The sun is shining, the sky is brighter, the birds are singing…

Since I submitted my PhD for examination, the world has become a happier place.

I actually submitted just over five weeks ago, but only now am I really starting to feel human again.  Part of the reason for this was that submission took place two weeks after I finished writing the thesis, thanks to an unforeseen administrative error.  This resulted in me turning up at uni, support squad in tow, and being told that I wasn’t allowed to submit.  Hello world crashing down…  But t went in, eventually.

PhD submission day, complete with support crew and toy dolphins!  (Note, this was taken prior to submission debacle, hence manic expression of relief on my face)

The other reason for my vacant expression of the past few weeks is that completing a PhD is exhausting.

I’ve seen my fiance finish his PhD.  I’ve seen some of my best friends finish their PhDs.  I’ve seen my officemates finish their PhDs.  I thought I had a pretty good idea of what to expect.  But it’s a unique experience, individually tailored, and nothing can really prepare you for The End.  I still can’t particularly face writing about it now (why burst this happiness bubble?), but one day I’ll explain the whole thing in detail.  Probably after I’ve dealt with the eventual examiner comments.

So now for my long-awaited period of rest and relaxation!  Well, not quite…

I’ve spent the past six weeks on a Publication Scholarship, which essentially means the uni has been paying me to turn my thesis chapters into scientific publications.  One is submitted, another two should sneak in this week, and the final paper is due for submission in April.  Around this, I have also been working on grant applications, giving presentations, submitting conference abstracts, preparing for a trip to Europe, and attending a surprising number of meetings.  The last has actually been the most daunting – after several months of PhD lockdown, limited social interaction and working from home, it’s weird having to converse with dozens of people at once.  This combined with the ‘mushy brain syndrome‘ typical of recently-submitted PhD students has left me with a strong need to lie down in a dark room after meetings.  But I’m slowly improving.  And as much as I love my PhD project (no, I didn’t end up hating it!), it is actually quite nice to work on other things and bounce between different research projects.

Now I just need to keep my fingers crossed for some successful grant applications so this research can continue…