Can I just reiterate what the majority of first year fid (yes fid) students experience?  Reading.  Thats it.  If they do any more than that then they are HARDCORE.  

What happens at the end of your first year?

Ooooooooooooo you most likely have to produce a first year report and do a mini viva type thingy.  This is not as scary as it sounds, though, to be fair, I was on meds at the time.

Anyhoooooooooooo,

At this meeting, you will have your supervisor(s) and hopefully your thesis chair (internal examiner).  This meany weany beany thesis chair will question you like your ass was on fire.  Man up.

Did I survive this ass burning?  Yes.  Yes  but omg it burned.

If you have the basic grounding about your subject then the thing they burn you about is twatage.  Specifics?  Ok, why does that line move that way?  Why did you draw those rocks in that shape? Why haven’t you considered advection (when it is clearly NOT considered)?  Why did you choose those axes? That equation doesn’t make sense, derive it.  Nah, I still dont get it, can you derive it again in a different way?  Yes, I could go on but I am sure you get the drift.

At the end of that meeting, you will have a hot face, flutter butter stomach and an extreme desire for a beer.

To be fair, which I ain’t, buuut, you will also feel on top of the world, like you can kick beatrix kiddos ass, and that, most importantly, you know your subject.