Wednesday, August 03, 2005

Confirmation of Candidature

I completed and passed my Confirmation of Candidature yesterday. It went pretty well and though the panel raised some concerns about the number and selection of research sites, I felt that they were voicing my own thoughts on this matter. They provided some very valuable suggestions. I'm glad I recorded the meeting on digital voice recorder. I was concentrating so much on the presentation, the questions from the panel and the proceedings in general that I would never have been able to take coherent notes as well.

This morning I slept in for the first time since starting my PHD. My dog was pretty happy about that and slept blissfully under the doona without stirring until I eventually rolled out of bed at about 10am.

I'm not feeling quite as exposed today as I did last night, a feeling I always get whenever I deliver a verbal presentation or do something personally challenging that involves a public performance. Fortunately, the panel was very supportive and encouraging and the proceedings, while formal, were not clinical.

I know I need to address some of the problem areas of my research proposal next but I think I might give myself a little breather today...go food shopping, clean up the house a bit, return an overdue library book, read the paper, admire the built-in wardrobes, that sort of thing.

I met up with two of the staff of my old business on Saturday night. It was so great to catch up with them and talk and feel that our lives are still connected but in a new and reinvigorated way. It was very meaningful to me.

3 comments:

Mac said...

Congrats! of course you must go...

Ms M said...

Yes I really think I will. A terrifying and thrilling idea. I really am scared of flying despite having done quite a lot of it in my lifetime. Maybe because of it. I don't know. The fear almost prevents me from thinking of how great an experience it will be once I get there, but not quite...

Thanks Mac, for the congrats. I really appreciate it.

Mac said...

As far as the fear goes--I'm a terrible flyer, as well.

I find an ample supply of bourbon and dramamine pretty well solves the problem, though.