Academic Balls of Steel...

[Tengu]

Submitting a paper for a periodical.

"No, not the one I did at the Conference...that was a bit of fun, and I am not sure I can do justice to the subject...I really don't want you thinking I am a chump...How about I write a paper on something that I do know well and am confident I can do a good job with??"

<Shakes head> "What do you mean you want me to do one based on my conference paper (The one I only did half of as I was last on and you ran out of time?) Oh ho..."

What do I say?

 

[Toddy]

....you want this degree ?
You have to work for it, and sometimes that really is out of your comfort zone.

Look on it as something fun to learn and to explain to other folks who haven't done that work.

M

 

[Tengu]

This is not part of the course this is extra curricular stuff...but developing an Academic reputation...naturally I want to do a good job.

I could, of course, explain it isnt a speciality, merely something I picked up at random

 

[JonathanD]

People never learn anything writing a paper on a subject they are good at. What’s the point in that.

 

[Tengu]

You have a very good point there

 

[JonathanD]

There you go then. Go forth and make yourself, if not an expert on this subject, then at the least very well versed in it.

 

[Billy-o]

And remember, great minds do not think alike.

 

[Toddy]

...so long as you're not squashing their pet theory

 

[Tengu]

No, I think I am safe there

 

[Laurentius]

Been there, done that, it hurts to get your first peer review.

My PhD Viva was a real test, I had a sympathetic external examiner, who I had chosen who was familiar with my work, but the internal examiner came from a completely different perspective. What I have learned along the way is that concepts that I thought were simple and were too universally understood to need explaining, really do need explaining because your readers are not mind readers.

 

[Laurentius]

If you haven't experienced it already, you are likely to at some point encounter "imposter syndrome" where you feel that everyone else is so much more knowlegable than you are, and you wonder how it is you are even studying the same subject they are. Thing is, they are all feeling that too.

 

[SaraR]

Sounds like you've already got a starting point to build on and someone to bounce ideas off/check the sanity of your argument with, so I'd say go for it!

But since you've just started your PG course, make sure you make time for both!

 

[Tengu]

Your right, I mustnt be a wuss

Thank you all for the encouragement