300710

Below is the way the school announces and makes freak proper encouragement for the student to attend a conference. (It might only applied to our school though)

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Dear all

This is for your information. Any interested student please note that you will be required to provide your own conference support from project funds or similar sources. School will not be providing conference support.

The Inaugural International Conference of bla. bla. bla.. will be held at University of bla.. bla.. (6000 kms away)

The deadline for submission is two weeks from now.

~AYS~
menatapagustuskelabu

The conference

For postgrad students, any conference is perfect networking platform where many academicians and professors are around. In addition, the conference organizers always generously provide these 'tea breaks' and 'long hour lunch'. Thus, it's just 'perfect' for idea exchange, grasp some lights for your research for the experts, and (if you are lucky) get a job offer (as postdoc/professor of course).

You can imagine that, there were 'nerdy alien' discussion throughout the corridor. Some (good) students were talking proudly about their work, where they could do something extraordinary before (in fact, it is something usual using 'my boss' standard and to be honest, my boss is extraordinary). Standing alone in the corner and slowly munch your meals is strongly not recommended. What can you gain by that?

I am not against these arrangements, but for me hearing those 'Pandora like' language during lunch is just.. torturing. A 'proper English' conversation on any 'career networking' are much more refreshing.

AYS

barupulangconferencedisingapurlho

Question and Answer

" Why the result you show is this and that? How is the procedure of your experiment. How can you explain?"
" I add this compound and this then the result is like that. The explanation is here... "
" I don't understand. Explain to me tomorrow morning "

The next day.

Come in the morning, do lab work, search paper, and still wait until almost lunch time. Then boss ask other lab member to call me...
" You read my mail yesterday?"
" Yes "
" I don't understand about your last reply "
" Yes, I know "
" Why don't you come here this morning to explain?"
.
.
.
" Well, I think person who don't understand is the one who should approach first. "

Give Thanks

PhD may not be a perfect position, may not be a perfect job, may not be a perfect status... or condition. In fact it's a risky choice to be taken after you finish your undergrad degree. Whether you can be success in research area and continue career as professor, or may stuck in post doc forever after that. Or else, you need to switch career from research.

Well, life is the matter of choice, isn't it?

Whether you think this choice is right or wrong is actually the matter of your mind to choose it. If you think it's wrong, so it would be wrong forever... and ever. If you wanna focus how wrong it is why you chose this particular project, this particular professor, this particular course, and of course this particular status as PhD candidate, you'll gonna stuck there forever.

Well, PhD may not be the best choice or pathway for some (or maybe all) of us, but let us stop to think that it's wrong or how wrong it is or how pity we are inside PhD. Even that it's really really really wrong, stop thinking about the wrongness... At least from the mistake we have learnt something new in our life. No experience would be wasted, no matter how bad it is. The simple way is just... keep moving on.

To think how bad our current condition won't bring us forward. To complain about difficult research won't make it easier. In fact it just makes it harder. Stop complaining and start working. Start to smile for your work though it is tough. Coz only toughness can make you to be stronger person.

I'm not a perfect person without any single complain. In fact I did it due to some of my unbearable circumstances. However, after some time, I realize that it's just something that's not too right to do that. By complaining, you just cannot move forward. You are just stuck on your current condition. It won't change anything. Mostly it would make it worse.

The key of moving forward is by start giving thanks.
Thanks for the current position we have with this stable income.
Thanks for this particular job we have.
Thanks for peers and friends around us.
Thanks for everything.

Well, actually I'm not a wise person to tell people about all of this things. But at least, I just wanna enlighten our day. With a simple thanks and gratitude.


