And this is why I'm grateful I went to University in Europe instead of the US...

And that's just for PUBLIC Universities! How can people afford a University education with prices like those?! Shall I scare you with my tuition fees? Less than 1000€ / year! (I don't remember the exact amount) I managed to pay for my Master's Degree in Belgium (which was even less since got a "low income" -thx to my dad having retired a few years before- reduction in fees) and cover my living expenses just by working part time teaching English and doing translations. And since I registered for the PhD programme in Belgium I've only been paying administrative fees after my initial full tuition... fees which rose to 30€ this year, oh my! I get that money back just on the student discounts I get at movie theatres throughout the year...

Now what?!

Oh dear:Oops! There goes my plan for writing up my thesis! Now what do I do?! :p

from PhD Comics

If TV Science was more like Real Science...

I stumbled upon PhD Comics a year or so ago via a friend on Facebook, and I've been hooked ever since! Even though they're centred around a group of characters who are basically American Engineering PhD students (whereas I'm doing a PhD in Oceanography in Belgium) and many of the "incidents" are unique to a US campus environment, so many of the themes they touch upon are universal! Particularly PROCRASTINATION (of which I am an expert... as this blog could prove...), or dealing with supervisors, funding nightmares, having family and friends wondering when the hell you'll be done ("but you said a few more months a year ago!"), feeling out of touch with "the real world" and wondering what you'll do when you DO graduate.

Anyhow, the reason I'm bringing this up today actually has nothing to do with PhDs, research etc... but TV! (and here one of my procrastination tools comes to light). I thought today's comic was excellent (click on it to see in a bigger format, easier to read) and oh so true! I've thought this many times, but forgiven my favourite TV shows their scientific errors in the name of "artistic licence" ;o)

PS: don't Booth and Bones look great?! hehehe...