I had my annual progress review this week. While I wasn’t too worried about it, I am a bit scared when contemplating the idea that this, my third progress review, should be my last! So I have been told that the end is in sight for me, and while I do feel that, the sheer mountain that needs to be climbed between now and Christmas is certainly, to put it mildly, a daunting prospect. I was also asked by my panel ‘viva’ style questions which again emphasised my progress and that I am nearing the end of my PhD. But I now know that I need to prepare thoroughly for these kinds of questions when my actual viva comes around as I was less than satisfied with the answers I gave. Officially, I am still awaiting to hear the outcome but in the meantime I have lots to be getting on with and let’s assume that when it comes it’ll be good news.
I also had cause to be pleased with my progress before entering the room of my progress panel as that morning my supervisors gave me their feedback on my chapter on Portuguese security policy which I finalised last month. While, of course, there were lots of things for me to think about and fix, overall the chapter seemed to go down well and was of the level expected and with a concerted effort to redraft it I should be able to put this chapter to bed before I embark on drafting my next chapter.
I know that I wasn’t too cheery when I made my last post, but I am feeling much better at the moment. I guess with every day that passes it will get easier and it helps to have a few drinks with my fellow postgrads which is certainly what I did on Tuesday as a few of us had our progress reviews that day so several drinks were needed. We also went on Wednesday to entertain our final New Voices speaker, Mark McNally who visited us from Leeds to give a very interesting paper. The tapas dinner went down very well I must say! The final external speaker to visit politics this academic year will be Richard Whitman who will be coming up from Bath. It will be good to hear his talk on EU foreign policy, which obviously ties in with my own research and it will be good to see Prof. Whitman again after he chaired the panel I gave my paper in Bruges. So I shall be in networking mode that day!
This week has also included two really useful workshops…
The first session was a two-hour one exploring the psychological tripwires to completing research. It was a late edition to the Faculty research training programme for this year and was led by a professional psychotherapist who has just completed her PhD. There were only about 10 of us in the room, but all of us towards the end of our PhDs. It was great to share our worries and expectations and it’s good to hear that you aren’t all alone. Really I viewed this without massive expectations but the group therapy was very beneficial. Some of it, I am inclined to say was Freudian claptrap, but the practical implications were really useful for me. Especially as it’s not been the easiest few months. I left the room and went to the pub feeling really positive and re-energised.
The other workshop the following day was on the Myers-Briggs personality type. A really fun workshop that I would strongly recommend to anyone. Once you know what personality types people are it certainly gives you a bit of an insight into what makes them tick. My own personality type seems to me to be quite accurate and puts me in the ‘old school’, I think. I came out as an ‘ISTJ’ which basically means that I am “quiet, serious, earn success by thoroughness and dependability. Practical, matter-of-fact, realistic and responsible. Decide logically what should be done and work towards it steadily, regardless of distractions. Take pleasure in making everything orderly and organised – their work, their home, their life. Value traditions and loyalty.”
So it has been a week where I have learned to understand myself which should obviously help my future development. The PhD is a product of my being, it is an embodiment of my personality traits, my fears and interests that I implicitly understand. The challenge will be to make it make sense to everyone else in the world. But it is about selling me as a person!