Today marks my 1 year anniversary in my not-so-new job. I cannot tell you how much I have enjoyed this year. So, instead, I’m going to list a five big things that I’m proud of.

1. I am a PhD candidate

Most of you would already know that I passed my Confirmation of Candidature process this year. This process basically ensures that the research I want to do is worth doing. I put together my proposal, presented to my colleagues, and then underwent an intensive examination where I defended my choices. I also had to respond to my examiner feedback in written form, before I was confirmed. This is the first hurdle to doing PhD research and I’m so proud that I achieved it this year. If you want to read more about my research, check out my blog post: PhD Research Confirmed

2. I have ethics clearance to do my research

If Confirmation of Candidature is the process to assess the quality of and need for the research, then the ethics application is to assess whether my research is ethical and safe. I am working with children and will be entering schools, so that adds a few extra levels to the application. The ethics committee at my university approved my research after a couple of rounds of clarification and justification. My research is considered safe and ethical, which means I’ll be able to conduct my research next year.

3. I wrote a lot this year

I was curious about the number of words I “published” this year. By published, I mean formally submitted for assessment or review. This included documents for my PhD, ethics application, and a probationary subject I had to do as a new staff member as CSU. I added up all my words and in total, I published 208,619 words this year. That’s not including the drafting and revisions, the marking and comments, or even the blog posts that I have done this year. Let’s just say that my keyboard got a good workout this year…

4. I taught lots of students

Charles Sturt University operates in Trimesters and we call them sessions – typically, I’ll teach in 2 and then my 3rd will be dedicated to research. So, in my first 2 sessions, I taught approximately 200 students across four subjects.

5. I have grown

This year, I have grown so much as an academic. My writing is better, my research skills majorly improved, and I sound like I know what I’m talking about when discussing my research and the research of my colleagues. I’ve been placed in an environment that has changed the way I think and talk, and I’m loving it. It gives me the intellectual stimulation that I didn’t know I needed.

Overall, I have really enjoyed my first year as an academic. I know I made the right decision and am looking forward to where I can go in this new career. Next year is all about quality teaching, data collection, and a few exciting things academically. I am proud of what I’ve achieved and I’m excited for what’s next.

*Feature image provided by the Pexels Free Photos library on WordPress*