Advice on research activities

Here is the Facebook post about the struggle of a postgraduate student in completing her PhD.

Numerous challenges marked Azlen's postgraduate journey, testing her perseverance and dedication. The first three years of her PhD were met with disappointment as she failed to obtain any significant results. Adding to her struggles, the only instrument she relied on, the inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICPMS), broke down, further hindering her progress.

Refusing to give up, Azlen decided to change the topic of her studies, only to face another setback when the gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometer (GC-TOF/MS) also broke down. Unfortunately, this instrument couldn't be repaired due to obsolete parts. Despite these setbacks, Azlen persisted and shifted to another instrument, the gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC/MS). However, even this instrument was not free from issues as the autosampler broke down due to its old age, forcing her to inject all her samples manually.

Her journey was arduous, compounded by the fact that she hailed from a social sciences background, struggling to write her thesis. Despite these challenges, Azlen showed determination and resilience, making bi-weekly progress reports to her supervisor. Eight years after her registration with INHART, she attended her viva voce today.

With immense hardship and perseverance, Azlen found the light at the end of the tunnel. Her relentless efforts paid off, and she successfully completed her postgraduate study. Congratulations to her, and may her works benefit the ummah and contribute to the betterment of society.

Again congratulation! Dr. Azlen Hanifah. You deserved it!

Note: She cried when the Chairman announced the result of her viva voce.

#PhD #phdjourney #phdstudent #phdlife #Inhart #iium