After six long weeks grappling with matlab I’m just about ready to start collecting data. I’ve organized all of the coding steps into separate scripts, and with one exception they all seem to be running smoothly. I am still struggling with the filling of the pain/paresthesia maps, but I believe I am very close: and for the sake of my project let’s hope so. The next week will be by far the toughest. For starters I have to finish and perfect the code. Brandon scanned all of the maps over the weekend so my next step is to start to analyze each one and collect some useful data. At the same time I have to start working on my abstract and poster, as deadlines for those are quickly approaching. My main concern is whether I will have time to generate and analyze data, coming up with results in time to include them on my poster. I anticipate that the next few days will be long ones, but hopefully it will all fall into place.
In my experience one of the toughest elements of research is the independence that comes with it. Now that deadlines are coming up soon I wonder if I could have more efficiently used my time in the last several weeks, as now time is of the essence. There’s a lot of responsibility and accountability that comes with having your own research project, something that I’m discovering perhaps a little late. But necessity is the mother of invention, and I’ve always worked better under pressure anyways. Here’s to the home stretch.
Matt Alston
