Week 4 Update

Things with my thesis are proceeding more slowly than I had hoped. I've looked into overall format and come up with a plan for how I want my thesis to be laid out and which sections to include. Originally, I had hoped to begin writing this week, but that hasn't happened as of yet. I did, however, begin researching the topic for my first background section, so I'm slowly making progress.

This week I also worked on formatting a poster that I will be presenting at next week's conference. It's interesting to compare the difference in writing style when working on this kind of medium. As a whole, I tried to find the simplest and most concise way to explain my research that could still be understood even when I'm not in front of the poster to explain it. This was a slightly different style from when I was working on my journal paper. In that case, I included lots of background information and tried to explain everything in as much detail as was relevant.

My short term goals for the remainder of this week would be to continue researching my first section and begin writing background info. Hopefully, by next week, I will be ready to begin working on the next section.

Happy writing everyone!

Week 3 Update

At the end of last week I decided on three goals to help me begin work on my thesis: create an outline, look into formatting, and begin writing. Unfortunately, on Monday morning I woke up with a cold, which took me out for a couple of days. It is now Wednesday and I'm not nearly where I wanted to be for this week. Luckily, I don't have any pressing deadlines to attend to, so no harm done. :) So far this week, I have downloaded the graduate college documentation I need to refer to about formatting my thesis. I've skimmed over this briefly in order to have an idea of the major formatting requirements that are in place. In the next couple of days, I hope to begin creating an outline for my thesis, so that I may start researching and writing next Monday. One of the great things about beginning work on my thesis over the summer is that I don't feel overly pressed for time, which allows me to account for things that might come up (such as this cold) without feeling anxious or guilty about pushing back my personal deadlines.

Week 2 Progress

This week I reached an important milestone in my summer writing agenda. After weeks of writing, reviewing literature, and revising, I finally have a complete draft of my paper. This morning it will be sent off for the first round of feedback from outside collaborators, which means for the next two weeks I get to put it on the back burner. I admit this is a happily welcomed break.

This week I also spent time outlining my conference presentation for next month. I find that the best way for me to practice speaking is to first start by writing out the words of what I want to say as I speak them. I find that this method of actually thinking through specific wording rather than just thinking through ideas or concepts for each slide helps me to really outline what message it is that I'm trying to send. Even if in speaking I decide to change the wording later, I find that overall I understand each slide much better.

For next week, I plan to begin work on my thesis. My first goal will be to outline the content which I will need to include. This will help me to break my writing into sections, which I can then work on each coming week. My second goal will be to look into formatting for my thesis. I've heard that this can be one the most time consuming steps, so it will be easier to start with the right format from the get go instead of trying to change it towards the end. My third goal will be to begin work on one of the sections. I will need to start by reviewing more literature, so writing might be a little slow at first. I'll have to figure out whether it works better for me to write as I research or to take things step by step. We shall see.

I'm excited to be beginning work on my thesis because now it's starting to feel like graduation is right around the corner. The nice thing is that this paper has given me a great head start and now it doesn't feel so daunting. Hopefully, I continue to be this optimistic as the process progresses. :)

Week 1 Progress

I spent this week working on completing and editing my paper draft. I found the morning sessions to be a great way to start the day. Not only does the quiet atmosphere of the writing center make for a great writing environment, but I found that beginning my day writing helped motivate me to keep working even after the session had finished. This week, I managed to finish editing the first draft of my paper and get it submitted to my adviser for feedback. My main goal for next week will be to edit the minor revisions that my adviser suggested and hopefully have a revised draft by the end of the week. I also plan on beginning to outline my conference presentation for next month. Happy writing to all!

Hello there!

Hi there, I'm currently a second-year graduate student in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. My research is in the Department of Radiation Oncology and revolves around radiation treatment planning for lung cancer patients. Over this summer, I have three major writing projects to work on. The first is to complete a draft of a paper that I'm hoping to submit for publication next month. The second is to outline a presentation that I will be giving at a conference in Austin (also next month), and the third (and primary) project is to start working on my thesis. It's going to be a busy summer, but I think this program will be a great way for me to stay motivated and on task!