My Journey in the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition

Recently, I have been preparing to participate in a competition where I had to condense my entire thesis into a three-minute presentation. The biggest takeaway for me was learning to communicate complex ideas effectively in a short time. What’s a recent challenge you faced, and what was your biggest takeaway from it?

Today, I want to talk about how my day went. It was a very important day because I had to prepare for the 3MT, the Three Minute Thesis competition, and today was my recording. Surprisingly, I wasn’t anxious because I knew I could do multiple takes. It wasn’t because I wanted to be lazy or not take it seriously, but because I was excited to have reached this point in preparing for the competition, especially considering the short notice.

I was very excited this morning as I prepared. Though my slide wasn’t ready, I had a clear picture in my head of what I wanted it to look like. If you’re reading this post, you’ll see the slide I used attached to it. I didn’t get to finalise it earlier because a family function kept me occupied all morning. Eventually, I arrived at the recording location about five minutes before my scheduled time.

I had only five minutes to prepare and send my PowerPoint before we started recording. Standing in front of the camera brought a wave of anxiety that comes with having to follow a script. I have newfound respect for broadcasters and presenters who use teleprompters. Even with a teleprompter, I found myself struggling with articulating certain words and sticking to the script. At one point, I decided to follow the script strictly, but last-minute changes affected my flow. Ideas kept popping into my head while driving to the location, leading to more script adjustments, which further disrupted my preparation.

Despite the challenges, after several takes (I won’t say how many), I managed to complete the recording. The recorder left the room to avoid affecting my performance. In the end, she was happy with the final take. I also recorded some parts on my phone and might put together some bloopers to post later, maybe after winning the competition.

I’m thrilled I managed to pull it together. My supervisors, especially my second supervisor who shared the competition link with me, will be pleased. I was so engrossed in proofreading that I missed the initial announcement. Email can be time-consuming, as I mentioned in an earlier blog.

One thing I also want to note in this journal is that being part of the 3MT competition made me harmonise and simplify my thesis. It helped me articulate what my thesis is about to people who know nothing about my research area within a very short period—within 3 minutes. So that’s one takeaway from this experience. It’s a significant achievement for me. That itself is a win. I’m very happy that I prepared and entered the competition. That’s an accomplishment on its own, and it feels like a lifetime achievement—an even bigger win than actually winning the competition.

Now, with the 3MT recording done and dusted, and chapter one of my proofreading complete, I can look forward to the coming week’s tasks. For this weekend, I’ll be relaxing, doing some coding, and watching movies. I plan to watch “Under Paris,” the shark movie. It promises to be an interesting one, so keep an eye out for it.

Main Lessons from Today’s Journal Notes:

1. Embrace Opportunities: Participating in the 3MT competition, despite the short notice, turned out to be a valuable experience. It’s important to seize opportunities, even when they come unexpectedly.
2. Preparation is Key: Proper preparation, even under time constraints, can lead to successful outcomes. The effort put into preparing for the competition paid off, showcasing the importance of being well-prepared.
3. Overcoming Anxiety: Facing the camera brought anxiety, but handling multiple takes and adjustments helped manage it. This highlights the importance of persistence and adaptability in overcoming challenges.
4. Effective Communication: The 3MT competition helped in simplifying and articulating complex research ideas to a broader audience. Being able to communicate effectively in a short time is a crucial skill.
5. Value the Process: The process of preparing and participating in the competition itself was a significant achievement, perhaps even more valuable than winning. Recognising the value in the journey and the experience is essential.
6. Respect for Professionals: Gaining a newfound respect for professionals who regularly present and speak in public, like broadcasters and presenters, emphasises the challenges they face and the skills they develop.
7. Balancing Commitments: Managing family functions, work, and competition preparation underlines the importance of balancing different commitments effectively.
8. Continuous Learning and Adaptation: The need to make last-minute changes and adapt to new ideas reflects the importance of being flexible and continuously learning, even under pressure.
9. Acknowledging Support: Recognising the role of supervisors and others who provide support and opportunities is important. Their encouragement and guidance can make a significant difference.
10. Relaxation and Self-Care: After completing major tasks, taking time to relax and engage in enjoyable activities, like watching movies or coding, is crucial for maintaining well-being and preventing burnout.

Till we meet again, I’ll leave you with the lessons from today’s blog below. I’ll update you next week or sooner if something significant happens over the weekend. For now, it’s movies, relaxation, and coding.

Cheers and bye!