Project Management Report – Entry 3: Ethics Application Submission

Slightly worried I am going to have to sacrifice going to UKYC (UK Christadelphian Conference) even though I have already paid for it as that’s right when I’ll need to be doing data collection. Needs must and all. I can live with it so I don’t need to let that stress me out.

What I need to be a bit more stressed about, however, is incorporating statistics revision into my daily routine and ensuring I back up my work regularly. I should also think about getting my supervisor to sign a supervision sheet but I keep forgetting about it.

As I had such a good, productive day on Monday, I can’t expect today to be exactly the same but I can trust in its ability to be a good day. Yesterday was a complete write off. I ended up watching a film (‘Before I Fall’, thank you, Netflix) in the middle of the day (!?). Late nights really do screw up everything! Get back on the waggon, missy.

I have learnt going to uni forces me to work, but I avoid it as I don’t like driving/spending money on petrol. Remembering to use my Pacifica app to keep me motivated should help, as well.

I’ve also learnt that attempting the full ethics application, as opposed to just the Chair Approval, has forced me to get on with making decisions and formulating a procedure. And today, we got the ethics application submitted! Wahoo! 🙂 Thought it would never happen :’)

Now is the worst time

Now is the worst time to be writing a reflexive piece about my course because I have a double-deadline tomorrow (assessment and PhD application) and I have gone into a state of panic. I should be using this precious, precious time to focus on my assessment to the point of completion and then try to get the PhD stuff done (but it is not the end of the world if that doesn’t happen). Instead, my essay is just words on a page with no meaning or flow and very little supporting evidence. I can’t get my mind to go any further than ‘GET ON WITH IT’. A quite ironic command. My head feels like it’s full with a sponge and the rest of me is slightly nauseous. Not very useful. I can’t remember how to get my brain to be useful. Oh yeah, breathe. I do not want to pull an all-nighter. No sir, not one bit.

Okay, so what to do. Breathing, yes. Cut off distractions – done. What else? Cup of tea duly brought in by mum!

So in regards to the assessment, I am definitely up to the word count so it’s a game of editing and finding references for points as quickly as possible. I also need to add more to the comparison part of the essay, but could do that as I go so the points in the first half are balanced in the second half. I have literally switched off my phone and tablet and I might clear everything from my desk so nothing visual distracts me, either. It might also be good to get rid of all form of ‘notes’, in the sense that I have a few word documents and OneNote open which make me think that there is something else I have missed or need to add. The final thing to do is chop things down into really small tasks. Or sprints as my man would say.

Step 1: Make sure the first and last lines of paras are clear and punchy, and flow on from/to the next para.
Edit Step 1a: Examine all remaining ‘notes’ then close these documents.
Step 2: Rearrange paras if the flow isn’t working.
Step 3: Remove anything “minor”.
Step 4: Read through from the top and delete unnecessary words.
Step 5: Add points to analysis section from Andrew’s recommendation.
Step 6: Read it aloud to check flow again.
Step 7: Check word count and re-edit if need be.
Step 8: Make sure each para has at least two references in it (LOL).
Step 9: Final word count check.
Step 10: Send to Andrew for feedback.
Edit Step 11: References.

Ah man, I hope this works…

Little high, little low

Hi there, me again.

 

You know when you get news but it just feels you with dread? That’s social anxiety for you.

 

I’ve got papers on dementia and dance interventions to my left, with my philosophy lecture notes under that, and make up, perfume, a notebook, a to-do list or three and highlighter pens spread out over the rest of my desk. My desk isn’t even that big. Reflects my cluttered mind perfectly though. I have a potential university and supervisor. Now I just need a cracking research idea by next Thursday. *Gulp* Feeling particularly paralysed.

Funnily enough though, at the weekend, I was the complete opposite. I was visiting family in the Lake District and halfway up a hill-mountain in Grasmere when I had this quite hilarious thought, “I am sure I am supposed to feel stressed about something.” I racked my brains for a while and nothing came. “Hmm, are you sure, brain? There isn’t anything?” Nope. Very strange. Haven’t felt that in-the-moment peacefulness for a long time, I realised.

So where do I go from here? I definitely need some more organisation over here but my brain feels foggy. Maybe I just need to relax a tad more, ha. And then the thoughts will come…