Treading Water

I am feeling a little bit like I am going to drown under the work that is ahead of me.

I had my first real, serious meeting with my supervisor yesterday, and I left feeling just a tad overwhelmed. It has only been in the last couple of weeks that PharmaVentures has determined the areas they would like us (there is myself and another student going to Oxford) to examine, but I am already feeling like I am 6 months behind.

My supervisor and I discussed the technical details of my 'Strategic Policy Paper'(as he called it), and outlined a format. My literature review is going to be quite extensive, taking up about 20 pages of my 40-50 page research paper. It was recommended by my supervisor that I spend about the next month reading as many journal articles as I can find on 'the success & performance of strategic alliances.'

After I stopped panicking yesterday afternoon, I managed to figure out the university library search, and got a good start on locating a number of articles.

I have already breezed through a few of them today, and are finding that they don't seem all that useful, but I am sure as I continue my reading I will locate some solid information relating to my topic.

I am feeling a tad better today about the whole thing, but I am sure I would feel much better if I didn't have 4 classes on top of my thesis. Classes that have group projects, papers, midterms, finals, and tons of reading.

But, I must roll with the punches. This is what school is all about. If I want good results, I gotta work hard. And I think I am pretty good at workin' hard.