Saturday 26 April 2008

PhD Nightmares


Shredded Paper
Originally uploaded by bartmaguire
I was telling my colleagues at work that I still have dreams/nightmares about my PhD. They are usually quite similar - it turns out I have to do just one more viva then I have my PhD, or I just have to re-write one more chapter to finish, or I just have to do a few more experiments to get done. My supervisor usually features...

They're quite anxious dreams, but I do wake up with quit a sense of relief when I realise I've done it all. Bear in mind I finished the PhD nearly three years ago. It would seem I have trouble recovering from stressful situations. I occasionally have dreams that I agree to do one more shift at Burger King, and that ended over ten years ago!

Well, this weekend W "persuaded" me to clear up some of my papers. I didn't really know what I had in the boxes, but in one of them I found all my old PhD notes. There were methods, and notes from seminars, and thousands of "scores" from when I had been counting yeasties on the microscope. I must have counted tens of thousands of the wee buggers over those four years.

I think the PhD notes might have been giving out some negative energy, so I have cleansed the flat by putting all PhD related notes in the recycling bin.

I figure I should hang on to the thesis though...

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

What about your boxes of notes for Degree, highers or Standard Grade......I am sure if you got rid of these the Feng Shui paths would be trouble free !!

Major_Grooves said...

Fair point. Maybe I'll take a look at getting rid of them next time I'm up. However, I don't have nightmares about being an undergrad or at school...

Anonymous said...

i have recurring nightmares, either that i am being eaten by flesh eating butterflies or i`m being chased by big bouncing balls...guess who??

Major_Grooves said...

Somebody with a 17meg broadband line?

Unknown said...

I spent most of this weekend recycling undergrad and PhD notes/ papers/ books/ anything and everything that reminds me of it, with the exception of the doorstop itself, so I can totally empathise with you on this. Am hoping that in 3 years time I am not still dreaming of it...