On perseverance
One of the challenges of the PhD journey, is to hold on tight and plow through the mud when necessary. These days, I'm re-analyzing the experimental data of my first series of experiments, and it's at least, a tedious task.…
To Pomodoro or not to Pomodoro?
If you're around this blog for some time, you might have noticed that I refer to the Pomodoro technique every now and then. I am now using it frequently again, since I got the Pomodoro Lite app for my iPhone…
Improving your Spotify experience
I love listening to music, preferably on my own stereo in my room (which was arguably one of the best presents my parents ever came to me with). When I'm in my office, or whenever my CD collection is out…
Thank you Fulbright
On April 9th, senator Fulbright is remembered (go to http://www.ThankYouFulbright.org for more information, or for submitting a thank you note yourself). I've taken this information from the Thank You Fulbright website:Senator Fulbright was born on April 9, 1905. The Anniversary…
First lecture – ever
This month marked another milestone in my PhD learning process - I had my first ever lecture. Of course I was scared, of course I was nervous, but I do think it was a very valuable experience.Here's what I learned:1.…
A setup for half-scale slab shear experiments
Last week, I describe the general ideas behind testing a slab with just one steel plate while in reality cars and trucks in many different varieties are loading the structure. I'll now be going into detail on a few particularities…
Finding time for writing
About a year ago, I wrote about decisions and priorities, and I referred to the urgent-important matrix which can help you prioritize your tasks. My top priority is writing my thesis and getting my doctoral degree - but it seems…
The PhD Movie
If you're a PhD student, you certainly know PhD Comics. Equally funny, there is the PhD Movie. Yesterday, a screening was held on our campus by Promood, and as a fan of the comics, I simply had to go and…
Using the iPhone to battle insomnia
Insomnia is an old friend of mine. As a child, I would get out of bed in the middle of the night and knock my parents' bedroom door to let them know that I couldn't sleep. (And typically my mom…
From real traffic on a bridge to a square steel plate
Often, when people look at my experiments and my test setup, they are confused when I tell them that I am studying a bridge under traffic loads. How can a little steel plate of 300mm x 300mm or 200mm x…