Over the last year or so I have doing quite a lot of medical case report editing and it's something that I enjoy enormously. I love the theory of medicine; how things go wrong in the body and how they can be fixed. Despite this, I think I would make a terrible doctor, unless I didn't have to deal with patients and feel responsible for them - this kind of work definitely isn't for someone who agonizes and stresses over everything and gets far too emotionally involved in other people's goings-on (not looking at anyone in particular here). Over the years I've realized that having a deep love for and genuine interest in human biology and diagnostics and problem-solving is great and all, but having zero capacity for working under pressure and an astonishing inability to not get upset when other people are also upset, is not ideal - being honest, I would almost certainly not make it through the training and would probably be considered a liability in a medical setting.
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Having spent the best part of 20 years looking at and obsessing over science papers, from writing my own (oh, the anguish) to working as a journals publishing editor responsible for managing the peer-review process (oh, the humanity) to editing pre-submission articles and accepted manuscripts (definitely the most enjoyable and least emotional aspect of the whole paper publication process), I kind of feel that I've seen it all at this stage. Academic research is not for the faint-hearted and I genuinely feel for anyone fighting to get their work published nowadays. There's so much pressure on researchers, with both funding and career tenure inextricably entangled with a scientist's publication record and the ability of an individual to market him- or herself online. Having a social media presence as a scientist is an entirely new phenomenon to me, and something I never had to contend with during my own time as a researcher - it all just looks exhausting and I'm not sure it does much to advance the scientific cause.
After moving to Ireland and finishing up my job as a journal publishing editor in Cambridge, I thought long and hard about what to do next. I had heard good things about freelance editing; the flexibility with respect to working hours, being able to edit from home (no more commuting/having to wear Outdoor Clothes during the week and unlimited access to rock-hard chocolate from the fridge throughout the day - this is how all chocolate should be eaten no matter what the 'experts' in chocolate tell you), how nice it is to be self-employed, and so on. So, once we had got settled after all the moving and things had quietened down a bit, I did it.
This will probably be my last post for a little while as I'm going on holidays to the Isle of Wight next week, and we're also in the process of moving house so I'm not sure when we'll have internet access again/whether we survive the trauma. In my direct line of vision currently I'm greeted by the cheerful sight of bin-liners as curtains (the proper curtains are at the dry-cleaners) and a mountain of boxes/clothes/precious objects that require bubble-wrapping (or 'dust catchers' as Anthony calls them. He refuses to take responsibility for these so it's up to me to ensure they make it through the next few days) - it's hardcore carnage. Of course, it's the perfect time to write about the SfEP copy-editing course that I completed recently! Here goes...
It is HOT these days... seriously, we're actually having a proper summer for a change. I'm not sure how I feel about this; on the one hand, it's very nice not being soaked while trying to get places on my bike and of course sunshine is all cheerful and jolly and so on, but on the other hand, it's really hot. And a bit samey. I shouldn't complain though; the evenings are beautiful and everyone is in a good mood and it feels like I'm on my holidays. Long may it continue!
I completed the SfEP Introduction to Copy-editing course last week, and I really enjoyed it! It took place in the Cass Centre at CUP, and it was a lovely sunny day... so sunny in fact, that at lunchtime we all took our food outside and sat on the balcony overlooking the cricket (I think it's a cricket) pitch to soak up some rays.
Yes, the Science Festival ended ages ago (23rd of March, ahem) and I'm only getting around to writing about it properly now... but it'll still be wonderful, I promise!
So, in addition to the talk I went to on stress and anxiety in modern life (see here), I attended three other events, titled as follows: 1. How languages are built 2. In science we trust 3. It's simpler with symmetry First of all, I have to address the fact that it's been nearly a month since my last post, which is absolutely disgraceful. How can it have been a month? What have I been doing? I think this is my explanation: I was back in Ireland for a few days at the beginning of January, so there was that, and also, it's just been so hectic at work after the Christmas break that the last thing I want to do is look at a computer screen when I'm at home (I haven't been checking my emails/Skyping/'keeping up to date' with my various Persons of Interest via Facebook and other methods - this is *NOT* the same thing as stalking random innocents - either).
Well, the weather hasn't improved much since my last post; it's still grey and miserable and neither here nor there...but! It's not raining so I shouldn't be complaining (AND I've been able to wear my squirrel cardigan with the fleecy hood, which is immeasurably cheering)...
Oh, what a miserable, nothing day it is today...it's all grey and overcast and 'mild' and just awful. I can't stand nothing-weather; give me torrential rain or snow blizzards any day. There's just something oppressive about all that greyness, and it's so lacking in personality. But it's ok really, it's a nice relaxing Sunday, and after briefly venturing outside earlier on this morning, I am now happily reunited with my favourite house trousers (my black and white checked fleecy pair), and settling down to finally write about a proofreading course I did recently.
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About my blog
Really, it contains a little bit of everything, from a celebration of science and the English language to the joys of travel and the Shipping Forecast. The title ('Meanderings') is a fairly accurate description of its content: I write about different things as the mood takes me, but hopefully there's something in here for everyone... Categories
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March 2021
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And on another note... |
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