Doctor

I still prefer my colleague and my students calling me Mr rather than Doctor. Actually I don't need to be called Doctor or Professor. I just need to be accepted the way I am... :-)

But then, some of my colleagues have introduced me to students with a title Doctor in front of my name.

Actually I don't really care nor bother whether they want to call me Doctor, Professor, or whatsoever.

As long as they are comfortable with it, so be it.

* * *

" You have Doctorate degree, so why are you here? Why don't you go to any research institution or medical industry?"

Hmm, I'm quite used to that question already for the past four months. So many people have asked that same question.

I wonder does Doctorate title really sound that great?

If you are inside PhD field for some time already, maybe you will understand my decision why I choose to change my "destiny" away from the "normal academia pathway".

PhD vs work

Had a talk from two people, who change their position, from PhD to work or the other way around. Since I was so curious about the reason behind that, so I just ask simply question "why do you choose PhD/work over your previous position?"

PhD --> work
- Simply that I think I don't really like the pure research thing and feel that PhD is really not into me. When I was PhD, I felt that everytime I woke up, thing in my mind was just "Ahh.. Another day needs to be passed again". After I work now, I just don't feel like that anymore. Simply wake up and go to work.

work --> PhD
- Good question. I also don't know why.

Note: The person who choose PhD over work has just started his PhD program. Let us wait for a while, and later see his response =)

So? what do you think?

Scold me for no reason

>> You scold me for fun, man
      Let me feel really down man
      Scold me for no reason
      Or a reason contrived <<

How do you expect I would like to do your favor out of my personal interest?

Graduate on its own

A little conversation on the way back from lunch:

A: Oh my, it seems that everything I've done didn't work. What should I do?
B: It's okay. Just do whatever you usually do, enjoy your life like usual. There is a time when you will graduate on its own.

Perhaps it is an interesting hypothesis that the time you spend in grad school does not have any correlation with your effort, your talent, or your intelligence. It is simply a constant which value depends on your supervisor and his/her budget.

~AYS~
lamabangetnungguconfermentdoank

4 Tipe Boss

Kecuali kamu adalah anak orang kaya banget yang begitu mulai kerja langsung dapet perusahaan sendiri, dalam suatu titik di hidup kamu, kamu pasti akan punya yang namanya bos. Nah, bos sendiri ada macam-macam tipenya. Berikut adalah tipe-tipe bos:
Bos yang Berwibawa, Menyenangkan, dan Pintar

Ini adalah tipe bos sempurna yang menjadi idaman semua pekerja. Bos tipe seperti ini biasanya ramah, punya visi yang jelas, bisa ikut becanda, kalo lagi serius dia serius banget, dan bawahannya respek sama dia. Bos tipe ini biasanya dicintai oleh para bawahannya dan para bawahannya bisa loyal banget sama dia. Kalo doi ultah, biasanya para bawahan dengan sukarela hati akan ngasih kado/kue/surprise.

Bos yang Menyebalkan Tapi Pintar

Ini sepertinya adalah tipe bos yang paling banyak ada. Orangnya sangat menyebalkan, banyak maunya, suka marah-marah, tapi harus diakui dia pintar sekali dan punya visi. Bos seperti ini biasanya disegani dan ditakuti oleh para bawahan dan biasanya para bawahan gak mau berurusan langsung sama si bos ini. Suasana kantor akan langsung tegang setiap dia ada di ruangan. Biasanya sih orangnya gak asik.
Bos yang Menyenangkan Tapi Kurang Pintar

Bos tipe seperti ini biasanya banyak becanda, suka melucu, bisa bergabung dengan bawahan, disukai oleh banyak orang, namun ketika berurusan dengan pekerjaan biasanya dia malah tidak pandai. Visinya tidak jelas, tidak tahu banyak hal, suka dikibulin bawahan, pokoknya kasian deh. Biasanya bawahan dari bos semacam ini terbagi dua: ada yang simpati tapi ada juga yang malah berniat jahat untuk ngebego-begoin si bos.
Bos yang Menyebalkan dan Tidak Pintar

Ini adalah tipe bos yang paling tidak diinginkan semua orang. Tipe bos seperti ini biasanya suka marah-marah untuk urusan yang dia sendiri tidak tahu solusinya. Selain itu, dia juga suka marah-marah untuk problem yang random dan marah-marahnya bisa merembet ke hal2 lain, bukti ketidak-profesionalitasannya. Bos seperti ini biasanya sangat ingin diakui ke-boss-annya dan dia seringkali secara implisit maupun eksplisit bilang ke bawahannya kalo dia adalah boss dan para bawahan harus menghormatinya. Ini adalah bos-bos yang paling sering berusaha digulingkan oleh bawahannya.

Ya begitulah kira-kira. Termasuk tipe yang manakah bos kamu?

Sumber: http://malesbanget.com/2011/05/4-tipe-bos/

supervisor ~ fishing

Interesting way.. in how to relate your boss with fishing. :)
Got this idea from one of my collaborator while we were having a conversation during my experiment period (since he was a teacher from his home country).

There are several types of supervisor.. let's we describe them in a picture of these.. We want to get a fish, and our boss is the one who is supposed to help us obtain that fish. Several methods that are applicable for them are described as follow:

1. Boss "gives" you the fish.

2. Boss shows you "how" to fish, "where" to fish and "gives" you fishing equipments.

3. Boss shows you "where" to fish and "gives" you fishing equipments.

4. Boss "gives" you fishing equipments.

5. Boss "tells" you to fish.


So.. which type of your boss you have?

