Thursday, February 09, 2006

The Day after Tomorrow

I’ve just been reading one of Tom Coates old posts on http://www.plasticbag.org/ about doing a doctorate.  Absolutely fantastic! I went through hell, and gave other people hell too, doing my PhD and I think I’m still recovering from it now. I’d ask myself over and over again - Why couldn’t I do it? Had I tried hard enough? Was I stupid? Was I lazy?

I actually withdrew from my PhD this week. After reading Tom’s post, I’m reminded of the cultness of the life. The fact that you are no-one without three letters after your name. To be honest, I do believe that PhD’s are wonderful, but only if you have a real passion for  your subject because that’s what will keep you going through the redrafts, the worries about money, and the wish to put sharp objects in your eyes so you don’t have to read another sodding article. And that you realise it is a job not an extension of undergraduate life   I remember walking along a road with this girl  I’d just met at a PhD seminar group. She looked up at someone’s flat window, which looked cosy, and said sadly ‘I bet they don’t have a PhD to do’.

And again saying all this I’ve just applied for a lecturer’s job. What am I doing? It really is a cult – you can never escape. I still haven’t thrown away my old books and my six Clairefontaine notebooks. They are still in the pantry, panting to be let out. I think I’d better read Tom’s post again.

Onto lighter stuff – I watched ‘The Day after Tomorrow’ yesterday. I loved it at the cinema and I still love it now.  I was gutted when I missed ‘The Poseidon Adventure’ on Channel Four the other day. I remember watching it when I was about 7 and being really upset when the Reverend (Gene Hackman) threw himself into a fire/void/fiery void.  It was just so unfair.

4 comments:

Reluctant Nomad said...

I went through a mad studying period a bout 10 years ago and was definitely going to do a Phd but circumstances stopped me at the time. There was no reason to do it besides some inner demon. I still have all my text books but know I won't do further study unless I have a rush of blood to the head in my dotage.

I just can NOT throw those books away!

ed frame said...

I'm relieved that you had this inner demon experience too. My demon nearly drove me to doing a geography PhD - my background is in English. Luckily, I didn't get the funding but I did get to visit Nottingham - which is, of course, where you are from.

Reluctant Nomad said...

No, I'm not from here although I live here at the moment and I've grown to like the place in the two and a bit years I've been here. When I first moved here, I'd just spent two years in Newcastle upon Tyne, a place I loved/love, and I was prepared to loathe Nottingham. Silly way of going about things, I know but I am a bit silly at times.

I've just noticed that the post at the bottom of the page got a few spam comments - that's never happened to me - yet! The juicyfruiter one I've seen elsewhere and it never leads to anywhere. Odd.

Lubin said...

Good with the job application!