Current updates

This Ramadhan has been a blessing in disguise! I actually got some work done. :-P My current progress:

1. Chapter 1 (Intro, problem statement & rationale): More or less complete

2. Chapter 2 (Literature review): Constantly adding
3. Chapter 3 (Methodology): Thinking about it

Want to send a first draft of these chapters by Fall, and hoping to start on, specify and refine Chapter 3 by this October/November.

In the meantime, I am also working on a research paper to be submitted for publication with my supervisor. The paper was presented at the National Communication Association (NCA) conference last November (here's a link), and we are hoping to submit it for publication end of this year. Right now, I am helping her with coding the questionnaires, and she wants to finish writing the manuscript by end of this year. I am grateful and happy that she included me in this project; it's a great learning experience for me as I've never done content analysis of communication messages before (she's an expert in that) so I am learning the proper and right way of doing it! 

Hopefully, targets get reached soon, and I hope to come closer to my goal of finishing this and finally going home!

Much hulabaloo about prelim

I am rushing to finish my prelim by January. Ntah boleh ke tak. Sigh. It seems though a lot of people have issues with it. Our school is undergoing a lot of changes lately. Those who enter in 2010 are now under the College, not the school. Therefore, they will graduate with a PhD not from Comm Studies but from the college. Therefore, they also have different requirements. I am under the old program, so theoretically I shouldn't be affected at all. 

However, an issue that has caused much contention right now is the prelim. Some of my friends in the old program don't agree with how it's being done, and want to change to the new program so that can escape it (they think it won't be carried out in the new program, but that's not true!). Many people see it as unnecessary or burdensome. It's only once a year (in Spring) and if you don't pass it or fail to submit, you can't sit for the Comps which is in September. When you finish all that only can you defend your proposal @ prospectus.  So if you delay, you will waste almost a year or at the very least six months. Plus, your proposal can't exactly be the same as your preliminary. Therefore, I can see why some people would be reluctant to have this one extra step. It's also notoriously difficult to pass. I hope I can do it. Double sigh. Will be meeting my SV to discuss ideas, and I am told that I have only three chance to see her. When I start writing, I will be on my own.

The good thing about it is that it pressures me to start thinking about my topic seriously. Plus, this is a good test to see if I can apply all that I have learned. I just wished it wasn't so soon. I don't have much time so I better start cracking. Wish me luck!

Alhamdulillah!!!

Last week after reviewing my transcript to be sent as part of my progress report to KPT, I noticed that the course codes for my subjects during two semesters were a bit funny. It was registered in Masters course code. I must have accidentally registered using the wrong course codes. Mula2 ingat nak diamkan aje, mungkin boleh settle kemudian tapi lepas tengok Graduate Handbook jadi seram sejuk. "As part of the graduation process, a doctoral candidate has to finish these following subjects at the 7++++ level". Alamak!!! Macam manalah careless sangat dulu!!!

Memang risau tak keruan. Tak caya tanya hubby. Almost dua minggu tak lena tidur + makan. You might think I'm being dramatic here, but my school has heavy course loads. Apa nak jadi kalau bende ni tak settle? Dahlah subject yang terlibat tu sekali setahun je offer. Haiya! Pastu pergilah kat Registrar office tanya macam mana nak settle. Dia cakap kene fill in form, pastu kene suruh TIAP2 instructor course yang terlibat, hantar statement melalui e-mail untuk sahkan yang kita ni memang doctoral student. Sangat fussy. Tapi betul lah kan, macam mana dia nak tau kita tipu ke dak. Satu lagi yang x best ni... I am the type of person who loathes asking for help. Malu x bertempat sbb tak suka menyusahkan orang lain. Ha ha ha. Tapi sebab terpaksa, tebalkan muka mintak tolong. Nasib baik dari 4 lecturer, 3 memang prompt dan tolong tanpa banyak tanya. Supervisor lagi best; dia siap salahkan diri sendiri dan mintak maaf sbb tak notice bende ni. Yelah course code master dgn phd sebijik, beza cuma angka pertama (master = 5/6 and phd = 7/8). Kat malaysia takde masalah macam ni sbb kalau kongsi subject, course code sama. Ataupun system akan block kan kalau kita termasuk salah section. Lepas submit form, dan mintak tolong lecturers yang terlibat, hantar form. Pastu tunggu, selama SEMINGGU. Bayangkanlah dalam seminggu tu tak keruan lagu mana. Aduh....

Alhamdulillah pagi tadi dapat jawapan. "Your retroactive petition has been approved". Shukur!!! Sememangnya belajar kat sini, dari observation memang diaorang ni memudahkan cara. Kalau betul2 genuine application nya takkan ditolak. Dan diaorang kalau boleh akan bantu. Lessons for me however, next time to be really2 careful and to double check everything. And hikmahnya nampak kat sini: supervisor memang very2 nice. Walaupun dia tu lain agama, tapi dia ikhlas membantu. Dan walaupun dia tu laser gak lah, tapi cara dia perli2 yang indirect. So tak lah sentap sangat. Ha ha ha ha.

In the meantime, ada classmate sorang tetiba ajak buat paper sekali. He was interested in a proposal I did in my lifespan class last week. (pasal poligami, apa kes!!). Mungkin sebab dia ni paderi jadi dia minat bab2 poligami ni. Ha ha ha ha. But it's a good opportunity for me. He says it has a good chance to be presented a student conference tahun depan ke. I don't mind working with him since he is a fantastic writer. I can collect the data in Malaysia next year if I decide to go back. Hopefully, this will really turn into a real paper, Insya-Allah...