D*aisy

Before I start narrating, I warn you that this is a boring story to read, but not for me though...it is non other than my ramblings about study again..right from the start down to the last line. Really! So, dont bother :) [ owhh after publishing, i realized it is such a loooong entry!]

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D*aisy, among other colleaques, is the closest to me..because once she was seated next to me in this common room for a year. To me, she is an excellent student with excellent analytical and writing skills. However, when she accepted the assoc. lecturer position here, she then moved to another room that consists of only 2 occupants.

As we are both busy with our own work..me with reading, writing, classes and assignments and whatnots while she with her reading, writing, teaching classes and its preparation and whatnots..only once in a while we get the chance to talk to each other. We always talked about our study mainly, our supervisors, this and that related to study mostly.

Earlier, she told me that she will be defending by end of this year.. that's great news I thought and that is the end of her 2nd year actually...so I can understand her pressure at the moment and she seems really busy and breathless. Yesterday, we called up and talked...I think I was asking her opinions on work-related issue, she explained bits and pieces...then.. suddenly she told me she is in a disaster! I asked, 'why?" because I thought she is progressing well. Then she said she's not sure if she can defend as planned. Because, she talked to P*aul, the head of school, showed him her model and explained a bit just to get other than her supervisor's opinion. What P*aul said was the reason why she think she couldnt make it this year.

He said that the model she presented is fine however he said the constructs in it are just too common that has been numerously studied under both similar and different contexts. Yes, of course the work she is doing is something genuine and novel but the constructs that she is going to use are too trivial. That's what he said. He also said that as such, she could have very little chance to get her work published and that is the trigger that makes her change her mind of defending. She said, at least once she want her paper to be published and mind you.. when the academics in U*NSW here talk about publishing papers, they mean the top tier journals.

So she said she's going to revamp her model..will still be pursuing her area but will be looking for other different constructs. Just like that. I mean....she has been working on developing that model alone for almost 2 years already and has been agreed by her supervisor but yeah....as she is an ambitious student, she wants to get published in top tier journals as well....but knowing her, I know she'll be able to come out with something good *sure thing*..it's just that her defense schedule might be postponed.

I have a different view actually. True, all of us doctoral student would want to publish in a top tier journal but to me personally, not at the expense of my study period. I would think it is better to defend early because we dont know of what will happen in the future once we are about to collect data. I've had experience for data collection and it is not an easy task. Not that I am thinking negatively on publishing papers or discourage people of pursuing so, but there are other journals that we could send in. I'm pretty sure at least once we'll get through. This doctoral program is actually a formal learning process of how to conduct a proper research. I would think that once one graduate from such program, he or she will work out to publish in top-tier journals. And to get through to Journal of M*arketing, J. of M*arketing R*research, J. of C*onsumer R*esearch, J. of the A*cademy of M*arketing S*cience, J. of R*etailing among others, are extremely difficult. I mean to say, there are other 2nd tier journals that are relatively good such as J. of I*nternational M*arketing, J. of B*usiness R*esearch among others that we can send in. I mean...iskk such a pressure lah. But..yeah..I know many of my seniors here who were able to get through to the top-tier journals.

The difference with this univ is, they pre-scheduled for its students to defend not earlier than 1.5years. Yeap....that's the scenario here..Of course with classes and workloads, it is extremely difficult to do the defense in 6 months or 1 year but I know someone *elsewhere, no here* who have 8 courses but managed to go for data collection in 1 year.

However, I must admit that D*aisy and some of other seniors are in a different situation as compared to mine..because all of them are under own-funding. That's why they need to take up teaching job so as to sponsor their study...and that's why it is okay if they get a bit over the line...*so far that I know of, a few went over 4 years but many make it on the dot (4 years)*. Where as I am under scholarship and very much constrained by the study period that is lined in front of me. When I told them that the study period prescribed to me by our gov is 3 years... their jaws dropped for it is like impossible to complete one in such a period..owhhh but I know people who managed..with kids some more!

...hrmmm.....If you are wondering...the reason why I am blabbering about this issue is because.....I am disturbed with what happened to D*aisy and yeahhh worried! That's all.

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See...dont say I didnt warn you if you're bored with the story thee hee hee. Thanx for reading anyway, peeps!