After 2 months doing my
research attachment in School of Chemical Engineering and Advance Material (CEAM), Newcastle University, I finally returned to my country to continue the remaining of my Ph.D work. I failed to reach my personal target for the 2 months duration. It’s quite difficult. However, I’m almost there and the work is continued back home.
I have some more experimental works to be carried out. Those are my optimization experiments. I have performed half of it and need to carry on completing the other half to get my optimization analyzed.
Me and my research attachment supervisors, Prof Adam Harvey and Dr. Jon Lee in School of Chemical Engineering and Advance Material (CEAM), Newcastle University,
I’m grateful that I managed to get one of my papers published in one of Elsevier reputable journal. That is my chapter 4. I have another manuscript stuck under review for more than one year already. It is my review paper which will hugely represent my chapter 2. Recent feedback from the editorial said that they are seeking for a new set of reviewers to once again review my review paper.
I’m working on another 2 manuscripts; each resembles my chapter 5 and 6. I have submitted the draft for chapter 6 paper to both of my supervisors for them to check. That leaves me with the final paper draft (chapter 5). I’m targeting to complete that by end September.
My paper was accepted for ISCRE22 poster presentation in Holland this coming 2-3 September. Unfortunately neither me nor my main supervisor can attend due to personal reasons. Hence, my co-supervisor who is in Finland will attend and present the poster. Thank God I managed to complete designing the poster.
After I managed to settle all drafts paper and/or successfully publish them, I’ll move on to thesis writing. If everything is smooth and follows my plan, I’ll be able to submit my Ph.D thesis by this coming December. Hopefully everything will be smooth sailing.
Even though I have not finish my study yet, I strongly believe that
setting up small goals that lead to bigger goals are very important. For example, if we target to complete our experimental work perhaps the first phase, that can be published in journal or conference paper. Then the same paper can more or less be one of your chapters. That’s basically my approach. Thanks a lot to my supervisor who has guided me that way. One more very important aspect is the
time management. Failure to manage time will lead to total disaster. We don’t have all the time in the world. Like me I have family to manage at the same time. I need to take care of my kids and also mingle with the society (associations/neighborhood etc). Hence, we cannot waste any time. Every second counts. Then, another imperative aspect is
taking action. Setting up small goals and making superb time management does not mean anything if we don’t take action. So, whatever you do, just do what you have to do by taking action! Finally the most important element is
pray and hope to God. It is also called “doa” and “tawakkal” in Arabic terms. Since we already perform the mini goal setting, time management and taking action, we have nothing else to do then to pray and hope for the best from God. Well, those are just some personal rules and disciplines that I follow in ensuring the completion of my Ph.D. I still need to undergo all the 4 steps because my war is not over yet.
What about you? I got to know that some of Chemical Engineering World readers are also pursuing masters and Ph.D. It’s good if you can share your story as well. It will be beneficial for the rest of the readers.