Juggling the Balls: The Journey of a Resilient Learner

Tran Le Nghi Tran

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Chapter 6 Juggling the Balls

The Journey of a Resilient Learner

In: Different Perspectives, Different Cultures, Different Places

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Tran Le Nghi Tran

Tran Le Nghi Tran
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Type:: Chapter

Pages:: 109–129

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004688360_007

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Abstract

In late 2005, upon completing my master’s program, I thought, “Never again! I won’t go back to university, nor study further, ever again, for sure.” In the few months leading to that break point I had been sitting at my desktop computer 18–20 hours a day to write up my thesis and translate it into a conference paper. I stayed up the whole night preparing the slides to defend my thesis. The oral viva went well and I returned home exhausted. A while later I found out I had become short-sighted, probably a result of excessive screen time, and now needed to wear glasses. It was a big shock to me as one who had always been proud of my eyesight.

Fast forwarding to mid-2019, I saw myself sitting with the interview panel for my thesis review milestone. I was telling my panelists I enjoyed my doctorate (Doctor of Philosophy) candidature so much and it had been a hugely positive experience. I saw the surprise in their eyes and one panelist replied they did not hear things like that very often. Students often say their doctoral journey has been a very stressful time. Yes, I knew that. A shared understanding among higher degree by research students is that PhD stands for Permanent Head Damage. I, on the other hand, believe a doctoral candidature was not only an academic study, but also a professional, personal, and emotional journey. And to me, it was a transformative experience.

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Different Perspectives, Different Cultures, Different Places

The Experiences of International and Domestic Students Studying in an Australian University

Series: The Doctoral Journey in Education, Volume: 2

Cover Different Perspectives, Different Cultures, Different Places

E-Book ISBN:: 9789004688360

Publisher:: Brill

Print Publication Date:: 14 Nov 2023

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Chapter 6 Juggling the Balls

The Journey of a Resilient Learner

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Citation Info

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Different Perspectives, Different Cultures, Different Places

The Experiences of International and Domestic Students Studying in an Australian University

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