Almost A Year

I sit back and wonder sometimes what I have been doing for one year, it accounts to nothing in my dictionary. I am one who sets goals and tries to achieve them, but the past one year has been a challenge. However, I am grateful to God for bringing me thus far with this PhD I chose to do.

Though challenging, I am smiling because it has turned out great in the eyes of others. I'll be sharing my work later. I'll share with you my Literature Review and maybe a tiny bit of my analysis.

All I keep hearing from my dear Supervisor these days is "there's no novelty to that approach". Before you think I am reinventing the wheel, well I am doing something that hasn't been done. I am introducing a new technology to what is int he market but talk about novelty, I have one which I won't give to them just yet. I want to work on it and draw out questions that I can answer when I finally get to discuss it. The road to a Doctorate is not that easy but easy when you know what you want, most likely you don't till you get to this stage.

By the way, my supervisor's calendar for me states: "A conference paper" by now. I am nowhere near one but I'll keep pushing it with God by my side.

Well done to others in the Computing/Science/Engineering field. It's a test of Faith and we'll all get through. Don't give up!

Back at it!

It has been a while I've been on here reason being that my Supervisor almost had my head, well not literally but PhD is so no joke! My supervisor began taking charge of my research work and I wasn't finding it funny, till I prayed and found my voice.
So, I am a Christian Computer researcher, you'll hear a lot about my relationship with God in most of my blog post doesn't mean I want to bore you but I cannot have a story without my God.
Well, I had an issue with my University and I almost discarded the idea of owning a PhD degree but through prayer I found my voice and I stood firm so here I am.

I am working with Biometrics and online banking and every other thing online that has to do with finance so I have to do literature review and a mini-thesis and also write a conference paper within 6 months, actually within 3 months! Yes!
Worse, my supervisor is into Identity management and everything I do he tends to relate it to what he knows so it's kind of pretty difficult working with him. I hate IDM and have very little knowledge of it. I do not want to do a research in IDM though biometrics is involved in my research.
My supervisor tells me to use SimpleSamlPHP for my implementation (like seriously? How?) I still haven't figured out that implementation on Windows, and yes I am a windows person, I was a Linux person please don't ask how I switched.
So I look at Shibboleth and I still don't see how these SSOs will help me. Now I have found some online banking dummy apps I can work with but it doesn't solve my problem. I have to do my implementation from scratch! (I can do it!)...

What I am not sure about is how asp.net or wcf will help here. I want to use wcf but some say asp.net is better. Where do I start?

Research days spent working but not working

My days are filled with sql server 2012 installation failure and incomplete java sdk for my fingerprint reader. I am indirectly blessed with working .net sdk version and I'm faced with reviving dear old C# I once loved and hated at the same time. What a time like this? With deadlines so close... This is the beginning of a happily ever after I guess

The way forward - design and implementation

As I have previously mentioned, I am in the Computing field of study and design & implementation are key. So I am working with a fingerprint reader and I have shown that in my design. My challenge is storing the fingerprint in the server and using that for the matching. I am in a state of confusion how to get started as my Java knowledge is quite rusty now. I also read about fingerprint storage and matching somewhere over the internet, it mentioned the use of MD5 hash.. Well, er, I'll have to figure how it all works out with the fingerprint.

writing up
So my supervisor is anti-latex. How do I say to my colleagues I am using Ms Word for typing up my work? It's so strange for someone who attended a University of good ranking where we were taught and preached against using Word for academic papers. Good news is that some people use it and it works. What I don't get is why I have to buy end-note. Er, I'll have to find a way around that, I'm not paying for something that is so free and easy to use on latex. The University must have an option for it or pay for a license.

#Random
I just woke up from a nap. I need to go get some work done because I have a Skype call with my supervisor soon. Phew! #lifeofanewrecruit #lifeofaphdstudent

A Short relief

Finally handed in my architectural design of my work in Identity Management. This area is an all new topic to me. Although I am working with something related to what I have previously done, I am still not convinced about my prior knowledge. I need to study more on the topic area. I've got three more weeks to go for my literature review and protocol design (still not sure what that means but I have an idea). Let's get the ball rolling.

Months of staggering and pushing through

I didn't realise how long I'd been anaemic, but I'd been feeling poorly for some months before my PhD got cracking. So, I got back from Africa after a long summer visit and got to busy London lifestyle. I journeyed to Kent once or twice a week to face this full-time PhD, that seemed like a curse at the time because I barely managed to get out of bed, take a shower, board the dlr, get on the overground train to University. Little did I know my life was just few days to go but hey, God always carries his own. (Before you start wondering, I am a Christian PhD Computing Student).

Anyway, 15th of December 2013 held a memory for me. I fainted on my way to Uni and I was told the most shocking news ever, I had about 7.9 blood count which was like a death sentence technically. I had to quit University - called intermission of studies for two months. I tell you that was the best thing that ever happened to me. That break helped me refocus my life and get back on gear. I am back to Uni now and on top speed. Hehe!!! Let's get on this PhD train, shall we?

Genesis of this Journey

Sadness began as I walked through the door to the office of the school administration. Like dark circles, my life for the next three years played before me. Did I say "I'm doomed".. I didn't but it did look like it. I cried my first postgrad research cry on my first day, how pathetic!

Well, what they don't really explain to you are details of a full-time research. I will explain: 

• To finish excellently well, technically 24 hours a day is not enough!
• You need minimum 60 hours a week (these times are for Christians only coz church is subtracted from the hours).
• Having a Mon-Fri five hours a day job? I strongly advice not to dare! I've got almost same dilemma
• Living two hours by road travel away from University? Your biggest nightmare!

Put all of these and extra personal work going, you can understand my point. Sleep is now a luxury. Four hours of sleep is a great gift!

If you are considering a research postgrad, mostly a PhD.. Think strongly along these things. I am caught up now. Don't get caught up!

First posted on my previous blog on Tuesday 24th September