youngest phd student????????????

me, my youngest daughter....Miss Nurhazwani..............and my 'teacher' Dr Maria Burke along 3 years and 3 months....

Top 40 Potential Viva Questions

my selection of the Top 40 Potential Viva Questions.

1. Can you start by summarising your thesis?
2. Now, can you summarise it in one sentence?
3. What is the idea that binds your thesis together?
4. What motivated and inspired you to carry out this research?
5. What are the main issues and debates in this subject area?
6. Which of these does your research address?
7. Why is the problem you have tackled worth tackling?
8. Who has had the strongest influence in the development of your subject area in theory and practice?
9. Which are the three most important papers that relate to your thesis?
10. What published work is closest to yours? How is your work different?
11. What do you know about the history of [insert something relevant]?
12. How does your work relate to [insert something relevant]?
13. What are the most recent major developments in your area?
14. How did your research questions emerge?
15. What were the crucial research decisions you made?
16. Why did you use this research methodology? What did you gain from it?
17. What were the alternatives to this methodology?
18. What would you have gained by using another approach?
19. How did you deal with the ethical implications of your work?
20. How has your view of your research topic changed?
21. How have you evaluated your work?
22. How do you know that your findings are correct?
23. What are the strongest/weakest parts of your work?
24. What would have improved your work?
25. To what extent do your contributions generalise?
26. Who will be most interested in your work?
27. What is the relevance of your work to other researchers?
28. What is the relevance of your work to practitioners?
29. Which aspects of your work do you intend to publish – and where?
30. Summarise your key findings.
31. Which of these findings are the most interesting to you? Why?
32. How do your findings relate to literature in your field?
33. What are the contributions to knowledge of your thesis?
34. How long-term are these contributions?
35. What are the main achievements of your research?
36. What have you learned from the process of doing your PhD?
37. What advice would you give to a research student entering this area?
38. You propose future research. How would you start this?
39. What would be the difficulties?
40. And, finally… What have you done that merits a PhD?

Rebecca

Addendum: Rebecca successfully defended her thesis on 21st August 2009.

Dalam gembira ada sedih...dalam sedih ada gembira.........

At this moment cautiously waiting the respond from the examiner....after submit for the second time amendments....

baby's passport settled and ticket booking was confirmed.....now bless to Allah hopefuly everything will go smoothly insyaallah...................

in the same time I feel sad tooo when think about my spouse will come back here after send us soon......hmmmmm......especially when listen to this new anuar zain's song.....

Setiap nafas yang dihembus
Setiap degupan jantung
Aku selalu memikirkanmu

Dalam sedar dibuai angan
Dalam tidur dan khayalan
Aku selalu memikirkanmu

Ternyata ku perlukan cinta dari dirimu sayang
Barulah terasa ku bernyawa

Kasihku ku amat mencintai kamu
Kerana kau beri erti hidup
Ku kan terus mencinta sedetik lebih selepas selamanya

Di kala penuh ketakutan dengan badai kehidupan
Ku bersyukur adanya kamu

Biarlah kehilangan semua yang dimiliki di dunia
Asal masih adanya kamu

Walaupun dah siap..hati masih gundah gulana....

Setelah dua malam bersengkang mata(tiada pilihan okay...siang sibuk dgn anak2 terutamanya si comel lote tu;mujur malam dia sesekali je bangun...'good girl dear'!!!!!!(siapa lagi nak puji kalau bukan mama nya )......)....berjaya juga membuat pembetulan untuk kali kedua...dan kini tgh menunggu maklumbalas 'proof reader' dan sv sebelum dihantar sekali lagi ke dua2 examiner saya yang 'sangat baik hati' itu....mudah2an selepas ini tiada lagi pembetulan yang dikemukakan lagi....aku sudah tiada masa.....awal bulan mac ini perlu dihantar seboleh2nya ke 'postgraduate office' wallahualam.....

~AKU MAHU PULANG~

nota 1 - passport dan dapat semula dan visa sudah berjaya diperbaharui..alhamdulillah...dah 'line clear' untuk pulang...ooopppps tunggu passport si comel lote dulu...........

nota 2- hati masih gundah gulana selagi 'final submission' tak selesai...ya allah permudahanlah urusanku amin....
updated: 'proofreader' sibuk pulak..minggu depan baru boleh dapat semula.....sabar ye cik intan...allah lebih mengetahui yang terbaik untuk dirimu.........................................

nak 'release tension...........................'layan jap lagu ni dan kumpulan yang pernah jadi kegemarannya ku suatu ketika dulu..dengan nasihat...'muko comel lote......peel biar molek...........'

Sabarlah duhai hati...........................

Selepas hampir sebulan menunggu respons dua orang insan penting ini(examiners), hari ni baru dapat email drpd sv tentang itu :

Nor, I am sorry but they are requiring a few more changes yet. I am attaching below comments from *****. I think you could do them quite quickly if you have some time to just concentrate on the thesis.

