Today was not a reading day, it was a thinking day. I had to get a structural outline of my research paper to my supervisor before the end of the day. I am not close to finishing my research, it is week 1, I have barely started, and it is not how I usually write essays. Because I did not have as much research as I would have liked, it took me the whole day to get it together. I was struggling, and it is still much too short, but I handed it in, and I am happy with how the project is taking shape. The experience of doing a little research, writing a plan and then doing the bulk of the research is an interesting approach that I have ended up preferring. I know where my research is going, I know my argument a lot better, and which points I’m making. I think it will make the process a lot more streamlined, and it will save me a lot of time when researching.

I have no idea if my supervisor is going to like it or think it is in-depth enough, or maybe too in-depth. I do not know, but I am feeling better about our meeting tomorrow as I have identified the things I’m missing, what evidence I need to make my arguments, and I think I will be able to defend my thesis well. I know what I want to talk about, and I really like my approach, and I think he might too. I am so grateful that my supervisor is making me step outside of my comfort zone because it has helped me so much already, and I cannot wait to see how he continues to challenge me.