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NNB: Novembri Närvivapustus

30th november 2016 2 kommentaari

Mitte nii rõõmus pealkiri. Las ma selgitan.

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Iirimaa: Dingle Poolsaar

8th november 2016 Kommentaare pole

See on teine, ja ma arvan et parem, osa minu reisist.

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Kertu Tenso

Estonian-born former Parisian living in Boston, United States. 💕 Feel free to follow me on my quest for infinite travelling. ✌🏻️

Ole mu tegemistega kursis!

Liitu mu uudiskirjaga ja saa osa eksklusiivsetest uudistest ning muudest lõbusatest üllatustest!
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Kertu Tenso | PhD lifestyle
Negative self-talk in grad school Broadly speakin Negative self-talk in grad school

Broadly speaking, self-talk is any kind of inner dialogue you have with yourself that may be limiting your ability to believe in yourself and reach your potential.

I don’t know about you all but I am often my biggest enemy and I get these really negative and sometimes plain mean thoughts about my value as a person and as a PhD student. It can be very stressful and discouraging.

Some things that may help:

💜 remember that our thoughts aren’t always the reality 
💜 it’s okay if this happens and we should be able to talk about these things
💜 if you can’t switch to a more positive language then try a more neutral one 
💜 think about it like this - would you say this to your friend? 
💜 think about the long term-perspective - would it matter in 5 years time? 
💜 you’re not alone in this. Many PhD students, as well as junior faculty experience this

PS. I am not a mental health professional so this is based on my own experiences and readings on the matter. Please see a mental health professional if you feel like your negative self-talk is really hindering your quality of life and grad school process. There is no shame in that. 💜

❓ Do you experience negative self-talk? What do you do to combat it?
#NotJustMyPhD challenge, inspired by @agenomicsphd #NotJustMyPhD challenge, inspired by @agenomicsphd

Truth be told, I have given a lot to this PhD, so much so that sometimes I forget about my life/interests/and hobbies outside of it. So, I really appreciate this challenge because it made me reflect on the other wonderful aspects of my life.

PHOTOS IN ORDER:

1. From the time I lived in Paris for two years. I enjoy living in different countries and learning about different cultures. 

2. I love painting. 🎨 I started when I was really young and for a while I was on the course to go to an art academy instead of regular college.

3. Traveling. 🌏 This is an obvious one. I’ve been to 28 countries and so far, Tanzania and Taiwan have been my favorite trips. This photo was taken in Taiwan. I really want to explore South America next.

4. Another one from my travels, when I lived in Egypt for 6 months. 

5. I really love shopping and dressing up. Not sure if it counts as a hobby but I spend a considerable amount of time on it. 😅

6. I love fantasy/science fiction. LOTR, Harry Potter and Star Wars are some of my favorites. 🧝🏻‍♀️

7. I love cooking Estonian food. 🇪🇪 Anything to remind me of my home is important in my book. 💙

8. And I love trying foods from all over the world. East Asian cuisines (Japanese, Chinese, Taiwanese, Korean) are some of my favorites. 🍜

9. I do some freelance modeling. But recently I’ve only been in front of the camera for my IG posts. 😊

10. I love taking photos - of the city, of my travels, of other people. I have a pretty considerable camera/lens collection. 📸
Commonwealth Avenue in Spring carousel. 🌸 Wins Commonwealth Avenue in Spring carousel. 🌸

Winston Churchill praised it as “the grandest boulevard in North America”. And it truly is magnificent. Each season is distinct and beautiful in its own way, but Spring on Comm Ave feels extra special. It’s the time when the whole Back Bay part of the avenue is lined with blossoming Magnolia trees. 

This is my getaway from stress and studying: taking walks on Comm Ave. 🥰 I’m so lucky to get to live here. 

❓Do you have a distinct season of spring where you live? What is it like there?
There’s 6000 of us here. 🥺Eternally grateful There’s 6000 of us here. 🥺Eternally grateful for all the support. ❤️

Sometimes, I feel like I am not as productive here as some other accounts that manage to post every day. So, my account grows slower, but I don’t mind it. I kind of like the size that we are at now, so I still have time to chat with you all in DMs. 

My only goal with regards to these numbers is to eventually get to 10k, so I can get the swipe up feature. 😅 Would be great for linking research, interesting articles, etc. 

