How much reading did you do in your first year? on PostgraduateForum.com

How much reading did you do in your first year?

kenziebob 100 posts
6 years ago

Quote From Meep:
Okay. Nevermind. I shall continue with my 10 pages a day and expect that it will give me a PhD in the end.

If those 10 pages are extremely rich in relevant information, that might be fine! teehee

Honestly, I think I probably go through about three or four pages every half an hour. If I am writing notes, that is, and not skimming. Not that I ever skim of course......

Tudor_Queen 2097 posts
6 years ago

I didn't do that much. My first year felt really aimless. Thankfully we had to write a continuation report - so I read papers for that. Not really any more than for any other assignment though.

PhDhere 29 posts
6 years ago

If you carefully read one paper/day (in my field papers are normally 7-10 pages) that will amount to more than 360 papers a year which I suppose will be more than enough. Quality reading and consistency is the key here.
Imagine having fairly understood almost 1000 papers (more or less) after 3 years. I guess that would make you an expert in the field and worthy of a PhD in the end.

pm133 1246 posts
6 years ago

Quote From Meep:
Thank you for your reply, pm133.

If pages per hour were the only way I measured progress, I might agree with you, however, if I am trying to walk from Cape Town to Cairo and only have 3 years full time to do so, then there will be a minimum number of paces I need to take each day. I find that the best way of getting a rough idea of this is to speak to people who have walked there. This does not discard the notion that I may have to divert because it is flooded in a certain area or that I like the view from Mount Kilimanjaro and decide to enjoy the view for a few days...

If I learn that I have to walk 30 miles a day and I know that I am only capable of walking 5, then at this current point in time when I am still in the Cape Town suburbs, I may then need to come up with some aids to get to Cairo on time. Had I not compared or at least enquired about other people's experiences, how would I have known that at the end of 3 years, I would only have gotten to Tanzania. I would rather know that now instead of having to try to cram 1/2 PhD into the last 10 percent of the time available.

I don't find that brutal. It is just time management and planning.

Why do you think it is damaging to try to get an idea of these things?

You asked for opinions and you have been given several. You are under no obligation to accept any of them but you appear to be getting a bit defensive over my answer which was a genuine attempt to help you so I shall bale out of the discussion. Good luck.

Meep 20 posts
6 years ago

You are right. I did. My apologies.

pm133 1246 posts
6 years ago

Quote From Meep:
You are right. I did. My apologies.

No problem.

How much reading did you do in your first year?

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