Suara Hati Ayahku

Salam/  Salutation

Imagine you have completed your masters/ Ph.D study.

What do you plan to do?

I think you have many plans right.  Congratulation!

Celebration time!  Great feeling.... i had felt that before in 1995 during my masters and 2009/10 Ph.D study.  No words to describe the feeling of success.  Alhamdulilah.

But as an old man , I would like to pen down some ideas

(i)  don't throw away your data especially the raw data

(ii)  keep the processed data in a safe place.

----

Why?

after Ph.D , there are many more 'wars/ battles' to go to.  I think sooner or later , we will all get killed by the enemies one way or another , any how. (laugh).

------
From my experience, data is not easy to get.  Especially Malaysian students collecting data from the Ministry.  Try to keep them since one day , you may think of writing a book.

Converting your thesis to a book, few books etc etc.

After your Ph.D you are expected to be an expert of your own niche area. As a result, it is good to do more work after the Ph.D.  If you apply statistics on your data, may by after your Ph.D .. you can attempt doing .. some other correct ways.  Who knows?

------

I converted my 230 page PhD thesis into a 120 page book. I used the data as my support. Put them in the appendix of your new book(s).

Some time, after going on a few more professional courses after the PhD ..  you want to try another approach in processing the data.  This is where my advice works wonder.

Not Steve Wonder with his My Red Woman!  (laugh).

-------
In Malaysia, after PhD .. you would be upgraded into a DS52 scale.
After some research, FRGS grants, you would be expecting to fill up DS54 application forms.  Then many things are expected from you before you got that "Associate Professor" post.  This is where a converted book  from a thesis can help you my friend(s).  FYI, there is a joke.  Associate Professor  is far superior to a Professor.  Why?  Please count the alphabets from each title carefully please.  You are allowed to count from the left or either way.  Up to you .  It is rather long, right?  So keep your data please.

------------------

Sometimes after the completion of our study, we will see our houses and rooms are very tidy and neat.  This is important with Italian furniture and many more.   Why?  the wives/ spouses burnt the files and data that was used during PhD work.  Well.. they like every thing (including the furniture) neat and tidy you know.     Old files and raw data from Felda, Kejora, Kesedar, Proton, PLUS Highway .. are very difficult to get.  Why not you give back to the university library to keep.  At least some new researcher(s) can make some use out of it.  Is that good?

Amal jariah/  a small good deed/  may be it looks so small ..but who knows God is so happy with you .. HE sends you express to the heaven.

---

Soon my friends and I will go for kurban lembu, kerbau and kambing in Eidul Adha.  That is Ok but not kurban (ing )your raw data.  If you do that , the best is you'll  see all the smoke from the data files and your spouses putting up a great and big smile.  He..he..  she won't know what  'data' is after all.  Sad , sad you my boy.

With that ..please think ..  and say TQ to a wise old man please over here.  He..he..

Wasallam.
Eidul Adha.