A week as a PhD student
TLDRIn this comprehensive video script, the narrator discusses their busy week juggling multiple objectives, including running computer code for their PhD thesis on atmospheric phenomena, writing theory chapters, preparing for supervisor meetings, and delivering a talk in London. They also manage an Access Project, engaging students through blogging, while dealing with personal life admin and technical challenges with their computer. Amidst their academic pursuits, they balance their passion for singing as part of the Chapel Choir, reflecting on the uncertainties and pressures of original research.
Takeaways
- 😀 The speaker has multiple objectives for the week, with the primary goal being to get some computer code running for their PhD research.
- 📚 They are also working on writing additional pages for their thesis' theory chapter, which they have been slowly developing over weeks and months.
- 🤝 The speaker has a meeting with their supervisors to discuss their thesis progress and present a plan for completion.
- 🎤 Besides academic commitments, they are preparing a talk for an event in London and have various singing engagements.
- 📝 They run an Access Project at Oxford, which involves updating a large document and managing student blogging about their daily life.
- 🌡️ The speaker's PhD research involves studying atmospheric layers, specifically sudden stratospheric warming events and their impact on surface weather.
- 🖥️ They are facing challenges with their computer code, which is crucial for their research but currently not producing accurate results.
- 🎼 The speaker is a member of the Chapel Choir and discusses their singing activities, including a gig at a historic church.
- 🏞️ The speaker enjoys the view from their building in Exeter, appreciating the greenery and the city's high tree-to-student ratio.
- 🔍 They are using a method called successive over relaxation (SOR) in their coding work, which involves iteratively guessing and correcting answers until they converge.
- 🤔 The speaker expresses frustration with the debugging process, as the code is not only crucial for their PhD but also does not appear in the thesis itself.
Q & A
What is the primary objective the speaker has for the week?
-The primary objective for the week is to get some computer code running, which is crucial for their PhD research.
What is the speaker's PhD research about?
-The speaker's PhD research is about the stratosphere, specifically the sudden stratospheric warming events and their effects on surface weather.
What issue is the speaker facing with their computer code?
-The speaker's computer code is not converging properly, and it is providing incorrect results, such as negative Kelvin temperatures.
What is the method the speaker is using to solve the equation in their research?
-The speaker is using a method called Successive Over-Relaxation (SOR) to solve the equation in their research.
What is the speaker's involvement with the Access Project at Oxford?
-The speaker is involved in running the Access Project at Oxford, which involves getting students to blog about their daily life.
What is the speaker's extracurricular activity related to music?
-The speaker is a member of the University of Exeter Chapel Choir and participates in singing activities, including Evensong.
What is the speaker's plan for presenting their thesis plan to their supervisors?
-The speaker plans to present their plan for completing their thesis during a meeting with their supervisors later in the week.
What is the speaker's additional task of writing a talk for an event in London?
-The speaker has to write a talk for an event they will be attending in London, which is separate from their PhD work.
What is the speaker's view on the challenges of doing a PhD?
-The speaker finds doing a PhD challenging because the answers are not definitively known, and there is no guarantee that the methods or the results are correct.
How does the speaker describe their experience with the weather in Exeter?
-The speaker describes Exeter as having a lot of hills, making it necessary to go up and down slopes when going to campus.
What does the speaker plan to do after identifying a potential issue with their code?
-After identifying a potential issue with their code, the speaker plans to go back to the office to work on fixing the problem.
Outlines
😀 Busy Week of Coding and Thesis Writing
The speaker discusses their week filled with various objectives, including running computer code for their PhD research, writing more pages for their thesis theory chapter, and preparing for a meeting with their supervisors. They also mention non-academic commitments such as writing a talk for an event in London and participating in singing activities. The speaker is involved in an Access Project at Oxford, updating documents, and managing emails. Their PhD research focuses on atmospheric layers, specifically the stratosphere and sudden stratospheric warming events, and their effects on surface weather.
