• 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!

But how do you deal with conflict? Do you keep quiet and agree with everything your supervisor says and suggests? When you disagree,  as a student, how do you get your point of view across without completely sabotaging your relationship? Is a harmonious relationship necessary? Or does conflict breed better work?

I asked people who have been dealing with this kind of situation if they had any tips to share…

“I think the first rule is having the confidence to stand up for your self, and the second is knowing when to pick your battles.  There is no point breaking out into war over little things, but you have to put your foot down sometimes, otherwise you will lose complete control of your project.

There are times when my supervisor (Prof A)  asks, “why have you done that?” And I want to reply with “because you told me too”, knowing fine well Prof A has simply forgotten that she told me to do something. I shrug and keep quiet,  for a quiet life.

When Prof A tries to take control (when I write anything) I let them make the changes and I then work through each one, and I decide if I like it or not. Then do my best to put it into my words. I have had to stand up for myself, explain that the project is mine and argue for my point of view.

An important point, always question why your supervisor wants to do something, don’t just blindly obey. Knowing the end point they want to reach, allows you to choose how to find the answer.  9 times out of 10 the student will know a quicker/better way(s) to get to that answer (or will already have it!).”

Have you ever had to deal with a conflict? Do you and your supervisor argue on a daily basis? Or are you the best of friends?

These are the questions I asked her:

1)      Do you think I can finish in 1 year? Am I on track?

2)      Is my PhD so far, ‘good’…  – what would make it better?

3)      What would make me more employable as a scientist?

4)      What do I need to focus on?

5)      Do you think I am performing to my potential?

Before speaking to her and while I was putting these questions together I carried out a little self assessment. Where did I think I was, where did I feel I could do better? I did this so I could target the discussion towards issues that would really help me, to be better.

I had the meeting this afternoon, it went really well. We had a very open, frank but relaxed chat about my PhD using the questions that I had asked as a guide. She liked the idea of the appraisal, felt it was lacking from the PhD structure and was pleased I had put these questions together. I gained an awful lot from the discussion we had and have pin pointed some things that I should focus on. Mostly though, this discussion helped me think clearly about how I work and about what I would like to do once I finish my PhD.

If you are feeling a little lost, confused or are just at a decisive point in your PhD (or anything for that matter).  I would recommend arranging to have a discussion with your supervisor with some targeted questions and the idea of getting some constructive feedback/criticism out of them! Don’t be afraid of asking, or wait for your supervisor to ask you. A PhD is your own project and you, not your supervisor, has to manage it.

I found the transition fairly straightforward, although it did take me a few months to completely settle.  I am glad I made the move and so far I have really enjoyed my PhD. My workplace was extremely busy and organised and I found academic life to be a lot quieter and a little more….haphazard (in some respects). There are a whole range of ‘transferable skills’ that can be taken from the workplace straight into a PhD. Presenting & organisational techniques I learnt whilst working, alongside many other attributes from the world of work have supplemented and enhanced my PhD over the past two years. On a day to day basis, what about the similarities and differences between The Real World and PhD life?

Similarities

Mostly I find myself working 9-5 although sometimes I do work the odd evening and weekend (no different to when I was in The Real World). I have goals, targets and deadlines to meet. I am responsible for the work I am carrying out, I need to make sure everything is organised and conducted properly. I do get stressed about how much work I have to do. I worry about how well I have completed tasks and about what other people think about my work.

Differences

Being a PhD student gives you the freedom to explore, to make mistakes and learn freely, that time wasn’t available when I was working. In my PhD project, I am the boss, I own it and it is up to me what happens to it. I can plan my work and get on with it without being dragged into meetings and moved projects because the company plan has changed. One negative difference I find is the solitude of a PhD, although I work in a lab full of people I am working alone on my project and sometimes that can make me feel incredibly lonely. There are no rewards (not really, until you finish). No matter how much work you do, you will never get a pay rise, the best you can do is get the satisfaction of getting a paper published, getting your name on a patent and/or giving yourself a big pat on the back.

They both have problems and they both have good points, good days and bad days. If you want to leave work to escape pressure, I am not sure that starting a PhD is the answer. If you are incredibly passionate about a particular subject, can work without instant gratification, can work well on your own and are sure the move is right for you, then go for it!

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!

So I have created a % of what a PhD is made up of (from my point of view, at this particular point in time)

5% Thinking

65% ‘experimenting’ doing things that didn’t work and will never make it into the thesis

15% of actual experiments that have worked and have revealed something

15% Luck

Not sure what everyone else thinks about my little percentages. I probably should have included a procrastination % too, although that could be included in the ‘doing things that will never make it into the thesis section’.

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!

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 <a href=”http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/”>pubmed </a>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.

The first thing to do would be to speak to the HR department at the university, research your entitlements and let your supervisor know. You would also want to think about what you wanted to do – do you want to take a period of leave from your research? Or do you want to carry on with your research as soon as you can after giving birth? If your project gives you the  freedom to plan your own time, you may well be able to manage a child and your PhD.  There are plenty of people on the Internet sharing their advice and experiences (good, bad, helpful and unhelpful).  

In the UK you are entitled to take up to 12 months maternity leave. If you are planning to take leave, you would need to apply to your university to suspend your studies. Suspending studies usually means you would not need to pay any fees and if you do receive any bursary this would be put on hold for the duration of the suspended study. Regarding rights to statutory maternity pay whilst you are a PhD student, there is no clear answer. The first place to check would be with the funding body that supports you. Some research councils and funding bodies choose to treat PhD students in the same way they would with staff regarding maternity leave and pay. PhD students, however, are not employees and unfortunately have no rights to be treated as an employee. It really depends on your funding body. Secondly the university you are affiliated with may have a standard policy on rights for PhD students and fund your maternity pay. My school does not fund maternity pay, it only offers a suspension in fee payments and suspension in bursary payments. According to the government website receiving a bursary does not qualify you to receive a maternity allowance as a bursary is not treated as earnings.

I also know that some people do struggle  from pressure from their funders to complete their research and as a resuld do not take maternity leave and they have found the process difficult. Please share any other advice, feedback or experiences you have had in the comments.

• 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!