Sorry this is dragging on - I did try for you..!


Mungkin orang di luar sana tidak tahu dan tidak faham prosedur di universitiku, namun apa dapat dimaksudkan disini aku tak pasti lagi sempat ke tak balik bulan depan ni kalau proses pembetulan aku ini akan berlarutan-sgt2 berharap hal ini tidak menjejaskan perancangan kepulangan kami kelak, amin...erm....sabarlah duhai hati yer....


~hari ni dah 27 hari 'dalam hari'..nampak gaya mcm kena ke sekolah minggu depan bawa baby wanie sekali untuk urusan di atas........~

nurhazwani ku sayang.........kaulah semangat baru mama sekarang ni..............

Sekalung tahniah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Buat host kami masa sewaktu sampai Manchester 3 tahun yang lalu....
Dr Mohammad Farizal Rajemi semalam yang telah melepasi vivanya dgn 'minor correction' semalam,14.01.2011....tahniah......seorang lagi 'pakar' 'kelahiran UK dari universiti yang sama tempat ku bekerja di Malaysia....
moga isterinya yang sedang dlm perjuangan phd skrg akan mengikut jejak nya kelak...insyaallah.........

dari saya ~ yg sentiasa yakin dengan kebolehan orang lain~.....

Like this videoclip.....

About Manchester's student life

credit to MCOT member....sweet and nice impression about study in Manchester.............

I like her opinion eventhough....

not all her points I can agree at all...but it have some trueness!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Basically the PhD is a journey … a journey you will start out with all the willing of the world. I still remember the big smile on my face when I got accepted into the programme. It felt good! I was so certain of what I was going to do.I had it all figured out. For a moment or two it was all so clear.
I just forgot to consider the ‘hows’ and the ‘whys’ I would – still do – encounter throughout the PhD path as you mature your ideas. But that is part of the process, and also the fun even though sometimes you can’t really think of it in such way. And yes, you got it. A PhD is not linear in any sense, not even after your research proposal is accepted or the Ethics Committee gives you green light. Not even there! But how would I know? I had never done this before.

Doing a PhD is truly a work in progress, constantly in change and changing you. That’s the magic of a PhD!
Throughout that process there are two things that are fundamental to support all the ups and downs of doing and being a PhD: the supervising team and the network.

Regarding the supervising team: make sure to choose the right person. By that I don’t only mean to choose someone who is knowledgeable about the field, but someone you empathise with. Trust me, that is even more important! You will not get someone who is doing exactly the same research you are about to start to supervise you…because if that were the case then it would be their research and not yours!
What you want to is to find someone who knows enough of what you want to do, and who is also open to learn with and from you. Someone who is wiling to provide their personal views regarding the experiences they have gathered throughout the years. The good thing about having a supervisor is that you feel you are able to talk to them about your ideas and have them challenging you with their own. You don’t want someone who thinks exactly like you, but rather someone who thinks with you.

That takes me to the next and most important aspect of your relationship with your supervisor. It should feel like a partnership. There has to be mutual understanding. You need to be open about your ideas, questions and confusion stages. You need to feel you can trust and are trusted. You do not want an impersonal relationship. Your PhD is going to be pretty much your life for the next 4-5 years so make sure you are making it personal and are enjoying it (although sometimes it might not feel that way).

The other thing that is important and which will help complement the activity of your supervising team is the learning network you will be able to cultivate around you. That has at least, two purposes. First, it helps you widen your horizons and look beyond the tiny, little aspect on which your research will focus as you will be exposed to different ideas and practices they share. You do not want to shift the focus from your PhD, yet you want to be part of the wider picture. This will be crucial when looking for a job. You need to be able to show your knowledge spans beyond your PhD research project.

The network will help you connect with other PhDs and researchers. That is really important as you will be able to find people you can share the PhD joys, and the PhD blues too, with. Furthermore, you might even start collaborating with them, be it by providing feedback on their writings and/or writing together. Every PhD student should have at least one critical friend.

And on that note, I will end this post with just one more thought. A PhD can still be an individual project, but should never be a lonely experience!

In this post I have tried not to give an idealistic idea of what doing a PhD entails. Yet, do not feel totally demoralised with it. It is an experience worth pursuing, otherwise I would not be doing it.

Hopefully other PhDs will pitch in with some more 1st hand experiences. It is always useful to learn from other people’s stories.

she is one of my phd mate in salford university

Spirit song........

Thanks my dear phd friend who gave this spirit song for me.....I don't want down anymore...must 'kebal' after this....


Hopefully I'll be amazing person soon....in making perhaps.....

2 years was here...

