Real Life PhD Student » Academic Jobs

Things I wish I had known at the start of my PhD

Heather Doran — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:12:42 +0000

I am entering the final stretch of my PhD and this is a list of things that I wish I had known (or things I wish someone would have told me) when I started my PhD… I have also included somethings that people did tell me and I found incredibly useful. Please add yours in the comments!

Set out what your aims are at the start of your PhD (and let your supervisor know) for instance if you would like to spend time in a different lab or learn a specific technique.. TELL THEM. They aren’t mind readers
Plan, write plans (revisit and revise plans) and keep showing them to your supervisor (even if your supervisor appears uninterested)
Get to know your supervisor, learn how they work and how to get the most out of them
Learn to communicate what you are doing to someone outside of your field (and your parents/loved ones)
Adapt, learn that plans are not set in stone and things have to change and shift. Learn to live and love(if you can) this
Things will take longer than you plan them to
Read the PhD comic strips (http://www.phdcomics.com/comics.php)
Join a select number of societies related to your field (when the time comes to present work at conferences most societies insist that you have been a member of their society for 12 months in order to apply for travel funds/grants – I wish I had known this!)
‘The Unexpected’ WILL happen. You can’t plan for it. You don’t know when it will happen. But it WILL ARRIVE. Promise.
There will be additional courses, learning and support you can get from the university along the way (for example presenting, writing or computer skills courses). Identify where your weaknesses are and find out what courses will be able to help you
Learn to communicate with your supervisor and lab mates/others in your group
Gain a set of friends who are all at different stages of their PhDs, you can draw on their experiences, pass on your experiences and go for tea breaks with them when ‘the unexpected’ happens
Politics will probably create more problems and stresses than your research
Not all research is ground breaking or exciting, but it all helps
Something you have to do will be incredibly dull
Something you have to do will be exciting
You will find yourself in a different world where only your PhD project exists (try not to spend too much time in this world, it helps to get out from time to time)
At some point someone will ask you to teach someone else
Blog it. Blogging the trials and tribulations of your PhD can help get you through it and you might make some friends along the way
Think about (and plan for) what you want to do when it ends. Although it may not feel like it eventually you will finish it!
You will not tick off everything on the plan you created at the start of your PhD
Your PhD is your project you need to OWN it, manage it and be responsible for it.

I probably need to add something about ‘being organised’ and ‘writing everything down and filing it properly’ these two will probably become more of a concern as I try to put all my work together in the thesis!

The Final Year Panic

Heather Doran — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 12:05:44 +0000

I am fast approaching the final year of my PhD (come the 1st of September it will be official). The past two years have flown by so incredibly quickly. When I realised that September would be the beginning of the end I started to get into a bit of a panic; how on earth am I going to finish? So, I sat down, had a cup of tea and came up with a strategy for my last week as a second year and for the final stint…

1) Sit down and spend a good amount of time going through what I have done already

2) Work out what is a) Useful and finished b) Useless and rubbish c) Useful but needs finishing off d) What is missing

3) Put a plan together to finish the unfinished and tackle the missing bits

4) Put a realistic, priority focused timeline together on what I want to acheive and by when – I don’t want to try and do too much and end up not finishing any of it. What parts are essential and what is ‘nice to have’?

5) Start putting a plan of attack together for the thesis writing…

I am interested to know why people fail to write up their PhD. Please share any reasons you know of or have experienced, all the better if you can share how you overcame them!

And they’re off! Planning Your Career

Nicola Abram — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 08:00:03 +0000

Just a quick one today, blog fans!

I’ve noticed there are lots of great opportunities to receive training and advice for the Big Wide World (the one where you have A Job) available at the moment. Last week I was at Life Beyond the PhD at Cumberland Lodge, which was wonderful, and on 13th September I’m off to Vitae’s Careers in Academia day in Birmingham. I also know that the Guardian are running a half-day workshop on 24th September, in London. Does anyone have any others to share – especially from further north, or the other countries of the UK? Post a comment here and help other beleaguered PhD students on their journey to employment!

p.s. An interesting fact for you, for free: the title refers to the OED’s first definition of ‘career’ as from the French carrière, meaning racecourse.

