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A PhD in cups of espresso: how logging my coffee consumption helped me write my thesis
- PhD students are warned that writing a thesis can be stressful, leading to worry for those working on topics they are passionate about.
- Vittorio Aita, when finishing up his research, recorded his writing activity on a spreadsheet, tracking the hours of writing, page and figure completions.
- Aita used espresso cups as an alternative measurement unit when recording his progress – he drank seven cups in one day, writing seven pages, hitting peak productivity.
- A sudden two-unit increase in daily coffee consumption in May corresponded with an increase in the number of pages written.
- In the last months of work, Aita's slow-paced rhythm was replaced by a full-time commitment to his thesis, working days interspersed with new data collection in the lab.
- In October, Aita contracted Covid-19, leading to a sudden increase in coffee units throughout the last weeks of writing.
- Through the process, Aita learned that the act of logging his coffee consumption helped him in his writing process.
- The log helped him realize that he made more progress than he thought, and on other days reminded him of how challenging his work was to complete.
- Aita hopes sharing his experience will help future students around the world to embrace the challenge of achieving a PhD.
- Overall, Aita logged 304 hours of writing, 199 pages and an impressive 180 cups of espresso.
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