Finding the Balance

So I'm feeling quite honest today and thought I'd write about some of the things I'm struggling with this semester. I think that the biggest challenge in writing a thesis is finding the balance between personal life and work life and school life. I know that whenever I give time to one category, I feel slightly guilty because I know that there are two other categories of life vying for my time that are missing out. Especially since writing a thesis is such a unique assignment...not like taking normal classes. Is anyone else feeling the pressure of school vs. the rest of your life?

I'm having to re-work some of my methodology which I'm actually a bit relieved about. I think the updated methodology will widen my research field a bit and make my project stronger in the end. I know from reading your blogs that at least one other of you are having to do this as well...guess it just comes with being a Masters student, and not a Master! I'm feeling a little frustrated because I'm always so hard on myself to succeed and right now I don't feel like my thesis project is perfect and chugging along at the rate of success it should be. But, I'm having to remain positive and know that it will get researched, written and perfected over the next few months and that this is the last semester of graduate school that I have to do. (My husband has forbidden me, for the time being at least, to even entertain the possibility of getting my Doctorate. He thinks (and he's totally correct) that we both need a break from me being in school!)

So now I'm off to update my methodology in hopes of creating a stronger and better thesis.

Research Studies

Just thought I'd share something research-related that I've participated in over the past year that I've found really interesting. I'm not sure where all of you live geographically, so this might not be a possibility for all of you, but here in Nashville, Vanderbilt University & Medical Centers has a Research department where they study everything from Diabetes and heart disease to study methods and skills of college students and everything in between. Sometimes the studies are really intense and require hospital stays and serious procedures (these are usually only for people that have specific diseases or conditions) and sometimes they only require sitting down at your home computer and answering questions on a website for 10 minutes. (I'm doing one on Wednesday that required 45 minutes of computer questions at home ahead of time, and then an hour in the lab at Vandy answering questions in a face to face interview that is studying how people react to major life events.) As a graduate student conducting research, I think its really fascinating to see how other research is conducted, and to participate in the furtherance of the general body of knowledge. Plus, the researchers are always really appreciative to have found participants. Usually they have some sort of incentive as well, either monetary or sometimes in gift card format (I've seen Walmart and iTunes gift cards offered for the shorter ones.)

Anyway. Depending on where you live geographically, a university or medical center near you may or may not have research programs available that would apply to you. Just thought I'd mention it though. I've only participated in two studies, but they have both been rewarding experiences and as health education students, I feel like its a neat way to contribute to related fields. Food for thought.

Home again, Home again.

Hello from Nashville!

So my new husband and I survived both Tropical Depression Neshia and Cyclone Oli and are now home from French Polynesia to our house in Nashville...where of course its snowing. :) Guess we can't get normal weather anywhere.

So now that I'm back, I'm scrambling to get IRB forms complete and keep chugging along on the thesis. Hope everyone else is doing well too!

Bonjour from French Polynesia!

Yes, that's right...I'm not only a grad student...I'm a newlywed as well! My husband and I got married on January 23rd so I've been working on my review of literature whilst planning a wedding, and now, from the island of Moorea in the South Pacific where internet time costs about 5 US dollars an hour. I don't recommend writing one's thesis from one's honeymoon! Haha!

Interesting enough though, my thesis topic is disaster relief and and we're having a bit of a natural disaster as I write this! Cyclone Oli is holding court over all the South Pacific Islands and we're waiting to see if it heads straight to Moorea, which is just off the coast of Tahiti, (it's already hit Bora Bora) or if it veers south as the weather websites seem to all predict which means it would miss us and we'd just get some rain and wind from the tail end of it. Right now, they've evacuated us all (it's the low season so only about 10 or 15 couples are here right now) from our swanky over-the-water-honeymoon-bungalows and into regular bungalows that are the furthest inland on the resort. I tried watching some of the weather reports, but of course everything in French Polynesia is in French so I didn't understand it. I was excited though to see that they are running PSA slideshow things on the local TV showing to avoid flooded areas, to boil water to prevent sickness, etc. The health educator in me was thrilled. And, I'll admit, while I want to stay safe, the grad student in me is sort of hoping that some catastrophe occurs so that I can get some first hand accounts for my disaster relief thesis. Maybe that's a bad thing....but with thesis deadlines approaching...it's how I think now! I'm sure you all can understand. Hopefully I'll leave the island of Moorea behind this weekend as planned...unscathed, but with some good first-hand research. I'll keep you all posted on Cyclone Oli!

Good luch to you asll as you work on your Reviews of LIterature and Proposals. I can't wait to read about everyone's progress this semester! It will be good therapy as I know I'll get frustrated and it will be good to know I'm not going it alone!

Au revoir!