus Lecture Notes

Algebra and Differential Calculus

Differential and Integral Calculus (Textbook)

Differential and Integral Calculus (Lecture Notes & Old Exams)

Computer Science Calculus Lecture Notes

Calculus for Physics C

Analytic Geometry and Calculus 2

History

Notes on the History of Astronomy

History of Astronomy Powerpoint

Early History of Astronomy

History of Radio Astronomy

NASA History

Neolithic Astronomy

Mesopotamian Astronomy

Islamic Astronomy

Indian Astronomy

Greek Astronomy

Chinese Astronomy

Egyptian Astronomy

Mayan Astronomy

Space Agencies

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

South African National Space Agency

Canadian Space Agency

National Space Research and Development Agency

Italian Space Agency

Norwegian Space Center

Korea Aerospace Research Institute

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency

UK Space Agency

Australian Space Agency