Bonn, here I come!
Supposedly other PhD students find it supportive to read blogs bij other PhD students, which is why I have made a couple of past entries public again and will from now and write some public entries. To show you all you're not alone out there and really, really, it isn't total hell.
Anyway, two more days to go and then I'm off to Bonn. I'm really excited, really looking forward to it, though it's kinda scary too. First of all, Petra is ill at the moment and I really hope she'll be better on Saturday. I'd feel awful leaving here alone here while she is not well. On top of that, Mona's laptop broke down, so we won't be able to email and skype. Of course, there is such a thing as a phone, but that is dreadfully expensive and knowing ourselves, we therefore won't be using it as much. On the other hand, though, the idea of being independent and making completely my own decisions for a week is quite exciting.
Going to a conference is a curious thing, really. I know by now that though I will certainly go to a lot of lectures, I will forget most of them before the week is over and of the others only remember a couple of things. It's dreadfully difficult to make notes during a lecture. It goes far too fast. So, why do I go, except to see friends again (which is the main reason anyway)?
First of all, it looks good on my CV. Simple as that. Any conference you've been to looks good on the cv, because it shows you're an active, social person (really?...). Which brings me to the second, scariest point. Conferences are there so that you can network. Networking means social interaction with strangers. Yes. It may surprise some of you, but social interaction with strangers is not my strong point. Especially not when these strangers come in groups. It's all nice and well to go professor spotting (and, oh my, am I going to have fun doing that!), but it's something different entirely to be introduced to these people and be supposed to have something interesting to say. It's all nice and well to meet new people of your own age and more or less your own standing, and chatting with them, but what does one say to a complete stranger who is much further up that you are??? Add to that that I am unable to remember names and faces, so that in the positive case that I do meet someone on Monday and say something interesting, and make a good impression, I will completely destroy that impression on Tuesday when I will probably not even remember the person's face and definitely have forgotten his/her name.
Hm. Might as well not try.
Of course, that is not a solution. One way or another, I will have to try. I will have to network. One of my friends here in Galway got a job as a lecturer, simply because she had met one of the professors here once on a conference. That's an opportunity not to be missed in a field where vacancies are few and far between and obviously not even always advertised. So yes, to be quite honest, I'm dreading this, and I think I have every reason to.
On the other hand, I am really looking forward to it too. Some lectures really look like they will be fascinating and there are some people that I really look forward to either meeting again or being introduced to.
And after Bonn, I'm going on holidays!!! So, if you don't hear from me for a while, that's why. I'm just not here. I'm surviving in Bonn or relaxing in Wicklow. I might update before the 11th of August, but I wouldn't count on it, if I were you. So, enjoy summer, don't work too hard and keep in touch!
Anyway, two more days to go and then I'm off to Bonn. I'm really excited, really looking forward to it, though it's kinda scary too. First of all, Petra is ill at the moment and I really hope she'll be better on Saturday. I'd feel awful leaving here alone here while she is not well. On top of that, Mona's laptop broke down, so we won't be able to email and skype. Of course, there is such a thing as a phone, but that is dreadfully expensive and knowing ourselves, we therefore won't be using it as much. On the other hand, though, the idea of being independent and making completely my own decisions for a week is quite exciting.
Going to a conference is a curious thing, really. I know by now that though I will certainly go to a lot of lectures, I will forget most of them before the week is over and of the others only remember a couple of things. It's dreadfully difficult to make notes during a lecture. It goes far too fast. So, why do I go, except to see friends again (which is the main reason anyway)?
First of all, it looks good on my CV. Simple as that. Any conference you've been to looks good on the cv, because it shows you're an active, social person (really?...). Which brings me to the second, scariest point. Conferences are there so that you can network. Networking means social interaction with strangers. Yes. It may surprise some of you, but social interaction with strangers is not my strong point. Especially not when these strangers come in groups. It's all nice and well to go professor spotting (and, oh my, am I going to have fun doing that!), but it's something different entirely to be introduced to these people and be supposed to have something interesting to say. It's all nice and well to meet new people of your own age and more or less your own standing, and chatting with them, but what does one say to a complete stranger who is much further up that you are??? Add to that that I am unable to remember names and faces, so that in the positive case that I do meet someone on Monday and say something interesting, and make a good impression, I will completely destroy that impression on Tuesday when I will probably not even remember the person's face and definitely have forgotten his/her name.
Hm. Might as well not try.
Of course, that is not a solution. One way or another, I will have to try. I will have to network. One of my friends here in Galway got a job as a lecturer, simply because she had met one of the professors here once on a conference. That's an opportunity not to be missed in a field where vacancies are few and far between and obviously not even always advertised. So yes, to be quite honest, I'm dreading this, and I think I have every reason to.
On the other hand, I am really looking forward to it too. Some lectures really look like they will be fascinating and there are some people that I really look forward to either meeting again or being introduced to.
And after Bonn, I'm going on holidays!!! So, if you don't hear from me for a while, that's why. I'm just not here. I'm surviving in Bonn or relaxing in Wicklow. I might update before the 11th of August, but I wouldn't count on it, if I were you. So, enjoy summer, don't work too hard and keep in touch!