Saturday, July 23, 2005

博士生

猶記得,當年老爸聽到我要讀master,第一句是:「仲讀?!」

昨天收到chinese tutor的email,問我有沒有考慮讀PhD。我第一反應是:「仲讀?!」嗯,有其父必有其女。這一刻,只感到自己master還未搞得掂(認真好唔掂),便給問到要不要念PhD,真叫人喘不過氣。

B也問過我會不會念PhD。我答:死都唔會。一,我對學術研究沒有興趣;二,我不渴望在academic field打滾;三,以我的資質,就算有學校收錄,也未必可以畢業!寫論文真的令人好頭痕。

話說我的畢業論文,由一個30不到的葡萄牙籍PhD student supervise。她平日面無笑容,cool到爆燈。上星期跟她第一次official meeting,她便要求我用三星期時間寫起full draft。我起初以為full draft就是draft啦,誰知搞清楚,才明白她想要的,是由introduction到conclusion!再者,她給予的comment也非常的-_-“!上次,我告訴她,「我想寫關於history of Chinese medical translation……」「It's a boring topic!.....blah blah blah......」然後,我問了很多很多問題,到最後,忘了問什麼,只記得她曰:I don't know. 下?!I don't know?!她這句I don't know,真的打沉了我。

幾經思量,我把題目改了,趕起一份structure outline給她。等了兩天,她回來的評語是:
Personally it (論文的新題目) seems an interesting one (……) I've read the structure you provided me with and, if you stick to it, I don't have for the moment any major comment to make. But I will need to see your first draft to make more precise comments about your dissertation. Hence, please keep your first deadline, which is on the 1st August (time of your 2nd meeting).

明顯,她對我的題目仍然提不起勁。我沒有想過,一位PhD給我的評語只有either interesting or boring。她這樣的草草幾句,實在未見認真──我明白她也很忙吧,但也想請她明白,身為一位PhD Student + supervisor/ tutor,除了自己的研究外,也有責任引導學生做research。

所以說,PhD不能亂讀,教與學也得盡心。 我認為最起碼的是:說話要有point,comment要實際。

我暗忖,她爸爸當年大抵沒有問她:「仲讀?!」

3 comments:

梁偉洛 said...

這篇真interesting!

phyllischan said...

Let her be cool...but can you change tutor/superviser? cos she is borrrring.

zeiling said...

Sigh, I wonder it's too late to make any changes. I have done some research these days and I wish I can be productive enough to write 10,000 words this week!

Well, interesting enough, my writing is still boring.