Taking a Break From Your PhD

Heather Doran — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 19:08:13 +0000

As a PhD student you get a rather generous holiday allowance. I think I can take up to 8 weeks holiday a year. I doubt very much that I will ever get an allowance that big ever again in my working life. The generous allowance however does cause a bit of a dilemma, do I take the full allowance because it is there?

There is a temptation to take no holidays at all. I always have a list of personal deadlines to meet, a long list of work that I could be doing and as I am about to enter my final year I am beginning to enter the start of the ‘panic zone’. I believe however, that holidays are extremely important!

1) They give you a time to stop and reflect. Reflecting is important, it gives you a chance to spot if you are going down the wrong path

2) They stop you from getting bored and frustrated. Taking time out allows you to relax, recharge and refresh yourself ready to get back to work

3) Give you a chance to catch up with friends and family, spending time with these people are important as they will help support you through the rough times

4) They are fun, you are entitled to take them and shouldn’t feel guilty!

As for how many holidays you should take… that is up to you. Never let your supervisor make you feel guilty about taking a holiday. Of course you have to handle it properly, make sure you tell them in advance of the holiday and don’t schedule a holiday in the middle of an important piece of work or study (if your research demands set periods of your time).

There is a nice discussion thread here about academics and holidays. One point that is emphasised is, planning, plan well so you can take a holiday. Taking a day off does not count if you spend it at home answering emails and writing a paper or grant proposal…

Personally I will not take the whole 8 weeks as holiday. I will use some of my ‘holiday’ time to persue other interests which are ‘work related’ but not part of my PhD, such as producing Au Science Magazine (a science magazine for Aberdeen).

I have just taken 2 weeks as a proper holiday and it was fantastic. I feel ready to get back to work… but part of my mind is already starting to plan the next holiday.. which will be before the end of 2011!

How many hours does it take to get a PhD?

Heather Doran — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 16:04:55 +0000

There is no way to answer this question. It seems to get asked a lot on the internet. I suppose it all depends on 1) How productive you are during ‘work time’ 2) How long it takes to gain your ‘data’ to analyse (I think this is the biggie) and 3) How quick your supervisor is at replying when you need an answer.

I am hoping, fingers, toes, legs and arms crossed that I am completed in 3.5 years. At the moment (1.5 years in) that seems realistic. Although I may find that none of my experiments work for the next 6 months, which will mean I will need to carry on my PhD for a little bit longer…

If you are starting out on a PhD, it is good to have a goal for when you finish but equally I think you need to be prepared to be flexible. All PhDs are different. The nature of a PhD is that you are exploring the unknown, delving into the depths of your subject and that takes time (and effort). A good, realistic plan with set targets will help keep you on track but equally some delays will be unavoidable and outside your control. Everyone goes through periods of difficulty and it is the way that you handle the tough times that will speed up the process.

Having a wide range of contacts can help. They can support you when you need to have a moan, but they may also be able to offer you a solution to a problem which appears to be unfixable.

There will always be some people that work 12 hour days and through the night (some choose to). There will always be supervisors that judge you for not working 24/7. Ultimately the PhD is your project and you need to do what you feel is right. Don’t forget, sometimes, supervisors can be right too!

Life after a PhD

Heather Doran — Fri, 13 May 2011 11:10:48 +0000

The big question. The question my mum, dad, friends, randoms on the street have started asking me… “So what are you going to do when you finish your PhD?” . Truthfully, I have no idea. But I have started looking at various options post PhD.

The Obvious

Perhaps the most obvious route to take when finished is to get a postdoctoral placement at a university. These are advertised on university websites but they are also available through word of mouth. If there is someone or a place you fancy working, get in contact with them, tell them what you can offer and why you want to work with them. They might have some money available to employ you, or might have an idea of a grant you could apply for. I think you really need to put yourself out there and ask. People very rarely will come to you. Networking in academia is incredibly important, so make the most of opportunities at conferences. Post doc positions are also advertised on www.jobs.ac.uk alongside a wealth of advice and support.

