Coffee Shop Prompts

gotta write a research paper for astronomy now whoops

shouldn’t be too hard tbh

done

“Saturn in the twelve Signs of the Zodiac.” Clipped from a celestial atlas by Alexander Jamieson, 1822.

Oooh, I tried this method in first year physics too! It was very effective, since I got fine details from the pre-reading, which was supplemented during the lecture! This method worked fantastic (as long as I kept a routine)! Good luck with it!

aug 25, 2021

✨2/30 days of productivity✨

started taking notes on QM today. i think i figured out how i want to take notes this year (at least in this course); reading and taking a bit of notes pre lecture and then i made a column of space for adding things during the lecture so i don’t have to write everything down during the lecture, only the things i missed in my notes! this way i can focus more on listening and understanding during the lecture, i damn hope it works lol

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.

Bujo trackers for getting your shit together

I typed a super long ass post about this and the accidentally deleted it before saving and now I’m lying on the cold hard ground

Yohoo potatoes, I’m back with another *whips out a megaphone out of nowhere* “long ass post” (is that my patent now?) for you guys! This one could help out with your studyjo/bujo (if you don’t know what a studyjo is don’t worry I’ll link it later) and organising that potato life to make the most of it!

Why should I use a bullet journal?

You’s a student

You’s busy

You’s got life you can’t handle sometimes

You will 120% forget about tat assignment deadline unless you’re reminded of it

You get to laugh at your past self after 20 years or so

It’s therapeutic and all that ish

You’ll like it because it’s being productive while actually kinda procrastinating (aren’t we bosses at procrastinating?)

Memories :)

Bolded ones are the trackers I am using and are potato proofed

1. Study related :

SYLLABUS TRACKER : finals can go a little smoothly if you have it all at one place

PROJECT PLANNER/TRACKER : deadlines + road map of how you’re gonna ace that project

STUDY SESSION TRACKER : time, date, subject and rating your session

GOALS TRACKER : realistic ones, like score 75% or more in this test, or master the concept of integration (ughh). Philosophy ones come later ;)

EXAM PLANNER : plan something for each day a week before your exam and see the magic

For solving based subjects :

PROBLEM TRACKER : shade the box every day you solve “x” number of sums

FORMULA QUIZ : the most difficult ones which you’ll never remember unless they’re carved on your ribs

Theory based subjects :

CONCEPT PLANNER : shade the box every day you learn “x” concept nicely

RANDOM CONCEPTS TO REVISE LIST : super helpful when you’re procrastinating and don’t know what to study - refer to this list and do you ish

READINGS LIST : shade the box every day when you read “x” number of paragraphs from textbooks/notes/books

Language based subjects :

WORD OF THE DAY PAGE : one word every day

PASSAGE OF THE MONTH : sort of like a journal but in your target language

FAVOURITE SENTENCES/QUOTES /SONGS/ETC IN *TARGET LANGUAGE* PAGE - similar to a journal thing, make it all aesthetic and cool so you’ll want to fill it in more

2. Entertainment related stuff :

MOVIES WATCHED SO FAR - all the movies, maybe stash a ticket or smthn?

MOVIE OF THE MONTH - can pick any one tbh

APPRECIATION PAGE FOR *FAV ACTOR/ACTRESS* - can you guess who’s appreciated by this potato?

SONG OF THE MONTH - only pick one and trust me that is very difficult

APPRECIATION PAGE FOR *FAV SINGER* - guess mine again?

PLAYLIST OF THE MONTH - best songs only

MIX TAPE FOR *FAV PERSON* - you can actually even make a real one and give it to someone you really like ;)

SERIES TRACKER - episodes/seasons number, shade the box as you finish it

REVIEW PAGE - review some movies/TV show you just saw

FAVOURITE MOVIE QUOTES PAGE - “you’re a wizard, Harry”

3. Mind related stuff :

QUOTES PAGE - motivational, sentimental stuff

MEDITATION TRACKER - this potato might try it

CROSSWORD TRACKER - shade the box every time you successfully solve an entire crossword/puzzle

RIDDLE TRACKER - shade the box every day if you solved 1 riddle

CREATIVITY PAGE - doodles, ugly poetry, cringy picky up limes, whatever floats your goat

BRAIN DUMP PAGE - every single thing on your mind transferred on this page. Suggested before sleeping so that you’re light headed and stress-free

IDEAS ORGANISER PAGE - give form to those abstract plots and connect all ideas to make a bigger one

PERSONAL PROJECT PLANNER - like maybe that book you always wanted to write

LIFE IN PIXELS - mad, sad or smad?

