• 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?

“I’ve found out the hard way that a PhD does not make you more employable outside of academia, unless the job in question is explicitly related to the PhD. Most employers won’t know what a PhD entails, and you’ll be at least three years behind everyone else in the job market.”

Given that Vitae tell us over half of PhD students will leave academia (only 48% of PhD graduates working in the UK remain in the education sector), most of us need to be prepared to account for that 3 (or 4, or…) year gap in our employment history when we eventually face the interview panel.

So what does the PhD graduate have to offer to the real world?

Independence
We have got to be among the most well versed in working without a manager’s direction, or agenda, or oversight. Surely this is an attractive prospect for any potential employer? Although, entry level positions might require you to show that this quality doesn’t simply mean we’re stubborn hermits, and can submit to authority when appropriate!

Commitment
Were you listening to the bit about it taking 3 years or more? That’s a long time to be working on one project. Completing a PhD shows that you can be dedicated to a task and to getting it finished, whatever that takes.

Time management
Again, the PhD is a long project. By the end, we’ve learned to identify our tasks, accurately predict their demands, prioritise them, and get them finished, often while working on more than one thing simultaneously.

People management
It might seem lonely and isolated at times, but we do encounter a number of people, and so can give evidence of working successfully together. We manage upwards when we engage with our supervisors or other academics in our home departments or at conferences. We work with the administrative staff in our universities, and comply with the regulations of our funding bodies. We organise things together, attend things together, and advise each other.

Problem-solving
We don’t start our research knowing the answer. Doing a PhD demonstrates the ability to work on something new, cope with the uncertainty, and find a solution.

Quick to learn
By the end of the PhD, we’re the experts in our chosen field (even if it is rather niche): that’s what the assessment criterion of originality really means. By that time we’ll have taught ourselves what we need to know to get there, demonstrating independent learning.

Writing skills
90,000 words. Legible ones. Comprehensible ones. Interesting ones. Structured ones. Engaging ones. Necessary ones. This is the bit most ‘normal’ people find most incomprehensible, so celebrate your achievement.

Can you think of any other ways of articulating what skills we doctors of Philosophy can offer to potential employers?

P.S. If you’re an English Lit student, like me, you don’t have to worry. See here for a vision of your future.

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!

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!

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!

My supervisor sent me a link to some papers yesterday, including one called ‘Could Do Better: A Curious Clinician Looks Back – and Forward’.  Although not particularly of any use to my PhD subject I printed it off, took it home and read it last night. It is a lovely autobiography of Dr Calbert I. Phillips. The paper turned out to be a very enlightning read (in a number of different ways!). He talks through his career, the things he learnt, many ideas he had (including ones about the national health service organisation), barriers he faced and triumphs he had. I can remember in a job I had before my PhD that people were encouraged to write personal summaries of things they had learnt and share them with others. I think this is important and more summaries like this should be written by people when they retire!  Many of the things he said rang true with me and I just wanted to share a few extracts,

‘Keep an ‘ideas’ file, although many will turn out to be nonviable’

‘Super-ultra-hyper-specialize: that will widen your horizons enormously’

‘Think the unthinkable: accept and assume nothing’

‘Collaborate with basic scientists, especially statisticians’

And my personal favourite, ‘I was invited to a party in Boston, with some biochemists, one of whom had worked for some years in “Cambridge, England”. “Did you meet Watson or Crick?,” said I. Said he, “I’m Watson”.

Most of all the paper reminded me to take time out, not to dismiss things because they are not current (many things can be learnt from the past and from elders) and to remember to read widely and often, as sometimes things can occur to you when you least expect it.

Before the conference:

• Have a look over the sessions that are being held (read all the conference information available) decide which you will attend (do not just read the title- make sure you read the abstracts because, as I found out, sometimes things are not all that they appear to be!)
• Do a bit of pre reading  around some of the talks/events that you are attending
• Have a look at the social activities planned (if there are any) make sure you pack/ take any specialised clothing you may need

At the conference:

• Arrive early, leave yourself plenty of time to orientate yourself and take part in any pre conference activities (these are great opportunities to meet people)
• Make sure you attend all ‘social’ events organised at the conference (pre drinks/meals/activities)
• Check out the poster sessions – these are a great way to meet and talk to people.  Talking about the work presented is a great conversation starter
• If there aren’t any social activities planned and you are struggling to meet people, many conferences will have a spot which becomes a ‘talking point’ (for example at this last conference there was a computer game competition at one of the trade stands) if you get involved/hang around at something like that it is a great conversation topic and ice breaker!

After the conference:

Don’t rush straight back to work. Take some time out to summarise what you learnt any follow ups and write down who you met at the conference. Follow up any connections you made with an email/phone call. Write down information about people you met on their business cards or in a notebook. I quickly forget information and you never know when these people might become useful connections in the future.

Don’t forget to have a good time; you don’t have to talk about work 24/7 with everyone you meet. I find that the connections that I make are stronger if I find I have something in common with the the other person (other than the work I am doing) so make sure you get chatting about their life outside work too!

All PhDs run differently, do not make the mistake of trying to compare what you are doing with what someone else is doing. PhDs typically run in peaks and troughs – quite often people spend their first year(s) wondering what they are supposed to be doing and not really getting anywhere, the rest of the PhD is usually then spent working every hour under the sun to get as much done as possible. People don’t set out for this to happen – it just does.  Spending time creating a good plan from the offset can help reduce wasted time but do not be too disheartened if the plan changes or if the work you do at first doesn’t lead to anything. All PhDs are different which is a good thing – but also can leave people feeling frustrated, unmotivated and very lonely when things do not go to plan. There are plenty of resources for people if you are feeling a bit stuck. Universities offer support systems under different guises (some through student support services/HR )– I know my university even offers a ‘time management’ training session for PhD students. So, if you are feeling like you need help there are plenty of places you can get it from. Don’t be afraid of speaking up and finding out where you can get help (and importantly, help can be found outside of your supervisor).

Of course the Internet offers up advice on any subject imaginable and there are plenty of sources for help with PhDs and time management – whatever the difficulty is you are having, here are just a few:

•  The PhD Doctor @ Sciencecareers.org  
•  Staying on track 
•  http://www.postgraduateforum.com/home.aspx
•  http://www.phdinprogress.com/index.html

 Not to get too bogged down with the serious stuff….there’s always:

 http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=1384 

Which will provide amusement and support that you are not going through this alone!