Study Leave...How can one be on leave and studying at the same time? Being on leave always have the connotation that you are free to do what you don't normally do when you are not on leave. Be it, taking a break or rest from work, go on holiday, enjoying the company of your family, etc..etc.. And I doubt study or in the postgraduate sense, research(ing something) is considered something you would want to freely/readily do during your leave ;-P

It gets worst & frustrating when others around you tend to have this misunderstanding that you are free to do whatever you want or feel like doing during your study leave. Only those in the same PhD hole would know that is a whole lot of BS! It makes you want to just wear a T-shirt plastered with "I may look like I am on leave but my brain is running up & down trying to finish my PhD!!" every time people ask you, how long are you going to be on leave or asking you to do something because they thought you are free to do them?

Being on a ‘study leave’ also, has the connotation that you are suppose to be on leave ‘more’ instead of studying. It does not reflect the fact that you are given the leave for a serious business - pursuing your study. It may also tricked you into thinking that you have all the time in world to finish your research, since you are on ‘leave’. And walla! Suddenly you have run out of your entitled leave, the fun part - ‘the leave’ is gone, yet the serious part - ‘the study’ has not been completed! :-(

I believe the term 'study leave' is somewhat inaccurate and has more negative connotations than positive ones. It should be changed into some other phrase/term, for instance perhaps ‘study exemption’ or some other phrase/term that rhymes closer to the reality of those being on study leave, especially PhD. So...any suggestions?