So, work continues apace. My main job of the last week or so has been writing up my WebSci paper, which is on its way. Meanwhile, I’ve been supervising a SEG group, written an abstract for Create10, and continued with the data analysis. I’ve also applied to the RAE and BCS for funding to attend WebSci!
Earlier this month was a joint supervision, where I got together with my industrial and academic supervisors to check we’re all up to date on what’s going on. This was an excellent prompt for updating my Gantt chart for the rest of the year. I’m not sure how many PhD students have Gantt charts, but as an EngD student I am of course more closely linked with industry, and am encouraged to go about things in a formal/professional way.
Anyway, ongoing work: it’s basically all about completing the data analysis, running various case studies, publishing where appropriate, and (inevitably) writing up. Eeek!
I’m enjoying work at the moment: I think the biggest challenge is probably making sure I don’t lose sight of the forest for the trees, as I’m juggling quite a few things. Maybe that Gantt chart will help…
#1 by Jo on March 4, 2011 - 10:20 am
As a fellow EngD student (Newcastle Uni) I fully understand what your talking about re meetings, plans, and juggling many things all at once
nd to answer a question on PhD using a GANTT… erm no! Realise this post was last year however having just prepared my GANTT (or updated I should say) it does help!
Hope all is going well! Albeit with it’s own ‘special’ moments!
Jo
#2 by clare on March 7, 2011 - 8:49 am
Greetings fellow EngD student! It’s good to hear from someone who understands what I mean about this stuff
The Gantt chart was definitely a useful way to track things, though inevitably it changed quite often, whenever “my plan” and “reality” didn’t quite match up… 
Love your blog, it’s great that you’re working to communicate your research (and EngD experiences!) like that. Have you done much stuff with schools and colleages? (I noticed the ‘public engagement’ page on the blog.)
Good luck juggling all that work!
#3 by Jo on March 7, 2011 - 1:57 pm
Hiya!
Well to be honest I am going through a rough patch with it all, I have a meeting tomorrow to try and resolve and get things back on track! Meetings… if I could get an EngD from this alone it would be complete in a year!!! ‘The plan’ and ‘reality’ are often brought into the same planetary alignment
Tomorrow will be one of those re-alignment events!
Public engagaement is something I have to do… though I would anyway. I do often go into schools/colleges to talk and son on, but this is seperate to getting my research out there. The EngD side I have to do posters, competeitions etc to show I am engaging to the public… it’s the EPSRC who said so! Juggling confidentiality and so on is a mare!
I see your handing in your thesis? I have to say I am most envious of this! I wish to god I was at that stage and not merely in my 2nd year!
Good luck with the assessors comments! I hope all that is to be done is ‘minor’!
The End…
#4 by clare on March 8, 2011 - 10:44 am
Ugh, I sympathise with you about the rough patch! I hope today’s meeting was helpful.
I suspect an EngD isn’t an EngD if you don’t end up learning to manage multiple supervisors, not to mention the tension between industry’s push for confidentiality and academic requirements around publication and dissemination… quite a balancing act!
That’s interesting that EPSRC enforce public engagement type activities — I didn’t have that with mine. I guess times change!
Yeah, I submitted my thesis a couple of days before Christmas — for the record, I don’t recommend spending two months locked up in a room writing
Just waiting for my viva now… gulp!