Doing a PhD can be a lonely experience, especially if one is starting at a new university, or moving to a new area. The pandemic made it especially tricky to find community when everything moved online. However, cultural societies can be a great way to find a ‘home away from home’ experience as a postgraduate... Continue Reading →
On the Thesis Path: April Showers Bring May Flowers
In this series, blogger Lúcia keeps a record of her progress and experience in the months leading up to submission. Oh boy, when it rains, it pours. April was a month with a lot of harvesting of hard work, while also being full of rainy days (both real and metaphorical). In April, I took sick... Continue Reading →
The highs and lows of being a researcher with Bipolar Disorder
Being a researcher is tough any day of the week. It’s hard to juggle the reading, writing, teaching, publications, conferences (the list can and will go on…). But how about when you’ve got a mental health condition to contend with? By Kayleigh Caffyn My mental health condition can be imagined as the biggest rollercoaster you’ve... Continue Reading →
How to Write an Abstract
If you’re writing a paper for a journal, or presenting your work at a conference, you may be asked to write an abstract. But how do you go about it? Editor Ellie gives you a how to. By Ellie King When reading papers on your area of research, the abstract can be incredibly useful. As... Continue Reading →
Five Top Tips for Upgrade Success
All PhD students have to do an upgrade review. Read below for blogger Ellie’s top tips for your upgrade success.
‘Hey, I know that now, ok?’[1]: Things I Wish I’d Known Before Starting the PhD
There’s plenty we don’t know heading into a PhD, and still lots we don’t know once it’s done. But there are some things which, with hindsight, would have been reassuring to know in advance… By Pierre Botcherby It was only when I agreed to write about ‘things I wish I’d known’ that I realised how... Continue Reading →
On the Thesis Path: The Ides of March
In this series, blogger Lucia keeps a record of her progress and experience in the months leading up to submission. Here’s that cliche again: time flies by when you’re having fun! And when twenty four hours are not enough hours in a day and you wish for time to drag itself so that you’ll have... Continue Reading →
Viva Las Vegas! The safest gamble you’ll ever take
It sits, a neon blaze on the distant horizon, alone in a desert of scorched neurones, the gamblers’ paradise on which you stake the last four years. You need a strong heart and nerves of steel as you roll the dice one last time, as there’s a fortune (well, a thesis) to be won or... Continue Reading →
Be SMART: Setting Realistic Goals
Doing a PhD can be all about setting goals and staying on track. But how do we know if they're realistic or achievable? This week, blogger Sola gives her top tips. By Sola Browne. As a PhD student it’s really important to be organised and part of that is setting achievable goals. Key ingredients for... Continue Reading →
Adding pauses in your PhD
As with anything, the key to a healthy PhD is an effective work-life balance. It is important to take pauses and breaks during your PhD to avoid burnout and so that you can enjoy what you do rather than viewing it as a liability. Manpreet Kaur discusses how she sprinkles breaks in her weeks and months.