I’ve always been a bit of a magpie when it comes to reading, I love a book because it’s a book, because of its contents, I am not precious about a specific genre. Same with music as I have grown older. And I love the ways you can discover links and fresh ideas from combining…
After a good six months intercalation to settle into my new role at a new university I returned to my studies in September 2024. And promptly felt overwhelmed and burned out. Breathe. Work was busy, the commute and being in the office two days a week were exhausting me, I was struggling to focus and…
Frustration! Reading and thinking about methodologies and worldviews has been challenging to say the least. So many words I’m having to open the dictionary for, so many sentences being read and re-read over and again to try and make sense of them. I feel like Eric Morecambe’s piano playing, the words are all there just…
As I started to read journal papers and other academic texts I felt so ill-prepared to return to academia, I had all the “I’m not good enough” thoughts … the reason (well one of a few) … the language being used. As I’ve read more and my understanding grows, I don’t feel as bad, but…
Transferring from Sociology to Design Research is akin to the change of wading through a claggy marsh and suddenly finding yourself paddling in a swirling river. Yes, it’s still a challenge, but at least progress is easier and quicker. I originally began in sociology as it seemed the better fit, however my supervisors and I…
Varied, muddled, unplotted … I think these are words which that, for most of my life, describe my background. At least from my teenage years. As a child I was told what to do, how to be, subjects to study. I distinctly remember, with annoyance to be honest, being told in no uncertain terms that…
There’s a tension in universities, I believe partly due to funding, partly due to imposed obligations and expectations, and partly due to self-interest …
Here it is, mid April, and I still haven’t started ‘officially’ on my PhD due to various happenings … some are mine to take responsibility for. Procrastination, fear, and yes – laziness. However, some were beyond my control – delays on obtaining the sign off, Covid-19 virus disrupting work.However, I have a supervisor, a possible…
