The challenges, experiences and everyday stuff of PhD life
Guest blogger Charlotte Orr provides a brief insight into her MLitt dissertation on the links between the 1831-1832 British cholera pandemic and the professionalisation of medicine and its relevance today. Doctors rightly have a serious amount of cultural cachet: COVID-19 ‘clap for our carers’ has given us all a chance, for a short time on … Continue reading From Contempt to Clapping: British Doctors during Cholera and Coronavirus
Guest Blogger Jessica Reid talks about her experience in lockdown so far. Coronavirus hasn’t affected everyone equally, but it has affected everyone. Even if you’re used to working from home, have all the materials you need, are in your native country, have no caring responsibilities, are free of pre-existing (mental and physical) health conditions, and … Continue reading PhDs, Coronavirus and Emotional Stress
Guest Blogger Lauren Beatty writes about adapting her research on Women’s Golf in Scotland (1945-1995) to lockdown life. January 13th 2020 marked the start of my PhD journey, and my first day based at the British Golf Museum in St Andrews, Scotland. Instantly I was taken under the wing of the Museum team. I could … Continue reading Continuing Collaboration during Covid-19
Our latest Guest Blogger discusses their PhD experience while dealing with OCD and the COVID-19 outbreak. Pandemic, Contagion, Outbreak. I ardently read these books by Robin Cook when I was about twelve years old, dreamt about becoming a virologist studying deadly viruses. This was before I developed OCD. I have been living with OCD for some years now … Continue reading PhD and OCD in the Time of Coronavirus
Guest Blogger Lauren Baker shares her research and internship experience during COVID. There are any number of unexpected encounters when you are part of a PhD programme, but a global pandemic was not something that I had factored into my third year timeline. However, if there is one thing I have taken away from my … Continue reading Craft in the time of COVID
PhD researchers share how they’re making progress with their work despite restrictions posed by the lockdown. For some, being forced to stay indoors and get some work done has worked out to be advantageous. But for others – with caring and/or childcare responsibilities, anxiety, disrupted research trips and halted field research – it’s difficult to … Continue reading PhDs During Lockdown
Don’t worry – this isn’t one of those ‘rise and grind’ type posts, encouraging you to make the most of self-isolation by completing your PhD in record time whilst establishing a new side hustle… For some of us, PhD work will go on almost as normal during this stage of pandemic-related disruption. Disrupted field research, … Continue reading PhDs, Pandemics, Productivity.
Although at times it feels like I’ve been doing my PhD for years (usually in the days just before a deadline…) I recently realised it hasn’t even been six months! The first few months of a PhD have been a whirlwind of new experiences, so I thought I’d share some of the things I’ve learned … Continue reading Reflections On PhD Life So Far
Our latest guest post is from Joshua Phillips (University of Glasgow) on the underpaid teaching conditions he – and many others – currently face, strike action and proposing a pedagogy based on transparency, openness and honesty. The JEF (Josh Exploitation Framework): What, How, Why? If you’re reading this, then chances are you’re on a casual … Continue reading On Precarious Pedagogical Practices; Or, Being Paid Very Little to Do a Lot
Even if you’re surrounded by a great cohort, colleagues, and friends, sometimes having an online space to vent about your problems or look for advice can do you a world of good. Here are a few PhD communities across social media designed to help get you through these trying (!) years, from hashtags that help … Continue reading Online Communities for PhD Researchers
