eJournal Entry 7

The Experience

Today marked another challenging day in my journey to establish the foundation for my special project. After receiving my second rejection for an external adviser, I'm feeling a mix of frustration and determination. The process of finding someone willing to commit their time and expertise has been more difficult than I initially anticipated. Each rejection comes with a slight sting, but I remind myself that this is part of the academic process, not everyone will have the bandwidth or interest in my specific research area. 

On a positive note, I've secured a tentative agreement with a UP Diliman alumnus statistician who will help with the quantitative aspects of my research, and I'm grateful that my EDS 199 Faculty-in-Charge has approved this arrangement. Having this statistical support in place gives me some confidence moving forward, though I'm still actively seeking a BES professor to serve as my primary external adviser.

I spent most of today developing my GANTT chart (See Attachment D.1), mapping out realistic timelines and project milestones. As I plotted each phase, the reality of my situation became clearer: some deadlines may be difficult to meet because finding an adviser is outside my direct control. While creating the chart, I found myself adjusting timeframes repeatedly, trying to build in buffer periods while still maintaining an ambitious pace.

Looking Forward

If I were to do this differently, I would have started the adviser search earlier, perhaps even before the term began. I underestimated how long this process would take and how many refusals I might encounter before finding the right match.

Despite the setbacks, I remain deeply invested in my research topic. The frustration I feel comes precisely because I care so much about this work and see its potential value. Each challenge simply reinforces that this topic matters enough to persist through difficulties. I believe the search for the right adviser will ultimately strengthen my project by ensuring I have guidance from someone who shares my enthusiasm for this research area.