Mental Blocks in Writing

Researchers and writers often experience mental blocks in writing. Mental blocks are occasions when one runs out of new ideas, one fails to link one idea to another in a convincing way, or one's brain simply refuses to function in usual productive way.  This leads to feeling of FAILURE, INCAPABILITY, DOUBTFUL of one's ABILITY, LOUSY, END OF THE WORLD........

Have I experienced that before? MANY many times, especially when WRITING LITERATURE REVIEW... So, you are NOT ALONE! How do I overcome that? To a certain extent, mental blocks are caused by tiredness or lethargic.  Thus, I usually allow myself to take half day off;  go watch a movie, sing a few songs, listen to audio books, read my favorite "chicken soup for the soul" book etc. Then, the next day, I will go back to search and read journal articles that gives me new ideas or justifications to link the concepts.

I know "WRITING" is not an easy task! But if you continue writing (KEEP TRYING, NEVER GIVE UP)  you will be surprise to see what you get in the end! The final version of the write-up will make you feel SO PROUD of yourself; discovering you can write so interestingly!

REMEMBER, writing is a skill! Not a born ability!  If you try HARD enough, you will get to the level you want!

Have you been seeing your supervisor?

Through a casual talk with a few lecturers over tea time, I got to know that some students who are supposed to submit their individual project proposal by end of this semester have not met the supervisors at all! HELLO, your supervisors are looking for you.....

This is not right! Students should see their supervisors at least once every 2 weeks! Supervisor needs to know your progress and see your effort, otherwise they are not able to even give you marks for EFFORT! Do not follow your way, get advice from supervisor and do it their way, they know the shortest route to PROPOSAL COMPLETION.

Now is week 8, not too late for you to change your strategy, your supervisors are there to help you, they are waiting for you, do not let them WAIT TOO LONG :)

The slide relating to "Writing Literature Review" is now uploaded in Putra LMS.

If you have compiled in a table format, a list of  independent variables reported to influence the dependent variable (the phenomenon you are trying to understand) you selected, bring them to class tomorrow. We will try to find themes among those independent variables and help structure your Literature Review chapter.