since you bitches didn't tag me in a meme..
I'm updating...
So I passed my PhD qualifiers (actually it's been 3 months now, been so long since I made a decent update). Anyway, coming back to PhD qualifiers, passing them basically means I can just do my shit and get the hell out of this place when time comes. I become a PhD candidate.
People say during the course of a PhD there are two instances when one is absolutely clear in one's head about his/her project, first when we give our qualifying exam (that's when we write our proposals/grants) and the second when we are defending. Everything in between is a daze.
Right now I'm in this unbelievably frustrating phase where nothing works. How can anyone see beyond this point, I have no idea. I have a renewed respect for everyone who's successfully graduated with a PhD.
So I passed my PhD qualifiers (actually it's been 3 months now, been so long since I made a decent update). Anyway, coming back to PhD qualifiers, passing them basically means I can just do my shit and get the hell out of this place when time comes. I become a PhD candidate.
People say during the course of a PhD there are two instances when one is absolutely clear in one's head about his/her project, first when we give our qualifying exam (that's when we write our proposals/grants) and the second when we are defending. Everything in between is a daze.
Right now I'm in this unbelievably frustrating phase where nothing works. How can anyone see beyond this point, I have no idea. I have a renewed respect for everyone who's successfully graduated with a PhD.
- I am running now, 3-4 miles every alternate day.
- Bought a bicycle (18 gear mountain bike) - the chepest one in Walmart, actually second cheap. Never had a bike of my own, so I'm very excited about this one. Been riding to school. It feels awesome! :)
- I have the Altec Lansing 5.1 Surround sound speaker system (second hand) and my music is not just heavenly!
- I weigh 125 pounds (same as I did 2 years ago)- so feel nice about it.
- I gave a little speech to the incoming students this year, and very surprisingly, though I was nervous and shaking in the beginning and made up my own impromptu sentences (when I had the paper right in front of me) everybody liked it and the Graduate School Dean even quoted me afterwards in his speech. Oh and I realized I do a lot of hand waving when I talk. :|
- We've renewed our apartment lease for another year, which means I am going to live one more year in the same apartment with the same person, which also means I don't have a boyfriend yet.
- As an incentive for the renewal the management shampoo-ed (how do you spell that?) our carpet yesterday. My house is all clean and smells good now
- I wanted to get a cat but my room mate recently found out she has cat allergies. so that plan bummed.
- People call me Beerthi now.
- I read 'Blink' and found it really amusing. A very well written and insightful book.
- I'm now reading Dale Carnegie's 'How to Win Friends and Influence People'. I like it so far. Actually it's a pretty quick and gripping read.
- In my list of books to read are:
- Moon and Sixpence - Somerset Maugham
- Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
- The Naked Ape -Desmond Morris (this I started)
- Godel Escher Bach - Douglas Hofstadter (which also I started very long time ago)
- I forgot my BFF's birthday... again. I called him and whined for half an hour and just before I hung up he tells me it's his b'day. Oh well.. what's another year?!
- My parents have come to the US to visit their children (which includes me of course, @-|), but they are in California right now having a good time with the son and daughter.
- Oh I'm slowly becoming an expert in darts
- World's best breakfast ever: Mix of Yogurt(curd), Granola, strawberries, blue berries and bananas: I should thank my friend J for that one. A close second are Blue berry pancakes with fresh fruit and maple syrup. yummm!!
- and I'm off to sleep.