Studying a PhD offers many fantastic opportunities for research and networking. But it’s a long journey and life beyond research can require one to take a break from study, whether for work or health reasons. In this blog post, Giles Penman talks about his recent experience of temporary withdrawal.
There are many reasons to do your PhD. You’re contributing to a new area of research, answering an age-old question or just simply you want to develop yourself and research skills further. It’s an exciting time in your life, conducting new research and doing what you really want to do. However, one of the things…
This week, blogger Pierre talks about how to handle the dreaded task of getting enough things done. By Pierre Botcherby
Anonymous Last week I felt something that I’ve felt building for some time: a sense that I was incapable of completing my PhD. It was that nauseating feeling that there was something wrong with me. Overthinker or obsessive? Perfectionist or slow? Surely, the grass is greener somewhere else.
Unlike starting an Undergraduate or a Master’s course, starting a PhD can be very lonely because, well, you’re the only person doing your research. There’s no standard reading list, no organised seminars or lectures, and no official course mates who you can sympathise with when you don’t understand a topic. Put simply, no two PhDs…
As research students, our work in libraries and laboratories is intellectually difficult whatever your subject. Having a medical condition or disability can make completing researching even more challenging. However, support and guidance are readily available at Warwick. Giles Penman explains how the University has helped him survive and thrive as a PhD student with medical…
It’s the start of the new academic year and that means the start of a PhD for some students. Congratulations! In today’s blog, blogger Lucia writes about her perspectives of starting a PhD at Warwick as an international student. Hear her top three tips for finding your feet.
The COVID pandemic has been very challenging for everyone in many ways. As doctoral students whose work keeps us relatively isolated in libraries and labs anyway, we have faced extra isolation and problems of access to research materials. But, as the UK moves out of lockdown restrictions, in a series of blog posts, Giles Penman…
Reading is often a lone-person hobby. Research often involves reading itself, so the last thing you want to do in your spare time is read even more. But it’s also not exactly the best way to make friends. Except when coupled with clubs. Manpreet Kaur shares her experiences of attending various reading clubs and poetry…
The COVID pandemic has been very challenging for everyone in many ways. As doctoral students whose work keeps us relatively isolated in libraries and labs anyway, we have faced extra isolation and problems of access to research materials because of COVID restrictions. But, as the UK moves out of lockdown restrictions, in a series of…
All PhD students have to do an upgrade review. Read below for blogger Ellie’s top tips for your upgrade success.
Picking up an increasingly heavier load may seem daunting. Going through a slow and tiring intellectual process like a PhD can also take its toll. In this blog post, our editor Lúcia shares her experience with weightlifting and explores how it can relate to her PhD journey so far.
The continuing restrictions of the lockdown in the UK have frustrated many and put a strain on wellbeing. But creative activities, such as drawing and painting, have a proven positive effect on wellbeing. Giles Penman discuss the benefits of drawing which he, University of Warwick Wellbeing Adviser Janet Winter and other research students encountered in an OnTrack session earlier this term.
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.
Life as a researcher can be very hectic with long hours in the library or the laboratory. And after all that hard and tiring work it can be all too easy to reach for the takeaway menu or the ready meal. But Giles Penman discusses his experiences of cooking to relieve stress and promote health and wellbeing.
Exploring the emotional processes involved in both being and becoming academic
Musings of a nutty professor in the making
Research(ers)
Because there's always room for improvement
The evolving tale of my PhD as it happens
physio.researcher.illustrator
Language, Digital Media and the Family
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