Posted on by johanne_marais

Directing things differently: A Guide for the Undirected Learner

Do you ever think back to your choices and personal patterns that played out during an earlier phase of your life?

Though the lens of reflection may not be one of regret, I still frequently pull on those memories. While flipping through my mental album fondly, I wonder what may have been different if I saw my university life as a feature film.

It could have been my overwhelm with re-engaging my mind into calculus algorithms and learning about DNA replication machinery for the first time, but I found it really challenging to maximize my “first-year experience”. It was only during my academic third year that I felt like I had figured out how to do what I needed to do and balance what I wanted to do. Now that I’m a few years further in my learning, I realize there is precedent for consistency over perfection. For any future “firsts” – for me, or for you reading this right now – I want to reimagine life as a movie, drawing on these themes…

The Stage: Your mental health is more important than good marks. Be brave. Seek help.

The Protagonist: Participation is “so totally in right now”. It may be overwhelming at first, but you are likely judging yourself more than anyone else in the class is judging you. This falls away when you participate unashamedly.

The Antagonist: You’re here because you want to be, right? Be excited. Your course work isn’t a chore; it’s a choice. Attend every extra class, tutorial, workshop, or Q&A session that is available to you. If you still feel stuck, ask for more! Your success is in your hands.

The Set-Design: The library is your friend and your greatest resource. An unimaginable number of people have sat where you are now; reading the books on the shelf and soaking in the privilege of knowledge acquisition.

The Producer: There is always more work to get through, so try your best to stay on top of it. Do preparatory reading from the textbook or supplementary materials; consolidate with your given lecture notes. It almost never pays off to be writing furiously while you learn, so (vaguely) understanding the topic before you even enter the classroom will help you grasp where you get lost on the content.

The Director: You are a human being, not a productivity machine. Prioritize your rest, and rest well. Play frisbee with your friends on the weekend or join a mid-week poetry slam. Take up your interests! Join the society and attend the meetings. Want to rock climb? *Send it! Curious about ballroom dancing? Step into your salsa-self! Do the fun things that you convince yourself are less important than punishing yourself for not working 24/7.

The Distribution: Time waits for no human. You have enough time if you plan well and prioritize your tasks. Centralizing your resources and your to-do’s will be helpful, so that you know you don’t have to look around to find the hand-written paper notes from that lecture on Friday. I should have downloaded all my lecture notes onto one online- or hard-copy drive and used a task-management app to set more specific daily, weekly, and monthly goals.

The Hall of Fame: Be curious with your lecturers. They are primarily people with an intrigue so great that they committed to teaching younger people about it. Ask, “How did you get to this position in the faculty? What are your interests in this field and what advice can you give me for reaching these personal goals?”.

The Supporting Acts: Make friends with people outside of your course! The field you have chosen to study makes up a tiny portion of the student body. Challenges your views and your interests by dissolving boundaries between faculty niches; to encourage interdisciplinary thinking from an early stage of your “career”. Build a broad community that nourishes itself.

The Film: These years spent at university come with the full range of human emotions. Document these years – in journal-writings, or in photographs, or in a playful short-film made with your friends. There’s nothing like a little nostalgia to redirect your perspective. Rewatch the movie. Release an even better sequel. 

Ultimately, though, what wins the category for “Best Personal Project” is a project that I have poured myself into wholeheartedly.  Will we look back and say that for whatever we’re working on now?

*To “send it” is a rock climbing (and other extreme sport) reference that encourages someone to follow through on the next move, regardless of how daunting it may seem.