Regards
~HgS~

Fleeing Faraway

If I had the option to flee, would I take it?
It is indeed not an easy decision
When I looked back this past (almost) four years
On all those efforts and courages that I have put
It's really pathetic
Even though most of them are indeed futile
Unfortunately, I do not have that option
I am not a risk-taker
It's hard to imagine that I wouldn't have any income
If I was stubborn and took the option even though I did not possess it
Well, that is the only reason I can think of
On why I still here
If I had no other option but flee
That may be the case
Because I know myself, my intelligence, aptitude, and ability
That have been pushed far beyond what they supposed to
In addition to deterioration of my brain quality
Or if it is a matter of jealousy
A sign of desperation?
For those are the reasons why so many efforts were in vain

Maybe, it is the time to make that option available
Then I can flee faraway from this world
With peace in mind as I will have made the right decision
For my better life.

~AYS~
dalamkeadaanputusasa

Afternoon Talk

Conversation between me and colleague...
" Hi, you look so busy? "
" Yup..."
" What are you doing?"
" I'm looking for job."
" Oooh ic. Hmm, can I ask you for a help?"
" Yes?"
" If you find any job that that has the requirement suits me well, can you let me know also?"
" What criteria you want?"
" First of all... no research job"
" Errr ok. Then?"
" I think teaching job would be interesting. In any private school or polytechnic. Something that give me chance to meet many people and interact a lot."
" How about something like marketing or any banking."
" Quite interesting... as long as there is no research job."
" Ouw ok. Got it. Something else?"
" Well, I look for good payment and one important thing is..."
" No research job? "
" Exactly."
" Ok."
" Well, let me revise my requirement a bit. If then it's really really really difficult for finding job outside research for me. I may still consider back to do reserach."
" Why?"
" As long as that research job has no affiliation to this lab "
" :s "

The "PROF"

What does the acronym 'PROF' stand for? Literally, 'Professor'. Another meaning (taken from one of prof where I did my undergrad) is (P)erfect, (R)ational, (O)riented, and (F)unctional

PERFECT
He/she is a perfect figure, who can guide and nurture his/her students. A role model on 'research' aptitude and attitude.
vs
He/she is a perfect figure in front of other profs working in the same area. It is mandatory to snatch grants needed to sustain his/her work.

RATIONAL
Especially in the expected research outcome, based on the money he/she has, its probablity of success based on established theory, and his/her expertise on the area.
vs
Especially in the number of papers he/she should publish within a given time period. It often results in irrational working hours for his/her students.

ORIENTED
The research orientation is set for clear achievement, a further step (or leap) towards certain ultimate goal.
vs
The research orientation is to publish as many papers as possible, to fulfil certain requirement.

FUNCTIONAL
is capable to manage his/her students based on their unique aptitude for mutual learning
vs
is capable to manage his/her students up to their maximum time and effort they can give.

'Simbang' for me. How 'bout u?

~AYS~
ngantuk

Among Teacher, Researcher, and Professor

Teacher's job is to make something complicated to be simpler. (to make the students understand easier)

Researcher's job is to make something simple to be more compicated. (to make it sounds more scientific)

Professor's job is to make nothing to be very complicated.

071410

Kondisi:

Paper yang udah disubmit ke jurnal baru aja dibalikin dan reviewernya nanya macam2 yang sebenarnya ngga gitu penting (dari 3 reviewer, sepertinya cuma 1 yang benar2 baca paper gua sampai beres). Akibatnya, bos nyuruh eksperimen tambahan buat meyakinkan si reviewer2 itu.

Suatu siang di hari Selasa:

"Jadi, kita perlu ngecek ulang prosedur ini, karena hasilnya ngga bakal dimasukin ke paper, kamu lakuin ini buat 'nominal condition' aja ya, 2 kondisi yang lain gak usah. Ga penting.."

Hari rabu siang:

"Kamu itu kok cuma kerjain yang bagian ini doang, yang lain mana. Kalau kerja jangan setengah2 dong!!!"

"wth.. yesterday u never told me like that lah.. @!!$#@!#

~AYS~

lampusepedaguahilangT.T

Well

Dear ***

I'm stick with my plan to graduate by the end of this year and I have signed a contract to start working in January 2011. This notification is just to inform that you can start to find new slave student (if any) to continue the project. Good luck.

Regards
***

* * *

See me tomorrow morning.