Well, it’s nearly time for my tenure as SGSAH blogger to come to an end. It’s been great fun reading guest posts, writing about my experiences and lessons as a PGR, and seeing what people think of the blog and the PhD experience in general.

It’s been a difficult adjustment going from freelance to PGR, but it’s also been profoundly rewarding so far. I’ve seen a huge number of people, all researching fascinating subjects about which they’re passionate, and I’ve been given some wonderful ideas and compliments for my own research.

The main takeaways from my first year have definitely been related to self care, self awareness, and mental health care. It’s seen me start anti-depressant medication, deal with anxiety and panic attacks, and find a very good fit in a therapist, and a new ability to discuss and rationalise the things my brain are saying (mostly nonsense, as per usual).

So, for the next couple of years I’m a PGR. But that encompasses a whole host of other things: I’m a writer, creative, researcher, archaeologist, linguist, traveller, teacher, advocate, activist, actor, engineer, and artist. And that’s just the stuff I have to do for my thesis and as part of the SGSAH DTP cohort. Seriously, the opportunities given to me by SGSAH just in the last year have been crazy. Check them out, they’re a genuinely cool bunch of well meaning, helpful people. And we need those kinds of people right now.

Once again, and as I’ve said all the way through my time on the blog:

Give yourself a break. You got this. You’re in control of this. The PhD isn’t us, it’s not even a half-sized part of us. It’s something that we’re doing, that we control, and that we will enjoy, and continue to enjoy once it’s over.

And if you’ve already done your PhD, go and eat some ice cream and read a novel, fo goodness sake! Yeesh! Chill a minute!

My next (and penultimate) post will be an interview with our new boss! Woohoo!

As ever, we are always looking for guest posts for the blog. If you’re interested in contributing to the SGSAH blog, or just for an informal chat, give Jimmy a shout at james.johnson@stir.ac.uk or hit us up on Twitter.