My First Oral Presentation as A PhD student at a Conference

Assalamualaikum...

Just realised that the blog has not been updated for 5 months! wohoaa...today, I wanted to write something that I personally think that I have achieved my first goal since I started my PhD last year...

my supervisor is a very supportive supervisor and she always asks me to submit an abstract for any conferences that involve preterm labour/premature labour of which by the way is the main focus of my PhD...

last 2 months, I submitted an abstract for a small conference that was held in Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London, chaired by one of the PI (Principal Investigator) on my floor building in Imperial...since I have problem with my initial proposal and I need to drop the initial proposal due to the negative results and the project can't move forward with negative results, I started a fresh new project early this year (yes, I spend 1 whole year getting negative results!! but as my supervisor always said that "negative results is still a results and is publishable", I'm at eased), I don't have much data to write an abstract for that conference...at the end, I submitted a VERY simple abstract of which when I click the send button, I don't really hope for any miracle of getting either a poster and not to mention an oral presentation...

approximately a month before the conference, while I was washing my membrane for western (science students will understand this and how boring the waiting time is, haha), I saw an email in my inbox with the title of "Oral presentation..." and I can't see the rest of the title until I open the email...out of joy, nervous and the feeling of thinking that is just a mistake, I was screaming in the lab (thank God not so many people was in the lab at that moment) haha...and quickly I informed my bestie on the news and she shared the happiness with me..

not just that, more good news is that my BSc student, who was working on a small part of my project get an oral presentation as well...her session was just before me...by right, I can write 2 oral presentations in my resume right?? hehe...I think my supervisor was the most happiest person of all ^_*

1 week before the conference, I was still updating my results and the presentation slides...me and my supervisor come to a final draft of my presentation slide the night before the conference, pfftt! and she makes more changes during the conference by exchanging the oral presentation session between me and my BSc student so that I can go first and my student can go next to make sure that the flow of the presentation is clear to the audience...

Alhamdulillah, my presentation went well and I think that is my only presentations so far that I am not that nervous, you know when you are nervous you will get butterfly in your stomach, your hands and feets are cold and the best part is, when you use the laser pointer, you can't use it properly as your hand will be shaking ALL the time...BUT as for me, I don't have all that...that is because the power of fasting, so I believe...yes, I was fasting that day (Friday) as the following Monday was Raya Haji and I was already fasting the whole week that week and it will be a waste if I skip it on that day...was a bit nervous to hold the pointer when they give me the pointer at first, but alhamdulillah I can hold it without shaking it at all!!! which makes me easier to point the bar on the graph that I was referring to during my speech...Alhamdulillah ^_^

 

lets begin....

 

lets talk serious business here...

 

pfftt I'm done...the most awaiting session from the floor...bombard this girl with questions!!! haha

thanks to one of my comrade in the group who took this picture for me...thanks k.wahida!!

and I would like to thank my bestie for being there for me when I wanted to rehearse my presentation wherever I want especially in the house using the clothes dryer railing as the podium, hahaha I won't forget that...thanks for all the comments as well...and last but not least, a huge thanks should go to my supervisor for pushing me to send an abstract eventhough I don't believe in myself that my abstract is good enough to be submitted for a conference and thank you for believing in me and be there when I need you...

more oral presentation to come in the future?? lets see...

Bye~ ^_^v

p/s: that outfit will be my conference outfit for poster/oral presentation! quite few people like it. haha

Master Graduation at Royal Albert Hall!!!

Assalamualaikum...

