I have progressed! Officially and it feels that I have come a long way and perhaps even have the makings of my being a Portuguese expert lecturer.

So Thursday I had my progress review. Which was relatively painless. It’s nice to have some feedback on my research from people not involved directly in it. But with that comes questions that you don’t really expect and you have to try and explain your research in terms which are easy to understand and not talk in specialist jargon, which is really difficult!

But the major terror on Thursday was giving my presentation. Once I’d got through the progress review panel, it was off into the unknown. My own slot, my own room and my own audience! But I got through it and talked for a good 45 minutes and then had some questions to answer afterwards, although thankfully not too many questions! Then off for a couple of well deserved beers care of one of my supervisors. I have had some informal feedback and seems positive but I’m sure I shall be debriefed fully and have my presentation skills politely pulled apart by my supervisors! But Friday and Saturday were well deserved days of relative rest and relaxation.

And the presentations aren’t over, I have to give another one to the Faculty Research Students’ Conference on Thursday. But at least I have the experience under my belt and the insight of the recorded presentation a couple of weeks ago. Roll on next Thursday and from then on I will be able to get back to the day-to-day researching of a PhD and work out how I’m going to organise my time over the summer and what I want to achieve.

So I have progressed but I do feel I have made progress (which is more important!)

Eight months in to the PhD and maybe I am a little confused with exactly quite what I am doing, but I definitely feel that the last 8 months have added something huge to the project and to me personally. So bring on the challenges of the summer and next year!