HUMAN SCIENCE (standard:drama, 1062 words)
Author: Jennifer Green	Added: Jan 07 2001	Views/Reads: 4452/2483	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Ph.D. student has troubles with her life and studies.

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

I'm afraid  I  might  have  to  drop  out of the program if I don't get 
some results soon." 

"That's  ridiculous. I don't know anyone who deserves a Ph.D. as much as
you do. You work harder than anyone does. We all have our ups and 
downs, now let me see what you have in your lab books and see what's 
going on." 

Phyllis  studied  her  notebooks  silently  for  awhile. She asked a few
technical  questions,  scratched her head, and went over to her 
bookcase and consulted a few textbooks. Finally after a long pause she 
said, "The problem  here is you are trying to do too much. You need to 
focus on one small issue, solve that, and you will have her 
dissertation." 

Phyllis  took  the  most promising area of research, suggested a few new
lines of experiments, and told Sandy to forget about everything else 
for awhile  and  just  try to solve this one problem. If in a few 
months she got  nowhere,  she  was  take  the next most promising area, 
and work on that.  In  this  way, hopefully within another year of 
careful, diligent work, she would have her research done. 

Sandy  sat  there dumbfounded. "You mean I've been trying to do too much
all along?" 

"Yes,  Sandy. Way too much. I don't know anyone who works as much as you
do.  And  please, don't hesitate to ask for help from me, or anyone 
else in  the  department  when  you  need  it. We're all in this 
together. My boyfriend helped me a lot when I needed it." 

"Thanks so much, Phyllis. I don't know how to repay you. You've saved my
life." 

"Don't  worry  about  it. I know you can do it, you have some very solid
work there." 

"And  the other thing is, if you don't mind me saying so, you don't have
to  work  such  long hours. After awhile it gets counterproductive. 
Work ten,  eleven  hours  a  day if you must, but then go home, take a 
break. You'll come back fresher the next day." 

Sandy  promised she would. She left the apartment and headed back to the
library  to  make  some  notes and do some more background research. 
She took  Phyllis' advice, and in the coming weeks found herself making 
very good progress. 

After  many  months of hard, solid work, Sandy finished within the year,
and  was  thrilled  when  she got a good job at the same university as 
a Post-doctoral fellow. 

She  had  also  stopped  working  such  long  hours, and cut back on her
drinking. She was able to spend a bit more time with Rick, who was 
happy to be able to see more of her. 

And the best thing was that Phyllis, who became one of her good friends,
also  got a job teaching at the same University where Sandy worked 
after she finished her Ph.D. 


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