It’s all getting a little bit fraught in the UK at the minute. There’s a general election happening in three weeks. The media and government are at each other’s throats. Fake news abounds. There are strikers outside nearly every HEI in Scotland right now. And I’ve run out of milk. If you're doing a PhD, … Continue reading Politics.
Category: PhD Experience
The challenges, experiences and everyday stuff of PhD life
PhDs with a Disability
This week's guest blog is on a subject I've wanted to see more of on the SGSAH blog. It's from Jessica Secmezsoy-Urquhart, a first year PhD student at the University of St. Andrews. They are autistic, chronically ill, have anxiety, ADD, OCD, etc. Their research focus is the role of neurodiverse and bodilydiverse disabled entertainers … Continue reading PhDs with a Disability
The Slump
I'm told that once you're through your first review, you might slump a little. You might struggle to get back into the swing of research after the decompression of the end of First Year. It might seem like you've climbed one mountain, only to be told that there's another peak a little further up. Then … Continue reading The Slump
Making a Change
We live in a time when people all over the world are actively making changes. People are planting trees, reforesting, irrigating deserts, eschewing combustion engines, boycotting single-use plastics, and even cleaning the oceans. And you can make changes too. Not always on a grand scale, but certainly on a local scale. And at your HEI … Continue reading Making a Change
Moving During the PhD
If you’ve ever had to move house, you already know what stress really is. It’s not an easy thing to do under any circumstance [especially if your WiFi wrecks your carefully planned blog queueing plans!-Ed.] but during a PhD it can be doubly stressful. This last couple of weeks has been a bit of a … Continue reading Moving During the PhD
Freedom Road
This incredible guest post comes from Janine Mitchell. Janine Mitchell is starting the second year of her PhD in Creative Writing at the University of Stirling. Her practice-led research examines the ways in which archival material is analysed, selected and implemented in the creation of biographical narratives, and how this process negotiates the shifting boundaries of … Continue reading Freedom Road
Take a Break!
PhDs are relentless, and they can obviously be very stressful. It's a good idea to take a break regularly. As my therapist said, you have to rest before you burn out to avoid burnout! So here are some ideas for decompressing days out near the main HEIs of Scotland, going north to south. If I … Continue reading Take a Break!
Advice for the IMDR (Incredibly Mature Doctoral Researcher) – but which may be useful for all
This week we have a guest post from the incredibly busy Morven Gow. Morven is a second year doctoral researcher at the University of Stirling, researching the negotiation of authenticity in 21st Century book publishing. She spent most of her working life in advertising and marketing. Currently, she is in her fifth decade. I thought … Continue reading Advice for the IMDR (Incredibly Mature Doctoral Researcher) – but which may be useful for all
I Still Keep a Suitcase in Berlin- Part Two
This is the second part of the story of Aileen Lichtenstein's fantastic research trip to Berlin. In case you missed it, here's her bio! Aileen Lichtenstein is starting her third year of her PhD in History at the University of Glasgow. Her research examines the transatlantic connections of German anarchism in Berlin, London and New … Continue reading I Still Keep a Suitcase in Berlin- Part Two
I still keep a suitcase in Berlin-Part 1
This terrific two-part guest post comes from Aileen Lichtenstein. Aileen is starting her third year of her PhD in History at the University of Glasgow. Her fascinating research examines the transatlantic connections of German anarchism in Berlin, London and New York between 1880 and 1914. She is especially interested in how people and ideas circulated … Continue reading I still keep a suitcase in Berlin-Part 1
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