As I mentioned in the previous post that my mom came to London to visit me the reason behind it is because my Graduation was on 6th of May!!! *happy2*

the graduation ceremony was for my Master which I have successfully completed it in 2014 with the grace and blessings from Allah S.W.T :D

since the day of my graduation falls on weekdays which is on the Wednesday, believe me or not, I still have to go to the lab...haha...told you I was busy that week :(

but I am just so lucky when our session was at 5.30pm which was the last session for that day...ample time for me to go to the lab, finish what I need to do and hurry up home and get ready for my graduation ceremony~

first let took a picture in front of the house~ >.<

we start our journey around 4pm to Royal Albert Hall of where the ceremony will be held..yeah I know its already late!! wuhuuu...

once we reached there, me and my bestie run towards the gown collection area...since we are not from the main campus, so we were not familiar with the buildings there and where it is situated...fyi, Imperial College London main campus is at South Kensington which is just infront of Royal Albert Hall :D 

so we keep asking people whom just finish their session and busy taking photos...haha...right after we reached the area, we just need to give the staff on duty our gown code since we need to hire the gown for GBP55.00 yes we need to pay!!! and thats not a deposit as in Malaysia! pfftt~ -_-" apart from the rent that we need to pay for, if we want to include the graduation hat, we need to buy the hat!! aigooo..so we just went with ONLY the gown...so please dont ask why we didn't wear any graduation hat/mortar board! :D

photos with the Graduation Gown is a must! hehe...

  

after photo session with our family, we enter the hall as we need to be seated first...we enter the hall around 5pm...that is my seat...4 seats towards my left is where my bestie were seated :D

sharp at 5.30pm the session starts...after 2 hours of waiting, then it is our time!!!

yeah!! my name is already resonates in Royal Albert Hall~~alhamdulillah >.<

inside the hall with our friend :D

  

after the ceremony, I met a few of my friends...

me and my bestie with Lisia whom I known during my master and apparently lives in the same building with me last year at Gradpad Wood Lane Studio...she is already in Malaysia working and we are here struggling with our PhD...sometimes I just miss the moment that we were together having fun -_-"

Lauren, our classmate during master...please do come to London often so that we can hang out! :D

K. Baya and K. Zada who came during our convocation and brought us two lovely Tulips for me and my bestie...tq guys!! you guys are the best! :-* muahciket...haha

big group photo with my bestie's family!~ love this photo ^_^

just wana say thanks to my family, my siblings who gave endless support to me during my master and my sister-my partner in crime who make all these possible, love you to the moon and back!! muahhhh!! 

my bestie who is alwayz there beside during my master and now PhD, may our friendship last until Jannah, love you to bestie!! 

and last but not least to all my friends out there who pray for me...tq guys!! :)

Bye~^_^v

Easthampstead Park Conference Centre

Assalamualaikum...

on the 19th - 22nd last week, I was not in London as I am attending Research Skills Development (RSD) course whereby a PhD student need to attend in their first 2 years of their study in Imperial College London...as I was not having load of works to do in lab, so I suggested to my sv that I want to attend this course as this course gives out 3 point for the overall requirements for PhD course...I registered for this course a few months before the actual event and the best part is that we can claim up to GBP60 which including return travel from London to Wokingham (where the course are held) since accommodation and food are free throughout the course!!! wohaaaa!!! >.< but total cost of travelling only cost me around GBP40 

eventhough this particular course is not compulsory for a PhD student, but the reasons why I chose this course is because of the 3 credit points but aside that is because I want to experience myself to stay at a particular place with different people from different background, cultures and countries...there are short courses that are being held as well that will only took around few hours during weekdays but with lower credit points and not much mingling around people, I chose this particular course instead! and all I can say is I love it! =D

so the day start with travelling from London where me and my bestie train ticket was at 5.15pm from Paddington and then we need to change at Reading and took another train to Bracknell...from Bracknell station, we took a cab to Easthampstead Park Conference Centre which is actually situated in Wokingham with the cost of the cab only GBP9

we arrived exactly at 6.30pm since the registration is between 6.30pm - 7pm...once reached at the registration area, we were given our room keys each on 2nd floor! ooh thats a relief because before that we were scared and worried if in case we need to share room with another participant :D

eventhough we get different rooms, but our room is near to each other...pfftt~ haha...since we pack our clothes together in one luggage, its vital that our room is next to each other ^_*

the accommodation area is in different building from the main building where the course will be held...just behind the main building, is the accommodation building...once we enter the room, we were shocked as the room was sooooo beautiful!!! 

