You give up well paying jobs to pursue something you like. You do want to do a Ph.D in Astrophysics, Math,Bio-chemistry or something similar.Then rest assured that (atleast the first couple of years)days will be filled with classes,arguments at the chalk/white boards, a quick lunch and optimism.Evenings start with more discussions and ofcourse end with worries about your grades.Nights carry with them HWs,restlessness ,late night pizzas and a "four-hour" nap on the office table.After all this you start with your research hoping to add your contribution to the sea of knowledge that keeps growing.A Ph.D is more or less a journey into the wild.You shall learn to be a survivor if you come out a better person than before.You spend nearly a twelfth of you life doing it.So learn to do it well.Came across this article which gives some worthy suggestions about being a good Ph.D student:
http://www.nature.com/naturejobs/2006/060511/full/nj7090-252b.html
Enjoy reading it!!
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Monday, October 16, 2006
Where do we fit in?
In life,quite often,we are confronted with situations where we have to make a conscious choice out of the options presented to us:Do I study or work?Should I take up this job?Should I call up home or not?Is this the right girl/guy for me?Should I do this work or not?A million questions and a trillion choices!!Sometimes we think a lot about this and sometimes we let providence take over.Whatever might be the course of action,it helps to kind of walk through the problem/issue at hand and actaully analyze the situations we probably would be in.
So,have there been times when you have regretted about the choices you have made or thought that you could have been something better in life?Have you ever asked yourself where you fit in into the bigger picture?Well remember you are not alone.You may not be the haute couture gal ,the scientist who made some major discovery or the financial advisor to a Goverment of a country or even a prize-winning writer.But then,you still have a place in this setup called the Universe.You have your small contributions that matter to people:You may be a teacher influencing the minds of young people,you may be a great friend, a caring mother,a dutiful wife,a good research advisor or just someone who can smile at people,make them feel better.Remember,the picture would not be complete without you!Greatness is but a temporary state;we all have our moments of greatness.It just depends on how you define it.
But whatever we do we just need to remember that
"When we pick up one end of the stick we pick up the other end too.So learn to live with your choices."
That pretty much addresses our concerns!
So,have there been times when you have regretted about the choices you have made or thought that you could have been something better in life?Have you ever asked yourself where you fit in into the bigger picture?Well remember you are not alone.You may not be the haute couture gal ,the scientist who made some major discovery or the financial advisor to a Goverment of a country or even a prize-winning writer.But then,you still have a place in this setup called the Universe.You have your small contributions that matter to people:You may be a teacher influencing the minds of young people,you may be a great friend, a caring mother,a dutiful wife,a good research advisor or just someone who can smile at people,make them feel better.Remember,the picture would not be complete without you!Greatness is but a temporary state;we all have our moments of greatness.It just depends on how you define it.
But whatever we do we just need to remember that
"When we pick up one end of the stick we pick up the other end too.So learn to live with your choices."
That pretty much addresses our concerns!
Sunday, October 15, 2006
An Offering...
In this fast paced reel called life do we get time to stop,think and do things that make us feel good,better?More than time,do we make a conscious effort to add value to our lives?Make it far more richer,not in the material sense but rather in terms of how we feel.Moments which give us a sense of direction...make our live far more fulfiiling. It is true that there can be different things which can make a person happy,but then there are those true moments when you genuinely feel happy,light,unbound....And this is a highly dependent upon the person one is talking about.
October 14th,2006 was the last Saturday in the month of Puratasi. This was accidentally brought to my notice by P.It was 7.21pm and the last few hours had been spent looking at some atomic data and a decision was taken to attend the weekly VS meeting at PBs place.So the next few minutes were spent walking to Press,"the great hangout" in the minds of a few people who had spent a small part of their lives there!As usual people started trickling in and the session started at 8pm or so.S was excited that it was a Puratasi Saturday and was suprised that PB had not made any sweets to offer to Lord Venkateshwara.LA and VS were recited as usual .All this culminated with PB doing the aarthi and handing out the prasad.Then the most unexpected came.And it did come at the right time...atleast for me.Brilliant,Refreshing and Stimulating.A vocal Offering to the Lord.SS sang devotedly which did quite a few times transform me to a different world...paint pictures of Sri Ranganatha,Krishna,Malayappa..all in the mental world.One had to be there to feel the magnetic effect.An offering so spontaneous,pure and touching.In particular "Kurai Onrum Illai" was moving,touching..down deep that one could feel the soul resonate with the divine.Do we really have worries?Or are they just manifestation of our mind?A state that could be healed...All it took was to be just present there when the offering to the Almighty was made.It begs the question "Is HE so compassionate,that the moment when you forget everything else and just meditate on Him,there seem to be no worries whatsoever?"Or is it "something to do with stuff like NLP"?I do not want to answer it.I was just happy to be there when the offering was made. As i walked down the steps,Kurai Onrum IIlai was on my lips...everything felt light..happy.It was hardly 5 minutes, my next door neighbours(they havent said a Hi to me from the day I have been here) knocked on the Door to ask me if I wanted Prasad from the temple."Sure, why not"was my reply. I reread the mail from SM,curled up my legs and played M.S's Kurai Onrum Illai.
October 14th,2006 was the last Saturday in the month of Puratasi. This was accidentally brought to my notice by P.It was 7.21pm and the last few hours had been spent looking at some atomic data and a decision was taken to attend the weekly VS meeting at PBs place.So the next few minutes were spent walking to Press,"the great hangout" in the minds of a few people who had spent a small part of their lives there!As usual people started trickling in and the session started at 8pm or so.S was excited that it was a Puratasi Saturday and was suprised that PB had not made any sweets to offer to Lord Venkateshwara.LA and VS were recited as usual .All this culminated with PB doing the aarthi and handing out the prasad.Then the most unexpected came.And it did come at the right time...atleast for me.Brilliant,Refreshing and Stimulating.A vocal Offering to the Lord.SS sang devotedly which did quite a few times transform me to a different world...paint pictures of Sri Ranganatha,Krishna,Malayappa..all in the mental world.One had to be there to feel the magnetic effect.An offering so spontaneous,pure and touching.In particular "Kurai Onrum Illai" was moving,touching..down deep that one could feel the soul resonate with the divine.Do we really have worries?Or are they just manifestation of our mind?A state that could be healed...All it took was to be just present there when the offering to the Almighty was made.It begs the question "Is HE so compassionate,that the moment when you forget everything else and just meditate on Him,there seem to be no worries whatsoever?"Or is it "something to do with stuff like NLP"?I do not want to answer it.I was just happy to be there when the offering was made. As i walked down the steps,Kurai Onrum IIlai was on my lips...everything felt light..happy.It was hardly 5 minutes, my next door neighbours(they havent said a Hi to me from the day I have been here) knocked on the Door to ask me if I wanted Prasad from the temple."Sure, why not"was my reply. I reread the mail from SM,curled up my legs and played M.S's Kurai Onrum Illai.
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