Another 1 year insyaallah..can I finish or not...I am not sure...whatever it is, this month I have to register as third year student at university...how time flies..it was so fast and just left one year to finish my journey...with a lots of job responsibilities...I do not have any confidence to finish within on time...just let the time judge it..not us...

'perjuangan belum selesai'.................

Already 'touch down' to Mancunian with the cold temperature..now the season was autumn...and my feelings also like autumn in my heart..really need time to cheer up my motivation....whatever it is..either jetlag or not,either miss my family or not, either miss my favourite food or not..my life have to continue back with routine as soon as possible....the most important is... my field work(pilot study-study 2) was achieved, it means my target done... although I did not transcribe yet..insyaallah will do it as soon as possible...

I'll keep write although not so much comments

As what at title...although I'll get not so much comments for every entry, I'll write and write what I feel good for share in my journey although not everything that I can share here...but it is enough if I share the relevant things only....wallahualam....


anyway..before I forget,I'm glad to wish congratulate to Mr Yusof Abd Hamid who already pass his viva at my university last 5th Oct within 3 years with minor correction...although he is different school~Built Environment Research Institute@BUHU and different employee~he is attached with UiTM,Perak~ than me but he still Malaysian and I'll take him as other motivation spirits for my journey too, insyaallah!!!!!!!!!!!


Not forget, congratulate for Sis Anis Sazira- my phd mate too for passing her Interim Assessment too on the same day of Mr Yusof's viva.....well done sis....

more 16 months 4 days

If I look at ticker factory besides this entry..my journey just leave more 16 months and 4 days BUT I never feels that I could finish within the time...maybe I have to add another 6 months or ....maybe another 12 months???erm...why I said like that???since lots of things that I have to do soon and I just remember few words about my journey ' onak2 duri yg telah dan bakal ku harung ni kdg2 terlalu sakit utk ditelan..terlalu pahit utk di kulum...terlalu payau utk dijamah'....

Insyaallah my report will have eight chapters and at the moment I couldn't start on my writings yet since my data collection still not settle down, during my interim report I just have three simple content of chapters where I feel just 5% from my whole report soon..erm..sometimes I feel worry too.......maybe after Oct, I will start looking back my literature review....and furthermore about the theory that I have to study...... I just manage can understand basically one theory where I have to look forward another 5 theories to suit with my findings....after I got the analysis solution I have to validate my findings before come out with the findings..then recommendation and conclusion chapter which will not easy as what people assume??really..the most hard part too I think...all in all in phd works everything must have justification..without it...is not phd ..walalhualam....

What I should fell today.....

Today after 9 days no updates....I don't know to express my feelings after back from summer breakaway...supposedly I have KM discussion with clem,julie and ida etc etc today...but unfortunately nobody comes....as I know clem have to go back to zimbabwe since her dad passed away...ida have something urgent manner ...and julie???missing in action??? don't know why ????the rest still struggle for their interim...best of luck to them....so..I just stay alone in the discussion room and read for 1 hour in 2 KM jurnals papers that supposedly we should discuss today..hey heye!!!!...come on dear..what you should expect from the person who just back from holiday to produce the best preparations in any discussion...erm...fortunately...maybe I got some 'hikmah' indirectly... I managed to understand the journal papers which I feel got some general ideas for my research...although no discussion....sometimes when we feel so energetic( are you sure you are in energetic now??not at all..just a little bit maybe??? Wallahaualam...in other words..I feel that my motivation just at 75% in spirits- seem like re boost the motivation) the others not in the same situation...when we feel down not for others too...

soon in other entry I'll share my journey experience visited few universities at midland(Oxford university,Warwick university and Coventry university) and south england(Southampton university,Portsmouth university,Bristol university,Bath university, Exeter university and Plymouth university) during my summer breakaway...it was good approach to get our motivation too...as mind therapy besides the tourist attractions for my daughters......

Happy 32th birthday for my spouse...

Aku tak salahkan hatimu,
Bila harap itu tak ada,
Tak relakan bila terjadi,
hanya waktu yang tentukan.

ku ingin kuatkan hatimu (setiamu),
Yakin ku hanyalah milikmu,
Besar cintaku tak berubah,
Walau kini rasa itu luluhkan hatimu.

c/o
Ku hanya milik mu,
Coba kau rasa yakinnya hatiku,
Meski kau tinggalkan,
Masih ku milikmu,
Mengertikah bila cinta ini,
Tak akan pernah sedikit pun pudar,
Selain untuk mu (untuk mu).

Ku harapkan hanya padamu,
Ketulusan ini nanti kan ku jalani,
Tetap ku milikmu,
Mengertikah bila cinta ini,
Memang tak pernah sedikit pun pudar,
Selain untuk mu

22th April 2009
Happy birthday dear......hopefully we'll success together for our lonely journey ......

Pastikan - Siti Nurhaliza

Percayalah - Siti Nurhaliza