As I close the chapter on my first year in the PhD program, it's time to pause and reflect on my journey—the highs, the lows, and the paths I plan to tread in the coming year.
Accomplishments:
Celebrating my first publication as first author
Secured a scholarship, an award, and a summer research grant.
Maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA.
Admitted to the Master's program in Applied Statistics.
Outlined three potential research topics for the future.
Gained confidence in discussing Causal Inference, enriched by courses STAT 333 and SOC 952
Became more proficient with R Markdown and LaTeX through ED PSYCH 711
Improved my ability to handle qualitative research, thanks to insights from EDPOL 850 and SOC 753
Developed a deeper historical understanding from HIST 160 and following events in Southeast Asia
Learned to accept and utilize feedback more effectively in EDPOL 701.
Maintained a healthy diet, avoided fast food, and managed my workload effectively to prevent burnout.
Failures:
Encountered setbacks with a scholarship, a fellowship, and an award rejection.
Did not complete two targeted certificates and faced a review paper rejection.
Did not manage to keep this blog as updated as I wished.
Focus and Health Routines: Struggle with maintaining focus and did not frequent the gym or meditate as intended.
Still an introvert and found it tough to talk in large crowd
New Lifestyle Incorporations:
Planning and Reflection: Adopted Notion for better planning and the Zettelkasten system for book noting.
Health and Commuting: Included regular eye and back massages and increased biking to school.
Tech Enhancements: Invested in new tools like a screen extension and a Remarkable device for enhanced focus during reading sessions.
AI Assistance: Utilized ChatGPT for coding and grammar checks.
New Companion: Welcomed a Jelly Cat into my life.
Top Ten Highlights of the Academic Year:
1. Best Book: The Culture Trap: Ethnic Expectations and Unequal Schooling for Black Youth by Derron Wallace
2. Unexpected Learning Experience: Gender discussions in Nancy's class, sparking a new research interest and unexpected topics covered that put me in self doubt (most of the time)
3. Most Revisited Book: The Effect By Huntington Klein
4. New Fashion Find: Isabella Fiord - great handbag brand which was discontinued.
5. Best Tech: Remarkable - Awesome for reading and note taking
6. Favorite Album: Ha Tran's Nhung Con song ngon tay
7. Top TV Series: Blossom Shanghai directed and produced by Wong Kar-wai.
8. Favorite Song: "Tell the Kids I love them" by Obito ft Shiki
9. Memorable Moment: Moved to tears by Le Ly Hayslip’s narratives of the Vietnam War in Madison
10. Best lesson learnt: Just keep applying, you will at least get something out of the process.
Top 10 Lows of the Academic Year:
Doubting Research Fit: Hours lying on the floor, questioning if my research question fits the current academic dialogue.
Fertility and PhD Challenges: Trying to merge my fertility journey with my PhD path.
Reflecting on Marriage: Quietly questioning the future of my marriage
Sharing Too Soon: Learning the importance of not revealing my research ideas prematurely.
Silence in Discussions: Struggling to find words or questions during classroom discussions.
Physical Strain: Experiencing headaches, insomnia, and general body aches from stress.
Facing Rejections: Enduring a week filled with multiple rejections.
Missed Classes: Losing sleep and subsequently missing class the next day.
Unfinished Readings: Consistently failing to complete required class readings.
Feeling Disconnected: Feeling out of place and disconnected in the classroom environment.
Goals for the Coming Year:
Launch a Substack: To review books and share monthly education news updates from the Southeast regions.
Organizational Skills: Develop a more efficient system for file management on my drive.
Language Learning: Begin the journey of learning Chinese.
Be more serious with exercise and wellness
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