~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
First year
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There are so many people who were influential in helping me to complete my PhD research. The most direct help I received was from my primary supervisor, Dr. Amini. When I first joined the program, I knew next to zero about wavelets, impedance and polarity. In the beginning, I always forgot what I learnt. However, Dr. Amini was always extremely patient with me. He could hammer the same message into my head over and over again, week after week, and he never raised his voice. In fact, he used various approaches to help me to understand the subject, with equations, videos, animations, books, papers, journals, drawings on the white board and conventional classes. Finally, after numerous attempts, he figured out the problem. "You must do the exercise and assignments. Otherwise, you will never understand." True enough, after I attempted the exercises on geophysics, I got it. It was then I figured out, sometimes, listening is not enough. We need to do the job to understand and appreciate what we are taught.
Apart from that, Dr. Amini also taught me how to communicate. It was not that I did not know how to communicate before. But I had the tendency to nod even when I wanted to shake my head, to say "yes" when I wanted to reject. One day, after about a month or so of interaction, Dr. Amini mentioned the following, "Jean, your facial expressions tell me that you don't understand what I am saying, but you are nodding. Don't be afraid to speak up or voice your opinions when you think I am wrong, or you do not understand." I do not know when I adopted this habit of saying what I do not mean. Perhaps, over the years, I learnt to bend according to the will of authority and found that obeying and saying "yes" is the smoothest path and journey, compared to resistance and contradiction. I am glad that my supervisor spotted my weakness, and addressed it right from the start of our work together. It took a while to address the problem, but I quickly learned to support my opinions with facts and evidences, and figured out ways to articulate my problems, conflict, dilemma and questions.
From Dr. Amini, I also learnt that a manager/supervisor/mentor is more than a person who imparts technical knowledge. When I was depressed from missing home, my supervisor showed tremendous concern and displayed all the possible options that I could take to cure my homesickness. Taking holidays, going into the city, watching movies, visiting friends or spending a weekend in the outskirts were some of the suggested options. If I was too overwhelmed, he would notice it and let me shed a few tears before continuing his lessons, thereby allowing me to absorb all the new knowledge and information like a sponge. Therefore, I learnt that a true leader really needs to have heart, not just a competitive, smart and intellectual mind.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Second year
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In my second year, a year which I think is the most difficult point in a PhD program, Dr. Amini knew what I felt and even had the audacity to suggest that I could quit, adding quickly that he acknowledged the good job that I had done and thought quitting would result in a waste of my efforts in the past twelve months. While I could not care less about the efforts that had put in since all I had in mind was a cure and an instant relief to my heartaches and homesickness, my dear hubby who knew me only too well mentioned, "It is better to finish what you started than to live with any regrets in the future." After some deep thought, I knew that this PhD was, after all, something I had desired since young. I wanted to be a professor, and for that, I required this degree. And so, I stuck to my guns and continued marching on.
Throughout the journey, with each step, like feet stuck in quicksand, I felt like I was always trying to get myself out of the mud, with all my cheerleaders standing on solid ground. They were always motivating me to be on the move, to stretch my hands, to move my legs and to inch, just one more step forward. Hence, I learnt not to look for the light at the end of the tunnel, but to focus on moving one step at a time. Every step is progress. Every mile - a success. And so, I continued trudging on through the mud. Inch by inch, yard by yard, and eventually, I crawled out of the tunnel.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Third year
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In my third year of the PhD, my supervisor announced that he would leave the university to join the industry and set up a family in a new country. While I knew this day would come eventually, I did not expect that it would happen so quickly, before I even finished my research! Several thoughts rushed through my mind. "Who would guide me now?" "Won't I be left in the lurch?" "What if I take longer than three years?" "Aaarrrgh!" I almost wanted to pull out all my hair, which had grown down to shoulder length by now.
After the initial shock, I launched into my research in full drive mode. Once again, I began working from dusk 'til dawn, stopping only for three square meals and a walk back home. One day, while staring at the computer, a revelation came! Suddenly I knew how to piece it all together. I quickly shared it with my second supervisor, Prof. MacBeth and he was delighted! He gave a few more tips, and with each meeting, the work became better and the results improved, and interpretation of the noisy data was validated with each suggestion! I was elated! I could finally graduate! Hence, I really take my hat off to my Prof. MacBeth who has such a keen and sharp eye to the minor details and the very big picture, who could guide every student in every project with a diverse range of topics, technicalities and interests. Indeed, such talent is rare. In the industry, he would definitely be highly valued indeed!
Hence, I really appreciate having both my supervisors who were deeply involved in my research journey. It is a privilege to work with you indeed. I have learnt so many intangible values and principles that I hope to bring it with me everywhere I go in the future. Thank you very, very much.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
No comments:
Post a Comment