Last week was the School of Computing PhD Conference, where all PhD students were expected to present their research. It was a long, busy day – especially as I was…
Like many people, I fancy myself a bit of a comedienne. I like to crack jokes and I regularly have episodes of SUBS syndrome that I just…
I attended the International Data and Information Management Conference in Loughborough (England) this week. The conference was a great opportunity to meet with other information science researchers – and to present…
I woke up this morning ready to start the New Year with hope and faith for a good 2016. Not with the naïve notion that…
With 2015 quickly coming to an end, it’s time for a bit of reflection. And as I look back at my hopes for the year, I…
Hello and Merry Christmas to you all! As I mentioned the other day, I am spending my Christmas (mostly) alone, but I am doing so with…
Yesterday marked two years since I began my PhD studies. And that means I am another year closer to being Doctor Ryan. It’s a title I’ve longed for…
I spoke the other day about the higher-than-normal levels of personal stress I’m experiencing, and that I feel I need a break from my current way of…
Life is hard these days and sometimes I wonder what my limits are. Sometimes I wonder how many more disappointments and frustrations I can manage…
Today is my last day as a 40-year-old woman. It’s the last day of what I had hoped would be an empowering and fabulous year of…
Sometimes I feel like the world is laughing at me; like life is laughing at me. Sometimes I feel like my entire life has been one failed…
The end of a year can only mean one thing: An obligatory end-of-the-year reflections post! At the start of the year, I had grand visions of…
Yesterday marked one calendar year since I matriculated as a research student in the Institute for Informatics and Digital Innovation at Edinburgh Napier University. It’s hard to believe…
[Note: This was originally posted on my PhD blog, FrancesRyanPhD. Not all posts from there are shared here, so go over and check it out if…
I’ve been quiet lately and I’ve found it hard to get back into the swing of things because I don’t know how to move past…
I decided a while ago that I would start rewarding myself for various milestones along my PhD adventure. In part because treats make things a…
I’ve spent the last couple of days in Killin as part of a PhD retreat but managed to get some private retreat time, too. This (and the…
I’ve spent the last couple of days in Killin as part of a PhD retreat but managed to get some private retreat time, too. This (and the…
Life begins where your comfort zone ends. The magic happens outside of your comfort zone. Success, happiness, excitement, love … it’s all found outside of…
A year ago, I was excitedly talking about applying for PhDs and how I wondered how I would ever afford to actually study if I was accepted somewhere. My…