4. Health related stuff :

EXERCISE TRACKER - shade the box every day if you did “x” duration/amount of exercise

FOOD TRACKER - keep record of what junk you munched on today and try to avoid it sometimes

WATER TRACKER - ughh so important

CARBS TRACKER - kill a puppy next time you overeat

MOOD TRACKER - graphs look fancy tbh

ROLE MODEL’S PAGE - everything hermione granger does/says

5. Money related stuff :

BUDGET TRACKER - note down every little thing you spent on, figure out where you can save up

SAVINGS TRACKER - fill that little jar and buy those pens you always wanted to

Aaand that’s about it for now! I’ll be back with another long ass post so have fun bullet journaling till then!

Feel free to hmu if you aren’t clear about how to use a certain tracker!

Etudaire ~

very specific types of physicists

emeritus: a well-meaning retired professor who still frequents the department. occasionally seen jogging up and down the halls of the lab. it’s how he gets his daily exercise. his field of research is obsolete and he spends most of his days making art based on physics equations. asks all of the female undergrads if they plan to teach high school physics.

star child: no one will measure up to this alumnus. they started research in high school, graduated from undergrad a year early with a few papers already under their belt, and finished their phd (at a very prestigious university) in two years. they visit occasionally to present their research and talk to the undergrad physics students. very down to earth and kind. undergrads, grad students, and professors alike are in awe.

father figure: this prof’s lectures are full of dad jokes, metaphors comparing the behaviors of particles with sugared-up three-year-olds, and digressions about something that’s more fun to talk about than the subject matter. says “i’m not angry, just disappointed” when the class does poorly on an exam. when you go to his office hours there is almost always a child or two underneath his desk or drawing on his whiteboard (the bottom third of which is always covered in stick figures and scribbles). intensely watched the construction from his office window as a new laboratory was being built.

academic rival: you were friends over the summer when you were both doing research but they became distant. small talk always turns into bickering about the importance of your respective research when you run into each other getting coffee in the common room. begrudgingly you admit to yourself, they’re really good at what they do. thank god you don’t belong to the same research group.

harsh but kind: brilliant researcher with high expectations of their students. will offer and make you tea as they grade your problem sets (with commentary) in front of you. after your semester in their class, you buy a bag of loose-leaf jasmine green tea because they got you hooked on it.

the politician: buddies with some higher-ups in university admin and the heads of other colleges. your peers derail class by bringing up current events. has a fixation on swords and genealogy. a bit of an anglophile. you took apart a transistor radio with them once. will make formal complaints to the math department on your behalf.

melancholy teaching professor: very cynical from a career in academia but here to have fun. one of the friendliest faces in the department. organizes the students and faculty to do outreach and lugs physics demos all around the tri-county area. talks to the undergrads like they are people. always kind of sad, it makes you wish you could fix all of the ills of academia for them.

The Galaxy is a beautiful and mysterious place full of wonder: (Gif source NASA)

Mushroom landart by Jill Bliss

Jellyfish Sprite

Red sprites or the tentacle-like spurts of red lightning in the sky during a storm are sometimes referred to as Jellyfish Sprite (because of their shape). There are also some that are vertical columns of red light and those are called carrot sprites.

They are ultra fast electricity traveling through the atmosphere towards space and are extremely rare (they last a tenth of a second). They can also be seen from space.

The picture above was captured on Mt. Locke in Texas (July 2nd, 2020) by Stephen Hummel.

(Travel Journal)

New Zealand 2022: Christchurch

Christchurch was so much smaller and quieter than I had expected, especially having lived in Melbourne for years. It felt very much to me like a big town than a city, resembling Ballarat or Bendigo in Australia, but with its unique charms, of course.

We visited the Tannery (Yes I've posted this spread inspired by the vibes there before, so this is a re-post), a quaint shopping area with beautiful boutiques and vintage shops. Most of the time however, we were around the Riverside Market, trying the local produce or just enjoying the vibes of the place.

Christchurch Botanic Gardens was definitely a highlight, with flowers I've never seen before, massive trees, beautiful water features and charming rose gardens. I enjoyed Christchurch Botanic Gardens more than the one in Auckland, although the weather probably played a big part! The curated experience of the two gardens were very different though, so it's probably not a fair comparison. But I'd definitely recommend all three areas to anyone visiting Christchurch.