Photos of some “firsts”, from top left to bottom right: University of Cape Town from the field, in my first year; my first night out at The Waiting Room in Cape Town; my first lab coat, painted on by my friends; my first time rock climbing in 2018; my first visit to Wits Education Library; my first day as a Bachelor of Health Science (Honours) in Neuroscience student

Posted on by Lonwabo Makapela · 1 Comment

Reimagining the Process: Key Lessons Learned

Reflecting on my PhD journey, I am kind of amazed by the significant influence that moving across different countries has had on me. This unique experience has allowed me to hit the reset button on certain aspects of my postgraduate journey that weren’t exactly contributing to my progress and well-being. This month’s blog post focused on what I would change if I could rewind time and restart my PhD degree. In this reflective journey, I’ll be discussing various aspects, including how I’d alter my approach to managing time, handling relationships, and more. So, without further ado, let’s get to it.

Knowing When to Say No

I’ve always had a hard time saying no, particularly when it seemed most crucial for my academic progress or rest – be it lending a hand, lending an ear on lengthy phone calls, being asked to proofread or compile documents, attending functions, or socialising. I was constantly showing up as a ‘yes-girl’, and unsurprisingly, that’s exactly how people treated me. My days were filled with endless requests for favours, leaving me drained and under immense pressure to cater to everyone’s needs. However, I’ve made significant strides in setting better boundaries for myself, a resolution I made before moving to the U.S.. Although I’m still a work in progress, I can’t help but wish I had learned and implemented this valuable lesson earlier.

Keeping Flexibility in Your Routine

In previous posts, I’ve shared how my ability to adhere to a strict routine has been instrumental in my achievements, particularly during my undergraduate studies. However, moving to the U.S. and dealing with significant time differences, poor eating and sleeping habits, and reduced energy levels presented a challenge. My well-curated routine no longer served its purpose, and acknowledging its ineffectiveness was a difficult truth to accept. Despite these obstacles, I had to find ways to get my work done. This experience taught me a valuable lesson: the importance of flexibility in my routine, and the need for guilt-free rest. Sometimes, these elements are crucial for academic success.

One Good Therapy Session Isn’t Enough

Since the onset of my PhD, I’ve been attending therapy sessions, a beneficial suggestion from my sister. It’s worth noting for fellow postgrads that universities often provide counselling services at no extra cost. My therapist even transitioned to virtual sessions when I moved to the U.S., a time when I needed support the most. However, I sometimes misinterpret a successful session as a sign that I can postpone sessions until I’m overwhelmed. If I could change one thing, it would be to maintain regular therapy sessions, rather than sporadic ones, for a healthier PhD journey.

Keeping Regular Communication with Your Supervisor

As an introvert who tends to overthink, I’ve learned a valuable lesson: your supervisor can be a great ally in holding you accountable. It’s up to you to establish the rhythm of your relationship and subsequent progress. Whether that’s weekly check-ins updating them on your progress, communicating your intended submission dates, discussing delays due to your health or other reasons, actively seeking clarity on the feedback received, or sharing new ideas for your research. Regular communication is key. This approach was highly effective during my master’s degree, however, I struggled to apply this to my PhD, which somewhat delayed my progress, and though I’m currently in a much better place, it took time to understand that this was primarily my responsibility.

Letting Things Be, Sometimes

To be honest, in pursuing a PhD, you might encounter many moments where things don’t go as planned. It’s crucial to understand that it’s okay to let things be sometimes. This doesn’t mean giving up; but rather, it’s about finding alternative routes and continuing to make progress. If you don’t, uza kuphambana (you might find yourself overwhelmed). The lesson here is that it’s okay to take a step back, reassess, and move forward in a different direction.

In my recent day-in-the-life vlog, I shared that I was supposed to be in Nigeria, gathering data for my PhD. I had hoped to pen my November blog from Lagos, but due to some visa complications, that plan fell through. However, like dealing with imposter syndrome, these setbacks are part and parcel of the PhD journey. So, I picked myself up, reinitiated my visa process, and used this time to review my literature and other work. 

It’s interesting how these unexpected lessons, which I’d do differently, often teach us more about life than our PhD. So, stay tuned for my next blog post, which I plan to kick off with ‘HELLO FROM NIGERIA!’ 🙂