Third rule

Ok, so we've been through the first and the second rule. Now the third rule (remember, these rules are numbered by their discovery process and not their importance - this could be the most important one yet! ) is this: ALWAYS put your supervisor on the cc of every email that you send to any of the school's officialities, secretaries aso. If you do not do this, you could end up like me - The saga started when I realised that in order to apply for my student pass I need to complete a form that is downloadable from a web site to which (guesss what!?) I need an account. Account that is made for me by a faculty secretary. Just that, well ... all my friends got and I didn't. So I decided to write to the respective faculty secretary. When she didn't answer to my THIRD email I thought that it would be a good idea to put my supervisor on cc. And finally!!! She answered! Saying that I am late in completing the form!!! A couple of more intelectually challenged answers to my email from the same faculty member and I am now just one click, two ie crashes and one annoying ms office assistant problem away from getting my student pass!! And I got a Joel on Software (www.joelonsoftware.com) newsletter also today! Life doesn't suck after all. I think.

Second rule

The second most important rule in order for one to complete a phd programme is this: DO NOT PANIC and DO NOT, whatever you do, LOOSE YOUR SELF ESTEEM. No, you are not an idiot because they think that you should take a "foundation in computer systems" course, a course which will most probably contain all the silly and useless things that you found out about in your first 5 years in college!! You are not a moron because you think that you will not be able to cope with all the coursework (3 graduate courses in the first semester, 4 in the second, 3 in the third, complete with one qualifier exam and one thesis proposal, with a special offer - on the house - a graduate research paper). Because you will cope. I'm sure of that. Hell, if other people did it, why can't you?! I mean ... there must have been at least a small grain of insanity when you signed up in the first place, so use that, stop complaining, forget about your life, your photographing plans, your climbing trips or whatever used to get you ticking ... and ... my friend ... STUDY!!! RESEARCH!!! And NEVER EVER think about the uselessness of the phd degree itself. Now go and get drunk. :)