Undergrad's enticement

PS: I think the post is more relevant to those who are working on computational studies or such.

A: Do you ever get stuck
B; No!
A: Are you sure?
B: Well, actually, I am stuck now.
A:. Okay, then at one moment, imagine you find a paper, pretty similar with what you are doing. All that remains are changing the numbers or formulas. Once you are able to replicate them, you’ll graduate, okay
B: But, how do I replicate them? I am laz, oops. stuck! Okay, may be I will email the authors of this paper to see if they can send the code.
A: Then your problem is solved?
B: Of course! I will graduate! Hooray!

Okay, let’s draft the email:

Dear Prof (well known, very senior Professor in the area)

Hi, My name is *male is worst *, I am currently pursuing PhD degree in *well known university in first world country* under Prof. *rival* and I am doing project on *alien stuffs for the addressee, familiar only to his “golden boy” PhD who had self-studied them*. Recently I came accross your interesting paper *come on, you’re bluffing, aren’t you* titled *I will rephrase it for my thesis title* and I found it is quite related to my research interest. (etc.. etc.. ask for the source code and thanks)

Note: Hey, you have to be very lucky if the addressee did not delete it instantly. Then, you will spend another fortune so they read your email, another for replying it and the last your ‘already dry’ fortune to receive what you want.

Okay, let’s make another draft.

Hi Professor (well known, very senior Professor in the area)

I am a student from *third world/developing country*. I am doing final year project on *general stuff* which is really interesting yet challenging task. Recently, I was given an interesting paper, titled *yes, it is really interesting* that is quite similar with what I am trying to do. Thus (etc.. etc.. ask for the source code and thanks)

Note: Good, he/she would give it once he/she opened his/her email.

Done. Remember to send an email saying how grateful you are.

10 ways to get your creative juices flowing

Click on this. It is worth reading.  :)

http://lifehacker.com/#!5792708/top-10-ways-to-get-your-creative-juices-flowing

I just stumbled upon this article titled "10 Signs It's Time To Quit Your Job". Let's assume for a moment that PhD is a job... Let's try to apply this to PhD life, and see if it's time to quit your "job"!

1. You Aren't Learning Anything New : Well, I learnt quite a lot, but most of the things that I've learnt so far has nothing to do with my "job". But still, there are some things that I've learnt from this "job" that may be applicable in the real life such as how to pretend it's impossible to work any faster.

NO.

2. You Never Have a Day When You Wake Up Excited To Go To Work : Well there are those times where I am excited to go to my "office", but that's because I've met my supervisor the day before... and in those times I am excited I don't do anything (related to work), so technically it doesn't count as "to go to work". The rest of the day are !@#$%^&.

YES.

3. You Spend More Time Surfing the Web Than Doing Your Job : Obviously this no need further explanation. Every PhD students know this.

YES.

4. You Don't Like Most of Your Coworkers : I don't really have coworkers, coz my "job" scope doesn't include wet labs or any huge collaboration thingy. All I need is a computer, really. So I can't comment on this one, although I must say I think most people who are trapped here are nice people. They just make wrong life choices.

ABSTAIN.

5. You Aren't Making Enough Money to Pay Your Bills : Ok, I have just enough to pay my bills (for now), but this is because I'm single and banks here don't give student credit card... So too bad I can only spend what I earned... I still think I am underpaid, and if I am in U.S. I think I may be going to file for chapter 11.

What the heck, YES.

6. You Spend Time Looking For Other Jobs : I'm spending most of my time looking for other activities as well... Shall not elaborate further. lol.

YES.

7. You Haven't Gotten a Raise in the Last Two Years : Ok, once. But that is already stated when you get your enslavement contract, and the amount is exactly the same for the whole batch of mass-produced commoditifed cheap labor... Your boss cannot increase your salary further no matter how hard you work. So that raise doesn't count.

YES.

8. Your Boss Sucks : My current boss is the best boss I can have in the world! (Just in case my boss read this posting and realize it is me!)

NO.

9. The Company Isn't Doing Well : Going down 100 spots in 1 year, the president resigned, what else can you expect?

YES.

10. You are Stressed All the Time

YES!!! A BIG YES!

Ok so we have:

7 YES , 2 NO , 1 ABSTAIN

With 7 YES out of 10, this is a supermajority that can even allow U.S. congress to pass a bill without president's approval. So I think I need to rethink what I am going to do now...

How about you?

(Do) I hate Monday?

Once I entered the working life, there was one thing that came to my mind, “I hate Monday.. Why there is such a day called Monday, when weekday starts?” Seriously, you know, I never had such a mind, well, at least not as severe as, what I am feeling now.

When I discussed it with one of my fellow, she said, “Well, you’d never been working, had you? It is natural. BUT, it should not be that fast.”

“But, PhD is also working. Moreover it is not different with what I am doing now”. I replied.

“No, PhD is a student. So it is different.” she said.

Later on, I got this “enlightment”, literally. I would not expect that the “possibly best” answer for my question would come this fast. Thanks to my ‘previous’ PhD supervisor who made me come to the office on Sunday. You know? The thinking came to my mind when I saw my office and PhD students’s one.

And I think the “possibly best” answer on why I hate Monday now is..

***
PhDs have no weekends. Why they should bother on what day or time it is (even what season or year it is). It does not make any difference. The work always waits you, whenever and wherever you are.
***

Now that I realized that though I hate Monday, I also happier to look forward to weekends.

NOTE:
Sometimes I go to my office on weekend to work on my thesis and I always find the same thing. The lights on staff office are off. PhD office and labs’s lights always ON!

AYS
~gataunasibthesisguasekarang~