❓How long have you followed me? If you’re relatively new here, please share something about yourself. 😊 Are you a PhD student yourself, what do you study or what kind of work do you do?
I know that PhD timelines can be really different. I know that PhD timelines can be really different. It varies by country, study area, and university. For example, I know that my program is heavy on coursework. 

I wanted to put together this post to show what my PhD timeline is like (while also acknowledging that this can very much change).

1️⃣ Year 1: We start by taking core courses in the field of Health Services Research. In my program, we have 12 core courses. We also start engaging in research, which in my case takes place at my RA (research assistantship) position at the VA.

2️⃣ Year 2: We continue taking core courses and also take concentration area courses. For me this means 3 health economics courses + 4 math courses (extra optional courses). We also continue serving as RA on the side. Once we finish the coursework, we will take the admission to candidacy exam, which takes place in the summer after the second year. We need to pass this exam to continue with our PhD journey.

3️⃣ Year 3: After taking the ACE, we are officially PhD candidates. We start forming our dissertation committee and submit a dissertation topic approval form. Once this is approved, we start developing our dissertation proposal which will then need to be defended. Meanwhile, we continue RA work.

4️⃣ Year 4: We continue working on our dissertation, present our progress and fill progress reports. We also continue RA work.

5️⃣ Year 5: Finish the dissertation and wrap up RA work. Last step is to defend the dissertation and submit it. Then it’s party time. 🎉

❓Is your timeline similar to mine?
Shared a pretty personal moment with you all in my Shared a pretty personal moment with you all in my stories yesterday. Many of you could relate and many of you sent me the kindest messages. Thank you. ❤️ This online community is what keeps me going during tough times. 

I’m going to keep going and try to find joy in the little things - like the approaching spring and blooming Magnolias. Hopefully, I will be reunited with my family and home country sometime this year. 🙏🏻🇪🇪
What’s your dream desk (monitor) setup? My cur What’s your dream desk (monitor) setup? 

My current monitor is an old one, which I bought used, and I am currently saving up to get a new setup. I’ve been doing some reading, but I’m still unsure how I would like my desk to look in the future.

I’m doing a lot of different things: programming but also reading and writing. Obviously, the actual monitor specifications matter, but in general I’m considering:

A) Having two regular monitors side by side - this would be a cheaper option and also create some distinction between different tasks.

B) Having one ultra-wide curved monitor - research has shown that it can have ergonomic benefits to reduce eye and neck strain, plus it looks cool, haha. 

C) Having one monitor in landscape and another in portrait mode on the side. The portrait screen can be good for certain tasks like reading papers. 

Which one would you pick? A, B, C or something else?
🤔 GOOD vs BAD reasons to do a PhD 🤔 Obvious 🤔 GOOD vs BAD reasons to do a PhD 🤔

Obviously, what constitutes a “good” or “bad” reason varies from person to person. But I want to explain why I chose these 4 reasons on the right to be “bad reasons”. 

1. You just want the title and show the world that you’re smart 🤓 - PhD is such a strenuous and long journey (5-6 years in the US) that it might be difficult to finish it without being really passionate in the subject area. Moreover, PhD students can be smart, yes, but finishing a PhD seems to be more related to commitment and willpower than intelligence. 

2. You think academia is a chill career 😴 - this varies a lot, but from what I’ve seen, professors here don’t have great work-life balance. Many of them work long nights and over the weekends and holidays. Moreover, the first couple of years before getting tenure can be really stressful. 

3. You don’t know what else to do with your life 😫 - take more time to think it through. Doing a PhD has been one of the most mentally challenging things that I’ve ever done. It’s not like doing a master’s where you usually have a structure and a plan. The structure and plan needs to come from within you. Moreover, you’re not just absorbing knowledge, you’re supposed to be generating knowledge.

4. You think it will guarantee a high salary 🤑 - not necessarily. It does sometimes but it varies a lot depending on your field, your training, your location, and the available opportunities. Moreover, while you are studying for 5-6 years, people around you are being promoted and earning a decent living. 

❓Do you agree or disagree? Do you have something to add?
Focus on the step in front of you and not the whol Focus on the step in front of you and not the whole staircase. 

⬆️ I needed this reminder. I just wrapped up an intense period of 7 deliverables in a week that caused me to work 15 hour days. And what do I do the next morning? Immediately worry about all the big projects that need to be finished.

Nope. No way brain. I will just do one or two small tasks today and then enjoy my weekend. Stress-laxing does not fit in my schedule. 😅

❓Anyone else constantly living in the FUTURE? Never happy with the tasks you have crossed off the list?
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