The end of the year approaches!

I cannot believe it’s already December, I swear it was just October yesterday…where did November go?? If you’re like me, you may have been too busy this past month to take much notice of what was going on in the SGSAH community and beyond, so I’m here to help. Below you’ll find some blogs coming out of November that you should catch-up on, as well as some opportunities and deadlines fast approaching to keep an eye on. If there is anything to add, please give us a shout and we will update the list!

Blogs

• PhD to Be Blog: Brand new to the PhD blogger scene, the PhD to Be Blog run by Caitlin at the University of Glasgow looks to be applicable for other PhDers searching for some camaraderie along the journey. This blog is self-described as ‘a place for me to share my victories, woes and tips for protocols and general PhD life’ which I think we can all get behind!
• The Atlantic (not necessarily a blog post but worth a read!) |Graduate School Can Have Terrible Effects on People’s Mental Health: As terrifying as this title sounds, it is super important to speak out about the pressures academic pursuits play on our mental health- and that we’re not alone. This article looks at where some of those struggles come from and the challenges the widespread acceptance of poor mental health as a fact of life in graduate education.’
• Pat Thomson’s Blog | Theory Fright Pt.I & II: A two-part blog post, this breaks down the challenge of creating a theoretical framework in the thesis into something you can actually get to grips with. I cannot concisely summarise how helpful these posts were to my own comprehension of theory, so you’ll just have to see for yourself (it’s so worth it!!).
• Dr Laura Varnam’s Blog | How to give a good conference paper: A very thorough and helpful blog post on giving a conference paper, from conception to the actual event and follow-up questions. Wether it’s your first conference paper or fifteenth, these tips and tricks are extremely useful!
• Union of Concerned Scientists | How to Make Professional Conferences More Accessible for Disabled People: Guidance from Actual Disabled Scientists: Although this post is aimed at researchers in the sciences, this is a consideration we should be factoring into all disciplines. Make academic events and spaces accessible!
• Marie Claire (again not a blog post per-se but relevant!) |Why Are Mental Health Issues So Rife In Academia?: Following the theme from The Atlantic‘s post, mental health in academic is a hot-button issue that deserves all the attention its been getting.
• Nature |Twenty things I wish I’d known when I started my PhD: I love lists like this because I always find something new I hadn’t considered at this stage in my PhD. I particularly like the idea of breaking down my PhD writing not by chapter as it is too overwhelming!
• PGRN Scotland |The mid-PhD slump is real and I know because I’m in it, or, enough with the cult of busyness already: My PhD pals and I cannot get enough of this post- it speaks to us on soooo many levels! It is so relevant and so relatable!

Other Stuff

• 13 December | How to Produce Highly Visible Research Webinar: This webinar caught my eye as it is run through the Elsevier Researcher Academy and is totally free when registering through your Uni account. While most things seem to be directed at science-based researchers, this webinar seems to be aimed at an interdisciplinary audience and worth a look if you’re interested in distributing your researcher to a wider audience!
• 21 December | UK Blog Awards Public Voting Closes: There are loads of intresting Uk-based blogs up for the UK Blog Awards this year- so get exploring and voting! You can narrow your search to categories (we recommend Education for some academic realness) and discover from there.
• The Young Women’s Movement | 30 Under 30 Inspiring Women: I am so proud to say I know a number of (and nominated!) incredible women selected for this honour, so be sure to keep an eye on this page where they’ll be highlighting each woman!

We are always seeking new guest bloggers! If you have an idea for a blog post or would like to informally discuss writing for the SGSAH blog please get in touch with Brittnee via email atb.leysen.1@research.gla.ac.uk or connect with the blog on Twitter