The only problem I see with post doctoral placements is that they are short contracts, they are not permanent positions and many people find themselves in an endless circle of post docs, never reaching that elusive permanent job.

The Not so Obvious

There are of course, many other options available post PhD. These options are available to anyone, but just think about what edge someone who has done a PhD may have in these areas.

A brilliant idea may have occurred to you whilst doing your PhD, you could follow this up by starting a business. There is a lot of support for young entrepreneurs out there. The Biotechnology YES competition is a great opportunity to meet others that have started their own business and learn about starting your own. The Scottish Institute for Enterprise also offers lots of help and support for budding entrepreneurs. They also run a summer boot camp to learn business skills. You do not have to have an idea already to do either of these, they will prepare you to spot a good idea if when it comes along.

If you are not quite ready to go it alone but you have had enough of academic life, the chances are that you are looking for a job. Doing a PhD gives you many, many, many skills and the government, not-for-profit organisations and industry all need people with the skills you have. Check out www.jobs.ac.uk and you will see that there are a wide range of jobs and opportunities available. You just have to pin down what it is you want to do and go for it.

If you are still doing your PhD, now is an excellent time to try out different career options to try and pin point what it is you would like to do when you finish. You might think you know exactly what that is – but what happens if you start your dream post doc placement then find you hate it? Now is the time to explore different options, so use it! Take part in business competitions like Biotechnology Yes, enter The Guardian writing competition, and try work placements in different industries.

If anyone else has any other hints, tips advice or links please share in the comments.

Keeping up to date

Heather Doran — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 13:24:42 +0000

When in the middle of the ‘research’ part of your PhD it difficult to keep up to date with what is going on outside your own research bubble. I know I struggle. My literature review was completed over a year ago and since then many new papers have been published. So how do you keep yourself up to date whilst doing your own research? There are few tips and tricks you can use to help you out and save you time.

I do at least one literature search a week (usually a Friday and/or Monday) – I put a note in my calendar to remind myself to do this.

I file the references I have already read, properly. Once I have read a research paper I usually make a few notes on it, then file the reference so I can find it again. I use Ref works to file my references, but there are plenty of other reference tools you can use. Universities usually have their own preference. Find out which tool is best, learn how to use it and then continue to use it. Universities run short courses on how to use reference storing software, contact your IT department or library for more information.

Sign up for alerts, I sign up for alerts via pubmed so whenever anyone publishes a paper in my research area I automatically recieve an email alerting me to the paper. There are many different tools and programmes you can use to search for literature. Universities often run courses which teach you how to run searches and how to make your searches more efficient. It can make you more efficient and save you time.

If you have any more tips or ideas, please share them in the comments.

Why Study for a PhD?

Heather Doran — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 14:09:10 +0000

Wanting to be titled ‘Dr’ is not a good enough reason for becoming a PhD student. Nor is it a good reason to do a PhD because you hate your current job or cannot get a job. Doing a PhD is hard work, a long slog, often with little reward along the way. It takes determination, stamina and an incredible amount of self discipline in order to complete a PhD. The pay is not great and you may work on a project that becomes useless by the end of the PhD. There is no guarantee of a job at the end (nor should you expect one) – read this article in The Economist for more information about PhDs and jobs. If you are thinking of starting a PhD you need to be clear in your mind why it is you want to start (it may help to write these reasons down, to remind yourself when you are two years down the line and tearing your hair out why on earth you started it in the first place). SO why do it?

The challenge - A PhD will challenge you in many ways. You have to be disciplined, organised (although people that can see my desk may disagree with this point) and have endless energy and enthusiasm for your subject.
You enjoy learning – You have to have detailed in depth knowledge of a subject (you should become an expert on your particular niche subject) and constantly keep learning more about your subject area.
You love research – and I mean REALLY LOVE research. You have to get a feeling of excitement from results or findings (this feeling can be the only thing that keeps you going).
You can deal with disappointment – this is unfortunately something that will happen along your PhD journey. Something will not work, someone may publish something you have been researching for the previous 12/18 months before you do and you may not get a job at the end. These things happen, you have to be ready to face it, deal with it and move on.

