Break time is over and the semester is starting soon.
There are two ways of looking at the imminent start of the semester.
On one hand, there is excitement. Yay! The semester is beginning. This is the semester where I turn it around and get all my papers/studying done early so I won’t feel so stressed when the due date looms.
On the other hand, there is dread. Another semester? Didn’t we start break like a minute ago?
Or a combination of the two.
Me, I’m a combination of the two. Each semester is bringing me closer to the end of the PhD program! And each semester is bringing me closer to the dissertation!
Both things can be true at the same time.
Ultimately I think that the beginning of the semester is a chance to wipe away the previous one and begin anew. After all, we are learning how to create and build the project, do the project, and write up the project.
Of course, we won’t do it perfectly the first time.
This is where the mantras come in handy.
Right foot, left foot, the only way out is through.
As long as you do no harm, take no shit in the process.
Dispatches from the Evening Shift 