Coronavirus pandemic has landed the world to an era of economic slowdown. All the establishments and services, except the essential ones have been suspended due to COVID-19. Gravity of the issue has compelled everyone to stay home. For the young ones merriment of being not at work has been doomed by closure of pizza corners, cinemas, markets and all shopping complexes. Exasperated PhD fellows were happy initially over the fact of social distancing from their supervisors. But their zeal has now come to an end as the prospects of quick run away from home have waned as no maids are available.
Some are aggravated for not being able to conduct experiments and push forward their research work. Some were at the verge of thesis submission. But their long awaited moment got adjourned to an unknown date due to COVID-19. And the worst pain in the arse is to not to get monthly salaries, at least not for now, not until the revival of normalcy.
Few months back, we were struggling to create a work life balance and we are still grappling for it. We used to starve for long holidays, late night movies, long morning naps. Everything seems to be dull now. Everyone wants to get back to work again.
Working From Home
Thanks to ever-evolving social networking sites such as zoom, skype, email, google hangout, cloud computing, and good internet services, “Working from home” has become painless. But the cozy aura of homes and several sweet distractions have slackened the average efficiency. There is a need for Scheduling working hours flexibly in a way to receive minimum intrusion. Reviewing the to-do list in advance and prioritizing the essential errands can be of big help.
“Try to stick to the plan without getting too harsh on yourself. Create a workspace for yourself that is cool, free of noise, and away from the bed. “
Talk to your supervisor
Having regular and honest conversations with the supervisor helps !! Don’t wait for your supervisor to send emails and messages for discussion. Be the first to take the initiative. It will strengthen your relationship with your guide and will also help you overcome the stress of impending delays in submissions. Be prepared with a well-gauged plan of the entire week for discussion.
A lot can be done
As an experimentalist, you may find yourself helpless for not being able to conduct experiments. But take this as an opportunity and try to evaluate your previous work. If you are a beginner you may spend time preparing for your coursework. Invest time in revising the basics. Enlist the things that you are going to do after joining back and do homework in advance. If you are in third or fourth year of your doctoral course, you may start writing your thesis. This will save your time and effort when actual time comes.
Online courses and webinars
- You may also work on skill development and enhancement that will nurture your path towards your goal. Nowadays many good online courses are available in which you can learn programming languages like Python, Julia, C++, JAVA, MATLAB, and many more. Webinars on Data analysis are being organized every now and then.
- www.asapkerala.gov.in
- www.dqindia.com
- Coursera
- www.edx.org
Start online teaching
Teaching online is a constructive way to spend your time. It will help you gain confidence, brush up your basics and prepare you for the jobs you might apply after your PhD. There are many platforms seeking for good teachers such as
Healthy lifestyle
Reduction in physical work due to the confinement that this COVID-19 has given us, has paved the way for many serious health issues. Increased obesity and depression are a matter of concern. Regular exercise is imperative for mental and physical wellbeing. Take light and healthy foods. Exercise daily and meditate for at least 10 minutes.
Revive your passion
This is the best time you can revive your passion lost somewhere between the busy schedules of Ph.D. life. Reading novels, writing, guitar, music, dance, cooking, or whatever interests you – give it a chance!! Follow your passion, enjoy every bit of life!!
You just need to change your perspective and welcome & rejoice every phase of lyf!! This is just what a PhD teaches us…..
copyright@EasMyPhD 2020