Tags: supervision, tutorials, finances
Date: 24 October 2005 14:44:16
I had my 4-weekly meeting with my supervisors this morning, and I have to say (again) that I'm really worried I'm missing something. I was a bit apprehensive because, what with the language learning, tutoring, and free internet access meaning I spend way too much time here, I don't actually think I've done very much at all in the way of work towards my PhD. But when I went through the paltry amount of work that I've done, and made up on the spot what I'll do for the next 4 weeks, my supervisors both kept going on about how impressed they were that I'd done so much so early on and how much thought I'd clearly given it, and I'm now slightly paranoid - I'm sure it should be harder than this.
Mind you, if I do half of the top-of-the-head stuff I came up with for the next month I'll be pooped. They also suggested I get my head round NVivo, which is a qualitative research computer package which (apparently, after the initial setting-up) will make structuring and analysing my data a lot easier. I'll have to set aside a little time for that, as it will take me a little while to get my head round the transition from random bits of paper and post-it notes. I think it will be worth it though, not least because the post-it notes may soon be commandeered elsewhere into covering every item I own to help me with my Russian vocab. Mixing notes for complex academic studies in with notes saying "wardrobe" and suchlike I suspect would add to my stress somewhat.
One good thing that came out of the supervision session was that I highlighted my paltry salary (I worked out over the weekend that once I start paying for my mortgage I'm going to have very little left for everything else, and so got a bit stressed about it), and they are going to try to see if they can get it raised for next year (though obviously they can't make any promises). They were under the impression that what I'm being paid was similar to what I'd have got if I'd been successful with ESRC funding (which apparently went up quite a bit this year). They were quite shocked when they realised how much less I'm getting, despite doing work for them as well as my own research. So although it won't make any difference to me this academic year, hopefully it will prompt a payrise for next year (and will mean that I'm less under pressure to do more nursing than I want to). Fingers crossed.
In other news, I saw the first of my tutorial groups giving their presentations this afternoon. And I'm so proud of them! They had obviously done a lot more work than I have, and although they all complained that none of the books were in the library (welcome to university life, better get used to it) they still managed to come up with tons of information. I'm so pleased - if they keep this up it will make tutoring much less of a hassle and much more of a pleasure.