😥 Struggling with Code and PhD Pressure
The speaker is experiencing difficulties with their computer code, which is crucial for their PhD. They describe the iterative process of coding, testing, and debugging, highlighting the challenges of verifying the correctness of their work in the absence of definite answers. The speaker also talks about their daily routine, including coding, writing, and the physical demands of navigating the hilly campus of Exeter. They express frustration with the slow progress on their PhD and the pressure to complete it.
🎼 Balancing Academics with Musical Pursuits
The speaker talks about their involvement with the University of Exeter Chapel Choir, attending evensong services, and the joy of singing in a historic church. They also discuss the challenges of balancing their academic work with their passion for music, including practicing for upcoming performances. The speaker reflects on the importance of perseverance and self-reliance in overcoming obstacles in their PhD journey.
👩💻 Code Debugging and Choir Rehearsals
The speaker continues to grapple with their PhD code, identifying and attempting to fix issues related to vertical derivatives. Despite the frustrations, they manage to make some progress. They also participate in choir rehearsals, which are described as being intense and sometimes frustrating. The speaker also enjoys some downtime, watching Game of Thrones and engaging in social activities.
🏸 Sports, Shopping, and Live Streaming
The speaker takes a break from their academic pressures by engaging in sports like tennis and shopping for winter clothing. They also mention a live stream event with Thomas Frank and Jamie Miles, where they discuss university life, revision, and studying strategies. The speaker reflects on their workload and considers whether they might be taking on too much, contemplating a focus on completing their PhD.
🎉 A Party and a Return to Coding
The speaker attends a themed party where they enjoy a brief respite from their academic and coding challenges. They also discuss a live stream they hosted, answering questions about university life. Despite the social engagements, the speaker is still preoccupied with their PhD and the need to resolve the issues with their code.
😓 Ongoing Code Issues and Daily Life
The speaker's computer issues persist, leaving them unable to work on their PhD effectively. They spend the day running errands and preparing for a veggie Sunday roast. Despite the setbacks, they maintain a positive outlook, enjoying the farmers' market and planning for future activities.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Computer code
💡Thesis
💡Supervisors
💡Sudden Stratospheric Warming
💡Troposphere
💡Successive Over Relaxation (SOR)
💡Convergence
💡Chapel Choir
💡Exeter
💡Live stream
💡Revision
Highlights
The speaker is working on computer code for their PhD, which is a crucial part of their research on atmospheric layers.
They are writing a theory chapter for their thesis, focusing on sudden stratospheric warming events and their effects on surface weather.
The speaker has a meeting with supervisors to present their plan for completing the thesis.
They are also preparing a talk for an event in London, in addition to their PhD work.
The speaker runs an Access Project at Oxford, involving students blogging about their daily life.
They are updating a large document related to the Access Project, which is a significant part of their non-PhD work.
The speaker's PhD research involves testing a hypothesis about how atmospheric events affect weather patterns.
They discuss the challenges of doing original research where the answers are not known and the potential for error.
The speaker is dealing with technical issues, such as a broken camera and computer, which are impacting their workflow.
They are members of the Chapel Choir and participate in regular singing events.
The speaker is working on a specialized tool using a method called successive over relaxation (SOR) for their PhD.
They are experiencing difficulties with their code not converging to the correct solution.
The speaker is trying to balance their PhD work with other responsibilities, such as singing and editing for a project.
They are investigating the issue with their code by isolating variables and attempting to understand the problem.
The speaker is also working on a master program that will use the specialized tool once it is functional.
They discuss the importance of the thesis in obtaining a PhD and the process of defending their research.
The speaker is trying to set a timeline for completing different parts of their thesis.
They are dealing with the frustration of not being able to get their code to work correctly, despite their efforts.
The speaker is participating in a live stream event to answer questions about university life and studying.
They are considering whether they are taking on too much and the need to focus on completing their PhD.
The speaker is attending a party and engaging in social activities, which provides a break from their academic work.
Transcripts
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