If you still feel like you would really love to do a PhD then go for it! PhDs are not all doom and gloom…. if you are already doing a PhD, then remember why you started it and learn to love it!

How to Communicate Your PhD Research

Heather Doran — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 20:52:04 +0000

One of the gripes many people have with their PhD is that they think no one else is interested in it (and therefore the PhD is a pointless waste of time) and/or they think/know that no one else has a clue/understands what they are spending 3+ years doing. As part of my mini ‘Love Your PhD’ campaign I think it is really important for people to communicate their research. And by communicate, I do not mean just talking to other academics. Of course talking to academics is extremely important; it is an excellent way of sharing work to others in your field. Conferences are great places to share work to peers and to observe what others are doing. It is important, however, to share research with people outside your peer group, to engage with a wider audience.

Sharing research with others can offer an ego boost, you will probably other people that are incredibly interested in your research topic. Even if you are convinced that your topic is the most obscure research topic in the universe there will be something within it that is interesting/applicable to others.

There are many ways to share your work, for example writing a blog or writing articles for newspapers. Universities often want to showcase what research is being carried out at their institution and the University communications team/department equivalent can help you do this. One thing to remember is, you want to make your research accessible, understandable and engaging. An ‘easy’ way of doing this is to practice, try explaining your research to your grandparents/parents/siblings/friends (provided they are not researchers/experts in the same field as you). Alternatively you could film yourself (a scary prospect) but listening to yourself on film can really help you pin point where you can make yourself clearer.

There are of course more innovative ways to share your PhD topic… why not explain your research through the medium of dance. You could even enter the ‘dance your PhD’ competition, there are some great entries on YouTube if you need any inspiration!

New Year, PhD?

Heather Doran — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 11:24:38 +0000

At New Year people take time to reflect and start to plan for the year ahead. I imagine some people will be exploring the possibility of starting a PhD so I thought I would post a little bit about how people set out on the road to gaining a PhD.

Firstly a point to note is that the route people take to get a PhD can vary dramatically and the requirements for undertaking a PhD are not set in stone (but generally you need a first degree and then a masters degree). PhDs are awarded differently depending on the country you study in. In the UK full time PhDs take 3-4 years (you can do part time PhDs and they can take 5 years +) and involve the student writing a thesis then being examined on the thesis in a ‘viva’ exam (which is an oral exam). The examiners are usually specialists in the area of the PhD, there is usually one internal examiner (from the institution of study) and one external examiner (from another institution).

The support you get as a PhD student will vary depending on your PhD, the institution you are studying at and the funding body for your PhD. Most institutions offer courses that are free for PhD students to improve writing, presentation and teaching skills. Funding bodies can offer further support in the form of courses or networking opportunities. Do not underestimate the importance of these transferable skills, they will be important to you throughout your PhD and after completion of your PhD. Make sure you check out what is available before you commit to one institution or funding body.

There are number of routes to finding a PhD but here are a few tips that might help you out. Jobs.ac.uk advertises PhD studentships, as does http://www.findaphd.com/ . Individual institution websites also advertise studentships and awards available. If you have an idea to propose for a PhD there are several ways you could go about it. You could approach a Professor/Dr you already know that might know some sources of funding for your topic. Universities often advertise sources of funds that are available on their websites. The most important thing to do is to contact the person that will be your supervisor if that is possible, do this offline (most people’s contact details are available via university websites). Say you are interested in the PhD, ask for any papers they would recommend for reading (make an effort to have already done some background reading) and perhaps ask them a question about the subject/PhD/research. You could also ask to come and visit them and see where you would be studying (if the PhD is lab based, it would be advantageous to meet the people you will be working with for the next few years, see my post on Starting Out!)

I will share my story; I picked my institution due to the location. I applied for a PhD that was advertised on the university website; I went for an interview and met the supervisors. One of the supervisors then offered me a PhD, I came to visit the lab, the supervisor and the PhD sponsors. I knew that I would be happy here and jumped at the chance! The PhD I originally applied to was awarded to a student that had emailed the supervisor previously and been up to visit – it’s all about making personal connections.

Please share any stories/tips you have for people who may be searching for a PhD in the comments section, I know peoples experiences vary.