Postcard from Darwin

by Sylvia Robertson

Water garden MGD©.jpg By MGDboston

I am sitting working in a tropical rainforest garden. At 34 degrees and near 100% humidity, my brain is fizzing. Distraction is inevitable so I will scribble something about my PhD experience to date.

I am one of those annoyingly passionate, conscientious mature-age students. I can’t leave learning alone. I graduated with a BA in philosophy and English literature in 1982 and reluctantly left university to attend Teachers College. With some reservations, I began teaching for three years to satisfy the requirements of my bond. Three turned into thirty years across Wellington, Sydney, and London. I taught all primary and intermediate years, and held several leadership positions. I loved teaching. It allowed me to keep learning and discovering. Children present you with rich perspectives on all things from forked tongue lizards to fantasy friends. While teaching in London and Sydney and still addicted to learning, I completed two thirds of a Masters in sociolinguistics and educational leadership. Back home, I finished the Masters in Education and began my PhD.

Now I feel somewhat guilty about the luxury of ‘just’ being a student. After working fulltime, raising two kids and the effort involved in transitioning countries and cultures, I have almost total control over how I choose to spend my time. If this project fails, I will only have myself to blame but if it succeeds, it will be because I chose to make it happen. This is powerful stuff after being at the beck and call of others for years. Intellectual freedom, I suppose, in that I don’t have to conform too much to the thinking and direction of others. Incredibly humbling, I think, as we tiptoe in the footprints of giants who have grappled with similar issues since the dawn of time. Also incredibly humbling, in that I am working with real people and the issues they face in often-difficult contemporary contexts. 

There have been challenges. The skills you bring from the work place are very useful – time management not the least. However, Humanities in the late seventies did not prepare me for studying with technology. When I started we had microfiche. Despite surviving a technology rich workplace nothing has prepared me for EndNote! But I have found the support of university staff and my colleagues invaluable. And at my age you can get away with asking really dumb questions!

Lastly, if you are contemplating this – do it. Not only will you get to reflect on years of work experience and relationships but you will learn about yourself as well. Make the most of every precious minute but be kind to yourself as well. This is also hard work.