  

the hallway to the rooms...our room number is W206 and W207 and it should be side by side but since there is a huge wall between it, its farther away...hahaha...oh my room is behind the wall, dont mistaken as if I wrongly pointed the arrow to the wall ^_^"

my room W207 :D excited to go in~ hehe

    

  

tada!!! nice right??! they even have extra blanket in each room...

the second thing that make us worried is the bathroom...but.....it seems like the they separate the toilet between male and female unlike the room, the room infront of my bestie room is a male room...haha...ooppss! :D

  

the male and female bathroom facing each other...just infront of female bathroom, situated the male bathroom but no worry, the bathroom is situated at each floor...so we are not that worried of having to queue for the turn...hahaha :)

once we have settle down, we went to the main building for dinner and the first session starts with the introduction of the course and the division into 4 smaller groups with each group consists of 8 people...I didnt have a look at their itinerary that they send to us via email so I have prepared the worst mentally and physically to wake up early in the morning and sleep late at night...but somehow I was shocked when I looked at the itinerary...everyday, the program starts at 9am and will finish at 10pm, there was only one day whereby we finish at 10.30pm and there was one day that we finish at 9pm!...how cool is that and how difference is that with Malaysia events where will alwayz start at 7am or the latest 8am and will only finish at 11pm or 12 midnight! just love the way their thinking that rest is the most important thing...if you dont have enough rest, dont expect that people will stay focus and enjoy the event! pfftt~~ -_-"

they have divided the activity into 2 groups whereby it will alternate between the large group and the smaller group...usually the activity will run in the smaller group and then we will meet up in the specific room that have been assigned to discuss the outcome with the smaller group...and that process goes everyday until late evening before dinner...we are not allowed to elaborate the activities as it should be a surprise for the participants! cheers! ^_^

my designated room with the smaller group in Periton room

the funny thing is that in every event when you are divided into smaller group, you usually need to come up with a group name...since no one has a better idea for the group name, so we go for the room name! so there goes our group name ---> Periton...lolz! >.<

enough space for everyone...and yes I sit infront of the tutor :D

while the break between the last activity to dinner is quite huge everyday, so I prefer to have a walk around the building as it used to be a palace but now its a centre where wedding ceremony, conference and other related events are being held

so below are the pictures that I took while I have a walk with the other participants into the woods surrounding the palace and inside the building

  

alwayz saw this kind of stairs in the British movie...hehe

  

the first thing that caught my eyes when the cab drove us here...it looks exactly like the movie!!! haha so excited~ :p the end of the road is where the Easthampstead Park Conference Centre situated

  

  

  

while walking into the woods surrounding the palace, I stumble upon few trees that attract my attention

  

the trees on the left was reallyyyyy huge!!!

  

and Christmas tree as well!!

during the last dinner, we have a proper dinner to mark the end of the course...eventhough we have been informed that they will not provide halal food thru email when were selected for the course, we knew that we need to be a vegetarian for 1 week...but how surprisingly that in each course, they are not only serve vege food, but they also serve fish dish which what we go for instead of vege food...and as for the dinner, even we cant have duck, we go for king prawn!!! tq to the course committee for considering having seafood instead of vege! muahh3 ^_^v

  

from left: Giu (France), Ranjhi (China), Richard (Brit), Elliot (Brit), Rosa'lia, Dominic, Addrianne (Hungary) and me! my small team~ :D

during our last day there, we were surprised with an incident whereby there was a theft case...do you know what they stole???

they stole the patio pavements along the 2 red arrow!! as what??? no one knew the value of it...haha...its actually quite hilarious when we knew what they stolen...what an odd of all the time that they had, they stole it when were there...hahaha...its a police case and we were actually waiting for it to capture the moment, but until the end of the day, the police never came...so we went back around 5pm with disappointment...eh! haha

Bye Wokingham~ such a nice place and great activity by RSD people! till we meet again...