Always Up-to-Date: Learning Resources

This is my always up-to-date page of Learning Resources. As I navigate the PhD process, I will make sure to collect as many resources as I can.

STATISTICS

Learning the Basics

• Khan Academy: Probability & Statistics
• Khan Academy provides short videos that cover the basics of probability and statistics.

Using Statistical Programs

• How to Stats
• This is a YouTube channel. The link above is for their blog page, in which they categorize all the topics they have covered. 
• The focus is on SPSS. 
• Introduction to STATA
• This is a tutorial website by Princeton and emphasizes data management and graphics.
• SAS Learning Modules
• This is a tutorial website by UCLA and covers all the basics of working in SAS.
• Try R
• Try by Code School. This is a fun, and short intro to the basis in R.

PROGRAMMING

Learning to Code

• Code Academy
• I used this to teach myself Python.
• Code School
• I use this to learn Git.
• W3Schools
• I used this (a long time ago now) to teach myself HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and SQL

Programming Languages

• Python
• This is a brief intro in programming with Python.
• R Tutorial
• Go beyond the basics by reading through the modules in this Tutorial.

Productivity Tactic #3: Captain's Log

I have often been told:

"If you didn't write it down, it didn't happen."

And I never wanted to listen. It just took too much time and effort to write things down. But when I started my PhD, I knew I would need some sort of way to make sure that I stayed on track. These kinds of programs are by design structureless. So as a student who refuses to go ABD (All But Dissertation), imposing a structure on myself is absolutely imperative.

Enter my Captain's Log

And yes, this is a Star Trek reference.

I used GoogleForms to create a log for my daily activities. In it, I track if I engaged in scholarly activities (reading, writing, data collection/analysis), teaching activities, or service activities. I also track a few personal metrics such as the miles I walked,  (see The Year to Thrive and 1,000 Miles).

At the end of the week, I can access the data summary that Google so nicely puts together.

Productivity Tactic #2: Rescue Time

My computer is the source of all the things. It is both my place of work and entertainment. I connect with my family and friends and conduct meetings. I have all the papers that I am writing for my degree as well as a science fiction I have been working on. I learn by participating in Coursera classes and I play video games (Civ V, anyone?).

Given that all productive and downtime activities take place on the same screen, I have to be careful about how I spend my time. I discussed before the importance of staying away from my browser (thank you, Mailbox). Today I want to talk about RescueTime.

RescueTime tracks all the things you do on your computer. From the specific websites you access on your browser, to the programs you use such as Word or Mendeley. You can access your dashboard to see how you use your computer time. You can also classify certain activities from very productive to very distracting.

My goal is to have my productivity pulse above 80. This is not always possible, since there are meetings to schedule, emails to respond to, and world news to keep up with. In general, as long I spend most of my time in the Composition and Learning categories, I call it a good day.

Productivity Tactic #1: Mailbox

A lot of my work takes place in a web browser. Unfortunately, that is where all my distractions happen too.

In order to minimize distractions, I have been finding ways to move my work away from the web browser. Enter Mailbox for Mac.

It was quite a quest to get a betacoin in order to have the Maibox app for my mac, but I am very happy.

The best part of this app is that it allows you to defer mail to later in the day, the next day, the next week, or at any point in time that you choose.

This has allowed me to move email tasks from my inbox to a later day when they have to be completed. Clearing my inbox is akin to clearing my mind. If I am not looking at an interminable list of email to-dos, I can focus on the task at hand.

Stages of Studying for Comps

Comprehensive exams are a thing of legend. Every PhD hopeful must endure the process of preparing and must survive the exams themselves. If you have not taken these exams, here is what is in store for you:

Vague Awareness
At the start of your PhD program, you know you will have to face comps one day... but that day is not here yet... it is not even happening this year!

Reality Shock
Somehow, you managed to complete all your coursework and now the faculty have scheduled your comps - in a few weeks!

Panic Mode, Engaged
This happened much too soon... there is so much material to review... did you even learn what you were supposed to?

Despair
Nope. You most certainly did not learn anything. You know nothing. At all. Not a single thing. Time is ticking.

Confusion
You get over the despair and begin to study. And as you review, you realize that you don't even remember half of these things. What is the difference between moderated mediation and mediated moderation? Is that even a thing?

Anger
You have spent so much time studying and it dawns on you: most of the material has nothing to do with your research interests. Why are the faculty even testing you on this? Don't they know you need to focus and publish?

Studying
Once you let go of all the emotions, you get to work. You have to take comps soon!

Panic Mode, 2.0
It is too much. There is so little time. There is no way in the world a single human could possibly learn all of this. You panic. Again.

Determination
You finally realize that every single PhD you know has gone through this. You are not alone. You are capable. You can do this!

More Studying
Yes! You got a second wind and this time YOU KNOW you can handle it!

Exhaustion
After your second wind and new-found determination, you study like never before. Now, you have ben studying for so long... you can't possibly do any more.

Sleeplessness
The exams start tomorrow. And sleep is elusive. You ponder all of the life choices that led you to this moment. You wonder if you are smart enough, and if you have what it takes.

The Exam
The exams begin. Somehow, you manage to type ALL THE WORDS. You write pages and pages and pages. Everything you know - everything you are - is poured into this exam.

Post-Exam
You are done with this exam. You can't even make it home. You are so done.

The Wait
All you have left to do now is wait for your faculty to decide if you pass...

The Results
You somehow manage to pass this hurdle. You should celebrate!! Be happy!

The Next Step
You are now ready for the next stage: the dissertation! Keep pushing!

The day before comps

Tomorrow, I finally take my comps. FINALLY.

Sadly, I did not get to take today off... I had so much to do before tomorrow.

In an ideal world, I would have one more week to practice more questions and really memorize all the cites. Though I am not sure this will make a big difference.

I began this blog as a way to keep myself motivated and focused during the time I had to study for comps. There have been many ups and downs in this process. If anyone were to look at the number of posts per day, it would be very easy to see which days were the better ones.

Despite any challenges (and there were many), I managed to review and write about every topic for the exam. I also was able to make electronic flashcards and table of articles. Unexpectedly, I even made regular flashcards and practiced writing out all the cites multiple times (an inherently difficult task because of my dyslexia).

The only thing I did not do was to practice more questions. But after one question it was clear my biggest weakness was the memorization of all the citations. And this is how I have tried to spend my days.

All there is left to do is to be confident that my preparation will be evident as I take the test.

As expected, I will be away for the next few days.

¡Si se puede!

... and it continues

Since 90% of the test relies on memorization, this is all I have done today.

Yesterday I focused on making flashcards for economic foundations topics. Today I practiced over and over and over until I could write out all those cites and their key ideas.

My goal is to complete the sociological foundations flashcards today. Tomorrow, I plan to practice until I know them. I will be making the last set of theory flashcards tomorrow as well.

On Tuesday, I will practice until all I can write out all the theory cites (just under 120) and all the theories (just over 20).

Just a few more days to comps...

Just studying

All I plan to do from now until the test is to keep reviewing. I am still making flashcards by hand. And I am still memorizing all the information in the tables of articles.